Doggie Weekend and Dog-park Success!

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

About Dog Parks

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

Run Zuko! Run!

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 

Shibasquatch: I Believe

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"

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!

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

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

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?

@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

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:

1. Zuko is rude. 
2. 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

The Good Life

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

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

Handouts for Shiba owners

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

Itchy-itchy, Scratchy-scratchy

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

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

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

Would you like some cheese with that whine?

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

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

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!

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?

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