Kobe is doing well in his new foster home. He weighs 22 lbs. and is healthy.

The resident dog in his first foster home didn’t take well to Kobe, and Kobe got a nip on his leg. After the vet changed his antibiotic and prodded his injury, Kobe was 100% better.

Here’s an update from his new foster mom:

Yesterday he chased my Seeing Eye GSD around the backyard and last night he was chased all over by Haiku (another Shiba). No limp either. So a couple of weeks on this new med and he should be all clear. He plays with my cats very gently and they haven’t even swatted or hissed which is unusually good. Also good with other Shibas. So far, the leg injury has prevented his dog socializing except for my GSDs and Molly’s Shibas and he’s fine with all. Also, rather than have a confrontation, Kobe will back away.

Kobe hasn’t shown any toy aggression. No problems with people and, when the other dogs want his toy, he defends it just by wrinkling his nose and showing teeth and they back off. If he gets distracted and walks away, they then get the toy and he doesn’t care.

Vocal? This boy is an opera singer – though sometimes he sounds like a donkey. He howls when I leave the room or go next door for something. Or he chimes in when the GSDs bark at the mailman.

Kobe is a very sweet boy. He knows commands for sit, stay, down, etc and comes when I call him (are you sure he’s a Shiba?). Kobe is very affectionate. Kobe loves people more than he loves other dogs. He will curl up with me and pushes his face against mine, cheek to cheek. He is also curious and wants to know everything I’m doing. He’s very curious about the cats – what they’re fed, where they hang out, etc. He insists on joining me when I do my rounds with them. When he first met my GSDs and Molly’s Shibas, he approached with great curiosity but not in a threatening way so he seems to be a wonderful ambassador in the dog world.

Kobe is crate trained and enjoys having it out so he can use it if he likes. So far I haven’t been out of the house long enough to bother crating him. He has shown no propensity to be destructive in the house. The throw pillow he disemboweled was started previously by one of the GSDs and was made of the same stuffing as a dog toy. I just exchanged the people stuffie with a dog stuffie.

Kobe is leash trained and barely pulls when on walks. Kobe likes to look out the window at the wildlife from my bed on the second floor but he doesn’t leap toward the window or act as if he wants to get to anything. He naps anywhere he wants to and I have to be careful not to step on him as he often lies down right behind my feet when I’m working in the kitchen. At night I let him sleep on my bed and he stays there all night.

I’ve only seen a little nervousness when he was first here and another dog barked. I think it had to do with being bitten at the last foster. Now that he knows the dogs, he’s fine. In fact, I can vacuum right next to him and he doesn’t move.

Kobe is good being left alone and I’ve been gone maybe two hours at a time. I left him with the GSDs uncrated and he was fine. It looked like they all watched out the window for me and slept.

Kobe is amazingly quiet. I haven’t been able to take him out back to run or to the dog park yet until his foot has healed so I don’t know how he is under those circumstances but he’s mom’s little helper in the house, usually by my side. Right now he’s in my “Shiba chair,” a leather chair right next to my computer. He loves to sit there while I work, though he did fall off the other day when he stretched. Even then, he just got right back up again.

Gosh, he’s so adaptable, he could live with other dogs, cats, probably even little pets like ferrets though I haven’t had a chance to test that out yet. He’s quiet and gentle and very devoted such that I could see him with an older person. I don’t know about a loud family but I can say he is incredibly lovable and, when I come through the door, he actually runs up to give me a hug so I think he prefers a quiet one-person family.

 

Posted on May 3rd, 2008 by michele m
Filed under: Kobe | 1 Comment »

Kobe is a very sweet, young Shiba boy who was found as a stray in Long Island. He’s only been in foster care for a few days, so stay tuned for more information.

Posted on April 22nd, 2008 by michele m
Filed under: Kobe | 3 Comments »

Kiera is doing very well in her foster home. She has maintained her weight, and although she is on the thin side, the vet believes that she is just naturally thin. Kiera has a slight ear infection which is clearing up with medication given to her by the vet.

