Demon Dog: a Shiba Inu's blog

Holiday Update (Finally) - Part 2

2012-01-30T13:50:00.000-08:00

Considering it is almost February, I'd better get the post-holiday blogs finished!

After Part 1 of Zuko's Shibamas Adventures, the fun continued. We headed down to Monterey, CA and stayed at the Portola Hotel and Spa. Right off Fisherman's Wharf, it was a great location for someone with a puppers to walk! Zuko greatly enjoyed walking the pier and obsessively sniffing everything in sight. He also spent time pondering the "noms" hanging out just off the shore and how he might possibly get one without getting wet.

"I know I can take them. If they would just stop hiding in that wet stuff!"

You can see more pictures from Monterey on Flickr here.

After ringing in the New Year quietly sleeping in his big comfy bed, Zuko was whisked off to Woodland, CA for more adventures. This time he was able to meet-up with the adorable @Sachisheeb - she commanded her humans to drive all the way down to meet him! Unfortunately, Zuko reacted the way he usually does with puppies (Sachi is 9 months old) - he growled and then ignored her. :-( The Shiba-people had a good time and I did manage to get a couple of pictures of the Shibas.

Zuko (looking like a hobo and blowing coat) and the very pretty Sachi!

Cute little Sachi!

All in all, it was a good holiday season for the little Demon Dog and a good start to 2012!

-- Posted by Zuko's typist (who is being given a poor performance rating for being behind on his Shiba-bidness)

Holiday Update (Finally) - Part 1

2012-01-18T13:03:00.000-08:00

It was a very Shiba holiday season for us!

It kicked off with the International Secret Shiba gift exchange. Zuko sent his chosen gifts to @ShibaInuCharlie early in the month. He was very careful to pick out good Shiba gifts like cheeze and bouncy ball. Zuko also received his gifts from @iamkaiju early and was tormented by them sitting under the tree for days and days. And then something appeared in his stocking...

But still he had to wait.

The day before Shibamas was a gift unto itself. We had a mini Shiba meet-up in Redwood Shores! @furballMika was there, all the way from SoCal! @aidentheshiba and Suki, Zuko's half sisfur, joined us! Here is a photo of all four of them (finally) sitting together:

You can see the full set of the meet-up here on Flickr.

Then, it was Shibamas morning! Zuko was very happy with his gifts from his grandma and Kaiju:

You can see all of the photos of the un-wrapping of gifts here.
Overall it was a good start to the holidays!

"It's all about the Shiba!"

-- Posted by Prince Zuko's humom

A New Fearful Behavior from our Tuff Guy

2011-12-22T15:44:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to post this for some time and just haven't had the chance. I'm looking for suggestions and ideas around a new behavior Zuko has been showing.

Obligatory cute photo of Zuko

I don't know what triggered what, so here's the full chain of events:

Zuko has always been fine with other dogs in his house. Usually we have the first meeting be outside and even if there is an initial growl, things are fine after. He doesn't mind other dogs playing with his toys, sniffing his food bowl, drinking his water - he's a very polite host in general.
On a Friday in October he had his teeth cleaned. This involves being "put under" but the vet reported no issues. He was fine that night but only eating soft food.
The next day he seemed a bit lazy but fine, so our friend came over with his dog "L". Zuko and L had never met and she is a rescue dog with issues of guarding her human. We could not do the intro in the backyard because it was dark and pouring down rain. There was some serious growling and snarling when L came in the door (she was still on leash) and then Zuko spent the rest of the visit trembling behind my legs and L's human's legs. Final note: L peed in the kitchen before she left.
A few days later we met a boston terrier at a restaurant we have visited with Zuko many, many times. It has an enclosed patio and we sat in the same spot we always sit. Zuko has meet "P" before and had no issues. This time he freaked out. Snarling at first encounter then he was hiding and trembling behind my legs and trying to escape out the nearby door. Finally I had to put him in the car where he went to sleep.
About a week later we went to Mendocino with friends and stayed in a rental home. Their dog "T" is also familiar to Zuko - they've met several times in both her house and ours. This rental home was new to both dogs. Zuko started the same behavior - when T would come up to him he would dip his head, look away and move to another area. Part of the issue was T would not leave him be - she was in his face always. When we would put him in the bedroom and shut the door, he would calm down and be fine. This is also the weekend he ran away - details are here.
Another week went by and our friend came over with her boston terrier puppy "W" who Zuko also knows -- and he knows this friend very well. She has watched Zuko for us in the past when we traveled. Same behavior - Zuko was trembling and was scratching at his hudad to do something (we don't know what). Except this time W was not even near Zuko. He was off exploring the toy box and left Zuko 100% alone.

So what do we know for sure? Enclosed spaces are an issue except his daycare - they report no problems there so it may be enclosed spaces with either his humom or hudad. Dog parks seem fine and he was fine on the beach with other dogs until he lost his off-leash privileges (we have not been to the beach since). One other note: all of the other dogs involved in the above incidents are very high energy.

We have puzzled over this - what was the trigger to cause it to start (if any) and what is the "in the moment" trigger? Is it us? Is it the other dog? How do we get past this? We have a trainer lined up who works at Zuko's daycare but I wanted to reach out to the Shiba community and see if anyone has had a similar experience. Our fear is we try this, try that, try something else and just confuse Zuko even more, so while we know about Thundershirts and the Comfort herbal things, we have not tried them. Any insight is appreciated!

-- Posted by Prince Zuko's Puzzled Humom

Happy Shibamas!

2011-12-21T11:01:00.000-08:00

Happy Shibamas to all my furiends out there! I iz looking forward to shredding open my gifts in a few days and eating noms like turkey and cheeze.

"I can haz gifts now?"

This year the 2011 International Secret Shiba went big with 50 Shibas sending gifts far and wide! As part of the deal, my humom promised to donate $3 for every gift delivered on time. The chosen charity wuz NY Shiba Rescue to help cover costs for the "NJ 22" - the 22 Shibas rescued in New Jersey. (Shio's new sisfur, Emi, is one of them!).

Congrats #Twibas! Enjoy your gifties and know you helped a few Shibas too!

-- Posted by Prince Zuko

Zuko vs. Banana Slug

2011-12-11T17:02:00.000-08:00

Apparently slugs are beneath the notice of a Shiba Inu.

Oh my gosh! A huge Banana Slug!

Zuko: "huh?"

Zuko! That slug is gonna getcha!

I tried to get Zuko to look at it, sniff it. Nothing. He sat and watched the woods for more dangerous things. After the slug's antennae touched Zuko's foot, the slug retreated a bit. Zuko was still looking around at the woods and looking at me like I was an idiot.

The he stood up and before I could stop him, he stepped on the slug's head. THEN he noticed it for a second and trotted away.

"There are more dangerous things for me to hunt out here. Slugs are not important. Now where did that squirrel go?"

-- Posted by Zuko's mom. I regret that a slug was harmed in the making of this blog post.

I haz Zuko-cam!

2011-11-29T10:55:00.000-08:00

Broadcasting will be on / off for a few days but humom is testing stuff for her company, Veetle. And now I haz a live Zuko-cam!

If the video no work for you, try installing the plug-in from here: http://veetle.com/index.php/download

-- Posted by Prince Zuko. Where is my Emmy Award for Best Performance of Power-Napping?

Shibasquatch No More: Trust Revoked

2011-11-26T12:06:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we headed up to Mendocino County with some friends to a dog-friendly vacation rental on the coast. This should have been the perfect weekend.

Wild Shiba on the rugged coast

The night we drove in it was horrid weather - rain, fog, long winding roads in the dark. Bleh. We finally get to the house and Zuko immediately goes into "weird" mode - he decided he was terrified of the dog he's known all summer. Granted, she was very, very much in his face and would not leave him alone, but normally he'd just snarl at a dog being that rude. This time he decided to be terrified. (More on this new behavior in another post coming soon - looking for advice!).

The next day the weather cleared and we headed to a nice, secluded beach. Since Zuko had been so stressed I decided to let him off leash so he could burn off some energy. He's a confirmed Shibasquatch, so while I was a bit nervous because he was off his game, I knew there was only one way off the beach. It would be fine, right?

And there he goes....

I snapped the above picture just as Zuko made the turn and headed for the path...off the beach. My hubby was up the path before I could even react and had Zuko stopped just above the beach - but not caught. Zuko bolted again and ran up to the road - at which point, any attempt to remain calm on our part ended.

Zuko "played" in the road, causing us to put ourselves in the middle of the country highway to stop traffic. At one point, I was sure he was gone for good. All the usual tactics failed us - sit, wait, here, touch, throwing treats at him, running away from him ----- nothing worked. At this point we were frantic and we all know that heightened "energy" from humans does not help, but when your little dog is running TOWARD a car like a brainless idiot, calm and zen go right the fuck out the door.

Finally, we came to another dirt road that met the highway and I shouted at my hubby to try running away (again) and Zuko FINALLY followed him. Relieved he was at least off the highway, we chased the little monster up the hill and into a farmer's courtyard area. Zuko's hudad decided to just sit down in the dirt and see if that calmed Zuko down a bit. And finally, finally, the little jerk came back to me for a treat, did a sit and I tackled him with more force than was probably necessary.

The Runaway was captured. And we both wanted to hug him and shake him senseless at the same time. I guess that makes us bad people but the sheer terror of nearly losing our little dog messed up our brains too.

"Iz all lies. I was sitting here the whole time being a good dog."

So what happened to make our trusty dog run off? We have some theories about stress and the other dog driving him insane, but I'll save that for another post. Zuko has no idea what he has done, but his status as a Shibasquatch is fully revoked.

-- Posted by Zuko's mom and the leash that will be attached to him the rest of his life

Ghosts of Halloween Past and Present

2011-10-31T10:53:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I adore Zuko's doggie daycare: they take time with all the dogs and do fun things. Like dress them up for Halloween and take pictures. Zuko has been going there for three years, so we have three years of Shiba Humiliation.

Year 1 (Zuko is just one year old): Johnny Rotten. Seems appropriate..

Year 2: It's as if they knew we call him "Demon Dog"

Year 3: Our little boy is all grown up and has to work a 9-5 job in a tie just to earn his kibble.

-- Happy Halloween!

Secret Shiba - All the cool Twibas are doing it!

2011-10-28T08:45:00.000-07:00

Hey! Prince Zuko here. Check out the new Tumblr about the Secret Shiba project. This is how Shibas get extra noms for Shibamas.

Need proof? See what I gotz last year? Cheeze!!

-- Posted by Prince Zuko!

A Puppy in Yosemite

2011-10-24T14:04:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we took our first ever trip to Yosemite with my parents. It was a short trip and we decided to take Zuko with us so I could snack on his Shiba ears during the car ride.

"Someone please save me"

Lodging in the Yosemite area is fairly limited if you want something without canvas walls, but we did find Tenaya Lodge which was close to the south entrance of the park and is dog-friendly.

Zuko checks out the view, surrounded by his gifts from the Lodge

Yosemite isn't the most dog-friendly park, but compared to other National Parks, it does have some areas you can travel with the pup. It isn't well documented though and can be a bit vague. From the Yosemite site:

"Pets are only allowed in developed areas, on fully paved trails and roads except trails signed as not allowing pets (pets are not allowed off the floor of Yosemite Valley, including the trail to Vernal Fall)...

There are a few additional (very obscure and unsigned) places where pets are allowed: Four Mile fire road in Wawona, on the Carlon Road, and on the Old Big Oak Flat Road between Hodgdon Meadow and Hazel Green Creek."

Clear as a bell, right?

Basically what I figured out was if it is handicap accessible, it is dog-friendly. So Zuko got to see Bridalveil Falls, Lower Yosemite Falls and the top of Glaciar Road. Areas like the Sequoia Grove are 100% off-limits but it appears that if you just slap a service vest on a dog, they will let you pass (I'm talking about you, Italian Grayhound that was clearly not any kind of service dog whatsoever - not even an ESA. ESA dogs do have some training).

Two great wonders of nature: The Shiba Inu and Half Dome

At the top of Glacier Road, Zuko climbed up on a rock and stared out over the canyon. I swear he was really meditating on the majesty of the view - it was difficult to get him to turn around, even for treats.

"Don't disturb me"

Dining in the area was a bit more difficult - outdoor dining is limited and not really pet-friendly. We did resort to leaving a tired dog in our room while going out to eat (thus violating the pet policy) but he was a good dog and no one caught us. ;-)

The last day we received a surprise and Zuko was granted one of his life-long wishes: SNOW!

"My feet are wet"

He didn't seem to mind it - it wasn't very deep and was more wet than fluffy. I'd still love to see him in snow up to his chest and see if he bounces along or freaks out.

You can see more of Zuko's adventures in Yosemite here on Flickr.

-- Posted by Zuko's mom

Happy Three Years to Zuko

2011-10-10T21:42:00.000-07:00

Our little monster is three years old today. The time has really gone by fast - Zuko's hudad and I spent yesterday morning trying to figure out how it could have happened so quickly!

Zuko - five weeks old

Three years ago we were first time dog owners. Our vet mentioned that a Shiba Inu is not a "beginner dog" (for the record, he actually loves Shibas, just knows them very well).

Now, he's a huge part of our life. Every day he makes us smile. He makes us get outside of ourselves and he in return shares plenty of Shiba fur with us. ;-)

To make his birthday even more awesome - it is one day before our wedding anniversary. He was clearly meant to be part of our family.

Prince Zuko - 3 years old and at Yosemite

We LOVE YOU Prince Zuko! (And yes, when you get back from your walk, I will have some cheese ready for you).

Love - "Your Hoomans".

Belmont Twin Pines: Adventure

2011-09-25T12:01:00.000-07:00

Somehow even in a small city park, I can lose the trail. I am not really sure how I do this, but Zuko and I get lost and / or end off the path when hiking all the time. Luckily the Shiba Inu is a mountain breed originally and Zuko loves climbing hills, rocks and whatever. Usually he's at the top waiting for my on my pathetic two-legs to catch up with his superiorness.

It was raining a bit in the Bay Area today so we went to Twin Pines in Belmont. It is less exposed and more covered, but very small. There is a creek area and this is where I lost the trail.

Let's go!

We crossed the makeshift bridge and came up the other side - and there was no trail. Oops. We blundered through and found it again. We kept going - and what would be a hike with Zuko without finding some random oddity? We found ruins of a building at the end of the path.

These fall colors help me camouflage, right? Oh - and there are ruins here.

We did manage to safely find our way back to the car. ;-) But given our natural "tendencies" when hiking, our upcoming Yosemite trip should be very... um, interesting....

-- Posted by Prince Zuko's "the road less traveled" humom.

Off-leash Rant: Continued

2011-09-17T17:37:00.000-07:00

*sigh*

And again today...we were in a park, I hear someone yelling "Tilly! Get down from there. Tilly! Get over here!". And so on. I'm thinking someone has a very out of control kid. Then I see the first dog up above us on the trail - a big one. (Of course). Then I see another one and a man. I yell up "My dog isn't friendly on-leash". The guy gives me a horrible look and starts to leash up one of the dogs and I hear him say to someone "it's HER dog". Meaning me and Zuko.

By this point the first dog has already gotten very close to us but the path sort of split so you could go around a big rocky section on either side. So we take the other path and as we climb I see a woman...and another dog. Yup. These folks had three big dogs that were off leash and under no voice control whatsoever. After we passed the couple and got to the trail above them, I hear them start up again "Tilly! Max!" and so on. They had unleashed the two dogs as soon as I passed. The first dog never got leashed, just kept going.

So. These people spent their whole hike yelling at their dogs (to no result) and disturbing the peace of the park and most assuredly not cleaning up any messes their dogs made. This clearly frustrated them, if their body language and facial expressions were any reflection of how their morning had went. And I had to position MY dog as the Bad Dog just to get them to do the right thing.

