Harbor Hounds 2011

Grym and some Shiba friends went for a somewhat drizzly walk along the Gig Harbor waterfront this weekend. It cleared up enough to allow us to enjoy a great lunch at the Red Rooster cafe on their patio over the water. The owner, now affectionatly known as "the Bacon Man" to the canines, brought them all a piece of awesome bacon in celebration of dogs.

"Where's the Bacon Man?"

"Comrade, I would like some beer!"



"Is there bacon over here?"

"Phooey, no more bacon makes me a sad panda"

Signs

It's good to know this stuff

Q and A About Drive in Shibas

First, I ordered this sick Agitation Collar with felt lining and handle for Grym. He is at the right height for me so I can collar walk him without having to bend over, but his current Lupine martingale gets buried in his coat and is near impossible to grab in case of emergency. COs also tend to carry their heads really low, so collar grabs are difficult, and I usually end up holding on to his tail instead. This new collar has a grab handle, so will be perfect for when he needs to leave the house, or if guests come over. It is wide enough and padded so it won't hurt him by pulling either.

Agitation collars are used mainly for sport work such as in Schutzhund. The dogs will throw a lot of weight in to the gear during the tests, so they need to be supremely durable. I don't do any of that with Grym, but I liked the functional design of the collar and I think it will prove useful. He is after all, well over 100lbs. He gets to wear it next time he goes herding.

Grym goes herding part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eLvrAMhCjo
Grym goes herding part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnparnuxNlw

Question time: Shibamistress asks, "Can you tell us the difference in behavior between a "sharp" or "drivey" Shiba and a more laid back one? How would that play out in every day life? How could you tell if a puppy was likely to be sharp?"

Well, I'm no expert on drive, or with dogs, but I will give it a shot. There are different drives in dogs, basically some internal factor (instinct) that motivates an individual dog to do something that is rewarding to the dog. These things are inherited, but not always obvious. If a dog has a strong response to a certain instinct, then it can be said that the dog has a strong drive for that instinct. Most often discussed are prey, play, food and defense drive, but there are others such as sex drive, and social drive.

The instincts are all there, in varying amounts, and training can do a lot to nurture them. I'm definitely not saying a Shiba will ever become a world class pointer, or personal protection dog, or take to dock diving with a little training, but training will help to bring to full potential whatever the dog already has.

I think "drive" and "sharpness" can still be pretty subjective terms, and sharpness of temperament does not necessarily correlate with drive or describe it well. I consider a sharp dog, as one who tends to be a bit quarrelsome, alert, keen, edgy and can be more "aggressive". Here is an explanation of sharpness, although there is some dominance nonsense at the end. The definition in that PDF for sharpness is fairly accurate for Beebe.

I don't think a dog with a slightly sharper temperament is a bad thing however. The dog that appears more lively and alert with a slightly higher degree of reactivity may be beneficial in a dog that is expected to hunt dangerous animals or alert to danger, so I actually do tend to favor a slightly sharper Shiba, as is described in our breed standard, "alert and agile with keen senses, he is also an excellent watchdog and companion." However, this type of Shiba may require more management and may not do as well in larger groups of dogs. A very sharp dog sounds quite difficult to manage, IMO.

So, what I look for in puppies that I know I will be wanting to do performance or competition with, is play and prey drive, with a little sharpness. I want to see a puppy that is bold, engaging and biddable (social), but not effusive, who is alert and keen and motivated internally to want to interact with people. These types of puppies like to play games such as chase the human, and tug, and they are not shy. I am thrilled when they do retrieves and come to find me to show off and try and get me to play some more. It also makes me grin when I watch one of these kinds of puppies see or hear something spooky and march right up to it like a little show dog and give a pip squeak bark, then toddle off to play. I mean, how cute is that?

The laid back puppies are more chill and pretty darn sweet. They would likely be the best and easiest temperaments to live with as long as they are not too shy or fearful, and those puppies would be suitable for most people. They should be pretty agreeable, sweet, attentive and gentle. There may be some really good play or prey drive there also. In general, this type of puppy would be fairly non reactive and steady, and would probably be easier to run with other dogs in a group.

Sunset on the Farm

There's a lovely little dog park next to Ewetopia out in Roy, Washington. The dogs had fun exploring it after a hard day of learning to herd sheep (more on that later), just as the sun was starting to set with the sounds of sheep, barn swallows and working dogs in our ears. It's the profound, yet peaceful moments like these, that help me appreciate the complex relationship humans and dogs share, side by side, doing what they have done for thousands of years. What a remarkable thing.

Herding Instinct Test

Taking the dogs (5 Shibas and the Caucasian Ovcharka) for their first ever Herding evaluation at Ewetopia

The owners feel it is safer for the Shibas to work with sheep instead of ducks. I'm relieved since I wasn't looking forward to "you break it you buy it" duck for supper. Wish us luck!

