Choosing A Kai Ken Breeder
Whether you decide to join the Hayaikaze Kai Ken family or not-- I want to provide some information and resources for those who are on their puppy / breeder journey.
#1. Try to meet their dogs!
I can't stress this enough. It is very easy to look at everything we do and hear other families rave about how awesome their dogs are, then you get one and it's nothing like you expected. Behavior is very much genetic. Breeders can provide you with a puppy who has solid foundation and then it is your job to build on that foundation. But if the foundation is different than what you're expecting, then you might not be prepared for a potentially difficult puppy. So meet the parent dogs and their other offspring, preferably in a public setting or a setting that tests things that are important to you (reactivity & fear is genetic, if you notice the dogs are wary or not confident with other dogs / people then ask yourself if you're ok managing that for the next 15 years).
#1b. If you can't meet their dogs . . .
Look at what they have accomplished or what they regularly 'do' to get a gauge for their temperament. Dog shows aren't for everyone, but to me it proves temperament in a way. When I go to a dog show theres hundreds of dogs and people crammed into a tiny building, constantly in each other's space, and they get a physical exam from a stranger. So not only does it prove my dogs are people friendly & safe, but it proves their nerves of remaining calm, collected, and cool in such a busy and stressful environment. We also personally have completed temperament tests (having unbiased 3rd parties evaluate their temperament) and compete in dog sports. A lot of this you can see pictures and videos on our instagram of our dogs & training. You should also verify claimed accomplishments. AKC provides a Dog Lookup search feature, that allows you to input a dog's registration number (located on our dog's pages) or their breed and the first part of their registered name to verify recorded titles. For example, if you search Kai Ken & 'Hayaikaze', this is part of what you will see.
"Hey their pages say they have more titles than that!"
We participate in many sports across many different venues. You might notice that in the above picture, Hayaikaze's Lab Member 004 (our Kurisu), is missing "RATN RATI" at the end of her name. These titles were acquired through a sport called Barn Hunt and they have their own Title Search feature as you can see here.
#1. Try to meet their dogs!
I can't stress this enough. It is very easy to look at everything we do and hear other families rave about how awesome their dogs are, then you get one and it's nothing like you expected. Behavior is very much genetic. Breeders can provide you with a puppy who has solid foundation and then it is your job to build on that foundation. But if the foundation is different than what you're expecting, then you might not be prepared for a potentially difficult puppy. So meet the parent dogs and their other offspring, preferably in a public setting or a setting that tests things that are important to you (reactivity & fear is genetic, if you notice the dogs are wary or not confident with other dogs / people then ask yourself if you're ok managing that for the next 15 years).
#1b. If you can't meet their dogs . . .
Look at what they have accomplished or what they regularly 'do' to get a gauge for their temperament. Dog shows aren't for everyone, but to me it proves temperament in a way. When I go to a dog show theres hundreds of dogs and people crammed into a tiny building, constantly in each other's space, and they get a physical exam from a stranger. So not only does it prove my dogs are people friendly & safe, but it proves their nerves of remaining calm, collected, and cool in such a busy and stressful environment. We also personally have completed temperament tests (having unbiased 3rd parties evaluate their temperament) and compete in dog sports. A lot of this you can see pictures and videos on our instagram of our dogs & training. You should also verify claimed accomplishments. AKC provides a Dog Lookup search feature, that allows you to input a dog's registration number (located on our dog's pages) or their breed and the first part of their registered name to verify recorded titles. For example, if you search Kai Ken & 'Hayaikaze', this is part of what you will see.
"Hey their pages say they have more titles than that!"
We participate in many sports across many different venues. You might notice that in the above picture, Hayaikaze's Lab Member 004 (our Kurisu), is missing "RATN RATI" at the end of her name. These titles were acquired through a sport called Barn Hunt and they have their own Title Search feature as you can see here.
#2. Look for health testing appropriate for the breed
If you've looked around my website much, you'll have noticed I'm quite vocal about the health & current state of the breed. To some I'm sure it comes off as 'elitist', but trust me it's because I want everyone to be completely aware of the realities of getting into this breed. We are just at the tip of the iceberg. While there are no guarantees in breeding, ever (there are billions of different genes that even when breeding two perfect and health tested dogs, they might create the wrong 'combo' genetically), we can try our best to stack the odds in our favor via health testing and being transparent about the results. The largest semi-open (breeders do have the option to hide failing results) health recording database in the USA is the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). People have photoshopped the certificates before, so it is important to verify all results in the OFA database. You can use their Advanced Search feature to look for dogs by their registration numbers, breed, or registered name (all provided on our dog's pages). If you type in 'Octave Melody' this will pop up.
If you've looked around my website much, you'll have noticed I'm quite vocal about the health & current state of the breed. To some I'm sure it comes off as 'elitist', but trust me it's because I want everyone to be completely aware of the realities of getting into this breed. We are just at the tip of the iceberg. While there are no guarantees in breeding, ever (there are billions of different genes that even when breeding two perfect and health tested dogs, they might create the wrong 'combo' genetically), we can try our best to stack the odds in our favor via health testing and being transparent about the results. The largest semi-open (breeders do have the option to hide failing results) health recording database in the USA is the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). People have photoshopped the certificates before, so it is important to verify all results in the OFA database. You can use their Advanced Search feature to look for dogs by their registration numbers, breed, or registered name (all provided on our dog's pages). If you type in 'Octave Melody' this will pop up.
#3. What does their puppy raising program consist of?
Something I greatly pride myself in is the socialization & experiences I provide to every litter of ours. We do Early Neural Stimulation (ENS) with our puppies starting at 3 days old (can be seen here). We also do Early Scent Introduction (ESI) starting at 3 days old (these videos are also on our instagram). When we have our litters we also post pictures and videos of the pups having 'puppy parties' (socialization parties so the puppies can meet so many new people and dogs). Videos of them having their first baths as it is important for puppies to get used to having them semi-regularly (we bathe our adult dogs only about 2 times a year, but for puppies we give them a bath at 5 weeks, 7 weeks, and about every 3-4 weeks or so until they're 4 months old if we're keeping a puppy). We also do weekly nail trims on the puppies so they get used to having their feet handled regularly, a number of Kai Ken (even ones we have produced) don't enjoy nail trims so it is important to be consistent and regular with them otherwise your puppy might decide they don't like them if you go a period without doing them. Puppies should also have a variety of tactile surfaces/objects in their puppy pen that stimulate and challenge their balance. |
We also take our puppies out to the park, farmers markets, and events in our puppy wagon. This way they can be exposed to lots of people, sounds (kids screaming, trains going by, sirens, etc), sights, smells, and dogs, while remaining safe in the wagon. The puppies are constantly challenged with obstacles to increase their confidence. Here are the puppies playing on a teeter totter, even when it moves under them and makes a loud noise hitting the ground, they don't even notice. I'm so proud of these guys! And that is just a small glimpse of our program. So definitely look at what breeders are doing with their pups and how the puppies present themselves (are their tails up? are they engaging with people or their environment? do they look comfortable?)
|
#4. Do you agree with their ethics and/or husbandry?
This is by far probably the most controversial one-- but it is also the most important. When you buy a puppy from a breeder, think about what you want out of this exchange. You're getting a puppy, and ideally you're also making a friend for at least the next 15 years. How does this person respond to your questions and concerns? Are they defensive? Do they answer everything you ask or do they dance around certain topics? If something were to happen to your puppy, how do you expect them to respond and do you think they will have your back?