There are three main recognized shades of brindle: the Aka-tora (red), Chu-tora (middle), and Kuro-tora (black).

[4] Puppies are born a solid color, and their brindle markings develop as they age, sometimes taking as long as five years before fully showing.

They are natural hunters and make good watch dogs, being reserved with strangers but loyal to their families.

Being an agile and effortless climber, the Kai Ken was used to hunt in steep mountainous terrain in Yamanashi where's its primary quarry was the Japanese serow (Kamoshika), deer, wild boar, and occasionally bear.

In 1931 the Kai Ken Aigokai Archived 2017-04-05 at the Wayback Machine (KKA) was formed and became the primary Preservation Society for the breed in Japan and still is today.