Barbie came to us on 3/25 and is approximately 4 yrs old. She’s a red shiba, weighing about 22lbs. Her owners surrendered her to the AC&C because their building has a No Pets policy. Her foster mom has told us the following:

She is sweet, but really really timid. She seems nervous around people, but once I have her near me she pretty much let’s me do anything. Yesterday, I brushed her out. I think I got enough fur off of her to make a whole other dog! She is fine with other dogs. She doesn’t show much interest in them, but she let’s them smells her and vice versa. It doesn’t seem aggressive at all, just very scared and unsure of her surroundings. I haven’t had a chance to test her around kids, which I will do today or tomorrow. From what I’ve seen I don’t think she’ll have a problem with it. I’ll keep you posted.

Check back for updates on Barbie!

Posted on March 30th, 2008 by kathy
Filed under: Barbie | 2 Comments »

Here’s an update from Jennifer:

Tiki still shows some aggression towards items he sees as valuable (tin cans, tupperware, etc.). But, he easily trades the item for a treat. His adopter will need to make sure they have a really good smelling treat available at all times in case he gets something and you have to trade for it. I have not had any aggression feeding him dog food or dog food mixed with venison. He’s also had scrambled eggs every weekend and is just fine with his food. He simply eats it (which is pretty quickly) and gives no problems with removing his bowl.

Tiki has proven to be a remote thief and a shoe thief. Oddly though, he doesn’t really chew them. It seems like it is kind of his way of playing chase. Its like “I got the remote, come get it”. He’ll run around with the remote in his mouth for a little bit with me chasing him around, then when he’s done playing he drops the remote. Other than that, he is doing great. He’s very active-loves being outside, going for walks and playing fetch with the tennis ball.

TIki does get along really well with other dogs, although he is best with dogs younger than him. He also does not seem to have any problems with larger dogs - I catch him playing with our neighbors Rottie through the fence all the time.

Tiki has really not shown himself as a doorbolter or escape artist, but as soon as you go to the door he is right behind you wanting to either run in the backyard or go for a walk. He does respect baby gates and has not tried to climb them. Because he is such a social dog, he does not really like being seperated from his humans and will whine and carry on to be with them.

All in all, Tiki is a sweet high energy dog.

Posted on March 29th, 2008 by kathy
Filed under: Tiki | 1 Comment »

Kiera is a very sweet dog who has some nervousness and anxiety issues that her foster family are working on. She’s not fond of loud noises and will be jumpy. In the foster home, she adjusted after a day or two to the sounds in the house but still exhibited anxiety when being walked outside.

Kiera has been described as retaining many puppy-like qualities like needing play time, running around, and sometimes whining if she’s bored or wants to play. Her favorite toy is a tennis ball. She’s not totally comfortable making friends with strangers and alternates between being very excited to see new people and extremely nervous.

However, Kiera can be very affectionate and likes to nap on the couch with her foster family, nap on the bed, and is learning to be crate trained. Foster mom Emily sent us the following:

I recommend a home where she is allowed on the furniture as she likes to be close to her people and often cuddles up on the couch or bed.

We will keep everyone posted on Kiera’s progess.

Posted on March 26th, 2008 by kathy
Filed under: Kiera | 8 Comments »

Mylo came to us on March 6 because his owner - who loved him very much - lost his job and couldn’t take care of Mylo any more. Mylo is a very sweet and playful boy. We’re working on his socialization with other dogs and his weight (he needs to lose some). Mylo’s foster mom, Lydia sent us the following update:

Mylo is a great guy. He is the first Shiba I have had, out of seven, that can be roused at any moment for playtime. No matter what Mylo is doing, if you get out the ball or the squeaky toy, he will play endlessly. He plays fetch and tug of war. Sometimes he goes into hyper mode and “digs” in the couch and the beds, jumping all over the room and pouncing like crazy. When you don’t want to play, however, he is happy to lounge around the house, and does well with being left alone. He likes to be petted and scratched, especially right above the tail - which make him do a little dance of joy.

As for getting along with other dogs, it is a toss up. He’ll walk right up to a dog seeming like he’ll be fine, but about 75% of the time he’ll start to growl ferociously and try to bite. The other 25% of the time he’ll play really cutely and nicely. It’s not a gender thing, or a breed thing. The dog he likes the most is a young female Shiba. But he also hates both male and female dogs, Shibas and non-Shibas alike.

I would not let him with a cat or any other small animal. He viciously chases birds and wanted to chase a cat we saw. He has a high prey drive.

In terms of commands - he sits always, on cue, and is driven by treats. He’s medium good about his name, although he definitely knows it, and isn’t too great with “come.”

