2017 is coming to a close and has seen several exciting developments for the breed in the states. Firstly, as a group, several club members made an epic unforgettable trip to Japan during the Cherry Blossom time in April, and met up with Mr. Shigeru Kato of Japan Dog Export at his home in Chiba near Tokyo (his blog is here http://nihonken.blogspot.com/ ).
There we were able to meet and bring home the two red Hokkaido puppies he had advertised earlier. They are WONDERFUL breed examples and we have named them Miki (or Miko as her family calls her) and her brother is Ashitaka (or Ashi-Smashy as he is known at home).
Shortly after we returned, Claire at Kaiju Kennels imported a pretty sesame girl named Minira from Hungary, to California. Minira was recently bred to Kuma and is expecting, so it is with great anticipation that we await the second Hokkaido litter to be born in North America which should be due sometime in early December.
Umma (from the first litter with Genko x Yezo as parents) moved to Portland where she has her own blog with a Shiba sibling: Everyday Hokkaido. Every potential or interested owner needs to read it. She was bred earlier in the year but the breeding did not take. With any luck, we will be able to complete her health testing and breed her to Ashi when she is next in heat.
Kurasi, Umma’s fruitbat sister with the brindle mustache, has also moved north to Portland and lives with CJ and her Kishu family at Akiyama no Roushya. Kurasi is also slated to be bred when she is next in heat which should occur around December. We think Ashi would also be a good mate for her.
Miko is also living in Portland with her co-owners and is a wonderfully sweet and easy going Hokkaido girl. Her brother Ashi now lives in Puyallup with co-owners after his world tour brought him from Tokyo to California to Ohio to Washington. Everyone in the club has high hopes for these two kids as they come from very nice show lines and are very well put together dogs. They offer significant improvements on several key items the current Hokkaido population is working on.