The Kishu Ken Standard
Per NIPPO, Japanese dogs were standardized in 1934 as "small", "medium" or "large" in type. The Kishu Ken is one of four of the breeds that is shown in the "medium" sized category along with the Shikoku Ken, Kai Ken, and Hokkaido Ken.
You may see the breed referred to in a few different ways. The breed name, "Kishu Ken" is used over the name "Kishu Inu" due to grammar practices in most cases: "Kishu" (紀州) is read using the "on" pronunciation of the kanji, so "Ken" should be used as the "on" pronunciation of the kanji "犬." However, it should be noted "Kishu Inu" and "Kishu dog" (or, simply, "Kishu") are used interchangeably outside of Japan when speaking about the same breed.
You may see the breed referred to in a few different ways. The breed name, "Kishu Ken" is used over the name "Kishu Inu" due to grammar practices in most cases: "Kishu" (紀州) is read using the "on" pronunciation of the kanji, so "Ken" should be used as the "on" pronunciation of the kanji "犬." However, it should be noted "Kishu Inu" and "Kishu dog" (or, simply, "Kishu") are used interchangeably outside of Japan when speaking about the same breed.
The Kishu Ken has a handful of official standards. This is the complete list of officially recognized standards.
- The Nihon Ken Hozonkai (NIPPO) Standard (1934)
- The Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) Standard (1982)
- The United Kennel Club (UKC) Standard (2006)