He is a little fat and should lose weight. He is clearly used to being fed table scraps, as he begs at the table. He also must be used to getting a a lot more to eat than I give him, and he will mournfully paw his foodbowl when he wants food. Even when he loses weight, though, he will always be a big boy. He is too big to carry, but doesn’t like it anyway.

Mylo is a great leash-walker. He walks very politely on the leash and has great leash awareness. For example, if his foot gets tangled, he will always untangle himself right away. He is friendly with strangers. The only time he barks is when he hears someone in the hallway outside my apartment. He seems to have had no trouble adjusting to the city, as his former owner raised him in midtown. He does not hate the rain, and will do his business happily in it.

Mylo has a great personality and everyone loves him.

Posted on March 21st, 2008 by jenna
Filed under: Mylo | No Comments »

Temporary Foster Mom Thea sent us this email about Mooshi a couple days after he arrived:

I love him! He was very well-behaved yesterday. I came home at lunch to give him a quick run around the block. When I opened my apartment door he was sitting quietly on the couch waiting patiently. No accidents so I’ll be leaving him out of his crate all day. It was great when I came home last night. His tail was wagging and he was sooo excited that I was back. Best greeting ever! Mooshi barks to say hello but hasn’t growled or snapped at me once. He’s been good with my boyfriend too.

He has obviously been trained and is very receptive to a bunch of commands including sit, stay, wait and come. Mooshi has good table manners and isn’t really a jumper or a beggar. He has a couple of minor vices — he’s a leash-chewer and can pull during walks. Mooshi has also embarked on a mission to mark every tree in New York City. I think he has [my neighborhood] pretty well covered at this point. We’re working on it.

He’s been a little uninterested in toys and playing. So far he’s been all about the belly rubs. He grins a lot but is also very cute when his snaggletooth is showing. Not a lot of eating yet either but last night he did finish a small dinner.

On walks he’s really interested in other dogs and seems to want a playmate. I have a playdate set up for tonight to test out his social skills. He is friendly towards kids but likes to jump up on them (but not on adults, which I find odd).

At night he splits his time between his crate and my bed. All in all, I wish I could keep him. He’s going to make someone very happy.

Posted on March 15th, 2008 by jenna
Filed under: Mooshi | 7 Comments »

Chloe is a sweet 6 year old female Shiba mix we pulled from AC&C Manhattan. She needs to gain a little weight but overall she is a healthy girl. She was recently spayed and is up to date on all necessary preventative care.

Chloe is great with people, although groups of people make her nervous on walks; she will stop walking and put her tail between her legs until they go away. She hasn’t show any signs of aggression towards people, but she does not like other dogs coming near her and will try keep them away. She enjoys her walks and is very energetic outside but she’s very calm when indoors. She can be left alone without being crated. She’s a good girl. She loves to sleep in her bed or on her foster dad’s sheepskin rug at night.

Posted on March 14th, 2008 by jenna
Filed under: Chloe | No Comments »

Last week, Tiki moved from Foster Mom Molly to Foster Mom Jenn. Jenn shared the following update with us:

After a few days, Tiki has adjusted nicely to his new home and foster siblings. He plays very nicely with his foster brother and 2 foster sisters. He does especially well with Sofie puppy. Tiki and Sofie have become play buddies and I think Syd likes it because it gives him a break.

Tiki immediately fell in love with me and has been by my side all the time. It took a couple days, but Tiki finally stopped barking at his foster dad and after a solo men’s bonding walk they were like old friends. Now, Tiki’s training is really stepped up a notch. Tiki is able to sit and down on command, walks nicely on a leash and is able to heel.

TIki is generally good in his crate, but will whine a bit when first put in. He seems to prefer being in total darkness when it’s bed time rather than with any lights or nightlights. When its dark, he immediately settles down and knows that it is time for bed.

Although Tiki gets along great with other dogs, he would probably prefer to be the only dog or the older of 2 dogs. He does seek a lot of attention from his humans, so a home with multiple pets would probably not be best. Tiki does not like cats and seems to be curious of birds. He gets along well with all people - kids too - but would be best suited for older children.

So far, we have not experienced any food aggression from Tiki… although I haven’t tried his “favorite” value item of a tin can. Any item he’s had so far, I was easily able to take from him by calling his name and offering him a treat. (Molly did very good with teaching this.) He has been fine with treats, feeding (even when I mixed in a little canned food or venison gravy), durable nylabones, and toys (there is no aggression toward people or other dogs with toys, but Tiki does like to have all the toys).

Posted on March 14th, 2008 by jenna
Filed under: Tiki | No Comments »