Interview For Japanese TV

Today the Shiba Inus and their people were the stars of a pilot episode featuring Japanese things in America for a new Japanese television series out of Osaka, Japan. We spent over 2 hours shooting in several locations. Now Ike, Beebe, Farrah, Grym, Penny, Pip, Eli, Maluko and Koji, with their people Sandra, Pam and myself, are super awesome Japanese TV stars! 

They basically asked us why we chose Shiba Inus (clean, small, quiet-ish, primitive, not in your face) and how we think they represent Japanese culture (they are a National Treasure, number 1 companion pet in Japan, reserved, naturally beautiful, artless grace, discussed Kan-i, Ryosei, and Soboku and learned how to pronounce them correctly!). They asked what their names were and why we chose American names over Japanese names (the dogs were born in America afterall).

The director was also interested in where we got our dogs (insert multiple shameless plugs here), if strangers approach us looking at our dogs and what do they say (are those foxes?), and if they are becoming more popular in America (mentioned puppy mills and pet stores!!!!). For some reason, they were particularly interested in our Shiba Inu bumperstickers and wanted to know what they ment and if people commented on them.

In turn, I learned about some very interesting cultural differences via their American liason. He indicated that his apartment was considered spacious by his Japanese friends, and it was basically the size of my kitchen. Holy cow, that's why they all nodded their heads in approval when I stated the Shiba Inus small size makes them a popular pet in Japan, and I believe it if their living quarters are that small. No wonder so many Japanese train their dogs to go on pee pads indoors in their crates.

Lastly, they were duely impressed by (frightened of) the Caucasian Ovcharka, but he was not so fond of them. I was suprised that several of the Japanese film crew asked if he was an Akita. Fail. They must not see too many Akita up close. Sadly, we were too busy to get many pictures of ourselves, however, we will be getting a DVD copy of the shoot to share with everyone, hooray!

Rawr!

I luvs you Koji

Koji, I win

Eli

Ike

Ike

Agility Fun with Eli

Ike, Farrah, Koji

Eli and Pam get interviewed at the park. Thanks to the asshat
who drove by us during MY interview yelling "Ha, I ruined
your interview!" I apologized on behalf of the American
people for this guys rudeness.

The CGC is not a Title

Great post by "Dog Show Newbie" on titles. AKC is coming up with all kinds of programs to keep the general public interested in spending money. A CGC is hard enough to earn with a Shiba or a CO, and it's expensive. I have paid over a $100 per dog on 6-8 week classes (for 4 dogs so far), including all the outside proofing and socializing, nursing home visits, trips to the hard ware store and other dog friendly events, etc. After all that work, make it a title already! The CGC certificate does not certify temperament I realize, but it does indicate to me that the owner is willing to put the time into socializing a dog, is willing to learn about responsible dog ownership, and is helping the dog to be well behaved in public. Can't say that about a Grand Championship title. Well, I consider it an achievement if AKC does not, especially for these 2 breeds, so I am declaring it on their individual pages even though I realize it is not an official title.

Canine Blood Donation

I love animals, and I am definitely a dog person. I also do something that I *think* many dog parents do, if they are in any way similar to human parents, and that is think of the worst. I think about what would happen to my dogs if they were suddenly injured, and what I would do if they were suffering or not getting what they needed, mostly the normal "what if" scenarios that cause me to hug them tighter and really go the extra mile for them.

Enter canine blood donation. It turns out canine blood donors are in high demand as our Veterinary technology reaches new peaks of increasingly complex critical care. Summer is the time of year with the greatest rate of canine death primarily due to trauma from car related injury, followed by dog on dog maulings. After that in no particular order is surgical blood loss, immune related anemias, cancers and cancer treatment, poisonings, and so on. Canine blood donation and blood components are critical in saving dogs that suffer from these things.

It turns out Grym is the perfect canine blood donor candidate for the Access Blood Bank canine donor program. He is over 50 lbs, he is calm, he is compliant, he will quietly lay still if I ask, he is not aggressive, and most importantly, he is the canine equivalent of a universal donor (it's a very rare blood type that, as in humans, can be given to any dog). On Thursday, he went in for his first donation. He got onto their donation table all on his own, and got a ton of liver treats.

"Grandma" went with us to help keep him happy. He is very hairy, so the Licensed Vet Tech needed to shave him.

Blood donation requires a jugular stick, and works via gravity. The needle is large, but he didn't mind. This is his giant hairy neck, and the little red line is his donated blood.

Grym donated about 450 mls of canine blood. This will save the lives of about 3-4 dogs, and will make at least 3-4 families very, very happy.

He got his "I donated blood today" bandanna, scored a bunch of liver treats, and picked out a brand new Kong Wubba, which the Shibas promptly stole from him. He also got a cheeseburger and more liver for supper.

The staff stated he was a perfect donor and an excellent breed ambassador. They had never met a Caucasian Ovcharka, and seemed genuinely pleased to include him in their program. I am so proud of him.