I. Am. So. Pissed.

-- Posted by Prince Zuko's annoyed mom who promises the next post will be happier with cute pictures of Zuko!

It's Time for Another Rant: Off-leash Dogs

2011-09-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

::::Begin Rant:::::

I've blogged a fair bit about Zuko's on-leash growly behavior with some dogs and at Shibapalooza I started to get to the bottom of it (face-sniffing and rudeness). In general on our walks, things have been fine this summer.

Gratuitous cute photo of Zuko

However...

While Zuko is a confirmed Shibasquatch at a lake near our house and at the beach, he is on leash all other times. Recently on a walk back up from the lake, two very large dogs come bounding down the trail. These dogs were big - as in at least 70 pounds each. Zuko was on leash and there were no other humans in sight nor could I hear any walking / talking on the path up ahead.

Of course the dogs run up to Zuko. OF COURSE. I immediately get between him and the dogs, turning my back to them and moving to keep them away from Zuko (and watching Zuko's reaction). The dogs would not leave off and I had to keep this going for a couple of minutes before they lost interest and took off for the last leg of the path to the lake. Please note: still no other humans in sight / sound.

We walk on. A ways up the path I see two guys with leashes draped around the necks. I asked them if they had lost two big black dogs because they were down at the lake. The guys looked at me like I was speaking gibberish, grunted something and continued their conversation and their nice morning stroll to the lake. At the pace they were proceeding, they would arrive at the lake about 7-10 minutes after their dogs.

A lot can happen in ten minutes. I was furious, but I was also clear-headed enough to know that if I confronted them, it would make no difference.

The other recent incident was with a golden retriever. After big adventures on the beach, Zuko and I were coming to the top of the sand stairs. An off-leash golden was standing above us on the stairs in the "I challenge you" stance (as I call it, here it is called the "dominant" posture): tail slightly up, making eye-contact, stiff-legged posture. We had to pass him to get to the parking lot and of course - face sniffing happened. I tried to relax and ease Zuko away but I wasn't fast enough and massive snarling started on both sides and the golden began lunging and barking. I got between them (the owner is meanwhile calling his dog from down the stairs - no effect at all) and I even felt teeth on the back MY leg during all of this. Luckily I was in jeans and it wasn't even enough to leave a mark or bruise -- but the owner is damn lucky there wasn't more to it than that.

Again I stayed between the two and herded Zuko away from the situation. After calling the dog's name (Rusty) about 15 times, the owner got the dog's attention and Rusty took off.

Zuko's Shiba friend Sinjin has had recent issues with random dogs attacking him and drawing blood. I don't really understanding humans NEEDING to allow their dogs off-leash at all times, but if you NEED to allow your dog to run around to fulfill some inner need of your own for freedom, then do it responsively. Make sure your dog responds to your commands. Otherwise, you are a lawsuit waiting to happen. I happen to know a VERY good lawyer - she's a Twiba mom too. :-)

::::End of Rant::::

-- Posted by Zuko's mom

Shio the Rock Star

2011-09-13T19:52:00.000-07:00

My Twiba friend, Shio, is like a total rock-star. He's been a guest star in Shibal Inu comics lately and has been known to stage a lay-down / sit-in protest wif firefighters. He also totally rocked out at Sephora one day. (Humom says this iz still the funniest video she's ever seen).

So - imagine my surprise when he wanted to interview ME for his blog! Like, wow!

You can get the full story here. Enjoy!

Exciting Day at the Beach

2011-09-10T16:10:00.000-07:00

Zuko loves the beach. I love the beach because he can run and be a little monster off-leash (a.k.a. a Shibasquatch) and he gets very, very tired. Depending on the day, we may go to Ocean beach in San Francisco or stay a little more south and go to the Ft. Funston dog beach. Ft. Funston requires that I am in a mood for a work-out - the sand stairs back to the parking lot are a killer.

View about 1/4 the way down the sand stairs. Notice how tiny the beach looks?

Normally the beach has a fair number of dogs running around, but on this day we arrived and there was no one on the beach. Except....the wildlife.

Zuko likes to chase the seagulls (he believes them to be pterodactyls) and they always fly away from him. This time though, there was something new:

Will you be my friend?

I was pretty amazed - Zuko approached the Cormorant very carefully and was allowed to sniff its tail feathers. Not kidding. I didn't get a photo of him that close because I was busy hurrying over to shoo him away so he didn't get his eyes pecked out. The bird did not like me and would disappear into the water as I got closer. Zuko nearly braved a few big waves to follow his new friend into the ocean and thankfully thought better of it.

We moved on and suddenly Zuko turned around and ran back. The Cormorant was back on the sand again. (Insert visions of a Shiba being attached by a bird with a hooked beak). The bird again tolerated Zuko but left when I got closer. Zuko got more sniffs in and really seemed to think this bird was going to play with him.

We can play now?

FINALLY I get him to move on down the beach. He chased some seagulls and ran around, peed on everything and wore himself out. We headed back to the sand stairs and Zuko ran up on a crab in the surf. The crab, on its back, was waving legs and claws everywhere and Zuko rushed right up to it. Thankfully I was close and got him away from it but I was now having visions of Zuko lifting his head with a Shiba Scream and a crab dangling from his nose.

What's that over there? More dangerous stuff? I'm on it!!

We move on...oh geez, there is the Cormorant again! Shit ... I managed to get a leash on Zuko and once I did he spotted ANOTHER crab flailing around in the surf and charged for it. This time I managed to get a photo:

Will YOU play with me??

By this point my nerves were done and I still had to face the sand stairs. Awesome. Even Zuko was dragging a bit on the way back up the stairs. Ha!

Tired pup

-- Posted by Prince Zuko's frazzled mom

I iz #Shibaquatch

2011-09-09T15:26:00.000-07:00

Breaking news! I, Prince Zuko, iz the mysterious Shibasquatch that haz been seen on the beaches of San Francisco this summer!

Want more proof?

Here is my hudad trying to catch me when I iz off-leash. I am too fast for him tho.

And what iz this? I come running back to my humom! (She had turkey pepperoni - seriously, that stuff is GOOD).

-- Posted by Prince Zuko, #Shibasquatch

Touring the SF Bay Area

2011-09-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

My hudad's sister wuz in town this past weekend and we did the tour of San Francisco! Auntie wuz biten by a dog when she wuz a little kid, so she wuz kind of scared of me at first but I'm just so darn cute she came around!

It iz August here, so it iz very cold and foggy here!

Golden Gate Bridge. See it? Through the THICK fog! BOL

This fog bores me.

At the beach cliffs in Half Moon Bay. WHAT IZ DOWN THERE??

Iz horses down there! They look smaller this time.

At the Palace of Fine Arts, I met a swan. I iz sure he wuz scared of me.

Been a long day! I iz tired. Can't even keep my tail curled up!

-- Posted by Prince Zuko, SF Tours Inc.

A Day in the Life of Prince Zuko

2011-08-25T10:36:00.000-07:00

Get up. Stretch. Scratch at mom and dad. If they refuse to get up, play the "puppy jumps on the bed, puppy jumps off the bed" game.
FINALLY get breakfast. Snarf it down quick!
Go outside to potty.
If it is a doggie daycare day, refuse to get in the car and make dad pick you up. Then beat up other dogs at doggie daycare.
If it is not doggie daycare day, bite at mommy's ankles until she takes you for a walk or plays bouncy ball with you.

Take over the couch and commence massive shedding.
If it is sunny outside, stare at mom until she opens back door so you can bake on the bricks. Come inside, cool off, drink water and commence baking again.

Everyone is home! Make them chase you. Dad throws the bouncy ball while mom attempts to cook dinner while you are running under her feet.
Stare at humans to give you dinner and cheese.
Stare at humans who are eating their dinner. If they do not share, stare harder.
When mommy starts cleaning the kitchen, that is your clue to go bug dad for a walk.
Lose your mind and get zoomies, attacking the pillows and linens on the bed.
Pass out in the center of the big bed and make the humans work around you so they have a tiny sliver of bed and a scrap of covers.

--- Posted by Zuko's mom

Another Shibasquatch sighting!!

2011-08-15T12:49:00.000-07:00

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA - At Water Dog Lake park this weekend, a streaking Shibasquatch was seen off-leash at the lake. Only one image was captured of this amazing event. Sadly, our ace photograph did not get a good print of the Shibasquatch willingly getting into the water and getting his feet wet.

This black and white infrared image does a good job of showing the Shibasquatch, even though he is a bit far away.

Run Shibasquatch!

Stay tuned for further developments!

-- Posted by the Chief Shibasquatch Liaison.

Wedding Bells

2011-08-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

Zuko attended his first wedding today! Our friends had an outdoor wedding and being proud parents of two chihuahuas, of course they made it a dog-friendly event.

Bluebell and Cinnamon's pawrents got married today!

Zuko was brushed and spritzed and put on his best attire for the event.

Prince Zuko

Another wedding guest - she barked at Zuko, he snarled

Hoping for cheeze

Zuko was much admired - the bride had many Japanese friends and family attending and for once, just about everyone knew he is a Shiba Inu.

Cinnamon and Bluebell arrived late, dressed in pink tutus. Bluebell and Zuko sniffed, but the other chihuahuas were either terrified of him or barked at him. The little lady in the photos above tried very hard to impress Zuko that she was badass! Later, she did sniff him and let him get close to her. For about three seconds. ;-)

I was a proud mommy - he did well, didn't pee on anything he shouldn't have, didn't try to snack on the little dogs and even let some people pet him.

-- Posted by Prince Zuko's mom

Flashback - Zuko as a wee pup

2011-08-09T16:13:00.000-07:00

Five weeks old and already showing attitude

Sleepy. Hard work charming me to pick him!

First weekend home. Fearless.

Loofa dog is bigger than Zuko pup.

--- Posted by Prince Zuko's mommy

Breaking news - Shibasquatch again spotted

2011-08-05T15:33:00.000-07:00

San Francisco CA - Breaking news! An off-leash Shiba Inu was spotted today on the beaches of Ft. Funston. This phenomen, knows as a "Shibasquatch" is very rare. Our ace reporter and photographer was on site and captured the following images of this rare event. WE BELIEVE!

Is that a Shibasquatch?

How far will he run without a leash to contain him?

We managed to catch the Shibasquatch investigating his surroundings. Shhh....don't scare him!

Close encounter of the Shibasquatch kind!!

--- Posted by Prince Zuko's Ace Reporter ;-)

I iz Fierce

2011-08-02T07:53:00.000-07:00

I finally killed it. The big duck squeaky toy.

Nom nom nom

Anything good left in there?

The aftermath

-- Posted by Fierce Hunter Prince Zuko. Don't mess wif me!

Pack Hike - Sweeney Ridge

2011-07-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

My humom dragged the whole pack out for a hike this past Sunday. It was LONG - like, over five whole miles. It was uphill the first half. Being awesome, I led the pack and on the way back I dragged them back to the car.

This hike is cool tho cuz not only iz it dog-friendly, but it has so much plant variety. There are scrubby bushes to pee on, wildflowers to sniff (and pee on), some redwoods and eucalyptus trees and then the ruins of an old Nike missile site. At the top of the ridge, on a clear day, you can see the Pacific Ocean to one side and the SF Bay on the other.

View from the top - Pacific Ocean

Me and hudad

Climbing that hill wuz tuff work!

Everything looks better with a Shiba tail in it, right?

Tuff dog in the missile site ruins

What? How much longer till we get back to the car???

-- Posted by Prince Zuko the awesome

Surf City: No Dogs Allowed

2011-07-25T08:43:00.000-07:00

For Shibapalooza, the Twibas from out of town decided to group together in Huntington Beach because it has an awesome dog-beach and was voted one of the most dog-friendly cities in California.

Unfortunately, since then, a few things have changed.

What would Snoopy do?

There is a blog post here on the "no dogs allowed" in Huntington Beach, along with @Tokyoshiba blog post here about the dog-friendly hotel that is in the heart of the Main Street area.

What Zuko wanted me to share with you is what he feels every place should have:

Now that is more like it!

Lazy Dog Cafe is just outside HB in Westminster and they were very accommodating (as you can see). The patio was fenced in (@Tokyoshiba made an amazing jailbreak move and got out) and there were two gates in case it got crowded and you needed to get out without making everyone else move.

The didn't have a doggie menu like some places do, but overall, it was a good experience. The food and drink prices were average and the food was decent. Zuko and Taro really, really enjoyed the chicken tenders. ;-)

-- Posted by Prince Zuko's devoted typist.

Shibapalooza: Even more photos!

2011-07-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

Prince Zuko here...by pupular demand, I'm posting more photos of Shibapalooza. Some of these mom pulled off the group meet-up site and isn't always sure who posted them. She thinks @walkingyuki mom and @_tar0_ hudad might have posted some of them!

If you want to see lots of photos, visit Taro's website. His hoomans weren't busy ~~controlling a 30 pound snarling ball of fur~~ (hey! typist, no editorial comments!!) and were able to take photos.

Me doing a perfect down - stay cuz mom had noms in her hand

My brofur Taro!

Brofur and sisfur: Rinji and Mika

Mika and ?

Taro - looking cute and doing tricks for noms!

Queen Tokyo

Mika, sisfur to Rinji

Backyard at the howse in HB. Good zoomies area.

ZOOMIES!

Hiding and snacking on grass in yard. All the Twibas enjoyed this spot and the fresh greens.

Brofurs

Mom getting snuggles from Rinji. Sort of.

Gift bags of nommy noms from Tokyo!

More zoomies in the yard. I so fast the camera couldn't catch me!

Please feed me.

Taro's hudad is strong and can actually pick me up. Now give me noms.

-- Prince Zuko!

PS: My typist needs to do something like a Flikr or Picasa. Any good suggestions which way to go? She needs a better place to put pictures of all my awesomeness.

More Shibapalooza: My furiends

2011-07-20T15:14:00.000-07:00

Hi there - iz Prince Zuko! I really enjoyed Shibapalooza, even though I was a bit grouchy at times. Stoopid leash. Mom can totally trust me off-leash, I don't need that thing. (hee-hee)

I wanted to share some fotos of all my furiends from this weekend!

Kyuubi & hudad, me, me chasing Taro, Mika, Taro the Twiba, the two Mikas, Rinji with his sisfur Mika in background, me sniffing Mika, me chasing Tokyo, Taro and his hudad

More to come!

-- Prince Zuko - woof!

Shibapalooza: The return of Snarly McGrowly

2011-07-19T12:10:00.000-07:00

I've blogged extensively about Zuko and his challenges on-leash with other dogs. It is hit or miss - sometimes he's fine, sometimes he's not. A few clear problem areas are dogs who run up to him, stare him down or obsessively face-sniff him.

"Who me? I'm a good dog!"

Now - let's define how Shibas act based on what I observed at Shibapalooza:

They are nearly all face-sniffers (considered rude doggie behavior).
Many of them like to obsess on things, like staring at another dog.
A Shiba may do these things, but typically will not tolerate another dog doing it to them. Especially another Shiba.

So guess what happened at Shibapalooza? Zuko snarled at a few dogs while on leash. Shocking! But then, there was a lot of snarling, growling, barking and snapping going on. ;-)

However, there was a very sweet cream Shiba named Katsu who completely ignored Zuko. Katsu didn't even look at him - and Zuko never snarled at him once. It was interesting to watch the body language. Katsu had great manners and was not rude at all, which meant Zuko had nothing to get all macho about.

Very polite Shiba - Katsu

With all of this, you would think bringing out food would just escalate the issues and cause a massive melee of Shiba furballs fighting. I was shocked to see that THIS is actually what happens:

Good dogs all around

For a brief moment in time they were all just being good dogs.

