Snuggly

Me & my teddy bear Mr. Taylor-man, snuggliest Shiba ever. Every day I look in his eyes and am so happy that TWO families gave him up, so he could be mine!

Lost... and FOUND!!!

   Early this morning, Dianne was walking Zoey, who got spooked by a simple manhole cover, and in a stroke of bad luck, Zoey pulled away & bolted. Zoey is FAST—Dianne wasn't able to see her for long, and she was gone like a flash. I got the call from her while I was out at the sports complex for The Color Run, and headed over to help.

   I stopped home to pick up my dogs, hoping if Zoey saw or heard them, she'd respond. We walked and drove around the neighborhood for 4 hours in 100+ heat, to no avail. I started out with the dogs on foot, then Dianne picked me up and drove us around. We saw a lot of her very pretty neighborhood in Olathe, a green heron at the edge of a lake... and Bev, who graciously came out to help in the search!

   The dogs were troopers, patiently riding from stop to stop in Zoe's cage, and then zonking out when we stopped at Dianne's house to cool down with some water. Taylor loved Zoe's bed, while Aki was happy just to have a nice rug.

   Kathy and her dog Rex went over there tonight to continue the search. (I had planned to, but was so exhausted from the heat that I accidentally crashed on the couch, and was awakened by my mom calling to check on me... thanks, Mom!)
   Kathy and Rex ended up finding Zoey, and she's okay!!! She was hiding just blocks from her new home, in a heavily wooded area, which is what we suspected. Kathy wisely brought a squeaky toy with them, and that brought Zoey out of hiding. What a relief!
   I somehow "knew" that we'd find her; it would be too awful to imagine something terrible happening to this girl, after she'd spent 10 months in a puppy mill, 15 months in rescue with MSIR (at 3 different foster homes), and had 5 surgeries to correct a genetic problem in her back legs. She just had to be okay. Dianne reported that she is safely back at home, drinking tons of water, with a huge smile on her face.
   Here's what I've learned from the lost dog experience—passing along in case it's useful (though I hope you won't ever need it):
- Call friends to help, especially if the dog knows them
- Bring treats, favorite toys (esp. if they make noise!), and a leash
- Canvas the area, and talk to everyone you see—you never know who will find the dog. Bring fliers with the dog's photo, name, physical description, & your cell phone.
- Put a sign in the dog owner's front yard, so that if someone finds the dog, they'll know where it lives
- Leave food at the house: front & back porch; leave back yard gate, garage door open in case they return
- ALWAYS have a collar, harness, and ID tags on your dog whenever it is outside (esp. this time of year when they could be spooked by fireworks)
- Get your dog microchipped in case its ID is lost
- Call nearby animal shelters & animal control to alert them
- TRAIN your dog to come to you; it could save their life
- Stay calm & have faith!
and...
- Have a glass of wine available once the ordeal is over!


Here is an even more comprehensive list I found online. But our instincts led us to all the main ones—at it worked—yeah!!!

Prancer

   A tribute to the lil' dog who prances with her front paws when she wants your attention! Here is Zo-chan on MSIR's page, looking happy as ever!

   She loved hanging out on the deck with my pups. They really helped her adjust to being a normal dog. When she first arrived, I wasn't able to get photos of her, as she was nervous if you focused your attention on her. But look at her now, relaxed and happy!

   And speaking of "relaxed and happy", here she is in her brand-new home! Dianne reported that she was settling in very well in the first 24 hours. Sure looks like it... 9 months in a St. Louis puppy mill, 15 months in foster care, and 5 surgeries later, nothing can stop her. GO ZOEY!!!

Matane, Zoey!

   Zoey just headed off with her new family, & I couldn't be happier. The best day of fostering is always the day you get to see them ride off into the sunset with wonderful people who adore them. I always strive to place them with people who will care for them as well or better than I could myself, so it's never sad to see them go. It's not さようなら (sayonara—good-bye), it's  またね (matane—see you later)!

Congratulations, Zoey-chan!!!

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)!

Spa Day!

   Today everybody got a bath... first Aki and Taylor, and then Zoey, who emerged with an even more brilliant and fluffy white coat. I put them outside to dry in the warm sun. They, of course, wanted to come right back in. Sorry, gang!

 Then it was Kismet's turn.

   Don't let the forlorn face fool you. Once she got over the initial shock of the sound of the sprayer, she did very, very well. And looked adorable and hilarious. She didn't like the bath, but she liked being toweled off and she forgave me for the whole ordeal about 0.8 seconds after she was done. The damp kitty followed me all over the house afterward, purring and seeking more attention.

   As you can see, she wasn't traumatized. She is extra-soft and fluffy with a brighter, peach coat, and she smells like lavender. I thought Atom was a ham, but she might be the snuggliest kitty I've ever seen.

    Lest you think she's all good, though, she does like to torture Aki. The dogs are not allowed on my bed. Kitty is. Kitty knows this, and is exploiting it to taunt the dogs.

    While Aki stares at her with her, "Are you freaking kidding me?!" expression...

