About Us
Hello! My name is Kisaki Nakatsukasa, and I am the person behind Taiga Japanese Terriers! We are located in SLC, UT. I hope to share my love for this breed with as many people as possible, and I hope to work with you soon!
My love of dogs started at a young age. My family had dogs way before I was even born, so my life always consisted of dogs, and I will never have it any other way! My love for terriers specifically started with my very first "own" dog named Jerry, who was a Kaninchen Dachshund. I loved the confidence and athleticism despite their small body. Jerry was the sweetest girl, and I will never forget her. Dachshunds will forever have a special place in my heart. I did see myself continuing with Dachshunds; however, Jerry passed away unexpectedly from an accident, and I could not bring myself to own another one. At the time, the loss of Jerry left a big hole in my life, but a life without dogs was unimaginable to me. I ended up adopting Aria, whom I met at a local adoption event when I used to live in Hawaii, and through her, I learned a lot about dog behaviors and the importance of responsible breeding and genetics. Later on, I started looking more into dog sports, and I met the American Hairless Terriers in person at a pet event for the first time and absolutely fell in love with the breed, which led me to get Raisin, my first terrier. I loved seeing the similarities between her and Jerry. And most importantly, I loved the higher energy and the "so what" attitude of the terriers more, and that's when I knew I was a terrier person.
I have seen the Japanese Terriers in dog breed books as a child, and they were always at the back of my mind. They are such a rare breed that I never thought I would be able to own one. They were one of my dream breeds that I would probably never own. However, while I was visiting Japan I had an opportunity to own one from a breeder I have been following for a while. I couldn't pass up the opportunity, and I ended up getting Kenzo who ended up being the first and only in the US! The thought of this surprised me, and the more time I spent with him the more I fell in love with this unique breed. I wanted more people to be able to experience the Japanese Terriers, and that's my story of becoming the first breeder of the breed in the US. In addition to posting on social media pages whenever I can about this breed for exposure, I have also been working with the AKC to get them accepted in the Foundation Stock Service. After submitting everything required, my request was accepted in October 2020. This means Japanese Terriers are able to attend AKC Open Shows and all-breed appropriate performance events. My work has just started, and I cannot wait until the day where Japanese Terriers are easily spotted in many AKC events!
My love of dogs started at a young age. My family had dogs way before I was even born, so my life always consisted of dogs, and I will never have it any other way! My love for terriers specifically started with my very first "own" dog named Jerry, who was a Kaninchen Dachshund. I loved the confidence and athleticism despite their small body. Jerry was the sweetest girl, and I will never forget her. Dachshunds will forever have a special place in my heart. I did see myself continuing with Dachshunds; however, Jerry passed away unexpectedly from an accident, and I could not bring myself to own another one. At the time, the loss of Jerry left a big hole in my life, but a life without dogs was unimaginable to me. I ended up adopting Aria, whom I met at a local adoption event when I used to live in Hawaii, and through her, I learned a lot about dog behaviors and the importance of responsible breeding and genetics. Later on, I started looking more into dog sports, and I met the American Hairless Terriers in person at a pet event for the first time and absolutely fell in love with the breed, which led me to get Raisin, my first terrier. I loved seeing the similarities between her and Jerry. And most importantly, I loved the higher energy and the "so what" attitude of the terriers more, and that's when I knew I was a terrier person.
I have seen the Japanese Terriers in dog breed books as a child, and they were always at the back of my mind. They are such a rare breed that I never thought I would be able to own one. They were one of my dream breeds that I would probably never own. However, while I was visiting Japan I had an opportunity to own one from a breeder I have been following for a while. I couldn't pass up the opportunity, and I ended up getting Kenzo who ended up being the first and only in the US! The thought of this surprised me, and the more time I spent with him the more I fell in love with this unique breed. I wanted more people to be able to experience the Japanese Terriers, and that's my story of becoming the first breeder of the breed in the US. In addition to posting on social media pages whenever I can about this breed for exposure, I have also been working with the AKC to get them accepted in the Foundation Stock Service. After submitting everything required, my request was accepted in October 2020. This means Japanese Terriers are able to attend AKC Open Shows and all-breed appropriate performance events. My work has just started, and I cannot wait until the day where Japanese Terriers are easily spotted in many AKC events!
