Appearance

Standards

DOKENHO

  1. Body
    The Hokkaido has a strong, compact appearance, and he has a sense of dignity.
    • Males are about 48.5 cm, plus or minus 3 cm (18 to 20 inches)
    • Females are about 45.5 cm, plus or minus 3 cm (17 to 19 inches)
    • The ratio of height to length is 10:11; females may be slightly longer.
  1. Head
    The forehead is wide with strongly developed cheeks. The stop is shallow but defined.
    • Ears: The ears are triangular, small, and thick. When viewed from the front, the ears should be parallel to each other and should stand at a 90 degree angle to the forehead.
    • Eyes: The eyes are triangular shaped. They angled upwards from the inside corner to the outside corner of the eye. Eyes are dark brown in color.  The expression they give is careful, wary, and it shows boldness.
    • Muzzle: The nasal bridge is straight, the lips are tight and tense, and the teeth are strong.​
  2. Neck
    The neck is strong, powerful, and clean cut. The skin should be tight and not loose.
  3. Chest and Torso
    The chest is deep, the ribs are well sprung, and the forechest is well developed. The back is straight and strong.
  4. Girth, Waist, and Croup
    The girth is proportional to the chest, the loin is strong with moderate width, and the croup is slightly inclined.
  5. Forequarters
    The shoulder is slightly sloping, the forearm is moderately angled, and the front limbs are straight.
  1. Hindquarters
    The rear is strong, moderately angled, clean cut, and resilient.
  2. Feet
    Paws grip well, toes are thick, and nails are black or darkly colored.
  3. Coat
    Outercoat is rigid, straight, and moderately angled. Undercoat is soft and dense.
  4. Tail
    Tail is thick and strong. When let down, the length almost reaches the hock.
  5. Color
    Red, white, black & tan, brindle, wolf grey, and sesame.

FCI

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Medium-sized dog with sexual dimorphism strongly marked, well balanced, sturdily built and well boned. Muscles tough and clean cut.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS:

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

• The ratio of skull to length of nasal bridge is 3 : 2.

• Length of skull equal to width of cheeks.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT: Dog of noteworthy endurance showing dignity and naive feeling. The temperament is faithful, docile, very alert and bold. It also shows accurate judgement and great stamina.

HEAD

CRANIAL REGION:

Skull and forehead: Broad and slightly flat.

Stop: Shallow but defined.

FACIAL REGION:

Nose: Black. Slight lack of pigmentation in white dogs is

accepted.

Muzzle: Wedge-shaped. Nasal bridge straight.

Lips: Tight, with black edges. Blue-Black colour in tongue is not a

fault.

Jaws/Teeth: Strong, with a scissor bite.

Cheeks: Well developed.

EYES: Nearly triangular, not too small, and dark brown in colour.

The outer corners of the eyes are slightly upturned.

EARS: Small, triangular, slightly inclining forward and firmly

pricked.

NECK: Powerful and muscular, free from dewlap.

BODY:

Withers: High.

Back: Straight and strong.

Loin: Moderately broad and muscular.

Croup: Properly sloping.

Chest: Forechest well developed. Chest deep and moderately broad;

ribs well sprung.

Underline and belly: Slightly tucked up.

TAIL: Set on high, thick and carried over the back vigorously curled

or curved like a sickle, the tip nearly reaching hocks when let down.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS:

Shoulders: Moderately sloping.

Upper arm: Forming a moderate angle with shoulder blade.

Forearm: Straight, clean cut.

Metacarpus (Pastern): Slightly oblique.

Forefeet: Toes well arched and tightly closed; pads thick and elastic;

nails hard and black or dark colour.

HINDQUARTERS:

General appearance: Well developed, strong and moderately

angulated.

Hocks: Tough, sufficiently strong.

Hind feet: Toes well arched and tightly closed; pads thick and

elastic; nails hard and black or dark colour.

GAIT / MOVEMENT: Active, quick, light and resilient.

COAT

Hair: Outer coat harsh and straight; undercoat soft and dense. The hair on the tail fairly long and off-standing.

Colour: Sesame (well mixture of black, red and white hairs in

whole), brindle, red, black, black and tan, white.

SIZE:

Height at withers: Males 48,5 – 51,5 cm.

Females 45,5 – 48, 5 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.

• Lack of sexual dimorphism.

• Slightly overshot or undershot mouth.

• Shyness.

• Pinto colour.

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS:

• Aggressive or overly shy.

• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities.

• Extremely overshot or undershot mouth.

• Ears not pricked.

• Hanging tail, short tail.

N.B.:

• 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.

The Hokkaido Ken comes in 6 recognised coat colours. White, red, black and tan, sesame, black, and brindle.

White

Toboetsuki go Mimi wo Sumaseba from Ichiyo Kensha Hokkaido Ken

Red

Bonki BezdrevskÃi perla from Toboetsuki Hokkaido Ken

Sesame

Kinryuu Howasou from Kaiju Kennels

Black and Tan

Amaterasu go Toboetsuki from Ichiyo Kensha Hokkaido Ken

Brindle

Otaru Naisho Kyuden Kitsune from Ayamorisou