# Brad Anderson — Biography > Biographical overview of Brad Anderson — programmer, dog breeder, and conservationist known for rare breed preservation, particularly Nihon Ken breeds and mastiffs. ## At a glance - **Location:** Carson National Forest near Taos, New Mexico, at 7,500 feet - **Now:** Lead Software Engineer and Manager, and building MXF on the side - **Role:** Rare and primitive dog breed preservationist: more than 50 dogs imported across 20-plus breeds, founder of the Nihon Ken Forum, first non-Japanese member of the Kai Ken Aigokai - **Role:** Software engineer with 25-plus years of experience, building MXF, a TypeScript framework for orchestrating multiple AI agents - **Role:** Cook, sound designer, photographer, and writer - **Email:** [brad@bradanderson.org](mailto:brad@bradanderson.org) - **GitHub:** [https://github.com/BradA1878](https://github.com/BradA1878) - **LinkedIn:** [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brada1878](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brada1878) - **Bluesky:** [https://bsky.app/profile/brada1878.bsky.social](https://bsky.app/profile/brada1878.bsky.social) - **Instagram:** [https://www.instagram.com/_brada1878/](https://www.instagram.com/_brada1878/) - **Facebook:** [https://www.facebook.com/BradA1878](https://www.facebook.com/BradA1878) Brad Anderson is an American dog breeder, programmer, and conservationist known for his dedication to the conservation and promotion of rare dog breeds, particularly Nihon Ken (Japanese Dog) breeds and mastiffs. He lives in Northern New Mexico with his wife, daughter, and their dogs. ## Early Life and Career Shift Brad was born and raised in the United States. Initially a freelance programmer, he moved from Atlanta, Georgia to Taos, New Mexico in 2007 with his wife. The couple relocated to escape the hyper-consumption of city life and pursue their conservation and preservation dreams. In late 2016 they moved to a large remote property inside the Carson National Forest — a secluded 20-acre property in Carson, New Mexico chosen for its privacy and ample space for their dogs. Brad and his wife met in Georgia and have been together for over 20 years. Brad wasn't a dog person growing up — he came to dogs in his 20s through obsessive research, and his first dog was a Shiba Inu. Jen's background as a CPDT-KA certified dog trainer deepened his interest into a shared mission. Brad initially focused on Japanese breeds but gradually expanded to larger landrace breeds, while his wife has remained dedicated to Japanese breeds. ## Breeding and Conservation Efforts Working with Shigeru Kato, his close friend and fellow Nihon Ken enthusiast, Brad has been mentored by well-known Kai Ken breeders Inoue-san and Okabe-san. As a member of the Kai Ken Aigokai (KKA) and the Nihon Ken Hozonkai (NIPPO), Brad registered his Yamabushi Kennel (Kai Ken) and Hakuzan Kennel (Kishu Ken and Tosa Inu) with these organizations. He runs a small preservation effort for the Kai Ken, focusing on preserving North American bloodlines, preventing genetic bottlenecks, and educating the community about these rare dogs. Brad imported over 50 Kai Ken from Japan and became the first non-Japanese member of the Kai Ken Aigokai. His efforts extend to the Kishu Ken, Hokkaido Ken, Shikoku Ken, and Tosa Inu, as well as larger breeds including the Caucasian Ovcharka, Central Asian Shepherd, Gamper, Boerboel, Dogo Argentino, and Bully Kutta. His efforts aim to increase diversity in North American populations through introgression with dogs from their countries of origin. ## Nihon Ken Forum Brad founded the Nihon Ken Forum (NihonKen.org) to provide a platform for enthusiasts to discuss and learn about Japanese dog breeds. The forum allowed enthusiasts, breeders, and researchers to exchange information, share experiences, and collaborate on preservation initiatives worldwide. ## Backcountry Companions Project Brad established the Backcountry Companions project — a personal breeding program focused on creating a well-behaved, indifferent companion dog suited to the life of outdoorsmen. The program prioritizes temperament and behavior over breed and does not aim to create a new breed or seek registration with breed clubs. ## Software Development Career Brad is a lead frontend developer with expertise in single-page applications (SPAs), spanning frontend, backend, and design. He has experience with Vue.js, Svelte, WebGL, D3.js, GeoJSON, MapBox, and various API frameworks. He has worked in both large and small distributed teams. ## Media Appearances Brad appeared on Dogumentary TV numerous times, covering individual breed deep-dives, preservation strategy, and management philosophy. He was also featured on TV Tokyo for his work with rare breed conservation. ## Personal Life Brad's interests include snowboarding, hiking, surfing, nature, conservation, animal behavior, programming, philosophy, and photography. **Also read:** [How I came to dogs](https://bradanderson.org/writing/brad-anderson?format=md) · [Professional background](https://bradanderson.org/work?format=md) · [Projects](https://bradanderson.org/projects?format=md) --- **Navigate:** [Home](https://bradanderson.org/?format=md) · [About](https://bradanderson.org/about?format=md) · [Work](https://bradanderson.org/work?format=md) · [Projects](https://bradanderson.org/projects?format=md) · [Breeds](https://bradanderson.org/breeds?format=md) · [Writing](https://bradanderson.org/writing?format=md) · [LLM guide](https://bradanderson.org/llms.txt) _Ask BradBot directly: POST https://bradanderson.org/api/agent/ask with {"question": "..."} (details in https://bradanderson.org/llms.txt)._