Bailey’s having fun in his new home and has a very furry friend to hang out with. His new owners sent us this update:

Bailey seemed to be a little frustrated with all of the rules we gave him, but all in all he did really well his first night. I was a little concerned when we had him out front and the 5 neighborhood kids rushed him, but he handled it great! He didn’t mind the kids pawing at him at all!

It has been really good tonight. He and Nella are getting along great! Bailey really enjoys looking out the windows, we are not sure if he has ever had windows that go all the way to the floor. He also is pretty fascinated with the bird. He and Harley have been exchanging words. Harley will go to the bottom of the cage and nip at him and Bailey thinks that is great fun. I think Harley thinks it’s fun too!

Bailey has a full house, a bird, a fellow dog, and a cat. He hadn’t met the cat yet when we were sent the update but he had walked by it without caring that the cat was nearby.

Here’s a pic of Bailey and his friend Nella.

Posted on September 10th, 2008 by kathy
Filed under: Bailey | No Comments »

Paulie’s foster mom Courtney says Paulie is doing great! Here’s some photos she sent us:
Click the photo to enlarge

Posted on September 4th, 2008 by michele m
Filed under: Paulie | 6 Comments »

Paulie is doing wonderfully. He was recently neutered and is recovering with his foster family.

Paulie is being worked on with his leash training and not jumping on everyone when they enter the house. Leash training is going well and he is almost perfect; he stops when I stop and occasionally pulls when he really wants to go. Not jumping is hard, but he has gotten a lot better. He gets treats for sitting when we come in and when other people come in.

Paulie is a hyper shiba, and can be sweet and quiet at times. He loves attention and he is great with kids. Lately, he has been extra mushy and thinks he is a lap dog. He has become inseparable from the female dog in his foster home. He is very protective of her.

Paulie is almost completely housebroken, he hasn’t had an accident in the house in a few weeks. He also has almost all of his commands down. He doesn’t like to stay when told, but his foster family is working very hard on that one.

Paulie requires a normal amount of exercise. He goes on two walks per day and also gets to run in the yard.

Stay tuned for more info.

Posted on August 7th, 2008 by michele m
Filed under: Paulie | No Comments »

Rusty has been neutered and microchipped and is enjoying his days as a “new yawker.” He is a very mellow dog in the house but does get excited when its time to go for a walk, and sometimes zooms around the apartment when his foster mom comes home. His foster mom told us,

Rusty’s personality has changed. He has opened up more emotionally. Now he is very bonded to me and follows me around. He sleeps at the end of my bed and lets me cuddle with him, while before he was sleeping in the living room. Rusty has become much more warm and loving.

He still doesn’t like passing other dogs on the street that often and will act like a bully but our Animal Welfare Director came and helped our foster mom Liz with a few tips and techniques. From what we’ve heard it’s helping lessen Rusty’s acting out.

Rusty is learning basic commands like sit and come, he’s very friendly when meeting new people, and gets along with some dogs. He doesn’t seem to understand the body language of children, so it may be best he goes to a house with older children. He also loves to play and run around outside, so an active family or household would be perfect for him.

Keep checking back for updates on Rusty!

Posted on August 6th, 2008 by kathy
Filed under: Rusty | No Comments »

Bailey is doing very well in his foster home. He currently weighs 30 lbs. He is very friendly with the other dogs in his foster home as well as when he is out for a walk or in a dog run. Bailey hasn’t shown any aggression toward strangers, although he hasn’t been tested with children yet.

Bailey enjoys playing with his toys, and he’s not aggressive - just the opposite, he drops the toy rather than fight over it.

“Bailey joins in with the doggie chorus when I come home. He is sometimes vocal when in his crate because he wants out of the crate. No loud noise problems at all (and we had town fireworks at the end of our block). It took Bailey a while to warm up to me but now he is very affectionate. He’s also very curious, particularly about whatever any of the other dogs are doing.”

Bailey knows some of his commands like sit, and sometimes comes when called. His other commands like lie down and stay are still being worked on, but Bailey is showing progress. Bailey barks a lot only about getting out of his crate. If he is kept with the crate closed when I go out or go to bed, he’s fine. He just wants to join in if I’m around and he’s locked in the crate. He shows no problems when being left alone in his crate for long periods of time.

“Bailey is out in the morning in a fenced backyard where he chases around with 2 Shibas and 2 German Shepherds. Then he comes in the doggie door and sleeps on the floor like the rest of the dogs. If I stay home, he can stay like this, in and out at will. If I go out, he is crated. Exercise in the afternoon (again chasing around the yard with the others), perhaps a walk, then dinner, more time out of the crate playing with toys and the other dogs, outside time, then in the crate to sleep for the night. (If the adopter doesn’t have a fenced yard, not to worry. Walks are actually better for dogs, more intellectually stimulating because the scene keeps changing.)”

