Here's how awesome & funny life is

   This morning I reminded myself that in order for Zoey to get adopted, she really needs to get more comfortable in the outside world and with walking on leash. So I walked all three dogs for about an hour this morning, up to Strang Park. It was hot, so we took our time. Zoey pulled and resisted a little at first, tail between her legs with nervousness. But as we walked, she steadily improved.

   We stopped to rest at the park, and I sat on the bench and gave the dogs attention as they laid and rolled in the grass. We were in no hurry, and were under a huge, shady tree in the center of the park. This gave us a 360 view of all the other walkers, joggers, kids, and dogs, though our sitting area was quiet. And Zoey's fear shifted into curiosity, then contentment. She settled in and laid down with my dogs, eyes blinking gently and no longer vigilant to the other activity in the park On the way home, her tail went back up, and she walked much more confidently. I felt like a million bucks, and thought to myself, "She has come a LONG way since May 19... She's about ready to be adopted!" It felt like a huge win. I am quite proud of how well my dogs have instructed her... and they do deserve most of the credit!

*** FLASH FORWARD TO THIS EVENING ***

   I attended a dinner tonight for our local Japan-America Society. It was at Sama Zama (the new One Bite), and I talked Kelly into joining since neither of us had been there yet. We arrived about 15 minutes late due to a soccer game Kelly was watching. No big deal.

   But if we hadn't arrived late, we may have been sitting at one of the big tables rather than the "kids' table" (a 4-seater off to the side). This ended up to be significant. Patty introduced us to our dinner company, Mindy and Eric. I'd heard of Mindy for years, as she teaches Japanese in the Olathe district, and have been at some of the same language competitions in the past, but had never met her. She and Eric are both awesome & we had a blast talking with them.

   At one point I mentioned my dogs (they're Japanese, after all), including Zoey, my foster pup. And they mentioned that fellow Japanese teacher Dianne was looking for a dog, as she & her husband lost their 18 year old mixed breed last fall. Mindy was telling us that she & Dianne just returned from Japan two weeks ago, and saw Shibas all over, and they had both fallen in love with them. I showed her a photo of Zoey and she said, "She looks just like Dianne's old dog!" I gave her my card with my information on it, but wasn't expecting anything.

   BUT apparently as we were all on our way home, Mindy texted Dianne to tell her about Zoey, because Dianne called me before I had even pulled in to my driveway, to see how soon they could meet her! And... Long story short, Dianne and her husband Jerry just left my house. They loved Zoey, and showed me some photos of their old boy, Boomer, and he looks a LOT like Zoey. (Larger, but with the same pointy ears and curved tail, and SAME coloration!)

   They are experienced with dogs and enjoy daily training. Sounds like Boomer had a very active/smart personality & they loved the challenge of keeping him engaged. We still have to go through the application process, but I think they'd be a FANTASTIC home for Zoey and they sound like they want her.

   I'm going over there to do the home evaluation tomorrow night, and they're going to try to get the application done before then! Unbelievable. So, so excited and hopeful that this is the perfect home that little Zoey has been waiting over two years for. That would be sweeter than tonight's かき氷 (Japanese snow cone)!

Kitsune!!!

   I finally posted a few photos (and a video!) from Mary Jane & Kit's visit to our house. A good time was had by all...

Meet Kit

   My friend & fellow MSIR volunteer (Midwest Shiba Inu Rescue) Mary Jane came over this afternoon to show off her new puppy. Kitsune ("Kit", for short) came into rescue and is what's affectionately known as a "failed foster"... MJ couldn't let him go! She got a real gem: he is friendly and confident, but not dominant, and plays very well with others, as these images can attest. My mom and I, and my dogs, had a blast getting to see him!

Back it up, there, Kit... beep beep beep

That's better, but hold still, willya?!

Stalking Aki

The chase is on!

Aki's in the lead...

Kit is catching up...

And meanwhile, Mr. Tay puts the moves on MJ...

Kit: Let's PLAY!!!
Aki: Sorry, kid. We're pooped!
Taylor: Zzzzzzzzz

Westminster 2012

   I'm catching up on Westminster from earlier this week, and just got a glimpse of the Shiba. Tell me this isn't among the most handsome and charming breeds. They are active, impish, and delightful, along with being smart and full of style. Yet, one has never won Westminster. And frequently on televised dog shows, the Shiba (among others) is edited for time and never seen. No one would dream of cutting the Beagle, the Bichon, the Labrador, or the Poodle. (As if there would be rioting in the streets!)
   Unfortunately, networks pander to what is most popular, creating a self-fulfilling prophesy for the unusual breeds. It's a big deal when something "odd" wins, like 2011's Scottish Deerhound.  It's a shame that dog shows don't take the opportunity to provide education to would-be dog lovers. I bet most people have no idea that there are hundreds of breeds. (And yes, some of them nicer than a Labrador, sorry to tell you.)

   Here's the best of breed judging from this year's competition. 8 reds and 1 black and tan, no sesame (Aki's color).
   There are advantages to being a breed that few are aware of—they are less likely to be exploited by puppy mills. So given that our local rescue group is always good & busy as it is, with dogs being surrendered to them constantly, I should count my blessings. (There are currently TWO DOZEN in rescue in this region!)
   Despite that, I was delighted when they aired this new Purina Pro Plan commercial, with a Shiba puppy right near the beginning!

And Another Thing...