This fits with what the trainers at Zuko's daycare were suggesting and what I've been working on with him: the "look" command to draw his attention from whatever he's obsessing on and move his focus back to me. Also, I continue to reward good behavior like proper butt-sniffing and moving him away from other dogs before it gets "growly".

The event was a wonderful time - it was amazing to meet the other hudads and humoms of Shibas and to see so many adorable dogs ... but it was also exhausting for me and Zuko. Towards the end of the picnic he went after Rinji for like the 400th time and my patience finally cracked and he got the "just knock it off already" tone from me.

Off-leash Zuko did very well - which also wasn't a surprise. Off-leash he is free to move about and display the body language he wants and to play. But, this weekend did bring a question to my mind: how much of his on-leash issue is related to him guarding his humans? I wonder...

-- Prince Zuko's mom

Shibapalooza: The #Twibas

2011-07-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Iz Prince Zuko here. Mom is working on a few blog posts for Shibapalooza, but I wanted to share two things with all my Twibas! First: the Twiba bandana:

Pink Twiba bandana modeled by Tokyo Shiba (@tokyoshiba)

The ruff and tuff camo Twiba bandana as modeled by me!

Taro (@_tar0_) shows tuffness comes in all sizes.

Mom found these at K9 Design online. The are nicely stitched and the lady who runs the shop was very sweet. Mom first requested #Twiba, but Betty wrote back and said her machine couldn't do the "#" sign, so mom went with just Twiba. The bandanas arrived three days later! They aren't cheap, but mom said she couldn't find anyone who would just do one bandana at a time so it was worth it. She couldn't afford to buy in packs of 100!!

Next up: Mom was the "Shiba Whisperer" this weekend because she had so many pawesome treats. And we Twibas are a sucker for good noms. You can see some early photos of all of us lined up being good here on my sisfur Suki's hudad's blog.

So what were those tasty noms?

And there you have it! Noms = good. Twibas = pawesome.

More coming soon!

-- A very tired Prince Zuko

Zuko and Other Dogs: On-leash update

2011-07-11T09:46:00.000-07:00

A year ago, I was writing about our troubles with Zuko being growly on-leash. We went to some classes and learned a things like how to properly meet and greet other dogs and we talked with the folks who spend time with him at daycare. We made some progress.

Once we moved, we saw even more progress.

"Who me? I iz a good dog!"

Over the past few months, the incidents of him lunging and growling at other dogs have been very rare and ALWAYS start with the other dog lunging and snarling first. As most Shiba owners know, they think they are a big dog and won't back down from a rude or aggressive dog. So I've been watching the body language of other dogs much more closely and I have become less concerned about Zuko's. Out in the parks, it still tends to be two types of dogs that cause issues: small yappy dogs who lunge and snarl at everyone and everything, and the big dogs who just like a challenge.

The small yappy dogs actually seem to humor Zuko a bit. He's almost tolerant - to a point. If they get too close he'll snarl back. The big dogs are more interesting - they see Zuko and they will stop, stare and focus on him. Clear warning signals that I now know to look for.

Any time I spot a potential problem, I immediately go for the treat bag and start doing "look" with Zuko. I keep him to my left and the other dog to HIS left - meaning if he's looking at me, he can't see the other dog. I use to always shorten the flexi-leash as I did this but I've noticed an odd thing in recent weeks - Zuko will sometimes naturally fall into a heel position when a big dog shows up ahead of us on the trail. I can't be sure, but it seems like he has started to associate "big aggressive dog up ahead" with "Zuko gets yummy treats, hang out next to mom". Now I keep the leash slack but I have the trigger finger ready in case the other dog lunges (see above: Shibas don't back down from a fight).

We had one pretty nasty case recently and frankly - it was 100% the other dog. We were out front with Zuko and he was tied up on a long leash to avoid he disappearing after a cat or a squirrel. He was in his driveway, being chill when another dog who was off-leash came BOUNDING up to Zuko before we could get the owners to call the dog off. Zuko was impressive - lots of big body language and fierce snarls and huge Shiba teeth flashing. My husband and I both barely reacted - we could see that Zuko was putting on one hell of a show, but he wasn't making contact with the teeth. The other dog got the hell out of there as fast as possible and the owners gave us some pretty nasty looks. In our opinion, they were at fault. They let their off-leash dog charge up to another dog on his own territory. Idiots.

This weekend we head to Shibapalooza. At the recent very rainy, very cold NorCal Shiba picnic, we had to scurry under some cover. I didn't hesitate to bring Zuko in to the shelter and he (of course) snarled at Sinjin. Once. Then they all just stood there wet and miserable as only Shibas can look when they aren't getting their way.

So, I'm feeling pretty good about Shibapalooza and about Zuko behaving like a Prince and not a monster!

-- Zuko's optimistic mom

Zuko @ Work

2011-07-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

Zuko is a great office dog. He's pretty mellow and doesn't jump on anyone and rarely barks. Only if you are really weird is he going to bark at you (yeah - looking at you weird lady who decided to creep up on him). He's gotten better with other dogs while on-leash and we've gotten better and noticing which dogs are going to be an issue in an on-leash meet and greet.

Zuko supervising his hudad at work

Until today, Zuko could go to work with his hudad (human dad). The small dot com company was always super dog-friendly (there is even another Shiba there) but they were bought by a big Silicon Valley company a few years ago. And as with all acquisitions, the mother ship started enforcing their rules, finishing up with enforcing the "no dogs" rule, effective today.

Luckily for this budding Shiba CEO, my work is still hip and cool (even though we are also in the process of being bought by a ginormous company). Our open office workspace (warehouse) freaks Zuko out and he tends to be a real scaredy-cat.

"Not hiding under desk, I iz protecting mom!"

And then there is just random weirdness such as this:

"Please explain to me why there is a dinosaur on the wall. Anyone?"

But in general, he is still the perfect office dog. I leave him at my work spot without his leash attached, tell him to "wait" and walk over to the kitchen. He can see me the whole time until I turn into the kitchen to get some coffee or whatever. I come back out and he's still sitting there, at my work spot, watching for me.

The folks at work love him and everyone wants to pet him - but, being a true Shiba CEO, no one gets that honor. Not even my real CEO - Zuko snubbed him. (If I don't get my bonus, I'll know why and Zuko will be eating Puppy Chow instead of his expensive raw diet mix - ha!). Of course, this also means most people don't even know he's there at all - which is a good thing in a work environment.

Finally, here is his official Shiba CEO stance on meetings and conference calls:

Zzzzzzz....boring....zzzzzz

-- Posted by Prince Zuko's dedicated worker bee

Visit from Taro!

2011-06-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Prince Zuko here. My hooman haz been "working" too much lately and just now haz time to type up how PAWESOME it wuz when Taro and his pack visited us!

Shiba Mind Control at work: Give us cheeze

On his blog, Taro has shared lots of pics and stories, so I'm just gonna write about my three favorite things:

1) I luv the beach but it wuz even better with my little bro Taro! Notice the matching gait on us in this photo. Yeah, we are awesome.

Running with Taro on the beach

2) Photoshoot with my half sisfur Suki and her hudad (thanks for the new word, Kaiju!) and humom. We drew a crowd and it wuz hard work but we gotz tons of treats and BACON afterwards! Noms! You can the full post here. Jonathan is a pawesome photographer and clearly picks good things to photograph (like Shibas).

Behind the scenes at Shiba photoshoot

3) Last but not least wuz just hanging out, being chill with my brofur Taro. See us being good Shibas and sharing chewies?

Brofurs

Mom sayz I was a good brofur and host. Taro and I shared treats, water and toys with no problem. Except that one incident with the wonderful tug-of-war toy but hey, boys will be boys, right?

Nite-nite (passed out Taro in car)

-- Posted by Prince Zuko!

Rescue Shiba needed for Photoshoot!

2011-06-14T14:27:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Prince Zuko here. Been awhile, but I've been busy working on my modeling career and visiting wif my furiend Taro (@_tar0_ )! I haz lots to tell you about, but first: I iz modeling for Project Dog (@projectdog) this weekend and they still need to find a rescued Shiba in the San Francisco Bay Area for their book project. So if you want fame and glory like me, Taro and Suki, please visit Project Dog's website and submit your info!

Suki, Taro and me!

-- Posted by Prince Zuko, Shibas R' Us Modeling Agency

Hiking with the pup

2011-05-28T14:54:00.000-07:00

Let's go already!

Zuko loves going hiking with me - the more uphill the better too. He knows when we are about to go hiking and he will circle and circle me. One day, he finally just gave up (with a huff) and sat by the door watching me to get ready.

The Bay Area has tons of hiking, though not all allow dogs (even on leash) and we are working our way through many new (to us trails). However, with the dry season approaching, there are now also some big risks on the trails.

Poison Oak

"Leaves of three, leave it be". Try explaining that to a Shiba. Dogs can be effected by it, but can also pass the oil to their people - and we react much more strongly.

Foxtail - not of the cute ShibaFox variety

Then there are foxtails. These are all over in the Bay Area and as they dry out, they can be deadly to dogs. They rapidly embed in the skin and typically need to be removed by a vet. There is risk of them getting in a dog's nose and causing major surgery, even death. Shibas' have such thick fur, that Zuko seems to have some protection from these. I have found a foxtail on him but it hadn't managed to work it's way through the masses of Shiba fur to his skin. Meanwhile, I've had one work through the netting in my running shoe and hurt like hell.

Thistles

And then there are the thistles. These are also wildly abundant and common. They don't seem to pose much risk for dogs unless they frolic in them or try to eat them. The bigger issue is for the humans. Zuko tends to like to pee on them.

Zuko has gotten solid enough at recall that there are times I wonder if I could hike with him off-leash. Here is the scenario that stops me: 1) Zuko gets the zoomies in field of foxtails then 2) runs through a big patch of poison oak only to 3) get stuck in a patch of thistles. I have to dive in and save him then 1) head to the hospital to get a cortisone shot for the poison oak and 2) have a foxtail dug out of my leg and 3) get antibiotics for the infected thistle scratches I have. Meanwhile, Zuko is having a good nap on my bed and shedding on my pillow.

-- Posted by Zuko's sarcastic mom

Kitty!

2011-05-14T16:31:00.000-07:00

I met a kitty last night on my pack walk. Not a stinky kitty (skunk) but a real kitty. This one was happy to see me and play "chase" and "hiss and growl" with me. That is how kitties how love, right?

-- Posted by Prince Zuko (why iz mom laughing at me?)

Shibapalooza and Twiba Meet-up

2011-05-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

Shiba mind control is an amazing thing. Zuko has been working on me for months to plan a trip for Shibapalooza in SoCal.

"All that Shiba mind control really wore me out!"

And now it is happening. Of course, I know nothing about SoCal so I'm gonna need some help here.

First things first:
Where is Shibapalooza? I have joined the meet-up group but I am pending approval. This is the info I have currently:

Anaheim, CA 92807 - USA

Saturday, July 16 at 10:00 AM

Here is my big concern: Zuko is reactive with other Shibas on-leash and word has it Shibapalooza is usually held in a park and no off-leash. After he meets a Shiba off-leash, the issue is over and they proceed to just ignore each other. So I am hoping the #Twibas going to Shibapalooza can meet-up before (or the day after) and relax and hang out a bit. Taro the Shiba also suggested getting together and renting a portable dog run for the event.

Huntington Beach has been suggested as a good place to meet up and Shorebreak Hotel was suggested as a possible place to stay but I am thinking a tad bit more budget conscious since gas prices seem to be going up and up!

So - all you West Coast Twibas who want to meet-up - let's figure it out! Twiba Meet-up 2011 (the West Coast version).

Doggie visitors

2011-04-25T11:23:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about Zuko is he really is a pretty chill Shiba in some aspects. While he can be reactive on leash and has no tolerance for rude dogs, he doesn't get jealous of toys, he isn't food possessive, nor does he get jealous of his humans petting other dogs.

We are starving! Feed us already!

And this weekend we discovered he doesn't seem to care if polite dogs come into his home. We had a cookout and invited Tia to the house. Zuko and Tia have met up before, but there was a bit of tension that day because he first met her on leash. Later, in Tia's house, we found that Zuko is respectful of another dog's home and he even helped Tia guard the house when weird people went by.

So, he did know Tia, but he didn't even react when she came into the house. We brought her in through the backyard and then she came into the kitchen. Sniffing happened, then they became beggin' buddies immediately. Zuko was far more interested in the food the humans had then the fact that Tia was systematically dragging all of his toys out of his toy box and trying to get him to chase her. He didn't care that she was getting attention from all the humans (including his) and that she was getting treats. He was getting lots of attention himself and plenty of treats so it was all good.

He did steal a hotdog piece meant for Tia though - she missed it, it hit the ground, and Zuko was faster than her. ;-) Tia didn't mind.

-- Posted by Zuko's proud mommy

About Dog Parks - Again

2011-04-19T17:57:00.000-07:00

Since I blogged about our challenges at our local dogpark, we since have had several successful visits to dogparks - both the local one and another up in San Francisco. Zuko met his half sisfur, Suki, in SF and had a good time. We've gone to the local park and had no issues several times.

And then today....

Obligatory Cute Photo of Zuko

Zuko and I headed over just before 5pm. I usually prefer not to go when it might be busy, but today it just was one of those things. As it turned out, the park wasn't really busy. However, there was one woman there who I've seen there once before. All her dogs seem lethargic and very ill. Last time I saw her, one dog kept vomiting and eating it's vomit (and then vomiting again) and she couldn't be bothered to get off the park bench and do something about it.

So today, everything was going well - lots of proper sniffing and good things. Then I noticed one of her dogs insisting on face-sniffing Zuko for very long periods of time. I was surprised how well he tolerated it, but I could see the lip start to curl. So I distracted Zuko with a ball (which he then ignored). Then out of the blue the same dog starts circling Zuko and barking at him. Zuko stood still and growled. The other dog kept barking and circling. Zuko started to snarl, but still didn't move. I stepped in and tried to get rid of the other dog and she just kept at it. I finally said "Who's dog is this???" and another lady (not the owner) comes and gets the dog.

Seriously?

As soon as the other dog left off, Zuko was fine. Raced off to play and pee on things. Meanwhile, the same woman has another dog who now is attacking another dog right by the bench. What does this woman do? Nothing. The other owner took her sheep dog and left.

Zuko was across the park and he and I stayed over there playing ball....and then comes the rude barky dog again, this time dragging a leash. She comes for Zuko and he again responds by being still and sending some serious messages to not f*ck with him. I pick up the leash and drag the barky dog back to the owner.

Again - seriously?

Out of sheer stubbornness, I stuck it out a bit longer at the park. Zuko was fine, the other dog was being held on leash and the second dog that attacked the sheep dog was too lazy to get far from the park bench. Finally, Zuko was tired and we leashed up and headed out. We had to pass the barky dog to get to the gate and she lunged for Zuko and started barking. Sigh.

My point of all this: all it takes is one bad owner. This woman had two dogs who irritated/aggravated/attacked two different dogs within the space of 30 minutes. There is clearly an issue here and this woman just didn't give a sh*t about it one bit.

Note to self: If I see her there, we are not going in the park. Period.

- Posted by Zuko's mom

On-leash growly dog: Update

2011-04-09T15:55:00.000-07:00

In the past, I was blogging about Zuko being snarly on-leash in some situations. We went to training classes, talked to the trainers at his daycare and really started working on keeping his focus on us when on walks.

"Leaping tall fences in a single bound"

When we moved out to the suburbs, things got easier overall. Zuko has his own yard now and while there are still a ton of dogs in the neighborhood, there are no sidewalks. This means people just walk along the street and you have plenty of room to avoid another dog if needed. I've also noticed *most* people seem more aware of their dogs and are more considerate than what we experienced in the city.

