We are dedicated to preserving the Japanese Kai Ken breed through genetic and health testing coupled with careful breeding. I got my first Nihon Ken, my first dog as an adult, a Shiba Inu named Kichi, Kudo’s Fortune Potion in 1998 from Catherine Brown of Texas. I fell completely in love with her and the breed, and a year later fostered a couple of Shibas before adopting Kumo, a cream male rescued
from a puppy mill in Missouri. Memegh was Kichi’s successor, a little near-feral rescue from an elderly breeder nearby. Her nickname was “The Meme” and the spelling was a joke based on her screaming the night away the night I got her, her penchant for stealing toys, and on my own name. Kumo’s successor was Akira, another rescue I inherited when a friend passed away. This is when I began researching other Japanese breeds and I really liked the look of the Kai Ken. The last AKC show at the Seahawks Event Pavilion in downtown Seattle featured Kai Ken, so of course I had to go see them in person. I met Debbie and Lief Brandt, Hello Kitty, and Akashi. After Akira passed, Memegh was very despondent and we got a Shiba puppy from my Shiba breeder friend, Pam Carlson of Piper's Creek Shibas. His name was Piper's Creek Kurosawa, Kurriegh for short. When Memegh was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, I decided it was time to get a Kai Ken. I reached out to Debbie to get on her wait list, figuring it would be a couple of years before I brought home a Kai puppy. It turned out I didn’t have to wait that long! There was a perfect storm of Kai puppies that winter, and President’s day weekend the following spring saw me taking Hello Sunshine Warrior to Michigan to trade to Marsha Short for Hello Togarashi. I picked the name knowing she was “spicy” and was planning on calling her Sulu, but the minute I met her I knew she was Minx. So I pivoted and she became Hello Togarashi No Sulu. Minx, Kurriegh, Memegh and I took an epic road trip the following summer to the midwest and back. Memegh had a wonderful time and passed in my arms while we were traveling. Kurriegh was hit by a car the following spring and it was just me and Minx through the rest of the Covid lockdown. She lives up to her registered name and it soon became apparent I was going to have to up my game. She’s the Emily Post of dogs and is very disapproving of bad canine manners, especially when she’s on leash. We have done conformation handling, nosework, and gone through two Control Unleashed classes. Offleash, she’s a dream - we go to Marymoor Park about 10 miles from where we live - 40 acres of grass, brush and trees - and her recall is excellent. On leash, we’re still a work in progress, but the more I relax the better she behaves. When I took the first Control Unleashed class, I told the instructor “She has one problem and that’s me. I’m here to learn how not to be a problem.”
We have competed in the local-to-Seattle Open Shows starting in 2022. I started a new job where I had to be in the office, and that derailed us a bit. In December of last year, we made a very quick trip to San Francisco, where Minx had a hot date with Opie, Heyakazi’s Go Rogue. Five beautiful puppies were born on Valentine’s Day! The best boy was placed in Michigan, one of the girls was placed in Colorado, one of the boys lives just a few miles from us, and the other boy in Olympia. The little girl I kept is Nayota, No Sulu Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft. Yes, that cost me extra but the joke was too good to pass up! Nayota is the first name of Lt. Urhura from Star Trek, the Communications Officer. I have to be in the office 4 days a week, and that’s been a challenge with the puppy - the last two times I had puppies I was working from home. As she’s growing, we’re back on track with the Shows. Minx won Third Place in the Misc. Open Show on August 15, 2025 and First Place in the Misc. Open Show on August 17, 2025. We both remembered how much we like the ring!