   ....that makes me insanely happy: when the people who have adopted my foster dogs give me updates! I really look forward to fostering again someday, once the craziness of my own life has subsided.
   Here is Raven, my most recent foster, and the Montgomery's. I ran into them at Shawnee Mission Park weeks ago, and was so thrilled to see how happy they were. I bet this photo made their Christmas card:

 LOVE this pic of Marissa & Raven!!!

   And here are Swifty and Scooter (Scooter is the lil' black and tan puppy I fostered this spring). David works at Hallmark, and I last saw him & his girls at Hallmark. Since Taylor was with me, it was a black & tan doppelgänger reunion! Clearly David loves Scooter as much as I did, and her sister Swifty does too!

   Renee and her family adopted Rosie & Boo from The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City and they have been our hiking and camping buddies. Proof that perfect dogs can come from anywhere... all they need is the right family to love them.

Wild Saturday with Joni

   Today I woke up early & headed over to the east side of the city, to do an evaluation on a Shiba who is going to be surrendered to MSIR, so we can find a new home for him. Kenobi's owner made him sound like quite a handful, but he was exactly how I hoped he'd be: sweet and friendly (what a relief!). My dogs joined me, so that I could see how he behaved with strange dogs, and it was interesting: Kenobi almost completely ignored them, and even Aki, who puts *everyone* in their place when she first meets them didn't mind him, because he didn't challenge her alpha status.

   On the way home from the eval, I decided I'd reward my guys for a job well done, so we visited Stoll Dog Park for a while to get some exercise. It was around 80 degrees... SO much more comfortable than it has been lately, so there were tons of people & dogs there.

   Then I met Joni at her house (aka "Wild Kingdom") to meet her new puppy, Asher, and her older rescue dog, Kip, and to greet my old friend Wager. (I've always loved his look... possibly because he looks like a huge Gypsy.)
   We had a fun lunch at Jose Pepper's (mmm... fresh salsa & shrimp tacos!) and then hung out at her house with the dogs, the goldfinches and woodpeckers, and her friend Torch, the white-tailed deer. Many bucks visit the fence behind their home to use their mineral lick and get an occasional treat of corn. Joni gives them all names based on their racks (Shark, Broad Beams, Spike, Twisty, and more).

Here's Torch coming in for his little treat:

 

   And the birds—mostly goldfinch and woodpeckers:

   And the dogs. Mr. Wager:

And the new guy, Asher:

Thanks, guys, for such a fun day!

MSIR Success Stories

   Wondering why I enjoy volunteering so much? Here are two reasons from this weekend:

   I took Raven to her new forever home yesterday, and the family was over the moon. They just love her, and her personality is a great fit for them. She walked into their home as if she had always been there and greeted everyone immediately, which is a little unusual for a Shiba; they tend to be aloof with strangers. Well, no one told Raven! I stayed with them for a couple of hours and completed the home evaluation & the contract, then said farewell to my foster pup.
   Less than 3 hours later, Monica texted me:
   Monica: She has us all wrapped around her little paw. All rules have pretty much been thrown out the door. She is going to be spoiled rotten I am afraid. We are already head over heels in love with her. Thank you.
    Me: And you guys are exactly the reason I volunteer.  Enjoy her! She's a very lucky dog! :)
    Monica: We are the lucky ones. She has brought us joy again. (The family had lost both of their beloved dogs recently, so adopting was a big step.)

   And today she texted to say that Raven was doing great, and they had already started talking about adopting a second dog so that she will have a buddy. A match made in heaven!

   This one was bittersweet, because I've decided that Raven needs to be my last foster for a while. I'm feeling emotionally drained from having so much going on this year, and I need to start cutting back in order to do a better job with the things I'm choosing prioritize. It's not really what I want, but for now, it's what's best for me, my own animals, and my long-term sanity. Caring for four of my own animals can be challenge enough. (And I'm not dying to be labeled as a hoarder.)

   The other cool news I got this morning was from the owner of Polly, who I fostered a while ago. He found my Polly videos on Youtube and left some super-sweet comments:
   USAlvr:   "Polly has been in our family now for about a year and a half. We're crazy about her and have uploaded some videos of her on our YouTube account. Come take a look. Thanks MSIR for bringing us together.

Her owner's video of her playing

   Oh, Hello There!

Invisible Pork Chop

  And with stories like that, you can imagine, it has been a fantastic weekend. Hope yours was, too.

Meet Raven

   Raven is a 4-year-old girl I'm fostering for MSIR (Midwest Shiba Inu Rescue). She's sweet and friendly and loves to snuggle on your lap. She has a very soft, fluffy coat and big, beautiful tail and dark, soulful brown eyes. She's tall for a Shiba, but only 24 lbs. Rather than the fox-like look that most Shibas have, I'd say she has a wolf-like appearance due to her longer coat, gray undercoat and more streamlined features.

   She's cheerful even with strangers, eager to please, and knows some basic commands. When you ask her to sit, she gets so excited and wags her tail so hard that she can hardly keep her butt on the ground. She has a huge, happy smile. She'd prefer to be an only dog, or paired with an easygoing dog (she and my dominant female, Aki, are not big fans of each other). Seems fine with cats, untested with kids.
   If you're interested in Raven, please visit shibarescue.org and fill out an application, and feel free to email me with any questions. After your application is approved one of our volunteers (maybe myself) will contact you to schedule a home evaluation.

 Look Raven in the eyes & tell her that you're NOT going to adopt her. I dare you.