Finally I've be able to notice a pattern: Zuko is fine with smaller dogs as long as they are not reactive. He also really, really likes white fluffy dogs. I have no idea what this is about, but he adores them. Bigger dogs ... this is where the issues sometimes start on leash. If a big dog runs up to him - he snarls. If a big dog sees him and is staring at him as they approach each other - he snarls. If the other dog on leash is a Shiba - he snarls.

That seems to be his pattern. Big dogs showing dominate body language and / or dogs that are already lunging and barking at him before they get within 20 feet of him. Funny enough, there are numerous barking, snarling chihuahuas around the Bay Area and Zuko tends to ignore them and not react, even when they are acting as if they want to rip his throat out. It's mainly the bigger dogs he's watching out for.

So what does this tell me? Zuko is very sure of himself and will stand up to dominate body expressions from other dogs. Which almost explains the reactions to Shibas on leash -- most Shibas have that super confident look all the time.

Off leash, Zuko is different. He only gets grouchy when he's tired and the other dog won't back off. I've seen him totally pwn-ed by a dog at the dog park and he got back up, shook it off and chased the dog for more playing.

I wish I could fully capture and understand the body language that is going on when dogs are on leash that causes the dominate body postures and / or reactions in dogs. I feel like I've gotten a glimmer of it, but so much of it is subtle and we humans probably just can't even see it.

-- Posted by Zuko's mom

Doggie Weekend and Dog-park Success!

2011-04-04T17:26:00.000-07:00

Thank you everyone who commented on my post about dog-parks. We journeyed out this weekend on some crazy adventures: one of which was to meet Zuko's half-sister Suki at a dog-park.

Zuko and Suki - brofur and sisfur

At the dog-park, Zuko was super chill with everyone. He sniffed and allowed himself to be sniffed and generally nothing happened. In fact, we and Suki's parents were all like "you guys are SO BORING!" Here is the irony: Zuko sniffed every dog in the park EXCEPT Suki for about the first half hour. Then, when there were hardly any other dogs left, they finally started sniffing each other. Maybe it is a family thing?

It was a warm day in San Francisco and Zuko was tired from the day before, so they really didn't play much together, but by the end they were Shiba-strutting together on leash and Suki tried to get Zuko to play a bit before she crashed out. (See the video).

However:

Zuko and Suki ran into each other before we got to the dog park and in typical fashion, there was on-leash growling. Zuko has never met a Shiba on-leash without there being snarling and growling (usually on both sides) but as soon as the leashes are off ... the issues are gone. Zuko's dad took him to work one day where he met another Shiba and they both growled at each other. Leashes off -- "oh! Let's play now! Yeah!"

Go figure.

Day one of the weekend was a meet-up with a rescue dog named Tia. She is mostly Taiwanese mountain dog and much bigger (and much more energetic) than Zuko. Unfortunately, we tried to let them meet up off-leash but I didn't get Zuko's leash off fast enough and Tia ran up to him -- and he told her to "back the f*ck off". Tia has good doggie manners and she did back off and gave him his space. When we got them both to Tia's house, things were fine. Zuko pretty much ignored Tia until a weird person went by the front of the house - then they BOTH barked and ran to the gate to defend the house. I mean, how adorable is that? After that they seemed to relax more with each other and when the cheese came out they were begging buddies.

A bit later there was some more snarling, but mainly because Tia wanted to play and Zuko didn't. Again, it was a "back the f*ck off" snarl, not a "I'm going to kill you" snarl and we all knew it. I just find it so ironic that Zuko is the one telling other dogs off now. When he was a pup he was the rambunctious one who needed to be moved from one play group to the other at daycare because he wore out all the dogs!

So what did we learn?

Not all dog-parks are evil.
Shiba on-leash + Shiba on-leash = Snarling.
Shibas off-leash = ignoring each other mostly. Unless it is cool weather, then we might get some playtime.
Being rushed by a bigger dog when he is on-leash is a trigger for Zuko to get snarly.

That last one I've been noticing for some time and will post another entry on the on-leash habits I've been observing over the past few months.

-- Posted by Zuko's Play-date Organizer

My sisfur and me!

2011-04-03T21:04:00.000-07:00

Today I gotz to hang out with my sisfur, Suki. She's famous from the "52 weeks of Suki" by her dad.

We totally ignored each other most of the time, in true Shiba Royalty Fashion. But hey, it was hot in SF today and poor Suki haz allergies. It happens.

By the end, we were totally Shiba-strutting together. We iz family!

-- Post by Prince Zuko!

About Dog Parks

2011-03-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

When we moved out to the 'burbs, I was pretty happy to have a dog park nearby. It was big and open with a solid fence and a sand surface instead of mud. Zuko seemed to be pretty happy with it too.

Then one Sunday we went by the park and all hell broke loose. Hubby and I walked in with Zuko and he and another dog did some sniffing then Zuko got down to business: peeing all over the fence. Another dog was across the park with his owners and suddenly came bounding over. And there was a fight between him and Zuko. It happened very fast, I didn't see who started what. What I did see was Zuko biting at the haunches of this other dog and then when he could, he broke away and went off towards the fence. The other owners were still across the park, so I went after Zuko, putting my hand down to block the other dog --- who was of course chasing after Zuko.

What does this leave me to believe? Talking to the folks at Zuko's daycare, they have said time and again that Zuko is never aggressive. He will "tell off" another dog if that dog is being rude or too rough or if Zuko has just had enough playing. Add to this that Zuko broke off and ran away as soon as he could and the other dog followed him. I don't want to be the crazy dog lady who thinks her dog is never in the wrong, but I don't think this fight was started by him.

Since then, I've been afraid to go back. The Shiba bloggers have posted photos and stories of Shibas who have been severely injured at dog parks and now I'm paranoid.

So my question to all you dog owners at there: are dog parks worth the risk of your dog being seriously injured? If so, how do you minimize the risk? I'm really struggling with this one!

-- Zuko's Helicopter Mom

Shiba 500 - in my new yard!

2011-02-20T19:34:00.000-08:00

Mom seems to think this iz her new "raised garden" area for growing icky veggies. I think not - iz a Shiba 500 race track for sure!!

Hiking in the 'burbs

2011-02-19T17:51:00.000-08:00

Hi! Iz me, Prince Zuko. My typist haz been pretty busy, so not much blogging going on lately. Now we live out the 'burbs, I have been seeing more of nature. Including skunks and ticks, but dat is another story.

We went hiking near the new howse our first weekend. Mom didn't quite read the map correctly, so the "short walk" became about a 4 mile hike. It was pawesome! The first sign we saw told me this wuz gonna be a good hike:

I not scared! They should be warned about ME!

Yup, we climbed dat!

Along the way, mom gotz some video of me doing what I do - being awesome and encouraging her to hike faster!

-- Posted by Zuko!

And the Winner is....

2011-02-04T06:51:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all the Shibas and their hoomans who logged in and wished mom a happy birfday! She had a pretty good day, mainly because I gotz to go to work with her and guard her.

And now the moment you have all been waiting for! The winner is... Hoshi Shiba! Starting at the top, counting down the list and skipping mom's post, Hoshi is the lucky winner!

Congrats Hoshi! You have a bag of good stuff coming your way. Have your hoomans email your mailing address to demondogsports at gmail dot com.

-- Woof!

Mom's Birfday is coming up!

2011-01-19T09:59:00.000-08:00

My mom turns a very special hooman age on Feb 3rd and she isn't very happy about it. I don't know why hoomans get all worked up about birfdays that end in "zero" but she's sad.

So to cheer her up, I'm asking folks to comment on the blog and wish her a happy birfday! To sweeten the deal, I will (with hooman assistance) do a random drawing of the posters for a PRIZE on her birfday. All comments in before 8am PST on Feb 3rd will qualify!

What's in the prize you ask? Well, our my favorite store is George and from there I will secure:

Tasty noms: grain-free turkey tots treats. These are pawesome (ask @PhineastheShiba - he got some for Secret Shiba)!
One super awesome bouncy ball.
One classic George stick squeaky toy.
One surprise gift. :-)

Happy birfday mom! I wuv you!

B&W foto of mom in Paris - happy mom!

-- Posted by Good Dog Zuko

Run Zuko! Run!

2011-01-13T09:35:00.000-08:00

Over the past few months, we have gotten braver with letting Zuko off leash. Originally we only let him off leash in enclosed dog parks and Ft. Funston beach. Ft. Funston may as well be enclosed, the cliffs and the water effectively block two escape routes.

Then we tried the northern area of Ocean Beach, not far from the Cliff House. The waterline is fairly far from the seawall and parking lot, so it seemed safe enough. And it has been, other than that one incident with the birds.**

Usually we only let Zuko off leash when both of us are there. The logic behind this is between the two of us, we should be able to corner and / or catch him eventually. Then one day hubby was sick and I took Zuko to the beach and let him off leash ... and he was so boring it wasn't even funny. I had cheese and he practically stuck to me like a burr. Now hubby has started to let him off leash also when they go to the beach without me.

Overall, Zuko continues to be good. On a recent trip, hubby said Zuko got a bit amped up because there were so many dogs around and would come back to him for a cheese treat but dodge away from him quickly. Finally, he waited for Zuko to stop and sniff another dog and snagged him. :-)

I'm proud of my little Shibasquatch!

** The bird incident: I thought it would be fun to let Zuko chase birds without having to full-stop at the end of a leash. So we let him off leash near a flock of seagulls on Ocean Beach. The problem is this: birds fly. Away. Next thing I knew Zuko was zooming off into the distance and I was realizing my brilliant idea was not very well thought-out. However, when hubby called him back, little dude made a u-turn and came running back. Color me impressed by Zuko's recall and the power of my husband's voice to carry long distances!

-- Posted by Zuko's mom

Waiting for mom to call....

2011-01-12T06:20:00.000-08:00

Mom's traveling again and yesterday she called me and dad on Skype. I wuz busy sleeping and missed the call but she got to see me looking adorable sleeping in dad's cube.

Today I'm gonna make sure my iPaw4 is wiff me at all times just in case she calls me.

Merry Shibamas!

2010-12-25T10:55:00.000-08:00

Wow - I gotz so many goodies from my Secret Shiba @BlueLeath, @shiba_rinji and Mika!

Here are some photos:

I smell goodness in here...

Tie die! Now I can be like the other hippies in San Francisco!

This needs noms added it it later...

Like maybe CHEEZE snacks!! Yeah! It iz like they knew me or somefing.

Is that a cactus? Tastes yummy!

Yeah! Mom, time to get baking for me!

What an awesome box of gifts! This is the best ever - me and my pack wuv all the Twibas and the Secret Shibas all over! Woof!

-- Merry Shibamas from Zuko!

Me and Dad are crafty ...

2010-12-24T14:54:00.000-08:00

Twas the week before Shibamas....

And dad and I were sneaky. We put a gift into this tiny little box for mom:

It's so little!

And then we hung it on the tree:

Hey dad, let me help you with that.

It took her at least a day to figure it out. This morning while we were all eating blueberry pancakes, she looked over at the tree and said: "Hey, that wasn't there before...."

Just hanging there, disguised as a tree ornament

Hee-hee. We are sneaky!

-- Happy Shibamas from Zuko and family!

2010-12-20T08:10:00.000-08:00

Dear Santa Paws -

I haz been a very good dog this year. As you might remember from the above picture, I was very scared of you but I was a good boy and let you have your picture taken with me. I submit this as proof I iz a good dog!

If you need additional proof, I submit this picture:

I allowed my hooman to put a Santa hat on me and didn't bite a single thing. Again, proof I iz a good dog!

This year I request the following prezents:

Cheese. I would actually like a dairy farm that produces cheese, but my hoomans have told me I would not have any place to put this. *huff*
More bouncy balls. I keep losing them somehow.
A new collar. Preferably one I canz escape from.
A kitty brofur.

I think that iz all for now. Oh - my hoomans could use some stuff for the howse so if you get a letter from them, pleaze do give it the same V.I.P priority level I iz sure my letter is getting.

Sincerely -

Prince Zuko (a.k.a "Good Dog")

I iz waiting for my prezents!

Shibasquatch: I Believe

2010-12-02T18:27:00.000-08:00

Much like Fox Mulder, I want to believe in something many think is only a myth. The off-leash Shiba being (mostly) good. Many non-believers equate a sighting of such a Shiba as a myth, similar to the Sasquatch stories. Hence "Shibasquatch".

I have video proof that Zuko can do this given the proper requirements:

I have cheese in my pocket
We are on a beach where one escape route is blocked by his nemesis: water.

Do YOU believe?

-- I Believe

Official Vet Report: "He's a Chill Shiba"

2010-11-21T11:02:00.000-08:00

There have been so many sad reports about Shibas on the internet lately. And each time I read one, I force-snuggle Zuko and tell him he has to live forever. To help ensure that, I scheduled a vet appointment and took him in for a full check-up. He more or less seems like a super-healthy dog, but I can be a bit of a paranoid puppy mommy at times.

Chilling

I'll say upfront: our vet is amazing. He really likes Shibas and has worked with them a good bit. I like him both as a doctor and as a person. He never says "do this" - instead he says "this is what I think and would recommend, but it is your choice". He gives you the information and let's you stay in charge of your pet's health.

First thing that came out in the exam was Zuko is a bit chunky. I knew it as soon as he stepped on the scale: 31 pounds. He was 28 pounds. Oops. Someone has been getting a little too much cheese! The doc said it wasn't too bad and Zuko carries it well, but he'd be better off a couple pounds lighter.

The rest of his physical exam was good: heart, lungs and so forth - all good. Teeth are starting to get some plaque but not too bad. During this entire time Zuko was standing on the table being a good dog. He wasn't thrilled, but no shaking, no whining, just the "martyred Shiba" look. Of course, he was also getting a little bit of spray cheese, so it wasn't all that bad.

Then came time for the blood draw. Oh boy. Our vet did it there in the room with me present and two nurses holding Zuko. I was ready for the Shiba scream. I was ready for thrashing, violent craziness. Nothing. I am not kidding - he didn't even whine. He did tuck his tail, which is the first time I've ever seen it truly tucked! I was so proud of the little dude I gave him tons more spray cheese. As soon as he came off the table, the tail curled back up and he decided he wanted to go explore the rest of the clinic since his leash wasn't yet attached. As usual, he bounces right back after "trauma".

So why the bloodwork? I told the vet I have a lazy Shiba. He gets the zoomies, he goes nuts at the beach, he's a monster at daycare - but given what I have always heard about the breed, he seems lazy. And I wanted to rule out any underlying medical issues. The doctor tested his thyroid and blood levels, and checked for heartworm. We received the results Saturday morning: all clear.

Official vet report: "He's a chill Shiba". We have that shocking rare Shiba, probably almost as rare as a Shibasquatch*: a mellow, chill Shiba.

One final note: We did start him on Heartgard. Northern California rarely has cases of heartworm due to the fact we really don't have many mosquitoes here. Dr. Layba has never recommended it, but we discussed it this time. He said he and his fellow Bay Area vets have seen a slight rise (meaning a couple cases a year) and if Zuko is what he called an "adventure dog" and goes everywhere with us, then it would not hurt to have him on it. I tend to believe we over medicate ourselves and our animals, but I also believe in preventative care so I made the decision to start him on it. Of course, the nice tasty chewable "pill" was rejected by Zuko. I broke it up into smaller pieces and he spit them out. So I had to wrap each piece in cheese to get it in him. Day one of his diet and he figured out how to get a whole slice of American cheese!!

-- Posted by Paranoid Puppy Mommy

*Shibasquatch is a Twitter hashtag reporting the odd occurrences of a Shiba being spotted off-leash and behaving. Much like the Sasquatch, the Shibasquatch has true believers and those who think this is just a myth. For more information, run a Twitter search!

"I believe in Shibasquatch"

Leash Monster: Training update!

