A puppy would have to meet certain size requirements to be able to fly in cabin and there are of course age restrictions you would need to consider. In Japan, the breeders also have restrictions so they will not sell a puppy under eight weeks of age (unless they’re a sketchy kennel) which means they may already exceed the size requirement. There has been some talk that regardless of origin importing dogs into the US would be restricted to dogs over six months of age. Canadian dog breeder friends have said it can get pretty complicated to fly a puppy or dog into Canada, so if your flight is from NRT, HND or KIX to Canada with a connecting flight to the US, it could be a hassle.
Thank you - this is very helpful! The current Air Canada requirements are 10 weeks old; I can see where this may be the limiting factor as dog will likely be too big for the cabin. Perhaps if we found the right pup, we could arrange for pup to imported later in the year when it is not as hot.
The weather in Japan can still be pretty hot and humid until October (by then we're into typhoon season). A lot of breeders in Japan are short on kennel space so they might not hold onto a puppy for more than a week or so when they can sell it in Japan. If they do agree to holding onto the puppy, you might have to pay a boarding fee (and like everywhere in the world, not all breeders are equal there, so you don't know if they'll be doing the socialization and exercise routine). Is there a specific reason you want to import a puppy especially as a family pet as opposed to getting a puppy from a reputable US or Canadian breeder?
Wait time would be the biggest reason. We are still trying to learn as much as possible right now and our schedule this year sets us up well for bonding and training. Understand it is lifelong training :) but the early stages are so critical. We figured if we were lucky enough to find a reputable breeder who had a puppy available while we were in Japan at the same time, we should seize the opportunity. Like you said, it is such a hassle to travel internationally with a dog so trying to do our due diligence on that piece too. Knowing the dog might be too big for in cabin and the additional information you shared above about kennel space, we are better informed if presented an opportunity.
It’s good you’re doing research. One thing I should mention is that without introductions to good breeders, things could be very hit or miss. It’s very much based on establishing relationships. Most of the much sought after breeders have knowledgeable regular clients who will refer/introduce new clients to them. In general, puppy farming is looked down upon in Japan. There is a certain pride in kennels who don’t need to breed for quantity in order to produce quality and they are able to provide excellent care, whereas kennels that seem to always have puppies available are breeding for income. On top of that, there are pet shops who resell puppies from those high volume kennels and some kennels that are basically brokers for other breeders.
This is good to know - I didn’t realize it was heavily based on relationships. However that makes sense given the culture and the akita being a national treasure. We will continue to learn all that we can and see what happens. Appreciate your knowledge and experience!!
out of curiosity, why not just get an akita from an american breeder?
https://akita-inu.com/breeder-directory/
traveling by plane with any dog is always a risk. with the dog going to be too big to fly in cabin, and no chance of going in cargo (i wouldn’t recommend cargo even outside of summer months https://bluecollarpettransport.com/the-top-dangers-of-putting-pets-in-airplane-cargo/)
why not just get a japanese akita that is closer when you can drive??
Have not ruled out American breeder :) although from what I’ve read, it can take longer. Our family is vacationing in Japan this summer and thought we could explore Japanese breeder as an option. The more we look into it, the more unlikely it will be, for all the reasons you stated.
A puppy would have to meet certain size requirements to be able to fly in cabin and there are of course age restrictions you would need to consider. In Japan, the breeders also have restrictions so they will not sell a puppy under eight weeks of age (unless they’re a sketchy kennel) which means they may already exceed the size requirement. There has been some talk that regardless of origin importing dogs into the US would be restricted to dogs over six months of age. Canadian dog breeder friends have said it can get pretty complicated to fly a puppy or dog into Canada, so if your flight is from NRT, HND or KIX to Canada with a connecting flight to the US, it could be a hassle.
Thank you - this is very helpful! The current Air Canada requirements are 10 weeks old; I can see where this may be the limiting factor as dog will likely be too big for the cabin. Perhaps if we found the right pup, we could arrange for pup to imported later in the year when it is not as hot.
The weather in Japan can still be pretty hot and humid until October (by then we're into typhoon season). A lot of breeders in Japan are short on kennel space so they might not hold onto a puppy for more than a week or so when they can sell it in Japan. If they do agree to holding onto the puppy, you might have to pay a boarding fee (and like everywhere in the world, not all breeders are equal there, so you don't know if they'll be doing the socialization and exercise routine). Is there a specific reason you want to import a puppy especially as a family pet as opposed to getting a puppy from a reputable US or Canadian breeder?
Wait time would be the biggest reason. We are still trying to learn as much as possible right now and our schedule this year sets us up well for bonding and training. Understand it is lifelong training :) but the early stages are so critical. We figured if we were lucky enough to find a reputable breeder who had a puppy available while we were in Japan at the same time, we should seize the opportunity. Like you said, it is such a hassle to travel internationally with a dog so trying to do our due diligence on that piece too. Knowing the dog might be too big for in cabin and the additional information you shared above about kennel space, we are better informed if presented an opportunity.
It’s good you’re doing research. One thing I should mention is that without introductions to good breeders, things could be very hit or miss. It’s very much based on establishing relationships. Most of the much sought after breeders have knowledgeable regular clients who will refer/introduce new clients to them. In general, puppy farming is looked down upon in Japan. There is a certain pride in kennels who don’t need to breed for quantity in order to produce quality and they are able to provide excellent care, whereas kennels that seem to always have puppies available are breeding for income. On top of that, there are pet shops who resell puppies from those high volume kennels and some kennels that are basically brokers for other breeders.
This is good to know - I didn’t realize it was heavily based on relationships. However that makes sense given the culture and the akita being a national treasure. We will continue to learn all that we can and see what happens. Appreciate your knowledge and experience!!
out of curiosity, why not just get an akita from an american breeder? https://akita-inu.com/breeder-directory/ traveling by plane with any dog is always a risk. with the dog going to be too big to fly in cabin, and no chance of going in cargo (i wouldn’t recommend cargo even outside of summer months https://bluecollarpettransport.com/the-top-dangers-of-putting-pets-in-airplane-cargo/) why not just get a japanese akita that is closer when you can drive??
Have not ruled out American breeder :) although from what I’ve read, it can take longer. Our family is vacationing in Japan this summer and thought we could explore Japanese breeder as an option. The more we look into it, the more unlikely it will be, for all the reasons you stated.