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Kai

Kai

FCI standard Nº 317
Origin
 Japan
Group
 Group 5 Spitz and primitive type
Section
 Section 5 Asian Spitz and related breeds
Working
 Without working trial
Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI
 Monday 01 February 1982
Publication of the official valid standard
 Sunday 30 October 2016
Last update
 Thursday 09 February 2017
En français, cette race se dit
 Kai
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar
 Kai
En español, esta raza se dice
 Kai
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd
 Kai

Usage
Hunting dog, companion.

Brief historical summary
This breed originated from medium-sized dogs that existed in Japan in the ancient times. It became established as a breed in the Kai district (Yamanashi Prefecture), which is surrounded by mountains. Another name for this breed is « Kai tora-ken ». A distinguishing feature in this dog is its brindled coat. These dogs are used mainly for hunting wild boar and deer. Their strong inclination to form a pack is thought to contribute towards maintaining the purity of the breed. The breed was designated as a « natural monument » in 1934.

General appearance
Medium-sized dog, well balanced, sturdily built, muscles well developed. The dog has the characteristics of a dog living in mountainous districts of Japan. Limbs strong and hocks remarkably developed.

Important proportions
The ratio of height at withers to length of body is 10 : 11, but the body can be slightly longer in bitches.

Behaviour / temperament
The temperament is keen and very alert.

Head

Cranial region
Skull
 Forehead broad. 
Stop
 Abrupt with slight furrow.

Facial region
Nose
 Black, nasal bridge straight.
Muzzle
 Pointed, not very long, but moderately thick.
Lips
 Tight.
Jaws and teeth
 Strong with a scissor bite.
Cheeks
 Well developed.
Eyes
 Nearly triangular and dark brown in colour. The outer corners of the eyes are slightly upturned.
Ears
 Triangular, slightly inclining forward and firmly pricked.

Neck
Thick, powerful and muscular.

Body
Withers
 High.
Back
 Straight and short.
Loin
 Broad and muscular.
Chest
 Deep, ribs moderately sprung.
Underline and belly
 Slightly tucked up.

Tail
Set on high, thick, vigorously curled or carried curved like a sickle over the back. Tip nearly reaching the hocks when let down.

Limbs

Forequarters
Shoulders
 Moderately sloping with developed muscles.
Upper arm
 Forming a moderate angle with shoulder blade.
Elbows
 Close to the body.
Forearm
 Straight, heavy and muscular.
Pastern
 Slightly oblique.

Hindquarters
Generality
 Well developed, strong and moderately angulated.
Hock
 Tough and elastic.

Feet
Toes well arched and tightly knit; pads thick and elastic; nails hard and preferably dark in colour.

Gait and movement
Light and resilient.

Coat
Hair
 Outer coat harsh and straight; undercoat soft and dense. The hair on the tail is fairly long and off-standing.
Colour
 Black brindle, red brindle and brindle. As a feature of this breed, solid colour in puppyhood may turn brindle as the dog grows.

Size and weight
Height at withers
 Males 50 cm. Females 45 cm. There is a tolerance of ± 3 cm.

Faults
• Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work.
• Faults listed should be in degree of seriousness.

General faults
 Lack of sexual dimorphism.
 Light-coloured nose.
 Slightly overshot or undershot mouth.
 Light-coloured eyes.
 Long or short hair.
 Shyness.

Disqualifying faults
 Aggressive or overly shy.
 Extremely overshot or undershot mouth.
 Ears not pricked.
 Hanging tail, short tail.
 Faded colour.
 Coat with many white spots.
 Pinto colour.

NB :
• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
• The above mentioned faults when occurring to a highly marked degree or frequently are disqualifying.
• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

Bibliography
https://www.fci.be/
Details
Also available: Français (France) Deutsch (Deutschland) Español (España) Nederlands (nl-NL)
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