MyDogBreeds
Shikoku is originated from Japan but Schnoodle is originated from United States. Shikoku may grow 39 cm / 15 inches shorter than Schnoodle. Shikoku may weigh 8 kg / 18 pounds more than Schnoodle. Both Shikoku and Schnoodle has same life span. Shikoku may have less litter size than Schnoodle. Both Shikoku and Schnoodle requires Moderate maintenance.
The Shikoku is from the Shikoku Island in Japan and they are very much like the Japanese Shiba Inu. There are six native Japanese dog breeds and the Shikoku is medium sized and sits in between the smaller Shiba Inu and the very large Akita Inu. All of the Japanese native breeds are members of the Spitz family. The Japanese have sorted their six breeds into 3 categories by size. Being medium size, the Shikoku is a member of the Shika-inus group. Others in this group are the Ainu Ken, the Kai Ken and the Kishu Inu. There are small differences between the three dogs in the Shika-inus group.
The Shikoku was bred to be a hunting dog in Kochi Prefecture to hunt boar and deer. Other names for the breed include Kochi-ken and Kishu dog or boar hound. This dog is considered to be the purest of the Japanese native dogs or Nihoken. They are today very , very rare. There are very few outsides of Japan, but some in North America are attempting to save the breed.
The are od Kochi Prefecture is a mountainous region with rough terrain that anyone outside of the area would have a hard time accessing. That is why the Shikoku is considered to be so pure as they were pretty well isolated in the mountains. The breeders were also isolated by the mountains and there was very little interbreeding. Although breeding the same dog, these different groups developed different lines of the Shikoku.
Documentation tells us that the number of originals lines was just two and these were the Western and Eastern Shikoku. The Western dog was known as the Mount Ishizuchi Shikoku and the Eastern as the Mount Tsurugi Shikoku. Within these two lines of Shikoku there are additional strains.
Within the Eastern line there is the Tokushima (lya) and the Koci-Aki strains. Within the Western line there is the Hata Uwahara, the Ehime-ken Shuso-gun and the Honkawa. Among these lines and strains, there are different coats and different colors; some heavier and some taller, but all figure into the development of the breed.
Finally, in the Showa Era the Japanese established the Dog Protective League and they began collecting the native dogs from around the country. They protected them so that the breed will go on. The Shikoku is today recognized as Foundation Stock by the AKC and it is fully recognized by the Japan Kennel Club, the Canadian Hound Club and the Shikoku has been declared a living Japanese “natural monument”.
Two bloodlines became the way the Shikoku were know after the war – the Honkawa and the Hata lines The Honkawa line were the descendants of the Choshun-go and the Hata line were the descendants of the Matsukaze-go. They bred the lines separately until 1955, when they mixed them to make the breed stronger. They are no longer considered separate in any way.
Because they are such primitive dogs, the Shikoku are good watch dogs and quite reserved with strangers. They need a lot of socialization to be a family pet but once they are, they make great companions. Intelligent, quick to learn and eager to please. Of the two lines of Shikoku dogs from the Western strains, the current Shikoku owes much of its current development to the Honkawa and Hata strains.
The Schnoodle was developed in the 1980s. It is believed the dog originates from the USA. This was when it was discovered that breeding the poodle with other dogs produced excellent mixes.
The idea with the Schnoodle was to develop a low-shedding dog. The Schnoodle is a mix between a Schnauzer and a Poodle,but because both the Poodle ad Schnauzer have different sizes, there is no knowing what size the Schnoodle will be.
Major kennels don’t recognize the Schnoodle as a breed.
Today’s Shikoku is a medium sized breed with a Spitz like body – square with a head that is wedge shaped. The ears are pointed, and the tail is curved and feathered. They have arched toes and hard pads with dark, hard nails.
The two lines of the Shikoku are slightly different in built and look. The Honkawa strain is slender and athletic; agile and single coated. They have dark eyes and most of them are black and tan.