The best home for Bailey would be a structured one and with another neutered male dog to play with would be best but he would probably do just as well as the only dog in the household. Bailey dislikes being picked up (can scratch with his nails trying to get down). He is a curious, friendly, happy boy who loves to play and interact with people and other dogs. He’s good in the car and especially wonderful with the vet, even when given shots and blood drawn. He’s a very healthy (with a velvet coat), easygoing boy who would love his adopter all the years he has ahead for himself.

Posted on August 4th, 2008 by michele m
Filed under: Bailey | 4 Comments »

Rusty’s foster mom shared this pic with us, he’s looking so happy and healthy in his foster home. She also told us that he’s just so cute, I think he’s won her heart!

Posted on July 26th, 2008 by kathy
Filed under: Rusty | 3 Comments »

We had to share this pic of Cinnamon, he looks so happy and great.

Posted on July 25th, 2008 by kathy
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Bailey is about 2 yrs old and is a tri-color male shiba. He is a very friendly and playful dog, good with strangers, affectionate, gentle, and allows himself to be handled by people. He needs a new home though because he can be stubborn and has been known to become aggressive when he has an item of high value, such as a treat. His current owners are expecting a baby and are unable to give Bailey the proper training he would need.

He’s an athletic dog, loves to play, loves to go for walks, and does interact well with children. It is recommended that he go to a home with older children and someone who is able to work with Bailey.

Bailey is housebroken, crate-trained, and knows commands such as sit, no, and off. He could use more work on with leash walking as he tends to pull and could learn some manners. He will jump on people and sometimes plays too rough with other dogs.

Posted on July 12th, 2008 by kathy
Filed under: Bailey | 18 Comments »

Paulie is very friendly with the other dog in his home. The both have to say hi to any dog they see during walks. Paulie is friendly with people, but still a little leery of men, and he has been great with his foster mom’s 15 month old niece. Yay!

Paulie is not toy aggressive, and loves to play tug-of-war with his rope toy. He tends to be vocal when he hears the front door and other minor noises. Although, he is affectionate, he still ducks at first when you go to pet him.

Paulie is crate trained and knows some of his commands like sit, lie down and stay. Some of them are still being worked on, but he is a quick learner.

Paulie’s foster mom, Courtney says the following?

“You have to practically drag him out the door for a walk, we wait a while for him to come out when Adrienne is already out the door. He usually ignores wildlife while outside, but if anything is close and Adrienne is in prey mode, Paulie will copy her and lunge, but this is rare.

Paulie would be great in a loving home that know Shiba’s. Someone that understands he will take a while to get used to a new environment. He likes to chew books, which is a new thing, so we are working on correcting this behavior.”

Stay tuned for new photos of Paulie.

Posted on July 10th, 2008 by michele m
Filed under: Paulie | 4 Comments »

Rusty is out of the vet and in his new foster home. So far, so good. Rusty is getting along well with his foster family. He has some aggression toward other dogs on walks and tends to lunge and bark at them, but his foster mom is working with him on this. Otherwise, Rusty is very affectionate with adults and children. He has a normal energy level and likes to go on walks 3 or 4 times a day. He prefers his stuffed toys over other toys. Although Rusty doesn’t know many commands, he does come when called - sometimes. Rusty is crate trained and likes to sleep in his crate or on the couch. Rusty would be good in a home where he is the only dog and with an owner who is willing to work with him on his dog aggression. Overall, Rusty is a great boy, and is giving his foster mom lots of joy.

Posted on July 7th, 2008 by michele m
Filed under: Rusty | No Comments »

Paulie is settling in nicely at his foster home. He has a friend and is very affectionate with his foster family. He doesn’t like cars whizzing by when he’s out for a walk, they make him nervous - but he does like car rides.

Here’s a few pics of Paulie and his friend Adrienne:

 

click the pics to enlarge

Posted on June 27th, 2008 by kathy
Filed under: Paulie | 5 Comments »

Tiki is doing very well. He has a nice soft coat which if anything has gotten softer.

Tiki is very playful, loves playing with Sofie. He is high energy and inquisitive. Tiki has really improved with giving up items he sees as valuable. Over the last couple weeks, I have been able to take things from him without trading. I still always make sure I have a treat with me just in case.

Tiki is just an overall friendly and affectionate dog. He’s happy to see ALL people and gets along with all dogs he has encountered. He loves Sofie and Syd, gets along well with Sheba and respects Sawyer. Curious of the parrots.

Tiki is friendly to all and only barks at my husband in his police uniform, but no aggression.
He can tend to be a “bully” with treats. We’re working on that.

Tiki is coming along nicely with his commands. He sits, and lies down on command, and only needs a treat sometimes in order for him to do this. Tiki walks well on the leash when walked alone, working on it with multiple dogs walking with him.

For the most part Tiki comes when called. The only time he becomes stubborn is when he’s outside and wants to stay outside.

He could be a door bolter without consistent training. Wouldn’t trust not to bolt with an inexperienced person.

Tiki has a tendancy to snap, should be in a home with no children and should be with another high energy dog.

Posted on June 24th, 2008 by michele m
Filed under: Tiki | No Comments »

Nicco is doing very well. He is now 40 lbs. He is a good weight for his size, but if he ever gets overweight, he’ll have trouble with a grade II luxating patella, so it’s important he stays trim. Nicco also seems to suffer from allergies.

