This old historic breed, was mainly bred on the eiland Shikoku in Japan.
The purpose of breeding was done for hunting deer and wild boar. Deer was there specialty. In 1937 this breed was registered in the official list of naturemonuments.
The Shikoku is in a way different from his cousin the Shiba inu, because of its height and the colour of its coat.
The size is 43-53 cm. The colours are reddish or blackish.
Characteristics
The Shikoku is a loyal hunter and a huntingcompanion whom stands any kind of weather. He is independent and can behave a bit reserved. Incase well raised he will be a great housepet.
Temperament
Mw. Egitte Hesselmans-van Veghel is into dogs for already 20 years. Mainly with Japanese breeds.
She was always reading and searching into books from Japanese breeds and the Japanese culture. Then she found some lines from the eiland Shikoku and a breed that was only bred on that eiland. That took her interest and she started her SEARCH.
This research took a lot of years and time, searching for anything about the Shikoku.
After 5 years of talking, writing, faxing she received an invitation to visit Japan and to see the Shikoku in reality. She thanked the lord for it, an answer to her prayers.
Her husband left Holland in 1997 for a two weeks trip to Japan.(Mrs. Hesselmans can't travel so easy because she runs a business and has to make a longrun planning in advance, and there was no time at that moment.)
Mr. Hesselmans(Rene) didn't have vacation in Japan. The connections he had took him all the way trough Japan, a too long story to bore you with, but the last week he was brought to a breeder who had a puppy for us.
He returned to Holland with a blackish male from 6 weeks old. You can understand the happiness our house was filled with.
History
KEKKI;
This was the real first Shikoku who ever left Japan and ofcourse the first Shikoku in Holland."Kazuhideryu", was called "Kekki", was growing into a fantastic male who is now over 2 years of age. Ofcourse we learned a lot from our first one. With more downs then ups. His behavior was more wolflike then doglike.But with lots of experience and patience we made it.!!!!
"Kekki" is a really fantastic dog, a supershowdog, and a fast learning pupil in different strokes of sports.
In 1998 we received our second invitation from Japan. They selected a reddish female for us.
Origin
ROYALVISIT;
Mr. Hesselmans (who likes to travel) traveled in October 1998 again to Japan, and returned with "Akira" ,a reddish female from 7 weeks old.
Very typical, in a total of 7 years being fully active with the Shikoku and now owned 2 .
The Japanese connections stayed in contact with Mr. an Mrs. Hesselmans, to now and hear everything about "their" Shikoku's. Also in these years there were suddenly visits ( no announcement in advance) from our Japanese friends, they came to see how we and of course the Shikoku's Kekki and Akira were doing.
They keep an eye on things , is everything going oke ??Japanese dogs with western people?? Luckily they are very content with the whole situation.
So content, that Mr. Hesselmans received in march 1999 a letter that he had to visit Japan again. With a special reason, a very special reason. He received an invitation from the oldest and famous Shikoku breeder from Japan. This breeder is "ROYAL" known by breeders, but hardly no one has ever met him in real. No invitation from the man himself, no visit. This breeder kept a close look at us trough the years, and told us he wanted to help us. He selected a few Shikoku's for us. We almost got crazy from happiness!!!!!!! When Mr. Hesselmans arrived over there it seemed more like a Royal visit than a dogkennelvisit.
Even the Japanese press was invited, and some highplaced people from the Japanese Kennel Club, and the Nippo association from Japan. There were absolutely high TOPQUALITY Shikoku's selected for us.Here Mr. Hesselmans got his grandtour in the land of Shikoku's. Ofcourse he took lots of pictures and films for his wife Mrs. Hesselmans.
Utilization
The selected dogs were a few puppies and two females from about 4 months.This is really unique because the Shikokupopulation in Japan is rather small. Registrated are 250-to 300 Shikoku's.
We are very happy that these Shikokulovers have their best interest in these Dutch fooks.They all have one motto; only the best is good enough.
Mr. and Mrs. Hesselmans have shown trough the years to the Japanese people that they gave a lot of time , interest and what so ever that was needed, they did it. Trough the years this relationship was built on one word;TRUST , from both ways.
Mr. an d Mrs. Hesselmans now know its their responsibility to keep the breed the way they are suppose to be, maybe even improve it….
But also to keep out rarities, whom so many breeds destroid.This breed is so rare and pure, they want to keep it that way. Real Shikokulovers can wait several years for a dog, I think you can understand it after reading this amazing story.
A lot of people are interested from all over the world, Belgium, France, Italy, Denmark, Mexico, US and England. But all of them have positive interest (for now). The family Hesselmans are not going to sell their puppies to Shikokulovers in line, but only to lovers who will go to the extreme
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