2010-11-16T18:05:00.000-08:00

Lots of changes in our world recently and I'm way behind on blog posts! So without further ado, an update on Zuko's on-leash snarling.

I mentioned before I wasn't sure we were getting the most we could out of the group classes. Zuko's "issues" are pretty specific and random. Or so they seem.

Then I got the brilliant idea to talk to the folks at his daycare. They run a huge gig there, lots of dogs, all cage-free. They are separated into size and activity groups for indoor romping and go outside in their groups. Some days they have upwards of 50 dogs! And with all that chaos, they still get stellar reviews on Yelp - so they must be doing something right.

One of the guys there, Scott, trains service dogs and is always there. He knows Zuko well, and I asked him one day if Zuko is snarly with other dogs. He said he isn't, unless the other dog won't back off and listen when Zuko says he's had enough rough playing. He said when they see that, they will either move the other dog into a high activity group or put Zuko in a lower activity group. He was also very clear that while Zuko snarls, he has never seen him try to bite a dog and it is his opinion it is not in Zuko's nature to actually bite and be aggressive. The snarling is him communicating the way dogs communicate.

We started talking about on-leash issues and Scott told me what they do to get the dogs' attention in playgroups. Zuko has always been good with his name, so they do use that and reward him with treats for focusing on them. Also, they use "look". In obedience, we learned "watch" - with a point to your eyes as the hand signal. I was standing there with treats and Zuko was fixated on me - then Scott said "look" and Zuko's head whipped around to look at him.

Interesting, right? Such a little thing, but to have consistency in the command used makes a difference. Zuko spends anywhere from 5-8 hours, 2-3 times a week at doggie daycare. They are working with him all the time and if I am using a command they are not using, guess who is losing? (Me).

So now on our walks, I take cheese or the Natural Balance sausage-roll treats and whenever he sees another dog, I do a "look" and he responds. He will cheerfully walk right past another dog, looking at me for treats. In class, the idea was to use "leave it" to create this behavior. Zuko knows "leave it" when it comes to icky stuff on the ground and other objects, but he was just not getting it with dogs. By using "look" I'm leveraging a command that turns his focus away from the dogs and one that he already knows is always rewarded with some good stuff.

We've had zero snarling incidents for about a week now. That isn't to say he hasn't TRIED to snarl. I have found one certain pattern: puppies. Young puppies, under probably 6 months or so, set him off. I am not 100% sure if he just gets all excited and is lunging at them to play or he's ready to put them in their puppy-place as an adult dog. Considering how violent-looking Shiba-play is, it probably doesn't matter which one it is - both are scary to a little puppy! Usually the pups give a yelp and back off. This week I've been able to catch him before he gets into full lunge and draw him back to me with the "look" command.

For now, I'm happy to have a good way to intervene and reward Zuko for focusing on me. In theory, he should start to look at me in anticipation when he sees another dog, right? :-)

Next step will be working on "go say hi" - for that, I think I may leverage private training with Scott. The benefit of working with a private trainer at a daycare is we can bring dogs in all day long and test Zuko!

Good Dog?

-- Posted by Zuko's slacker mom/typist

National Shiba-Inu Meet-up: Survey says...

2010-11-06T14:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm not really sure what the survey says. :-) Other than people seem to really want to do this and price for a hotel isn't the biggest factor.

A few factors that do stand-out:

1) For those who cannot fly with their Shiba, driving means we should really aim for the "middle" of the US.
2) Time of year is important: cooler weather is preferred, but too early in the spring or too late in fall will prohibit drivers from the West coast and the North from being able to make it due to storms and snow.

Click photos for the full results and image.

Memorial Day was preferred, though Labor Day also had a strong showing.

There were additional write-ins for the Northeast and other locations. However, back to the drive-time for folks, the middle-America areas seem best. Texas, Kansas City, Omaha and St. Louis were the strongest showers. New Orleans came up a few times but having recently visited NO, I didn't get a dog-friendly vibe from it. Cost would also be a factor there.

One of the write-ins mentioned that St. Louis isn't an easy city to navigate, but Omaha is - however, if we factor in dog-friendly factor, St. Louis still seems like a winner.

I love that 20.8% said cost didn't matter. :-) However, looks like we need to stay under $100 a night for budget which rules out the bigger cities (like New Orleans) and probably even Austin, TX which was listed as a write-in.

One of the write-ins that didn't fit on the screen mentioned swimming wasn't a priority since these are SHIBAS ... who typically hate water. ;-) However, beaches and lakes seem like a good idea since most Shibas love to dig in sand and / or chase ducks. What we humans like is irrelevant if you ask the Shibas. (ha). However, dog-friendly restaurants, parks and fenced-in off-leash parks seem to be big hits. Contests and prizes are also a stand-out!

So, where does this leave us? With 49 respondents (it is 50 if you can me) I'm not sure we have a clear winner. If you factor in driving challenges and time-of-year, Memorial Day weekend wins (hopefully the weather won't be too hot by then) and St. Louis or Northern Texas win.

Personally, budget will be a factor and time to plan, but I think Demon Dog and family could make this. If anyone knows just how dog-friendly St. Louis REALLY is, that would be helpful for planning. Oklahoma, Nebraska and Northern Texas still seem to be in the running if we can find good dog-friendly sites there (again, looking for input).

Chime in! Let's see if we can pull this off.

-- Posted by Zuko's event planner

Trick or Treat!

2010-10-30T18:40:00.000-07:00

It is almost as if my friends at Woofgang's Doggie Daycare know I am a Demon Dog!

Trick or Treat. I think I was TRICKED!

-- Posted by Demon Dog

The Beach!

2010-10-28T12:14:00.000-07:00

I luvs the beach. We haven't been there in a long time, even though it iz only like 2 miles from our howse (lazy hoomans).

One thing you might not know about the beach: there are Teradactyls there. See the footprints?

Evidence: Exhibit A - Footprints

My mom sayz these are not teradactyl prints. She claims these are "seagull" footprints. I disagree. Notice me examining what had clearly been a teradactyl party spot before I arrived:

More clues

Unfortunately, everyone knows the Shiba Inu is a mighty hunter. Since I did not see, stalk or capture a teradactyl on the beach, I can only assume they left cuz they knew I was coming for them.

Next time I getz them!

-- Prince Zuko, Master Detective and Hunter Extraordinaire

Leash Monster: Update - the proper way to meet and greet

2010-10-19T10:21:00.000-07:00

Last week in Leash Monster training, we continued to practice the "leave it" idea. As you dog sees or approaches another dog, you do a "leave it" and then turn the dog around and walk backwards.

It sorta works with Zuko. I think Shibas are related to that little girl in the Exorcist though - Zuko can swivel his head around to a shocking angle and STILL be walking towards me while giving the evil eye to the dog behind him. Impressive, but not helping the situation.

What's that over there? Can I obsess on it? Is it a dog? Please let it be a dog!

Our trainers from Dog Evolve swear by the Gentle Leader head collar. They claim there are pressure points on the back of the head where the leader sits that help calm a dog. Jokingly, they refer to it as "doggie Prozac". And clearly, some of the dogs in class really, really need this. One woman has a herding dog mix who she says is a spaz. I've never seen it - because she's had the Gentle Leader on the dog in every class and he is super mellow. However, I struggle with this - I don't want to use something artificial to force behavior in Zuko. Nor do I want to put him into a zen-trance. I love my happy, energetic dog. I just don't want him lunging at other dogs and being a leash monster. Every other dog in class is using the Gentle Leader now except us. The trainers asked and I said I'd rather not - and the one trainer supported this. She said the only dog she has ever had a complete freak-out-melt-down when having a Gentle Leader on was.... wait for it... yeah, a Shiba Inu (surprise!).

What I have done is switch back to the front-clip Easy Walker harness instead of a collar. I'm guessing dragging him away and him making choking sounds as it happens is not reinforcing the message that leaving dogs alone is a GOOD and HAPPY thing. Of course, this puts us back where we were months ago - we think he was clipped by a harness buckle as a puppy and he flinches everything one of those snap close behind his head. We tried reconditioning him out of it, but he's like a cat - he will never, ever, ever forget it.

So - back to the lesson last week on proper greeting. In my last post I talked about Mr. Rudeness and his face-sniffing issues. In class, we focused on first approaching a dog and doing the "leave it" and turn and walk backward before anyone got snarly. Next, we would pass each other - quickly - the whole time talking to your dog and dangling a treat in front of them. In this exercise, the dogs are next to each other so when they are looking at you and that tasty treat in your hand, they are ignoring the other dog.

The next step is to just stop as they reach nose-to-butt position. The dogs are facing opposite directions and positioned in the right place to turn their head, sniff butts and be polite. Even the slightest turn of the head to proper sniffing position is immediately marked and rewarded and you continue walking forward.

Whew! Easy enough in class - the dogs are all getting to know each other and everything is calm. At the end of the class they brought in a good sized female lab - a new dog!! This was the test... and everyone passed except for the one dog who barks so much at other dogs she has to be isolated during class or she will not stop. (This dog's trainer is the one who actually needs the training - he's very timid with her).

I am personally relieved I do not need to lead by example to show Zuko the proper way to meet and greet another dog. ;-) We've been working on doing the "leave it" and then "go say hi" and stopping where he can be set up to properly greet. Of course, this morning we met a Shiba mix who he knows and we passed each other, stopped, and they BOTH immediately turned all the way around so they could face-sniff. No monster-badness happened, but I was still left standing there rolling my eyes and shaking my head. Shibas.

-- Posted by Zuko's bewildered mom

P.S. - If you haven't heard, the Twitter Shibas are considering a National Shiba Inu Meet-up next year! If you could / would attend, please complete this survey before Oct 30th!

If you could do a National Shiba meet-up, where would you go?

2010-10-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

@WalkingYuki @LeahShiba @_tar0_ and I started a Twitter thread on the dream of a National Shiba Inu Meet-up. Where would we meet? When?

Ideas so far:
St. Louis http://www.explorestlouis.com/pets/index.asp
Needs to be over 3-day weekend
Dog-friendly city and hotel or B&B

For those of us on the West coast, St. Louis shows about 30+ hours of driving but my mom sayz she has always wanted to do the "Route 66" drive so it is possible. From NYC it is about 15 hours.

Other locations "mid-country":
Amarillo, TX
Wichita, Kansas
Omaha, Nebraska

So what do ya'll think?

Leash Monster! Training class report

2010-10-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

Over the past nine months or so, Zuko has been getting more and more reactive to other dogs when on leash. It tends to be very hit and miss and unpredictable. Off leash, he's great. He loves other dogs and does well at daycare and at the off-leash beach. So, needless to say, we were a bit mystified by his on-leash behavior.

Does that look like a Leash Monster to you?

This past Thursday we started "Leash Monster" training with Dog Evolve. First - I just have to say - Zuko is a pretty well adjusted dog. The other dogs in his class have a number of issues going on: attention barking, leash straining, cowering from people, etc. It was nice to get this perspective that he's a pretty easy dog - especially for a Shiba. We believe a lot of it is he has good genes, but I think we should give ourselves some credit for doing at least a few things right with our pup.

OK - so Leash Monster training is specific to dogs who are good off-leash but reactive on-leash. We learned two very important things Thursday night:

Zuko is rude.
The lunging, barking and snapping is out of frustration, not aggression.

Let's talk about the rudeness. The trainers were saying his behavior is not unusual for Spitz breeds and Shibas: he's a face-sniffer. He will butt-sniff also, but he often approaches a dog and sniffs their face and apparently in the dog world this is RUDE. So we had a few laughs about needing to train him to always butt-sniff and I expressed that I sincerely hoped I was not going to have to lead through example.

This face-sniffing thing gave me one of those "doh" moments though - I flashed back to his most reactive moments and it is after he has approached a dog and face-sniffed. I'm guessing the other dog then says "rudeness, get out of my face" in some doggie language I don't see and Zuko gets all badass and lunges and snarls. It would also explain why the sighting of another Shiba can sometimes be a total mess as both of them snarl and lunge at each other - because they are both being rude badasses.

One approach the trainers recommended is to pass the other dog and walker first. This sets the dogs up to be facing the proper greeting area - their butts. It also gives you a quick and clear escape route forward if your dog reacts negatively versus being face-to-face and having to drag your dog back away from the other dog.

The second lesson was a bit of relief for me: he's reacting out of frustration, not aggression. We suspected this may be the case since we noticed early on that he would often start growling when we pulled him away to continue his walk. The trainers described the dog's feeling as this: imagine you love ice cream and someone keeps taking you into the best ice creams shops and never letting you buy or taste any ice cream. Wouldn't you be frustrated?

Our homework this week is to work on doing a "leave it" and redirecting his attention when he sees another dog. Since Zuko tends to obsess a bit when he sees another dog, this is challenging but we are working on it. The other homework is to just go the other way when you see a dog or do a very fast "blow by" the other dog - not stopping, not looking, getting past the other dog and then when Zuko is re-focused on us he gets treated.

All of this is easier said then done. San Francisco is a dog-crazy city and so many dogs are off-leash where they shouldn't be and not under any kind of voice control. So I had to ask the question: what if you turn and leave the situation and the other dog follows you. The advice was to keep going, don't look back. If the dog just will not give up, the final emergency-last-ditch advice was to take treats, turn, and throw them at the dog. This will surprise them and they should start snarfing up the treats on the ground and leave off. The trainers discussed that they are not in support of feeding other people's dogs nor rewarding bad behavior (following you and your dog forever) but you have to take care of your dog first. If the other dog's owner isn't doing their job you have to do what you have to do.

So, as with all things: practice, practice, practice this week! Looking forward to our next class!

-- Zuko's Trainer

Happy 2 years Zuko!

2010-10-10T16:59:00.000-07:00

Our little dude was born two years ago today - one day before our wedding anniversary. I have many, many Libra friends so I guess it was fate that Zuko would be our pup.

His daycare, Woofgangs, celebrated his birthday on Friday. I still have no idea how they get pictures of him in a hat without getting the "airplane ears".

We took the little guy with us everywhere this weekend, including a winery and The Refuge yesterday. He did indeed get to try the famous pastrami at The Refuge and he loved it. Today we walked up the hill to brunch. Our family doesn't eat pork, but based on recommendations from @iamkaiju, Zuko insisted on trying some. I ordered a side of applewood smoked bacon and he loved it. (He only got about 1/2 of one piece though).

Finally, we went by one of his favorite pet stores, George, and picked up some of his favorite treats and a new toy. While I did try the bat-wings on him as a possible Halloween costume, I decided I couldn't do that to him on his birthday. I'll sneak back and buy them later. ;-)


Happy Birthday!

Nom Nom Nom....

Happy Birthday Little Dude! You make us smile and laugh every day and we love you!

-- Mom and Dad

The Good Life

2010-10-04T08:44:00.000-07:00

Well, since little Prince Zuko thinks if he lived in Japan he would get to hunt wild boar and be worshiped as royalty on / near Mt. Fuji, I thought I'd set him straight just a little.

Our friend recently visited Tokyo (so jealous) and brought back this magazine called "Shi-ba". Yes, a whole magazine dedicated to the Shiba Inu and their awesomeness. Zuko was pretty pleased with this. It did start off well:

Clearly this Shiba is master of his own domain and having a happy life. But then the horror starts:

Is that an UMBRELLA on that Shiba?

A cow? Cows are prey, not a Shiba costume!

So when Zuko starts getting a tad too big in the ego department, I now bring out this magazine and start asking him which costume he would like me to purchase for him. The cow? The sheep? The fish-on-your-head? The Santa Claus costume?

-- Posted by Bad Mommy

Shibas are Fearsome Hunters Part II

2010-09-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

You seriously have to check out the comic and video over at Shibal Inu on Shibas hunting wild boar. I laughed so hard I nearly cried. Zuko is NOT amused.

