Akashima, like many other breeders has a waiting list of families patiently looking forward to the day they too can have an Akashima Shikoku join them.
The concept of a waiting list is easy enough to understand, but often one wonders how it gets administered and why, at times is the waiting list “closed” or the reopening of the list is delayed.
Let’s go through the process.
Step one is planning. Planned breeding is based on the estimated time that the various girls are expected to come into heat. Generally speaking, dogs come into heat about every 7 months. However, there are many things that can influence this. Some dogs will suppress a heat (for whatever reason) others may synchronize their heat with all the girls and even the weather can cause changes in the heat cycles.
Step two is to review the existing wait list numbers and compare it to the estimated litters based on step one. Our experience over the last 20 years of breeding Shikokus is a litter will have 4 to 5 pups on average.
Step three: Once the girls start to come into heat and if the hoped for (planned) litters will satisfy the existing waiting list then Akashima will begin to accept deposits from people wanting to join the waiting list. If the girls are delayed coming into heat, or if we are not able to successfully get a breeding then the “reopening” of the wait list is delayed. Breeding of Shikokus is not always an easy task. Sometimes the girls reject the male, other times they fail to conceive. Breeding of these dogs is not a manufacturing process; it is a natural process that has many influences.
That is the wait list process. But how does one get on the list; and once on the list, then what?
The first thing to do is to carefully consider what characteristics you and your family want in a dog. Review the breed information carefully and ensure that your expectations match the characteristics of the Shikoku. If it looks like a fit complete and submit the questionnaire found on the website. We will always respond; sometimes, depending on our workload and travel it may be a week or longer.
Part of our response will be to again review the Shikoku characteristics with you and send you a contract that defines what both parties are obligated to do. Once you have reviewed the contract and returned a signed copy with a deposit you will be on the wait list. The date of Akashima receiving the contract and deposit determines your place on the wait list.
When puppies finally arrive, we will contact people on the waiting list starting with the earliest and the 2nd earliest and so on until all the puppies are spoken for. Feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss the process or for more breed information.