Body
The FCI Kai standard describes the breed as: “A 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.”
There are two general body types:
- shishi (boar) type: boxy and square body type – 猪犬型 and
- shika (deer) type: slender and narrow body type – 鹿犬型
Kai should have a straight topline with strong hips and moderate angulation.
They should show proper sexual dimorphism (girls look feminine and males look masculine). Movement should be light and nimble, and dogs should be agile and powerful.
Head
Forehead should be wide falling to a moderate stop, with the neck having appropriate thickness and length.
Size
The breed size averages around 18”-22” for males and 16”-20” for females at the withers (shoulders), with weight averaging between 25 lbs – 45 lbs.
Coat
There are three recognized breed colors, all brindle:
- aka-tora (red brindle) – 赤虎毛,
- chu-tora (medium brindle) – 中虎毛, and
- kuro-tora (black brindle) – 黒虎毛
With aka-tora being the least common of the three variations. Rarely, there is a non-standard white (or cream) colored Kai.
Like all the Nihon Ken, the Kai has a double coat made up of protective coarse outer guard hairs that stand upright, and a fine thick undercoat that is shed seasonally. They should have a mane.
Tail
Tails should be thick, have proper coloration, and are curled over the back or in a sickle position. These tail types are known as:
- maki-o (curled tail) – 巻き尾
- sashi-o (sickle or pointed tail) – 差し尾, and
- tachi-o (sword tail) – 太刀尾
If the tip of the tail touches or curls over below the line of the back, it is considered a maki-o, otherwise it is a sashi-o or tachi-o based on position. For the maki-o tail type, a space between the tail and the back about the size of an egg is preferred as the tail should be strong and held up over the back; the tail can fall to either the right or left side. The sashi-o tail type is most common in the Kai and should be held up strongly and slightly forward from the dog’s body, with the tip approximately parallel to the back. The tachi-o tail is also held up strongly and slightly forward from the dogs body, but the tip is more perpendicular to the back.
The tail should be long enough to reach the hocks.
Ears
Ears are moderately thick, triangular, well-shaped, forward leaning, and firmly pricked. Ideally they are straight on the inside, and curved on the outside, for example: ( \___/ )
The spacing between the ears should not be too wide apart or too close together. Ears are slightly larger than the other Japanese dog breeds.
Eyes
Eyes are slightly triangular / almond shaped (but generally tend to be rounder than the other Nihon Ken), and should be dark in color. A line from the low inside corner of the eye to the upper outside corner of the eye should extend to the base of the outside of the ear.
Muzzle
Lips should be tight and have good pigmentation, strong teeth, and a proper “scissor” bite. Most Kai have dark spots on their tongues.
KKA requires Kai to have all their adult teeth. Missing teeth is a disqualification.