Kiera is very sweet and loving. She can be quite playful, but has continued to be more independent (spends majority of her time in the bedroom, but comes to visit and sleep on the couch sometimes). She is always very excited in the morning and likes to jump around. Kiera is friendly with people she is familiar with, but tends to be shy around strangers. She is great with her crate, and knows her routine. Right after her morning walk she goes into her crate and lays down. Also, whenever she is told “crate”, she goes right in.

Kiera’s foster mom says:

Kiera has gotten better on leash and does not try to cross my path unless there is something she wants to smell on my other side, like a fire hydrant or phone pole. I usually pull her back and she is content to wait until we come back to it when it is on her side. She continues to show no signs of aggression.

I have allowed Kiera to meet my ferrets and she has been great with them. They have not been loose with her, but she gets very excited when I hold them and wants to say hi and sniff. Any time they are running around or playing in their cage, she runs over to see what’s going on. She is very protective of them and will bark if she hears them fighting and can’t get to them.

Kiera has visited with Molly’s dogs a few times and gets along with most of them quite well. She will bully around one of the dogs who tends to defer, so Kiera knows she will get away with it. Kiera and the puppy love each other and play until they both drop. On walks she has been OK with other dogs.

Kiera is not toy aggressive at all, and will let me take toys away from her. She also plays with her toys with other dogs and will give up a toy when she is done with it or interested in something else.

Kiera has not been food aggressive with me at all. She eats in her crate, even when other dogs are around, and although she gets worried one of them may take her food, she did nothing when she was out of her crate and another dog went in and ate some of her food.

Kiera is fine being left alone in her crate for hours. I have not left her alone outside the crate for I believe she would be destructive.

Posted on April 21st, 2008 by michele m
Filed under: Kiera | No Comments »

Jada is a beautiful, 6 year old, 17 pound, black and tan Shiba. She was given to us when her owner was deployed overseas by the military and there was nowhere else for Jada to go.

Jada isn’t really friendly with other dogs and should probably be an only dog. She likes some people, but not all. She’s not really into toys. She can be a bit food aggressive and we are working with her on this.

Jada is housebroken, healthy, spayed and up to date on her preventative care. Her medical records show she had a small seizure earlier this year, but the vet didn’t find anything wrong with her and the episode never recurred. Our vet gave her a clean bill of health this week.

Jada’s foster mom Lori says:

Jada is a total sweetheart, extremely calm & gentle. She is also very shy of new people and takes a few hours till she will acknowledge them. She loves a good belly rub and is close to giving kisses, but not there yet. She is very quiet, except when she hears other dogs in the hallway or sees people outside. She is crate trained and loves to sleep in her crate.

She is very good on leash walks, and gets excited when she sees the leash knowing she is going for a walk. She loves to be outside on the leash. We take her for a nice run every morning & night. Jada has been left alone for up to 10 hours without incident. We don’t have another pet, but I wouldn’t recommend her to live with one. She is not friendly with dogs, but OK from a distance. Jada is friendly with Mark and myself, and to some strangers on the street, but not most. We haven’t found a toy or doll that she is interested in. We tried balls, dolls… etc, she isn’t interested.

Posted on April 19th, 2008 by michele m
Filed under: Jada | No Comments »

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 »

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 »

Her owners called her Sheba, but it seems that half the females we get in rescue are named Sheba or Foxy, so those names don’t usually last long if we can help it. She didn’t know her name, so we’ve changed it to Sofie (and started teaching it to her).

Sofie is a 6 1/2 month old bouncing baby girl. Her pictures make her look a lot bigger, but Sofie is little - weighing in at only 13.6 pounds. Although she is young and her previous owner did not train her, she has already learned sit, is doing well with house training and has adjusted wonderfully to her crate. We’ve only had her a few days, so this is great progress! She’s a smart girl. She has had her first vet check and was such a little lady. Even the doctor commented on how calm and happy she was, compared to other puppies he has seen. Don’t misunderstand, Sofie is 100% puppy; She loves running in the back yard and chasing the resident dogs, but she is starting to learn when they have had enough and backs off and lays on her bed waiting for the next “play time.”