Wrestling Doggies

Firstly, Farrah really likes her new Puppy Pull toy. She has a good deal of play/prey/toy drive, which is why I was so happy to have a puppy from her breeding. I want to encourage her tug affinity for training reasons, so this was a good purchase for her. I consider this one of those "environmental enrichment" activities that helps to create happy dogs. She doesn't seem to want to play with it unless she has an audience (she's a total ham), so I will spice it up a bit with some of the leftover calf hide.

Last video, is Grym and Ike wrestling. There are 2 points where Ike doesn't appreciate Grym's rough-housing style, and you can hear him "discipline" Grym briefly by the change in his snark tone. Grym, good boy that he is, instantly backs off, giving some nice appeasing behaviors, and the play resumes. You can also see Ike wagging his tail with enjoyment and handicapping himself. He is really inviting the play, which is cute, considering he is definately the head cheese among the dogs and my little Silver Back, the gentle patriarch.

Shiba Playdate

Recap of the play date last weekend with friend Pam, and her Penny and Eli. After a good romp, we all went to the Puyallup Farmer's Market for a nice walk. I scored some apples for 10c a pound, which went to the chickens and bunnies. Fun times for all.

Ike: Please can I go inside, I just want to eat look at them.

Penny and Eli

Eli checks out the chickens and junk pile

I dropped an egg accidently on purpose

Blurry Grym tail, but check out the look on Ike's face as he
guards his prize egg

Poofy puppy buns!

Finally a group photo. Woot!

Special Announcement, Grym has a Brag

Grym Esquire, Caucasian Ovcharka, has become the third dog in my home to officially earn his CGC, or Canine Good Citizen. Grym is 11.5 months old, so this has been a great early birthday present. He is a confident, well socialized, well rounded dog that I can take anywhere, and he was pretty much this way from the get go thanks to the hard work of his breeders. They chose a very chill, confident male for me, who has turned out to be a great match for the lifestyle here.

Grym being an excellent boy at the CGC test

Grym standing pretty for the camera

So, why am I so excited about him passing this test? There are a lot of stupid people out there who love to just walk up to a strange dog (especially fluffy dogs who look like bears) and make it accept their unwanted hugs and pets. There is a lot of bias towards large dogs who look tough, who are certain breeds, and no matter what stupid, invasive or cruel thing a total stranger does, the dog is expected to tolerate it or be punished. Grym is my "can take anywhere" dog. I mean, he's really, really good and reliable in public. I don't want him to be punished for doing what he was bred to do (protecting his family). So, just in case, here's proof that he is well behaved and can follow basic obedience commands.

Flyball News and Pack Updates

Exciting news from the pack: Beebe and Farrah made the long journey north to Canada in our brand new SUV to participate in the Seattle Flydogs flyball tournament in Cloverdale, BC. Beebe was a champ. I can not complain in any way about her performance. She averaged just under 7 seconds for each run, and ran about 30 races thru the day which is a lot of hard sprinting for a small dog. It is a team sport, so although her individual performance was outstanding (only 2 incompletes), the team was not awarded as many points as there were new dogs running and with that went quite a few overall no-scores. As a team, we aim to always get a time, but some newer dogs like to skip jumps or interfere. Oh well, better luck next time :)

Not exactly speed racer, but I am going to take the tortoise and hare approach here. She is accurate and reliable, so the speed will come later. We get no points for incomplete runs or fouls, so I would rather have a slower time than no time. She is 9th in breed rankings for points, and is in third place for points in active dogs (not retired or inactive). She seems to really enjoy it, and was thrilled to work for a brand new pen light. She got a long rub down and massage when we got home, and ate like a champ too.

Farrah had a blast. I bought a new fur tug and she went to town with it while ringside. She was not bothered by the crowd or noise at all, loved all the attention and new dogs, and did some dead ball retrieves for the tug. I have really high hopes for her in this sport, and she is a real speed demon, much faster than Beebe so I hope she turns out.

The boys stayed home with Grandma while the girls were away. They are all much quieter and comradely when the girls are out.

Grym is SOOO good with our new fellow, and they are the same goofy age which is entertaining to watch. The new lad has become Grym's personal cleaner fish and just loves to wash his face for him.

They all get along really well. It makes management much easier, so I am grateful to their respective breeders for sending me some nice temperaments and great dogs in general to work with.

Brushwood Dogs

"We are hunting wabbits."

Hmmm, why is it that Shiba Inu are sometimes called the Little Brushwood Dog? 

Thankfully, everyone has nice white plumage so mom can see them better when they explore, even Grym the honorary Shiba.

I have been clearing debris like a mad woman with the intent to keep them safe from being poked by sharp sticks, or eaten by lurking raccoons. Instead, all of the country critters and their extended families have decided to move in to the giant brush pile that has resulted from the clearing.

She's in there, somewhere.

And the dogs just think that's swell.

Ike's bleached bottom



Ike is hunting

As long as I don't catch any giant talking rats named Nicodemus stealing my electricity, I think a wood chipper rental can wait until sometime this summer. To conclude, a shot of Grym, wisely enjoying the groomed portion of the property.