On the other hand, the Hata strain is much heavier boned, with the front more muscular than the rear. They have small ears, a wide skull and a strong undercoat. His eyes are shaped differently than the Honkawa. Their coats are also mostly red and tan.
The Schnoodle is a cross between a poodle and a schnauzer and with the poodle parent in the mix, the dog is considered to be hypoallergenic.
Because there are three sizes of Schnauzer, the Schnoodle can be medium sized but also fairly large. Weight of this dog can be anything from 6 to 45 Kg and he can stand at between 38cm to 66cm. The coat can be either wavy, straight or curly and will need to be brushed, stripped or clipped according to the coat they have.
The most common coat colors are grey, a mix of grey, silver and white, a fawn or creamish color and black. The medium sized ears are floppy.
Because this is a mixed breed you won’t get a fixed personality type and you won't find fixed looks. Because the dog comes from two excellent parent breeds, you can expect your schnoodle to be friendly, alert and very active.
They may not take readily to kids so it is up to the human owners to see that their children are brought up to be kind and respectful to dogs and animals. Your Schnoodle can be gentle too and stubborn but he will bond closely with his human family.
The smallish size of these dogs makes it a good choice for city or country life, but wherever he is, he will need lots of exercise. Schnoodles are smart and respond well to training.
1.Children friendliness – They might be a little aloof with children. They are hunters.
3.Adaptability with your commitment to exercise they can live anywhere even in an apartment.
Thanks to their parents, Schnauzer cross Poodles are smart, easy to train and fast learners.
Schnoodles are also fun-loving dogs, and they make great playmates for children. They are also a good choice for first time dog owners. A bonus part for dog owners is that these dogs are low shedding, making them great for anyone who suffers from allergies.
The Schnoodle forms strong bonds with their human family and this makes them both protector and watchdog. He is a great family dog with some excellent characteristics from each of the parent dog breeds involved.
Being isolated as they were, the Shikoku was a fairly healthy breed, no genetic testing has been done. Despite this they suffer a few of the same potential issues as other breeds their size.
Otherwise this is an agile and hardy breed with no known congenital health issues.
The Schnoodle is a robust, healthy breed, but unfortunately he can also succumb to any one of the many dog illnesses there are -
This refers to an eye disease which results in the deterioration of the retina. Your dog develops night blindness and this can lead to total blindness. Unfortunately there is no cure.
It can be horrible seeing your pet jerking and twisting out of control with seizures. You will need to get your pet to the vet as epilepsy can be a symptom of a bigger issue.
This is a life threatening disease where your dog’s stomach fills with gas and becomes hard and swollen. The stomach can twist. Symptoms of bloat include restlessness, drooling and trying to vomit.
Feeding the puppy Be careful with feeding the puppy and adult as the breed is known to have a tendency toward obesity. Fresh food is better as it is what the breed has been used to, but a high quality puppy kibble is acceptable. Feed three times per day.
2.Feeding the adult He is a high energy dog so feed a high energy food designed for a medium sized dog. Feed in two meals each day.
4. Games and Exercises You will need a fenced yard for this breed and time to play with them. If not, you would need time to walk her more than once a day. They love to play indoors as well, chasing balls, learning new things. The breed make great companions for hiking, swimming, play frisbee or catch outside. They do well at agility, rally, obedience and flyball.
The Schnoodle is a dog that will need a good dose of exercise. Provide him with daily walks, walks in the park, hikes, runs along the beach as well as ball and rope games.
Always try to feed your dog a high quality food. Many people give their dogs one of the commercially manufactured foods there are because they are wonderfully convenient, and you get some good ones.
You don’t want to give this food to your dog day after day after day. Feed him some home-made food occasionally which can be added to his dry kibble twice a week. Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots are a healthy choice for your pet.
You can boil it, chop it all up and add smaller portions to the dry kibble twice a week as a wonderful, tasty treat for your dogs.
Try and include some raw meat into the diet as this can help to fight of skin diseases. Ensure there is always a bowl of fresh, cool water for him.
Make sure all the necessary vaccines are up to date to avoid some of the deadly canine diseases there are.