Sofie is a very happy little puppy. She is thrilled when someone comes to see her and greets them with kisses. She makes a fuss over everyone and definitely loves people. She has shown no signs of any aggression toward children, adults, other dogs, with her food or with her toys. She has a healthy appetite and is eating well.

Sofie came to us with a urinary tract infection which is currently being treated, so she won’t be available for adoption until that is all cleared up and she has been spayed. And, well, to be honest, there is a good chance she’ll never be available because her foster humans are already thinking of adopting her themselves!

Posted on February 28th, 2008 by jenna
Filed under: Sofie | 8 Comments »

OK, first off, I have to say that the sound of two Shibas merrily destroying roasted lamb bones is almost as soothing as a stable full of horses chomping on their feed.

Today is Shay’s birthday. She’s THREE today. My special birthday present to her is… a brand new, wonderful, forever home! The main reason we’ve had Shayna as long as we have is because I took her off the available list over the holidays while I contemplated adopting her myself. It was a TOUGH decision because Snick and I are very attached to her and she’s clearly attached to us too. I finally decided that I’m too busy at this point in my life to give two dogs all the attention and training they need though. Shayna is sooooo affectionate, too; she needs a lot of loving from her humans, so I decided to find her a home where she would be LAVISHED with all the affection she could possibly ask for.

We’ve received a lot of applications for Shayna and one really jumped out at me a few weeks ago. After getting through the approval process, they came over this past weekend and spent several hours getting to know her. She was a little overwhelmed by all the attention and kept checking in with me, but she was definitely warming up to them by the time they left. I love that they understand it will take time for her to adjust to a new home and they’ve been asking me all the right questions about how to help her with the transition.

So, this Sunday I will be driving her to her forever family in NJ.

Happy Third Birthday Shayna. Snick and I will love you forever.

Posted on February 20th, 2008 by jenna
Filed under: Shayna | 2 Comments »

Foxy, we hear time and time again, is just such an affectionate girl! She loves playtime with her humans and spending quality time getting love and attention. Her favorite toys are stuffed plushies. While she can be aloof towards and wary of strangers, after she gets to know a new person, they are fair game for playing or a rub. We have been having new people meet Foxy gently & slowly as to gain her trust.

She’s very good when left alone during the day and has not displayed any separation anxiety. She plays with her toys independently and has never been destructive. She’s not crazy about the crate but will go into it to nap (if the door is left open) or to pull out her bed. She is, however, fine in the crate in the car. We do not currently crate Foxy during the day, or night for that matter. She would love to cuddle in bed with you for the evening.

Foxy should definitely be an only dog in the home. She is still not 100% used to other dogs and sometimes will growl or snap if another dog comes at her too aggressively or quickly. Foxy has been introduced to other dogs and has been on playdates. She responds best to a calm and cautious dog. We have made some progress with her on this fear aggression but it’s a work in progress. With additional patience and time, she may be able to have more doggy friends in the future.

Posted on February 12th, 2008 by zennia
Filed under: Foxy | No Comments »

Tigger’s foster mom, Jenn, sent the following update today:

Tigger is such a sweet and affectionate little boy to other dogs, females and kids. He has made remarkable progress with his foster dad and now I catch them both snuggling together in bed. He is still very timid around men that he doesn’t know that well, but is comfortable and lovable with men that he lives with after a brief adjustment period. Tigger has been to a couple meetups and has won the hearts of all the other owners and their Shibas. He loves chewing on his bone, playing with his kong and running the Shiba 500 with his foster brother and sister. Tiggers favorite things in life are scrambled eggs on the weekend, salmon, venison, going for walks and “chillin’ out” with Sydney and Sheba.

Tigger also loves his people - mommy and daddy. He misses them when they leave and gives them hugs and kisses when they get home. He has the cutest little yowl that I swear he is trying to say I love you. Every time he is happy to see someone he gives this yowl letting you know he is so happy to see you. He just loves his people and will make a wonderful family member and hopes he can share his life with at least one other non-aggressive brother or sister Shiba.