-- Posted by Zuko's mom

Shibas are Fearsome Hunters

2010-09-26T12:51:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone - Prince Zuko here. While my people are off in France eating lots of "fromage" without me, I decided to post something I've wanted to post for a very long time.

Mom purchased a book in Japantown some time ago about Shibas. While it is all in Japanese, I translated it for her.

See the mighty hunter, the Shiba Inu, chasing a wild boar

Shiba Inu takes down boar. Fear the Shiba Inu.

See the amazing Shiba Inu in action. Shibas are awesome.

Shiba Inus are awesome. And super cute.

End of translation.

-- Posted by Prince Zuko

I'm Tuff

2010-09-17T16:44:00.000-07:00

Mom caught this video of me teaching my new toy, Lamb Chop, a lesson. I like her music selection. Suits the situation I think!

-- Posted by Prince Zuko, Gangsta INC.

Kitty!!!

2010-09-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

Mom took me to a friend's house last night and there was a KITTY there!! Oh my gosh! I was pretty excited but the kitty was growling at me. My kitty brofurs taught me as a puppy that I have to respect a kitty's authority, so I wuz a good dog. I kept my distance but I just couldn't help trying to get closer...and closer...and then kitty would hiss and I'd back off.

Finally, the kitty bolted under the bed and mom's friend got him out and put him on the couch. I wuz so happy my tail was wagging all over the place! Still, the kitty didn't want to play with me and ran back under the bed. I was a good dog still, played with mom's friend and was pretty much awesome but now and then I'd go check under the bed to see if the kitty had changed his mind about playing with me. He never did.

The good news is I get to stay with mom's friend for a week and I'm sure the kitty will decide I'm a great friend and play with me during that time.

- Posted by Zuko!

Handouts for Shiba owners

2010-09-10T15:18:00.000-07:00

Tired of answering questions about your Shiba? Lost your voice from explaining that you are NOT actually walking a fox on a leash in a heavily populated city park? Well Phineas the Shiba (@PhineastheShiba on Twitter) used his amazing Shiba Mind Control powers on his people to get them to produce this useful and informative handout! Print them out, stuff them in your doggie walk bag (similar to a diaper bag but not as embarrassing) and educate the world on the awesome-ness of the Shiba!


This is a Shiba

This is NOT a Shiba. This is a red fox.

-- Posted by Zuko's mom

FUN at Ft. Funston!

2010-09-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my people took me to Ft. Funston - best dog beach ever! First, you have to get to the beach which is so much fun 'cause the beach is waaaaaaay down there:

Look how tiny the people are down there!

But it is totally worth the wait - look how far the beach goes on (and on) - and this is just one part of it!

Mine. All mine.

So, you know, my people have trust issues and I've been Shiba Mind Controlling them to let me off leash more 'cuz I am a GOOD DOG. It worked! Here's me sniffing cool stuff on the beach and running around playing with dad - he's my favorite dog to play with even if he only runs on two legs.

Mom sayz this video proves I can get sorta wet if I want, but I still don't really like it:

The last word: HAPPY DOG!

-- Posted by Prince Zuko!

Buena Vista Park

2010-08-29T16:57:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about San Francisco iz all the hills! We Shibas are good climbers and all, you know, and SF gives me plenty of opportunity to keep those skills sharp.

This weekend my people took me over to Buena Vista Park. Mom sayz it is a fake hill - people built it up and made it - but I don't really care. Look at the stairs!


Yeah! Let's climb!

And there are squirrels in those hills and stuff - I chased two of them but 'cause mom had a me on a leash they got away from me. :-( But she did get a picture of me looking awesome:


Mine!

After I take care of bizness, I tend to get a little over-emphatic with my scratching and my people laugh at me. They captured me on video going a bit crazy in the weeds. What can I say? Everyone needs to know ZUKO WUZ HERE.

Later we were at the top of the hill and there was this sand pit - I LOVE sand and I got the zoomies!

Super fun day for me - we got back home and I crashed out on my ~~people's~~ bed.

-- Posted by Zuko the Squirrel Chaser!

Working hard today

2010-08-26T13:43:00.000-07:00

Today, I have a big job: Sleep on all the couches.

In this job, which I have self-assigned, I am awesome. Mom documented my superior couch-napping skillz with her terrible camera that made me fuzzy. I will be Shiba Mind Controlling her to buy a better camera so the Internets can see my true awesomeness.

The TV remote is also mine.


This couch is comfy too!

-- Posted by Prince Zzzzzzzzuko

Itchy-itchy, Scratchy-scratchy

2010-08-24T18:24:00.000-07:00

The Twitterverse seems to be full of Zuko's Shiba friends really struggling with allergies. Reports come in from everywhere and for some Shibas, there seems to be no relief in sight.

Wide open spaces are awesome - for allegies!

I decided to log all the remedies I've been seeing, in order of "extreme" nature of the treatment.

Raw food diet: Taro the Shiba reported scratchy ears that had no cause that could be found. Switching to a raw diet cleared up the issues and landed him a spot as a customer testimonial. For Zuko, we have had him on a raw diet almost since we first had him. He was a super-scratchy puppy and switching to the raw diet seemed to alleviate most of the itchiness.
Supplements: Omega-3 supplements have been widely suggested by many Shiba owners and other dog (and cat!) owners as beneficial. Our breeder also recommended Vitamin E and kelp. The kelp isn't easy to find and can be pricey - but a small bag goes a long way. We use Pet Kelp. Zuko gets a small sprinkle of it with his breakfast, along with some Vitamin E drops I found in the humans' drugstore.
Cleaning Shiba feet / legs and paws after going outside: This is probably a really extreme measure even though it sounds simple (Insert sound bite of a Shiba screaming: don't touch my feet!!!!!). There are packaged wipes for this or just a damp cloth can make a difference. Zuko has a melt-down if I even think of touching his feet so we don't usually bother with this. I have heard a few owners say it makes a huge difference, especially when there is visible pollen on the ground.
Hot spot / anti-itch sprays: Again - queue the Shiba Scream for most of us on this one. My favorite product is Earthbath Hot Spot Spritz. It seems to help the itching but also tastes nasty enough that Zuko is less inclined to lick obsessively at times.
Flea / tick allergies: According to the National Shiba Inu Club of America, flea allergies are one of the number one health complaints for Shibas. This is complicated by some dogs have an allergic reaction to Frontline or Advantage. Our friend Princess in Orlando switched to Comfortis to help with an allergic reaction to the topical flea and tick prevention methods. Staying up to date on flea and tick control can make a huge difference for your Shiba.
Benedryl: I blogged about the dosage of Benedryl here, and also recommended finding the dye-free pills. Hot pink dye just can't really be good for anyone suffering allergies (human or canine). This isn't a sure-fire fix for many dogs and has a the soporific side effect.
Atopica: The Misanthropic Shiba has been having success with this medication, but it appears to only be available in Canada. More info can be found on their website.
Colloidal Oatmeal bath: Again, this should not be "extreme" but how many Shibas can be bathed without drama? Also - too many baths will reduce their natural oils and possibly complicate the situation. You don't always need suds in a bath, just something to soothe the problem. I cheat on this one. A good Shiba mommy would probably cook oatmeal and make this from scratch. I buy the Aveeno packets. Always good to have on hand for people and puppies.
The last resort - Prednisone and corticosteroids: The can have wide-ranging side effects and most vets will discourage their use unless there is just no other way. This is actually true for human allergy sufferers also - an emergency shot of this stuff is avoided in all but extreme cases. Last summer Zuko went off the deep-end suddenly with his allergies and scratched his muzzle raw. The vet gave him an injection and he was on pills for several days after. He peed more often and was grouchy as heck the whole time. Not something I want to go through again.

Over at the House of Two Bows, they have made some interesting discoveries about hypothyroidism and the symptoms. It appears to have similar characteristics to those of allergies and they have started Bowdu on thyroid supplements. We are all watching to see how it goes for the little guy. The lesson from this is just don't assume it is allergies!

What have I missed? Please comment and share your success stories with allergies and what you've learned to avoid.

-- Posted by Zuko's mom

Trust Expanded

2010-08-14T13:03:00.000-07:00

We took the little monster... er... I mean Zuko to Ft. Funston today. For those of you not in the Bay Area, this is pretty much Dog Heaven. Lots of rolling hills and sand dunes at the top of the cliffs. Down on the beach area it just goes on and on - cliffs on one side, water on the other and lots of room to run! For dog owners with recall concerns, the beach is a great area to practice since two directions are closed off by cliffs and water, leaving only two possible escape routes.

In the past I've had Zuko drag a leash so when it is time to catch him, I can step on the leash and stop him in his tracks. The leash also tangles up on his legs and slows the little guy down. All part of my evil plan to control my Shiba. Today, the leash kept really tangling on his back leg and he'd have to stop and wait for us to untangle it. My husband and I made the decision to just take the leash off. And what did Zuko do?? He was GONE up the beach in flash - it was as if he knew he had full freedom. He was still in visual range so we started trudging up that way. He found some dogs to play with for a bit and then suddenly he was coming back our way! Yeah!

I had the ultimate motivator in my pocket: turkey pepperoni. We had skipped breakfast this morning so little dog was very, very hungry and turkey pepperoni is his favorite. It seems he would occasionally remember I had this amazing treat in my pocket and he'd come back to me - sometimes without me even calling him.

We didn't have our Flip video camera with us, but I wish we did - the sheer joy of watching Zuko run with full abandon was great to see. He'd stop, frantically dig in the sand, stick his nose in there and flip out sand and water and then just take off again. By the end he was covered in sand with his tongue hanging out and a belly full of turkey pepperoni. GOOD DOG!

-- Posted by Zuko's mom

Teeth

2010-08-06T12:02:00.000-07:00

Shibas are hunting dogs, so I guess it would figure they have ginormous teeth. We've never really compared Zuko's teeth to other dogs, but folks comment on them often.

Last weekend we went out to Carmel Valley and Zuko met his new BFF Riley. Riley is a 60 pound white lab 7 month old puppy - so she had a bit of a size advantage on him. But his TEETH! Bigger than hers and he flashes them often during playtime. He's also very, very vocal when he plays. We don't call him "demon dog" for nothing!

Want proof? Check 'em out:


Love bite

Monster teeth

I'm Fierce!

To get all the action, here is the full video. I had to put cheesy music over it because we were all yapping about pointless stuff as I recorded this and we sounded like dorks.

And for further demon-dog-in-action video, here is another clip on Zuko and Riley:

-- Posted by Zuko's Teeth-Brusher

Table Manners

2010-07-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

As a Shiba Inu, I am very good at Shiba Mind Control with my humans. Being an ancient breed, I am also a zen master when I need to be. Therefore, I do not need to "beg" for food when my people are eating something tasty. I patiently wait, using Shiba Mind Control and my zen techniques and good things come my way. Most of the time.

"You want to feed the dog...he's starving"

The other day, we were at a cafe and I was sitting there on the sidewalk being a zen master and this lady walks by and says "what a patient dog". Yup. That's me!

I have noticed sometimes I need to get pretty close to my people for Shiba Mind Control to work. This means I sit next to them on the couch and look at their plate, then look at them - CLEARLY communicating what they are suppose to do. At times, their food seems to have some sort of anti-dog weapon called: "too spicy" and they are able to resist my charm and mind control. However, being a zen master, I know this builds up good food karma for the next time!

"You are getting sleepy and want to feed the dog...yesss...feed the dog...."

Woof! Wishing all my fur-iends good food karma!

-- Posted by Zen Master Zuko

The Weekend

2010-07-17T17:12:00.000-07:00

Yeah! It is the weekend and both my people are here! Best...ever.

Last weekend mom walked in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. This "walk" (no dogs allowed - whatever) stopped in MY park! There were people everywhere on my potty-spots. It was super weird. I had to check out the quieter areas and of course, I was admired by all.

Checkin' things out at MY park

Then mom came up and she went and put PINK beads on me. Not funny at all, but I still posed for a picture with her 'cause she was doing a good thing, walking 26.2 miles to raise money for breast cancer research and stuff.

Mom wuz pretty tired at this point - 20 miles walked!

This weekend it's been all about me (as it should be). We went to dinner last night up on Fillmore Street and had some yummy cornbread and a little bit of braised beef. My people keep drinking these things called "martinis" and won't share.

This morning the mailman came by early (I like the mailman - mail tastes good when I shred it) and there was a package for me! My Shibal Inu cards came - now I can really tell folks how I feel by sending them a nice card. Woof! Or maybe I'll eat them. No, that would be bad. I'll eat the Chinese food delivery menus that get stuck on our door instead.

Me, in a pensive moment, contemplating what I shall write.

After that excitement, we went shopping for people food and then went to the pet store. They love me there 'cause I'm so awesome and well-behaved. I thought about pee-ing on a certain spot to stamp out the smell of another dog's pee but dad reminded me of my manners. They bought some more Primal nuggets for me, some treats and a new toy.

I'm working hard on killing that sheep toy.

Rumor has it tonight is a "cookout" which means "hamburger for the dog" as far as I can understand.

See - it really IS all about ME!

-- Posted by Prince Zuko

Loose Leash Walking: A Theoretical Approach

2010-07-12T14:20:00.000-07:00

I knowingly violate one of the main tenets of Cesar Millan's theory. I do not have Zuko walk next to me or behind me. Part of this is a conscious decision, part of it is the evolution of a theory.

First off - having Zuko next to me or behind me means I can't always see what he's up to. As many Shiba owners will know, this is VERY important. If he is in front of me, I can always keep my eye on him.

My typical view of Zuko

The second thing is part of the evolution as a first-time Shiba owner. Shiba's are fast and curious little monsters.. errr... I mean dogs. Zuko trots much faster than I can walk. He also is very curious and wants to sniff every single blade of grass in the park. So - the way things go is like this:

I use a flexi-lead.
Zuko trots ahead of me and commences massive sniffing.
As I draw even with him, he darts ahead of me again.
And commences more massive sniffing.
Repeat 2-4 until you are exhausted.

Of course, we live in San Francisco in a busy area with lots of cars, bikes, buses, scooters and you name it. So I also have commands like "walk" and "keep going" for times when the flexi-leash is shortened and his job is to walk with me and not obsessively sniff everything in sight. This includes not sniffing every dog we pass.

I do believe in what I call an active walk. I'm basically ordering Zuko around the whole time. "Stop" and "wait" at every curb. "OK" when I let the flexi run out or when I've decided he is allowed to sniff another dog and "keep going" when I want him to ignore the dog. "Let's go" when he is tired and gets into super-Shiba-obsessive-sniffing-mode and "this way" when he decides to take a path other than the one I want to travel.

Good dog!

How well does it all work? Well... I think right now I'd give Zuko a "B" on his walking. He knows when I say "let's go" he needs to get a move on and about 90% of the time he does - but sometimes he gets a nasty leash pull because he is determined to sniff dog poop for an hour. I don't hesitate - he has a few seconds to respond or I pull the leash and repeat the command. Rarely do I actually have to drag him away. Unless....

(BEGIN RANT)

... There are other dogs. He loves dogs. Loves, loves, loves them. This is great in a Shiba, but also a real pain in the arse when you are trying to get a power walk done so you can make that 8am conference call for work. I am constantly working on this one - in theory, he should only be allowed to sniff another dog only if I allow it. However, when other owners have their dogs off leash in an on-leash park, this just fails. It is a huge frustration because it not only sabotages my training with him but also gives Zuko the opportunity to get growly with dogs. So many of these running-free dogs will come bounding up to Zuko with some fairly dominant body postures - and all Shiba owners know a Shiba just does not stand for that. So what to do?