Agility Hounds

   On Thursday night I took the dogs to Swanson's Streamway. A few weeks ago, frustrated with Tay's destructive behavior (due to lack of exercise—from my bum ankle, and being crated to keep him off the kitchen counters), it occurred to me that an agility class would be a great way to wear him out. I wasn't sure that Aki would enjoy it enough to actually perform, so I just brought her along to observe.
   It was a huge class—14 people with their dogs!—so I tied Aki's leash to the fence in a far corner, to keep her out of everyone's way. Rachel, the instructor, had us all introduce ourselves and our dogs, and as we went around the circle, the crescendo of cries from Aki's corner became louder and louder. Everyone was amused. Mary Coleman and her husband were there with their dog, Tucker, a young bearded collie. (Tucker was gorgeous and more interested in flopping over for belly rubs than agility—a real doll!)
   First we practiced going through tunnels, which Tay was already very good at, since he's practiced a couple times at Happy Tails park. Then we attempted to teach our dogs to weave around the 12 weave poles, one of the hardest stations. There were guide wires in place to keep the dogs in line, but it was still tough to keep them from jumping out of the path. But Tay did great! Meanwhile, Aki cried and cried.
   When the class ended, Rachel came over to me and suggested that Tay & I join the intermediate class next week, since he's progressing faster than the other beginners. I was so proud of him! We went over to retrieve Aki, and she did a victory lap around the ring, running so fast her ears were back and her tail went straight behind her. The two goofballs buzzed all over the dog park together, overjoyed to be reunited. I love her happy, squinty face and huge smile!

   I thought, she wants to do this too—so I'll start her in the other beginner's class on Sunday! (Later I remembered that when Aki's original owner surrendered her to MSIR, she took Aki to a vet's office very early in the morning and tied her leash to the door... and abandoned her. I think that's why she got so upset... she was crying, "OMG—Don't leave me here!!!", and maybe not "I want to do agility too!") No matter. I had already decided it would be good for her.  ;)

   There was a large picnic table in the dog park, and with no more than saying, "Up!", Tay sprung up easily, right to the table top. This dog's back legs are springs. He was MADE for this! I wish I would have started him soon after I adopted him, in July 2008. Have you ever seen a bigger smile?

   Today we were back at Swanson's, with only 8 other teams, so Aki got a lot of practice running through both tunnels, and then weaving. She moved rather slowly much of the time—not nearly as excited as Tay was—but she knew what to do and did very well. I really liked a couple of the other women in the class, and we shared treats with each others' dogs and had a ton of fun. Not all the dogs wanted to go through the tunnel, which was part of the fun. Poor Ellie!

   After the class, Rachel invited Aki & Tay & me to stay and practice on the equipment, and Taylor learned the chute (he did it perfectly on his second try), the dog walk, and the see saw (he did both perfectly on the FIRST try!), the jumps, the tire, the table, and the TALL A-frame... nothing threw him! Aki, not to be outdone, was slightly more tentative about each obstacle, but also breezed through it easily. Who knew that stubborn Shibas would perform so well?

   After TWO HOURS of practice (they had a blast!), Aki posed for her own picnic table portraits and we headed home.

   About thirty seconds after we hit the road, I snapped this pic. (Tay was slumped so far over the seat, I'm surprised his heavy head didn't fall off. And that IS Aki's tired tail, at mid-curl, on the right.) MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

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!

Great Horned Owl

   I was following Joni on the way home from the hike, and she unexpectedly pulled over, telling me that she thought she had seen a owl on the side of the road. So we turned back and pulled safely over to the side of Highway 45, got out and crossed the street. From a distance I could see the telltale "horns" sticking up from the dead grasses. The owl flopped around, flailing its wings clumsily and tried to escape. The poor thing. As Joni noted, its wing bent the wrong direction—a serious, compound fracture. I took these photos from my lousy Blackberry-cam, which struggles in low light:

And Joni got this one with her camera:

   The owl glared at us as we stood there and marveled at its stunning, barred feathers, fuzzy "horns" and clear, brilliant eyes. It blinked slowly and softly, and I couldn't get over how much it looked like a cat—it really reminded me of Atom! Its talons were surprisingly large for the size of the bird, and looked fuzzy. Joni said these guys are called "the tiger of the sky" due to their ferocity. It was quieter now; perhaps because it realized we weren't there to eat it. The larger question was, were we there to rescue it?

   We debated for a few minutes. We'd have to safely catch it and get it into Joni's dog crate, keep it alive overnight, then deliver it to OWL (Operation Wildlife) tomorrow. Would it even make it that long? One eye now opened wider than the other, and the owl's life seemed to be draining away.

   Ultimately it was Joni's realization that convinced us to leave it where it was, so that nature could take its course. It would probably be eaten by a coyote. But the alternative—due to the severely broken wing—would be a life in captivity, at best. And that didn't seem to suit this noble, beautiful, and thoroughly wild creature. It wasn't an easy decision, given the extent to which both Joni and I are animal lovers. But it was the right one.

   I followed her home, and we both independently enjoyed the quiet contemplation of the harsh reality of nature, accompanied by a strikingly gorgeous sunset.