Posted on January 27th, 2008 by jenna
Filed under: Tigger | 3 Comments »

A warm hello to the sweet Kabuki! She is a 5 year old spayed girl who is up to date on all her vaccinations, crate & leash trained and housebroken.

Kabuki was surrendered by her owner due to allergies in the family. Kabuki is a very affectionate Shiba. She loves to play fetch with tennis balls, receive lots of petting and belly rubs with her humans. She also enjoys playing with her toys. Plushies are her favorite!

Kabuki is certainly a people’s dog. She loves visitors and is very happy to meet new people. She is great with older kids as well. Kabuki, however, should be an only dog. While she did grow up with other dogs in the home, she has grown accustomed to being an only dog and prefers the company of humans.

She also knows her basic commands including Sit, Down, Stay, Come, Off, No and Leave it. She even responds to hand signals for these commands.

If you are looking for an amazingly sweet and loving companion, Kabuki will be sure to fill that place in your home.

Posted on January 23rd, 2008 by zennia
Filed under: Kabuki | 4 Comments »

Ella has a home. And not just any home, but the perfect forever home. It must have been fate… they submitted an adoption application almost six WEEKS before Ella became available. It was still in our queue when we decided to make Ella available and something about their app just JUMPED out the next time I was thumbing through them. They traveled to NYC to meet Ella this weekend and ended up adopting her today and taking her home. They’ve already emailed us that the trip went well and Ella is settling in quickly.

I want to say a HUGE thank you to Mitch Fuchs of The Jindo Project for taking Ella on as a foster when we were starting to lose hope and to Pete Campione of Kindred Souls Canine Center for giving Mitch the training ideas that put Ella on the road to being adoptable.

Also big thanks to foster dad Scott (who loved Ella enough to keep all of us hopeful), foster mom Zennia (who put up with being growled at), foster mom Molly (who continued Mitch’s work and put Ella across the finish line), and foster Mom Lydia (who took Ella to “test” if her training would stick through a transition and helped introduce Ella to her new family).

Most of all, thank you to Ayako and Dan for giving this wonderful girl the forever home she deserves!

Posted on January 22nd, 2008 by jenna
Filed under: Ella | 3 Comments »

We’re all so excited… eight months after arriving in foster care with serious resource guarding issues, Ella is available for adoption. There was a time when we almost gave up on her! I guess we’ve learned our lesson about not giving up, because she has turned out to be a great, GREAT girl!

The latest update from Ella’s current foster mom - Molly - says:

Ella is happy and playful. She LOVES to run around in the yard and play, especially with people. She also loves cuddle time on the couch. We can take toys from her now and she is gentle with food. She is very, very affectionate and loves to “purr” when she is happy. She can be a bully with other dogs, so should be the only dog.

Ella is moving to a new foster home tonight, so we can confirm that her new training and self-control will transition to a new environment. We’re so excited for Ella!

Posted on January 16th, 2008 by jenna
Filed under: Ella | 3 Comments »

Ginger’s Foster Mom Michele has given us a fantastic update: ‘She is so sweet…Ginger is such a great dog!’

Ginger would do best, as an only dog, in a forever home that is familiar with the breed and Shibas’ need for structure and routine.

She is very affectionate and snugly. It seems like her favorite thing in the whole world is belly rubs and plenty of them! Ginger also enjoys her walks and time outside very much. She loves to play with her toys on her own or fetch with humans as well. This lovebug also likes to nuzzle up next to you on the couch.

Ginger is housebroken, leash trained, crate trained, spayed and up to date on her shots. She is very well behaved when home alone- what a good girl!

Posted on December 4th, 2007 by zennia
Filed under: Ginger | 7 Comments »

Foxy sure is a loving girl! Foster Mom Thea reports: ‘Foxy has been a doll… She loves my backyard and wants to be out there all the time, or on a walk. On Thanksgiving morning I took her for a 2 hour walk across Central Park — we checked out the Macy’s parade for a minute too — and she was wonderful…at home…She loves playing with her toys and chewing on her rawhide. Foxy wants petting love a lot and she is very affectionate. She did great with a bunch of strangers in the house for turkey. She loves her belly rubs and my favorite- when she rolls back and forth on her back, tongue hanging out!’.