Zuko will often stare down these dogs before they even get to him (this goes back to the idea that having him in front of me means I can see what he is doing). He's clearly sending signals ahead of the confrontation, so I will step in between him and the other dog to break his line of sight and shorten the flexi-leash. If the dog makes it to us, I keep moving with Zuko, using the "keep going" command and "leave it". If it gets ugly, I usually end up dragging Zuko away and / or getting between him and the other dog. Unfortunately, the other dog's owner rarely shows any effort to restrain, train or command their dog. Half the time I can't even see the damn owner anywhere.

(END RANT)

One training method I hear that is successful for many owners is to treat the dog as you walk - whenever your dog comes back willing, walks next to you, looks at you, etc - give them food. Problem: food aggression in busy parks in San Francisco. We've had a few problems where another dog (who is off-leash, of course) decides to fight Zuko for the treat. For recall, I have no other option but to use food and I do - but then I usually have a pack of dogs following me everywhere until the other owners figure it out and call off their dogs. On the walks, I stick to repetition, repetition, repetition to get Zuko into the right habits.

Finally, we have a fun little game we play on walks. I give the command "wait", shorten the leash, then say "ready". The "ready" command alerts him there are birds nearby. He finds them and as soon as he sees them I give the "OK" command and relax the flexi - and he's off!! I run with him as he chases the birds but to this day he still hasn't caught one. ;-) I really don't know what I would do if he DID catch one!

So - what works for other Shiba owners?

Would you like some cheese with that whine?

2010-07-05T20:52:00.000-07:00

Classify this under "Odd Shiba Behaviors"... I came across another Shiba owner's post who said their dog did the same thing. Regretfully, I can't find it to link to it! (UPDATE: Thank you Anonymous for posting the "Crying Cookie" link!)

Somewhere around five months, Zuko decided it was too much effort to chew treats. Basically, once his adult teeth were in, he'd chew on chew toys, but not treats. If the biscuit or cookie is too big, he'll just carry it around and WHINE. I use to give him chicken jerky treats and he'd devour them. Now he carries them around in his mouth and cries. It is so funny - not sure how / why he decided we would do anything about this (cause we don't) but it doesn't stop him from trying. Now I give him jerky treats as we leave the house. Strange: we return and they have been eaten. ;-)

Will you please break up this squirrel cookie into bit size chunks for me?

Little help here? *crying*

-- Posted by Zuko's mean horrible mom who won't chew his food for him or at least break it into bite size chunks.

Trust Expanded: Ft. Funston

2010-07-03T17:26:00.000-07:00

This morning I starved Zuko. At least, that is what he seemed to think. We BOTH skipped breakfast and went to the Great Ft. Funston. Dog-lovers in San Francisco swear by this place. Dogs can't escape. It goes on forever. Riiiiiiight....

Joined by my friend and her dog, we went this morning. Since Zuko had been denied breakfast, he was very interested in the cheese I had. I dropped his leash and let him run .... and he came back every time.

Consider me impressed. I am so happy I have a cheese-motivated Shiba.

-- Posted by the cheese-provider, Zuko's mom

Trust Earned

2010-07-01T23:13:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned in other blog posts (and Zuko bitterly tweets about it) that I do not trust him off leash. He's a Shiba and not even two years old yet. In San Francisco, we don't have alot of good areas to practice recall in the open - Ft. Funston is considered Dog Heaven but it is just that: many dogs, many distractions. Not a good place to start! We've done some practice at a fenced-in dog park in Corona Heights and he's been pretty solid there, but... well, it has a fence and isn't really very big. At home, I practice nearly every day when I'm working from home. I pick up a treat (usually cheese) while he is sleeping and call him to me. However, I don't fully trust he'll come back if there are better things to be doing.

Last weekend a good friend invited us to her cottage up in the mountains around Napa Valley. Their dog, Millie, got along super with Zuko and Zuko was being a perfect gentleman. The cottage is on a good piece of land but closed in by deer fencing. We put a long leash on Zuko...and then set him free.

He was a very good dog. Mostly. In general he stuck pretty close to the people (who had food) and to Millie. On one occasion he decided to go up the driveway and the gate up that way was open since people were coming in and out during the day. He got a little stubborn but when I showed up with cheese, he responded instantly to a "here" command and came back.

Want proof? :-) I recorded some recall and free-running Zuko video so even I would have proof that it all really happened!

#teamshiba Anipal World Cup Update!

2010-07-01T15:23:00.000-07:00

Hai there everyone! Prince Zuko reporting in on the exciting events of the Anipal World Cup! There has been lots of activity, so let's get right to it...

On June 22nd we took on #teamfox. They were sneaky and tried to "blend in" but we were smarter than that! @_Tar0_ scored a goal early on for #teamshiba and brought the crowd to their feet! Their spazzy fox tricks didn't manage to score them a goal and @hoshishiba brought the fancy footwork and scored another goal for #teamshiba! Final score: 5-3.

Next up: After a rest day, on June 24th we challenged #teamakita. You know, these guys tried to pull out the "cute puppy" factor but we were way ahead of them on that front! Early on @SeattleShibaInu busted out the moves with the "keep-away" strategy. With the score standing at 1-0 for #teamshiba, @iamkaiju brings out the Shiba Mind Control and scores another goal for #teamshiba! #teamakita tries the cute puppy tactic once again, only to blocked by @_tar0_.

Guard dog / goalie @WalkingYuki eventually was so bored with #teamakita's lack of game, that she fell asleep guarding the ball! I really thought #teamakita would represent much better than this, but the game ended with a final score of 3-1! Woof!!!

Monday, June 28th brought the much anticipated match-up between #teamshiba and #teamdingo. Early in the game @SeattleShibaInu makes a move and scores the first goal for #teamshiba! With the score standing at 2-0, a penalty is called when a false dingo enters the field. Alas, the dingos block the penalty shot by a spinning-technique save. Then using superior Shiba Mind Control, @iamkaiju uses time travel and brings snow to the field to cool things down in this hot weather AND scores a goal! 3-0 in favor of #teamshiba.

Due to our awesomeness, @hoshishiba (while recovering from surgery) secured a major sponsor for #teamshiba. Otousan is my hero! Yeah! Finally, #teamshiba finishes off #teamdingo, 4-0. Woof!!

#teamchow walked onto the field to face #teamshiba on Tuesday, June 29th. #teamchow gets the ball and while they may be cute, they showed signs of fear when near the ball. Mastering their fear quickly they score the first goal! When a second goal is scored, #teamshiba rallies with @keido bringing the full force of Shiba awesomeness to the field! Score stands at 1-2, with #teamchow leading! Due to the threat from @keido, #teamchow puts in their best goalie, hoping to stop the Shibas from scoring any more!

Later, during a message from our sponsor, @_tar0_sneaks past #teamchow's goalie and jumps through the goal with the ball! #teamshiba has tied the game, 2-2 .. but @iamkaiju manages to get the ball AND confuse the field with snow - AND HE SCORES! 3-2 in favor of #teamshiba with just seconds left in the game. #teamchow makes one last attempt to score. Blocked by @keido, the buzzer sounds and it is another victory for #teamshiba! I celebrate with some victory zoomies around the field! ZOOOMIES!!

The action hasn't ended: Thursday's match is against #teampoodle. I hear this one will be curly. I mean crazy. Hee-hee-hee.

DON'T FORGET: We have a logo and t-shirts and stuff - and the proceeds go to NYC Shiba Rescue. You can buy a shirt here. Buy stuff and help Shibas!

WANT TO PLAY? Follow the #teamshiba tag on Twitter, post a picture of you being awesome with a ball (of any kind) and score points or block the opposing team! We do take days off, so follow the #teamshiba to know what is going on!

For more details, here is my original blog post.

-- Prince Zuko!

What is all this #teamshiba stuff?

2010-06-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

I don't know how this started: It i recorded in the twitterverse somewhere, but a bunch of Shibas on Twitter have formed the Anipal World Cup team: #teamshiba. We have a logo and t-shirts even - and the proceeds go to NYC Shiba Rescue. You can buy a shirt here.

What has happened so far? We have "played" against our arch-enemies #teambasenji and #teamfox. Both are pretty much imaginary, but I hope tomorrow #teamakita actually represents. We defeated #teambasenji with a score of 3-0. #teamfox represented - but we did not go down without a fight and eventually came out victorious with a score of 5-3. Those cunning foxes tried to blend in with the Shibas but we were on to them!

How do you play? Well - when the game starts, post a picture or video of you (the Shiba) with a ball. This allows #teamshiba to either block or score. It is really up to your imagination what has happened in that photo. It doesn't have to even be a soccer ball! This is Shiba Rulz, you know! And since we all shredded and/or ate the rule book, anything goes.

Good team players also find pictures or video of the opposing team so we have some "real" competition in the game. Of course, due to Shiba Mind Control, we don't ever lose.

When does it happen? Kickoff is usually around 9am PST and the game ends at 5pm PST. Unless there is overtime, but really - Shibas Rule. How could THAT happen?

Who is in the starting line-up? Shibas are so pawesome we don't play a "position", but our active players so far are:

@demondogsports
@_tar0_
@iamkaiju
@LeahShiba
@SeattleShibaInu
@hoshishiba
@WalkingYuki

Can I join in? YES!! Follow the #teamshiba tag on Twitter, post a picture of you being awesome with a ball (of any kind) and score points or block the opposing team! We do take days off, so follow the #teamshiba to know what is going on!

-- PLAY BALL!!!

-- Prince Zuko

Dog-caching in Golden Gate Park

2010-06-20T16:53:00.000-07:00

Doodez... mom is back and we had a busy weekend! They did a "sidewalk sale" yesterday and it wuz boring. See picture of me being bored:

They made it up to me today tho! We went "geocaching" in Golden Gate Park! I prefer to call it dog-caching cuz itz all about ME!

Clearly I am good at it too. I found my first two caches right away. Well, dad had to actually get them for me since I don't have hands.

And - I found the biggest, stinkiest dogs I have ever seen! Mom sayz they are really called "buffalo" but I think they are dogs 'cause they are so big and stinky. I wanted to play with them but mom said the National Park Service would not appreciate that and she was pretty sure I'd roll in their poo and then I'd have to have a bath. So I decided I'd skip that for now.

Now I sleepzzzzzz....

-- Zuko: Dog-cacher extraordinaire

My people

2010-06-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

In case you wuz wondering who my people are, here is a family photo. Notice how they surround me like the royalty I am?

Prince Zuko and his servants...err...family

--- Posted by His Royal Highness, Prince Zuko

(P.S. by Zuko's mom: we are actually restraining him so he doesn't run off and beg the nice people for their food on patio. *Someone* needs their little ego checked me thinks...)

All I want is a coyote (or, my visit to Sutro Baths)

2010-06-11T19:00:00.000-07:00

I had a busy week with my people and our family guests. After our trip to the wineries on Sunday, we went out to the beach on Monday! I love the beach... all that seaweed to pee on. It is so awesome.

Sutro Baths - pretty cool, huh?

Then we went someplace I haz never been - Sutro Baths! There are COYOTES out there. I'm pretty sure I wuz smelling them and I know I could take one if it tried to get me or my human but we didn't see any. Instead, there were lots of flowers. Now, I like flowers, but a coyote would have been more fun.

Smelling the flowers (is that coyote I scent?)

Any coyotes in here? Oh - hai there birdies. Hee-hee.

-- Posted by Prince Zuko. Wille E. Coyote haz got nothin' on me!

Demon Dog in Wine Country ...

2010-06-06T20:26:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! It's me, Zuko. My people took me back up to wine country today and it was pawesome! I found new things to pee on (I was polite and did not pee on the grapes) and give Kendall-Jackson and Sbragia vineyards my approval for being dog-friendly!

I approve - they let me into the tasting room!

And best of all... I got my picture taken with SNOOPY!

My hero - Snoopy!

--- Posted by the other Red Baron: Zuko

Weird people in the park

2010-06-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

Living in San Francisco, it is pretty easy to get use to "weird". In fact, the sheer diversity of weird in SF is amazing! It can be an endless source of amusement and frustration.

As a pup, Zuko had the advantage of being socialized early (and often) with weirdness. Hippies, neo-hippies, homeless people, teenagers who looked homeless but were not, drunk people staggering around, people wearing strange hats, strange costumes or no costume at all (or clothing for that matter). Wheelchairs and scooters, bicycles with ribbons flying on them, people speaking every language under the sun, people speaking in tongues, tourists in shorts when it is 55 degrees...and so on.

In SF, "weird" is our normal. So Zuko tends to roll with the flow with most things, though skateboarders still bug him for some reason. In general though, he will not freak out if someone goes by on a bicycle wearing wings, a tutu and goggles. That is normal weird. What is NOT normal is when their body language doesn't make sense. I have a huge amount of respect for a dog's ability to pick up on "weird" body language - when a person's actions are inconsistent with normal behavior patterns. I've mentioned to my husband that I trust Zuko's sense on these things wholly and completely - if he is suspicious, I am suspicious. If we are walking, we will avoid that person, take another route and be extra alert.

Today was a perfect example of this: we were doing an early morning walk in "Zuko's park" and he was happily pee-ing on everything around and updating his "Zuko wuz here" postings on every tree and shrub. An older lady was shuffling up the hill towards us, sorta trying to jog, but really shuffling. Zuko was on leash and other than noting she was there, neither of us paid her attention. Suddenly, she stops, cringes against the park wall and starts saying "no, no, no, no, no". Ok - another person in SF talking to themselves, nothing new there. We keep going.

Suddenly her cringing body language got Zuko's attention though and he stops about 6 feet from her and stares. She cringes more and starts to SCREAM. Obviously, this is outside the norm, so Zuko goes on alert and barks at her. He's still on leash and I have full control of him and I say to the woman "he's on leash, chill out" and she screams LOUDER. So Zuko and I continue on but he's still on alert and keeps looking back to see if the crazy lady comes after us.

Another example: my husband took Zuko into work one day and a lady came over to his cube area and saw Zuko laying there in the aisle. He was leashed up 'cause the LAST thing you want to do is chase your dog through a cube farm and Zuko would totally love it. This lady suddenly pushed herself to the wall and "creeped" toward Zuko. She said she was joking, but the body language set him off - he started barking at her.

My point in all this? Had the woman just shuffled on, keeping her distance, Zuko would never have noticed her. The other lady displayed "unusual" behavior. Both of them showed body language that drew his attention and the lady in the park - her reactions to his attention confirmed his belief that something was "wrong" with her. Their behavior put him on "alert" which includes giving them a warning bark or two.

I realize some folks have had VERY negative experiences with dogs and I respect that. What is so fascinating to me is how little body awareness we have as humans, and how much dogs are fully aware of body language. Both of these women probably believe their fear of dogs was confirmed by these instances, but in reality, their body behavior brought on Zuko's behavior. I don't subscribe to everything Cesar Millan says about dog training, but his discussions on energy and keeping your body calm are spot on. I try to remember this when Zuko misbehaves and to check what signals I'm sending. And as I mentioned - I trust his instincts on people 100%. If he is suspicious, I am suspicious.

As for the people who pull dramatic dog-fear body language weirdness - whatever. My dog doesn't want to be around them and I don't either.

Good little Guard Dog!

I'm watching you!

-- Posted by Zuko's mom

I graduated!

2010-06-01T13:10:00.000-07:00

From a harness to just a collar on walks. I'm such a good dog that my people decided I could handle it now. They didn't go with a plain collar tho - they got me one of these. Yeah, I know - if I'm a bad dog it will tighten a bit around my neck so I can't wiggle my way out of it. Hee-hee... I did that once when I was a puppy. Dad took me for a walk and I slipped my collar. Boy that was fun! I played with all the dogs in the park and stayed one step ahead of him the whole time. Then I had to go potty and he caught me. :-(

Anyway, I'm all grown up now and not bad like that anymore (hee-hee). Next up: maybe they will let me off leash at the beach??

Here's a picture of me sporting my new collar. I think red looks good on me, don't you?

-- Posted by Prince Zuko (when am I old enough to be King Zuko?)

