Kai Ken are rare dogs in the UK. A Kai Ken has never come up for rescue or rehoming in the UK, and there is currently only one active breeder based in England (see our breeders page). Dogs can be imported from Europe, the USA or Japan if they meet the government requirements (vaccinations, health checks, etc.). Expect to pay £1.5-3k or more for a puppy, plus transportation/import costs which vary. Importing is vital for the Kai Ken breed, and if you are in a position to do so and are interested in breed preservation, as a club we will support you in introducing new bloodlines to the UK.
Most breeders worldwide are very conscientious, and are enthusiasts who care deeply about the preservation of Kai Ken. Therefore, they are selective when choosing who to home their puppies with. Many kennels and home breeders are not-for-profit, but preservation breeding is an expensive thing to do. Health testing, importing fresh bloodlines, travel, shows, etc. all cost money. It's very rare a puppy is instantly available. Most kennels operate a waitlist which could be anything from a few months to a few years. Many of these waitlists are not necessarily first-come-first-serve, but instead efforts are made to match the puppy to the home.
How do I approach a breeder to join a waitlist?
Do your research first, find a breeder that consistently strives to produce healthy, happy dogs.
Some breeders will have a questionnaire or application form on their website. We would suggest following up also with an email to show that you are serious.
Introduce yourself (often via email), be polite, explain your living situation, your current family/pets, what sort of dog you are looking for, why you think Kai Ken might be the best fit for you. Take it as an opportunity to ask questions about the breed. Some breeders may wish to follow up with a video call or phone call.
If you send an email saying "I want an Akatora Male. How much? Thanks bye" - don't expect to hear back. Whilst 'how much' is a perfectly valid question, it should not be the first and only question.
Be prepared to be flexible with colour preference.
You can ask about potential wait times or litter plans.
You may not get to choose your puppy from the litter. The breeder may decide to match puppies with homes based on the information they have, and what they have learnt about the puppy's personality as it grows. This may not be as common a practice in the UK, but it's not unusual internationally. It is known as 'puppy profiling'.
Be aware that if you are seeking a puppy from an international breeder, not everyone speaks English. Try to keep you language simple enough for Google Translate to cope with!
Breeders are often busy people with lives, families and work. They may not reply instantly.
Be conscious of potential cultural differences when approaching international breeders, and do your best to be polite and respectful.
Don't just apply to every waitlist out there - breeders talk to each other and this could be considered quite insulting. If you are on or applying to another waitlist, be open about this and if you decide to come off a waitlist, let the breeders know as soon as you can.
If you have breeding plans, be upfront. Most breeders are encouraging of others interested in preservation, and this may impact the puppy/bloodline that is right for you. We would like to see future UK breeding dogs healthy (as far as can be tested), genetically diverse and conforming to standards.
When you import, this means asking the breeder to hold onto the puppy for at least 15 weeks (the youngest they can enter the UK). When most puppies leave at 8 weeks, this is a LOT longer. Make sure the breeder is aware of this from the outset, and agrees to it. There will almost certainly be a small charge for the extra time, food, love and training required. You will also have to trust your breeder to do a lot of the early socialisation work.
Different cultures view dog ownership differently. When importing from some countries, be aware that there may be a lot less emphasis on socialising, or indeed dogs may not be necessarily viewed as 'house pets'.
Importing
Importing is essential to the UK population of Kai Ken. We currently do not have a large enough or genetically varied enough population for the breed to sustain itself here. We will only be able to consider applying to the Royal Kennel Club once we have at least 20 different dogs from different bloodlines. You are also much more likely to get a puppy more quickly if you import!
Importing comes with its own logistical challenges, but we are happy to help by sharing our experiences where we can. To enter the UK, a dog must have a microchip and a rabies vaccination and if coming from certain countries, have had a tapeworm treatment. All of these will be on their pet passport or animal health certificate.Due to the timing of the rabies vaccination, the youngest a puppy can enter the UK is 15 weeks old. To make sure all the paperwork is in place, you will need to have good communication with your breeder.
There are animal transport companies who handle everything from door to door, but these usually cost quite a lot. They check the paperwork and handle the documentation.
Driving into the UK with a puppy
Driving into the UK with a puppy, either from a ferry from France or the Netherlands, or through the Eurotunnel, is quite straight forward. They have pet processing areas and areas where your puppy can stretch their legs before boarding. If you use the Eurotunnel from Calais, your puppy stays in the car with you the whole time. Depending on the ferry, you may have to leave your puppy on the car deck where there is a person who walks around checking on the animals, but you cannot visit. On other ferries, it may be possible to book a pet friendly cabin. As long as your paperwork is in order, it is a smooth and easy process. The government website linked here outlines what you need to travel.
Do bear in mind that if you are travelling from France or any other country to the UK by ferry, you will need the tapeworm treatment 24-72 hours before travel. Even if you are importing from Finland (where there is no tapeworm medication requirement), you will need to administer the medication as you will be travelling via France or the Netherlands (or wherever your transport across the channel departs).
Flying into the UK with a puppy
It is much easier to drive into the UK than to fly. The UK is one of the strictest countries for animal importation, particularly by air routes. Only certain airports are able to process animals (e.g. London Heathrow) and all animals must be transported as cargo to enter the UK. This means the puppy will travel underneath the plane (of course in a climate controlled environment) and are defined in the same way as a freight import. The puppy is then subject to customs brokerage and processing. A customs broker must complete the paperwork for you, which is expensive, and then VAT (20% of the cost of your puppy) will have to be paid to UK customs. At the time when one member was exploring their options, processing time at Heathrow airport was 8-10 hours for animals. Flying is not the simplest or the cheapest option.
Flying itself sounds like it should be traumatic for a small puppy, but most handle it extremely well. They are in a climate controlled area of the plane, and in the dark. Many pets sleep through travel, and many pets travel very frequently by plane. If they don't like it, it's unlikely they will ever have to do it again!
Flying sounds expensive and difficult. But I can't drive to and from the USA/Japan/etc.?
Logistically, you would need to plan ahead, but there is a workaround for entering the UK by air. If you have no choice but to fly with your puppy, because either it is impossible to drive or the distance is too far, there is the option of flying into Amsterdam, Paris or an airport that is 'easier' to get into with a pet. Many European and international airlines take pets, and all you have to do is ring them up before travel and warn them that there will be a pet on board.
This does mean you will need to not only need to understand and meet the requirements for entry into the UK (by road), but also the requirements for entry into the intermediate country (e.g. France, the Netherlands). It's a bit of a headache in planning, but will likely save you money, and your puppy stress as it will be able to spend more time with you and less time stuck in customs.
One of our members imported a puppy from Finland, and chose to collect the puppy herself. Because Dorset to Finland would have been an extremely long drive, she drove to Paris, flew from Paris - Helsinki, collected the puppy, flew with the puppy from Helsinki-Paris and then drove back to the UK via the Eurotunnel. This meant that the puppy was only unattended on a short haul flight for a short time, before being reunited with her new owner. Hopefully, this reduced stress as much as possible (for the puppy at least!). To read about Kate's experience importing from Finland, and a breakdown of costs, read here.