Foxy would do best as an only dog that will gets lots of love, attention and the ever important walk time. She love humans so much. She’s polite and sometimes shows interest in other dogs on walks and on playdates but prefers the company of her people.

Posted on December 1st, 2007 by zennia
Filed under: Foxy | 4 Comments »

Tigger is a very sweet little Shiba boy who recently came to us from a shelter in NJ. He is neutered and about 3 years old. He was left at the shelter by his owners, who claimed he was destructive in the house and repeatedly escaped from their chain link fenced yard. He hasn’t been destructive in foster care (nor was he in the shelter), but he’s definitely an escape artist, so a very secure fence is a necessity. If there is a gap under the fence that he thinks he might be able to fit through, he will try. He can also easily climb baby gates.

Tigger is cautious with strangers, especially men. He is super friendly towards kids, both boys and girls. He loves attention and is pretty affectionate, but not overly so. He likes to be around his people and he LOVES being outside.

HATE is an understatement for the crate and bath. He doesn’t just wine and bark… he freaks out. His foster mom is taking baby steps with that; She is feeding him in the crate by putting his food half way in and letting him stick out a bit…not confining him. She is also crating him throughout the day for very short periods of time (15-30 mins) giving him a treat when he goes in and another when he comes out. It will take a lot more work for him to be cratable for long periods, but so far he has been fine unconfined in the foster home. We have not seen any signs of destructive behavior even when left alone.

Tigger is definitely food motivated. He does basic commands for a treat. He walks pretty well on a leash without pulling. He sleeps all night in bed with his foster mom. Tigger should be available for adoption on or around 11/27/2007. Stay tuned!

Posted on November 23rd, 2007 by jenna
Filed under: Tigger | 7 Comments »

Popeye’s fosters report that he’s a ‘happy, energetic, playful but sometimes shy’ boy. He ‘loves walking, cuddling, new visitors and being outside’. Being a cuddly Shiba, he enjoys rubs and scratches on the chin and neck rather than head pats. He’s great with children, and protective of his humans. He knows several commands including Sit, Stay, Come, Heel and Wait.

Popeye would indeed do best as an only dog in a home where he can give and get lots of affection!

Posted on November 20th, 2007 by zennia
Filed under: Popeye | No Comments »

Shayna went to her first meetup with me and Snickers today. The NYC Shiba Inus and Their Human Companions had a joint meetup with The Beagle Pack at a brand new daycare place in Chelsea called D is for Doggy. There were about 40 people there and the dogs all had a great time. Shayna had a few moments of being overwhelmed, but she found me and asked to be picked up and everything was fine. She is such a great dog… very affectionate and trusting of her humans.

I don’t have any pictures from the meetup yet, but I do have this funny photo that shows how exhausted Shay was after a cab ride to Chelsea, an almost 3 hour meetup, and a mile walk home.

Posted on November 18th, 2007 by jenna
Filed under: Shayna | 12 Comments »

Say hello our cute & cuddly girl, Foxy. Foxy’s former owners asked us to find her a new forever home. Their 14 month old baby is, sadly, highly allergic to Foxy. We were happy to help and put her in NYCSR’s foster program. Foxy is 5 years old, spayed, up to date on vaccinations and is microchipped. She is also leash trained and house broken.

Foxy loves people and is great with children. She is very gentle with them. She enjoys playing, fetch, catch and getting lots of attention in the form of scratching and rubs. She also knows her commands very well. Foxy should be an only dog in her new home. She prefers the company of humans to other animals.

I have to say that Foxy has the softest and thickest coat I’ve seen on a Shiba- she’s just so huggable! Check back soon for more Foxy updates and photos.

Posted on November 11th, 2007 by zennia
Filed under: Foxy | 2 Comments »