Shiba Toy: the Water Bottle

2010-05-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

Zuko loves water bottles. What Shiba wouldn't? They crunch, crackle and roll! They are hours of fun! Okay, maybe minutes....

I put a couple of treats in the bottle and drop it on the ground - keeps him busy. It is noisy as hell, but he has fun. :-)

The stare-down

The attack

There is now a whole listing of water bottle toys for dogs. Very funny - Zuko doesn't need the fancy wrapping, he's happy with just the bottle.

-- Prince Zuko's mom

Hide-A-Squirrel: Zuko needs remedial class

2010-05-18T16:52:00.000-07:00

After seeing the fun Betsy and Kit had with the Hide-A-Squirrel, I was eager to get one for Zuko! I finally found them at George, here in SF.

According to the box, I was suppose to let Zuko torment the squirrels first. I guess this helps him get a taste for squirrel stuffing and make him eager to dig them out of the tree stump. So - OK. Step one worked well:

Step two: hide squirrels in tree trunk. I also buried a treat in the bottom so it would smell delicious to Zuko. As you can see below, he is going to have to attend remedial Squirrel Hunting class.

-- Posted by Zuko's still amused mom

Zuko's (Odd) Shiba Behaviors: the Southpaw

2010-05-16T15:34:00.000-07:00

Zuko is a southpaw. I don't know if most pets show a particular "handedness" but he showed a clear preference for hiking up the back left leg by the time he was five months old. At four months he was trying both legs (and losing his balance alot - it was pretty funny) but by five months he was solid on the left leg being the preferred one. Even our dog-walker noted that he was a lefty.

This makes walking him interesting, if the bushes are on the right side of us. He'll cut over, approach the bush, sniff and then he has to orientate his body properly so he can lift the left leg. He will not life the right one. It is actually pretty funny sometimes as he struggles to get in the right position!

-- Posted by Zuko's amused mom

Why the beach is pawesome!

2010-05-11T16:12:00.000-07:00

Look at me at the beach!

I love the beach - best..ever. Why you ask? Even tho my people won't let me off leash (something about "never coming back") the beach is super. I like to pee on seaweed, sand castles and driftwood. I also like to poop in the water line and see if I can get done before the wave hits me. My people mom says the Greenpeace people and surfers give her dirty looks for this and now she tries to stop it ... but sometimes I iz faster than her AND the waves! Woof! I also like to dig in the sand looking for tasty crabs or just for the fun of it. I then stick my nose in the hole and flip out the water and sand. Mom is mystified by this, I iz not telling her what the secret is!

The best part of the beach is running in the sand. Wheeeee!

-- Posted by Prince Zuko, Beach Bum

Essentials: Shiba Health and Wellness

2010-05-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

Medical:

Experience has made me believe Shibas mature fast. Zuko had great bladder control early, had all his adult teeth by five months and was hiking a leg to pee at about four and a half months. We had him neutered at five months and both of his boys where there and fully dropped. Teething wasn't too bad for us. He loves bully sticks but scorned Nylabones. He also liked ropes and Kongs for chewing. Plastic water bottles are a favorite since they move and crunch and are noisy. Only once did he damage anything when he was a puppy - I had not put a big enough selection of chewies in his ex-pen and we came home to find he'd chewed the wood trim by the wall. Now he's just over 18 months old and he has the calm confidence of an older dog and was full size since last summer - people are always surprised how young he is when they ask his age. The only major physical change over the past 6 months has been the fading of the black on his muzzle and he seems to look more "wolfy" and less "teddy bear".

Cute and he knows it - at only 5 weeks!

Our biggest medical challenge was diarrhea. Cheese doesn't agree with him and he picked up giardia in daycare and this year with the rain and mud he has diarrhea again. As he has got older, the cheese doesn't trigger problems anymore, but he only gets it in small doses when we are doing training exercises. We do feed him people food - I know some people will condemn us for this, but he gets small bits of carrots, apples and bananas, almonds and dried cranberries, fish, eggs and meat that doesn't have any sauce on it. On special days he might get a few pieces of mac and cheese if I'm in the mood to share. While he steals the occasional corn tortilla chip, we avoid corn and wheat in general in his food and treats. As a puppy, these ingredients seemed to contribute to his tummy problems and itchy skin and it is pretty easy to avoid them. By avoiding them most of the time, when he does stumble onto something with corn or wheat in it, he does just fine.

The only other medical challenge we have had are allergies. Besides the suspected food allergies (wheat and corn) he definitely has seasonal allergies. He had goopy eyes and was very sneezy his first winter with us. Then, late last summer, at about 9 months old, he scratched his muzzle so hard he had a bald spot. He was frequently chewing his legs and feet and scratching at his neck. We took him into our vet (who is awesome) and he said that time of year in SF was trouble for many, many dogs. This winter and spring, as the rains have fallen and things are blooming again, we've noticed he started getting sneezy and itchy starting around the February timeframe. We clean off his feet and legs when needed and if he's really struggling we slip him some Benedryl before bed. Overall though, it seems much better this year than it was last winter and the Benedryl is rarely needed. The goopy eyes are a thing of the past and he hasn't scratched enough to rub off his fur. So not sure if he is just acclimating to the San Francisco allergen system or "growing out" of his allergies like human children do sometimes.

About Benedryl: my aunt is a vet-tech and he suggested about 1/2 an adult Benedryl per 15 pounds of dog or 1mg per pound of doggy body weight. Since Zuko is about 27-28 pounds, she said he would be fine with a full pill, but suggested we test a half dose first and go up if needed. He's fine on a full pill, but does get sleepy. The antihistamine effects seem to carry over to the next day a bit also so we only use it at night. We use this very, very rarely but we have it as part of our doggie medical kit. We also buy the dye-free pills: why add one more element (hot pink dye) into an allergy situation?

He picked up some type of doggie flu/cold this spring: it could have been kennel cough though he's vaccinated. It only lasted a week and wasn't too severe.

Otherwise, he's a darn healthy dog. At 27 pounds he's not fat (at 28 pounds he's starting to push his limits) and he is solid and a bit bigger than the average size for a Shiba. His coat is good, his teeth are good and his energy is good (too good sometimes!). With the allergies more manageable this year, he's in full Shiba excellent form!

--- Posted by Zuko's parents, M.D.

Zuko's (Odd) Shiba Behaviors

2010-05-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

Zuko is a typical Shiba in many ways and has a nickname of "Demon Dog". Shiba Shake gives a very fun article on the Good / Bad personality traits of Shibas. Zuko is exempt from only a few of these, for most it is matter of to what degree the trait manifests itself! I have only heard the Shiba Scream three times: twice while bathing him (he now goes to the groomer for that) and once when he was attacked by a dog at the park.

Pretending to be a cat.

Here is the "short" list of some of his amusing and odd behaviors:

Somewhere along the way, he must have been pinched by the buckle on his harness and he started running from it. He got over the fear and now it is a game to him. The harness comes out and he takes off into the back room bouncing along the way. He goes into play-bow stance, tail wagging. Dork.
He does not like to be seen when he poops. He will strain to the end of his flexi-leash and pace back and forth, back and forth, before he finally goes. If we go to the fenced-in dog park, he will run to the complete other end, go behind the bushes, and then finally go. Not sure if this is a Shiba thing or a dog thing, but I've seen a couple of other Shiba owners mention it.
He likes to squeeze between our legs and the kitchen or bathroom cabinets whenever we are standing at the counter.
He knows the sound of me cutting carrots and will come running for them.

He likes to shred sponges. Woe to the dish sponge or cleaning sponge left lying around. So far he has suffered no ill effects, but this one is a bit scary.

He loves to shred paper, napkins and tissues as much as he likes to shred sponges. I never thought "the dog ate my homework" was real, but he actually did shred my notes from a work call one day and I had to 'fess up to my co-workers that the dog ate my work notes.

He was car sick as a puppy and still hates cars. He has reached the point where he can sleep in the car and will sometimes jump into the car voluntarily - but it is rare. Unlike other dogs, I don't think he's ever going to like the car. Shibas remind me of cats in this manner: they never, ever forget things. Ever.

He loves ice chips. But only the ones that fall on the floor.

He will steal your spot in bed at night. If you get up, even for a few seconds, it is as if he teleports instantly into your spot on the bed, snuggled up against your pillow. When you try to move him, he suddenly weighs 400 lbs and has grown roots into that spot.

His favorite thing to pee on is geraniums. There seems to be a species that grows wild here and is sort of a weed: we see it in the parks and along the streets. This is absolutely his favorite thing to pee on. They must have some smell to them that screams "pee on me Shiba!!".

On top of the world!

-- Posted by Zuko's very amused owner

Dog Aggression or Aggressive Playing?

2010-05-01T11:51:00.000-07:00

So, we had a "thing" happen at the off-leash dog-park today. I took Zuko to work on recall - and that wasn't the problem. In fact, he was like a little red rocket flying toward my hand holding the turkey pepperoni. Good Dog! He was being pretty mellow and interacting with the other dogs well.

Then a big puppy showed up with his older, not very mobile, owner. The puppy was immediately in submissive postures with the other dogs. On the ground, tail tucked - super, super submissive. Hmm. The owner threw out a stuffy toy and Zuko and another dog got it instead and began the tug-o-war. Zuko was LOUD. Very snarly, very growly. If I didn't know otherwise, I would think some dog was getting his ass handed to him. The other dog seemed fine, but I think I was getting some odd looks from the other owners. The stuffy toy came apart in about 30 seconds, and it was over.

Then the submissive puppy got into the mix and Zuko snarled her down. Meaning she was in his face a bit and he snarled and teeth came out and she dropped to her belly and gave a yelp. I was watching closely - Zuko's teeth didn't land on her, but my sense was he wasn't a fan of her attention at that time. I've seen grown up dogs put puppies in their places, but I don't know if that was what I was seeing or not.

Zuko goes to daycare 2-3 days a week and they have never had issues with him there. So - what gives? Am I over-reacting?

-- Posted by Zuko's paranoid people mom

Curly-tail, pointed-ears: Dog body language

2010-04-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

A few months after we brought Zuko home, I was talking with a fellow Shiba owner in the park. We were talking about dog body language and how some dogs seem to spot a Shiba from across the park and instantly hate him or her. Why?

This owner had a theory that dogs with pointed ears and curly tails are sending out on some body language signals that other dogs don't appreciate. I found this great article on dog body language. I thought it was interesting that it showed a pointy-eared dog, so I searched for another one and found this page with some cool diagrams.

Here are my observations though: I have never seen Zuko tuck his tail. Ever. At best, it uncurls a little, but that is in a relaxed state. If he is really in trouble with me and I am projecting "bad dog" energy and using a deep voice, his tail will uncurl a little bit also. When he was attacked by another dog, his tail wasn't tucked after his butt was handed to him by the bigger dog. He was trembling, giving out the Shiba scream, but the tail was not tucked.

He doesn't wag his tail. Other Shiba owners have referenced this again and again about Shibas and Spitz breeds: the tail doesn't wag and the bottom doesn't wiggle. He only moves his tail for cats and toys and when he goes into a his "play crouch" - front end down, butt in the air. His tail stretches out when he runs - I mean, even a tightly curled tail is effected by the g-forces of a Shiba running! And every now and then I get a slight wag of the tail from him and I get all excited. "Yeah! My puppy loves me!" Of course, it was probably just him passing gas or something but I am going to take it as a tail wag darnnit!

His ears are almost always alert and forward. He's a hunter and curious as heck about the world around him - but, according to typical dog body language, he may be sending the "I'm dominate" message. Or at least not a submissive message. The first article did confirm what I've seen: what they describe for the ear position in the aggression stance is what I've seen him do when another dog runs up to him and is clearly not being friendly. The "guarding stance" - I saw that twice today when people came to the door. I have also never seen the white of his eyes, except on occasion when he's glancing sideways at me to see if I'm watching him.

So - do Shibas (and other Spitz breeds) send off body language signals that they are naturally dominant? Can they not express submission? Just wondering. I'd love to hear other insights.

Oh yeah, "top tuff dog" alright...

--- Posted by Zuko's translator

I iz Pillow Killing Ninja Dog

2010-04-23T15:05:00.000-07:00

Pillows are dangerous enemies to dogs. You haz to be careful or they will sneak up on you and attack! I prefer the preemptive strike.

-- Posted by Prince Zuko: Pillow Killing Ninja Dog

After a hard day at daycare...

2010-04-22T20:58:00.001-07:00

I iz tiredz:

-- Posted by Zzzzzzzzzuko

I like this

2010-04-18T17:52:00.000-07:00

Of course, this is why mom says I'm not an "off-leash kind of dog" unless the fence is very, very high. And without holes of any kind. What-ever. I'd probably come back for food, sooner or later.

-- Posted by Prince Zuko who has springs in his hind legs

Socialization: Dogs & other Animals

2010-04-09T09:57:00.000-07:00

Other Dogs:

After his shots at 16 weeks we immediately went to puppy socials. He was so shy at first! It was amazing to see this little ball of energy suddenly become a wallflower. He figured it out fast though and after about 20 minutes was exhausted. San Francisco is such a huge dog town that we had some other great resources available - we enrolled him in SF Puppy Prep for daycare and for training class. The daycare was a dogsend. They would come over, pick him up, take him to daycare and work on socializing and basic training for a couple of hours then bring him home. I credit this early socializing with his being such a dog-friendly Shiba.

SF Puppy Prep takes puppies up to six months of age. So once Zuko was neutered and turned 6 months, he had to graduate. Our dog-walker suggested Woofgangs, down in San Bruno. My husband works in San Bruno and I often drive down to San Jose - so the daycare is right along the way for me. Woofgangs was another dogsend! Half days of cage-free doggie fun time. They run around like the little beasts that they are and have tunnels and cubes to get on. There is a huge outdoor area and if the rain is bad, a huge indoor area for running in giant circles. Four or five hours there and he is a dead dog after. They call him the party animal and when I was first taking him in, they said one day "he's on his third dog today". Huh? He had worn out the first two dogs. LOL! How awesome is that? They've seen some not-so-well-socialized Shibas there and all dogs must go through an interview process. Zuko passed with flying colors and they said he was the best socialized Shiba they have ever met. Yes!

Due to the "no off-leash with a Shiba Inu" theory, we don't let him off-leash in most dog parks here in the city - they don't have fences and usually there is a bus line or heavy traffic just a sidewalk away. I do not want a pancake dog! However, there is one nice fenced in dogpark that is about a 20 minute walk from us. Zuko has always been terrific at this dog park BUT: most of the dogs here are with pack walkers or professional dog walkers so they are well behaved. Our challenge with dog parks are the dog owners who go there to socialize with humans - not have fun with their dog. So, their dog is off getting into trouble and the owners are a good block away chatting up someone.

The other issue is Zuko himself and the Shiba nature: they play HARD. It is all snarling and teeth and apparent "death to you" but he has never hurt a dog in play. It freaks me out when a giant snarl comes out of my little dog and I see teeth everywhere, but I've learned to let it go. I've also learned to watch his ears for signs of when he is actually pissed and when he's just playing. The other owners: not so much - they can often freak out. So, I tend to not let him play with dogs unless we've met the dog and the owner before, or at dog parks where I know the pack walkers are hanging. I also check in with the folks at Woofgangs now and then to see if he's ever had trouble with other dogs there and they say he's great there.

Our challenge now is he wants to play with every dog he sees, all the time. We are working on training him on when he can play and when he can not - more on that in another blog down the road.

A small note on other animals. Since Shibas have a strong hunting drive, the general belief is they cannot be trusted. However, Zuko grew up with two cats when he was a young puppy and he loves cats still. They do not love him. I did not socialize him with gerbils, hamsters or any such thing and I'm sure he would chase them and try to eat them.

-- Post by Zuko's staff