Nicco is a great dog and he loves human attention. He can be difficult when he is bored or frustrated by something and tends to try to pull fabrics around. He is generally disinterested in balls and chew toys, so I let him pull at his towel.

Nicco is friendly with other dogs, but tends to play rough. He is generally too rough to play with children.

Nicco sleeps in his crate but doesn’t like to be constrained to it other times. He also walks well on leash. Nicco can be left alone for long stretches. He is generally very well behaved, though he’ll act up when I arrive home because he’s excited.

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

Meet Paulie. Paulie was found as a stray in Long Island and brought to the local town shelter. He’s got a great personality and gets along with dogs and cats (as you can see in the pic). Paulie is young, most likely around 9 or 10 months of age.

Keep checking back for more info.
click the pic to enlarge

Posted on June 11th, 2008 by kathy
Filed under: Paulie | 8 Comments »

A few days ago one of our NYCSR volunteers headed out to see Rusty and gave us this update:

Last Sunday I went to West Hills to visit Bea & Rusty. Rusty came out first. He ran over to me with a huge Shiba smile and a happily wagging tail. He showered me with a million kisses. His fur looked brighter and so soft.

He really is quite puffy since his coat is so thick and healthy. Rusty was in full happy play mode. He promptly went into a play bow and we were off! He was running around and giving belly and having a great time. I gave him a good scratch behind the ears and he put his paw on my hand as to say ‘no, don’t stop!’

The staff at West Hills say that he’s just so well behaved. He’s been incredibly affectionate and loves to play in their kennel’s outdoor run. He’s also been great on a leash. His kennel cough has cleared up and is very playful with other dogs. He would do best, they think, with other dogs that would enjoy his playfulness and energy. He has a great appetite and is well behaved at meal times. He’s just a happy boy that wants nothing else but lots of play time and attention!

This is Rusty when he first arrived at West Hills		This is Rusty now
click to enlarge images

Posted on June 3rd, 2008 by kathy
Filed under: Rusty | 5 Comments »

We got an update from Zeus’ new owners:

Zeus (who we’re calling Marley now) is settled in and bonding well with my wife and I. He loves to have his belly scratched, and charms everyone he meets. After a walk or run he’s usually happy to sack out in his pet bed, though we’ve gotten him to play with some stuffed toys. He loves the park, and has seen most of our neighborhood by now.

Posted on May 30th, 2008 by michele m
Filed under: Zeus | 1 Comment »

Zennia who transported Rusty had this to say:

I had the pleasure of transporting Rusty and Bea from Trenton, NJ to Huntington, LI, where they are being vetted and boarded at West Hills. Rusty was the sweetest and most friendly boy. He was smiling non stop and being so very cute. There were several times that he would lean over to me and give me kisses while I was driving. Rusty was very responsive and happy to be near people and get attention. He’s also very treat driven and loved lamb snacks!
His kennel cough has greatly improved- he’s certainly responded well to medication. He is heartworm negative; his bloodwork looks perfect and so will be neutered once his kennel cough is gone. At West Hills, the staff has fallen in love with him! They say he’s such a great guest- they said ‘Rusty is such a love’!

Stayed tuned for new photos of Rusty.

Posted on May 16th, 2008 by michele m
Filed under: Rusty | 2 Comments »

Rusty came to us from a high-kill shelter in Kentucky. Rusty is a runner and should be placed in a home that is familiar with the breed. He is slow to warm to strangers but is great with people once he knows them. He gets along with other dogs and with cats, although not with small children. Rusty is VERY friendly to people, he’s sweet and loves to give kisses.

Stay tuned for more.

Posted on May 14th, 2008 by michele m
Filed under: Rusty | 1 Comment »

Nicco is a beautiful male shiba that came to us on 5/3 from a shelter. He was not getting along with a new baby in the house. He is a big boy, weighing in around 35 pounds and active. He needs lots of exercise and loves to romp. So far, he’s adjusting well to city life. His foster dad told us the following:

Everyone who has met him loves him, and he does seem to have a great temperament. He resists the leash initially, but seems to know the drill and doesn’t really fight it. Once on he is fine on the leash, though he does pull a little. He seems a bit tentative near busy streets but is for the most part fine. He’s also got a ton of energy in the morning, so it’s tough to keep up with him at that early hour.

He doesn’t like it when anyone leaves, he’ll cry for 5 or 10 minutes, even if someone else is home. He is definitely not crate trained, though he’s been perfectly behaved his whole time here. Housetraining hasn’t been an issue yet either.

Nicco is very intelligent and understands all commands (though he doesn’t always listen). He is VERY treat driven and will usually do anything for one. He also seems to understand a firm recall, but it hasn’t been tested with anything he values. His prey drive seems to be minimal, and he quickly loses interest in almost everything.

   

Click the images to enlarge.
Check back for more info on Nicco.

Posted on May 11th, 2008 by kathy
Filed under: Nicco | 7 Comments »

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 »