A few days ago we got this new pic of Tasha. She doesn’t look like the nervous dog in her profile pic and looks like she’s having a good time in her foster home. She’s still shy but has been slowly coming around and relaxing.
She is still learning that not everything is scary and will take some time before she’s totally confident. Hopefully she will find a forever home where the people are patient, calm, and can work with Tasha to be the great dog we know she is.
Penny has become very comfortable in NYC, but she still does not like loud noises. That rush hour traffic and the noises buses and trucks make still make her jump a little. She also still gets a little tense when bikes, strollers, anything with wheels comes too close to her. Penny is a petite little Shiba and from her perspective these things could be scary. She’s working on overcoming the issues and has definitely come out of her shell.
She plays with toys, loves her buddy Snickers, and is learning to sit before she gets fed. She also is very affectionate once she gets to know you. She likes to lean on and hang out with her foster mom. Penny has a few vocalizations - barks at the door, yodels when she’s excited, and howls at visitors when she first meets them.
Penny is a sweet dog and is looking for a forever home.
click on the pics to enlarge
Posted on June 25th, 2008 by kathy
Filed under: Penny | 3 Comments »
For the last month Tasha’s made some progress but she is still very shy. She tends to hide most of the day but does come out. When she is out with the family she’s extremely lovable and affectionate. Tasha does not seem to have a prey drive nor approach any animal or human aggressively.
She’s getting better with walking on a leash but gets very scared of new situations. It will take some time for her to adjust and gain the confidence she needs to be a happy, well-adjusted dog.
Last Sunday I went to West Hills to visit Bea & Rusty. After a rigorous play session with Rusty, little Bea came out to visit. As soon as I saw her, I began to cry with happiness! Bea looks like a new dog! She was given a doggy spa treatment to wash away all the years of outdoor living. Her coat is now getting into great shape. She loves to be brushed and looks forward to her daily beauty routine with the staff at West Hills.
Since her arrival, Bea’s personality has really begun to shine through. She now looks forward to seeing the staff and playtime in the run. Recently, she really showed how comfortable she’s become; during a walk she laid down and gave belly! The West Hills staff rejoiced and happily have been giving her belly rubs as requested.
During my visit with her she wanted lots of scratches and rubs. She then gave me belly as well! She’s been treated for Hookworm and has responded beautifully to treatment. She’s also gaining weight slowing but surely with a healthy appetite. She’s a very sweet girl with a lot of love to give!
Bea upon arrival at West Hills:
Bea now:
click to enlarge images
Posted on June 4th, 2008 by kathy
Filed under: Bea | 4 Comments »
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. Bea is a very sweet and quiet girl that slowly warmed up to me by the end of the day. She is a bit shy but has a great spirit. Bea lived her life on a chain outside. She seems so happy to be in a place where now people give her good food, play with her and let her run and play without a chain in the dog run. The staff at West Hills say that her personality has really blossomed. She now is not as shy and is very warm and happy when she sees the staff that she has gotten to know. They think she’s a perfect little lady and say that she’ll make someone very happy! She seems to get along well with other dogs but can become nervous when other dogs are too forward with her. She likes polite dogs best. Bea has been treated for Hookworm and will be tested again soon to ensure that she’s hookworm free.
Stay tuned for new photos of Bea.
Posted on May 16th, 2008 by michele m
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Bea came to us from a high-kill shelter in Kentucky. Bea lived most of her life on a chain outside. She is an older girl, is wonderful on a leash and is very nice. Her owner said she had a tendency to be nippy, but she has not shown that at the shelter. Bea is a very sweet girl. She is aloof at first but a gentle girl. Bea seems to get along well with other dogs and is very mellow. We did not see any sign of being a nippy dog at all.
Stay tuned for more.
Posted on May 15th, 2008 by michele m
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Tasha is doing well in her foster home, Joanne has this to say:
Tasha is doing well with the other pets in my home, and seems to do well when encountering other dogs on walks. She is also friendly with people and children, but is a little shy at first. She gets nervous when she hears strange noises.
Tasha has not shown any aggression toward toys or food. Tasha is not very vocal, only when she wants to let us know she wants to come in.
Tasha is not crate trained, but she behaves nicely in our home, she spends at least 5+ hours alone and it is not a problem. She does not have any accidents, it seems as though she sleeps most of the day.
Tasha doesn’t seem to be too high-energy. A couple of times she was very hyper and jumping on me, but other than that she is overall quiet and nervous.
Posted on May 10th, 2008 by michele m
Filed under: Tasha | 1 Comment »
Tasha is certainly a little gift - born on Christmas Day 2000, Tasha is a sweet petite little girl who is very shy around strangers, but loves being around other dogs and cats. She was brought into foster care after she lost her human mom and her human grandmom was not able to care for her any longer. Tasha grew up with her brother Cosmo the cat and is now in foster care with 2 foster brother dogs (1 Shiba and 1 Australian Cattle dog), a cat and 2 young children.
Tasha is a very shy little girl, and initially spent most of her time hiding under the bed. After a few short weeks, she is integrating herself into the family very nicely. She goes for daily walks with the
children and has lots of play time with the other dogs and cat. Even tough Tasha is a timid girl, she is very affectionate and does seek attention form her humans.
Tahsa does not have an aggressive bone in her body. She is doing wonderfully with the 2 children (ages 2 and 4) then she is living with. Tasha does not really know any commands, but that is being worked on in her foster home.
Lola’s foster father sent us an update on her progress:
Lola is doing very well. In my personal opinion, she is definitely adoptable to the right owners. She is a very active dog, and therefore would need active owners. She has yet to have any accidents at home, and i leave her home out of the crate while im at work (8:30-5:30)
I think whoever adopts her will have to understand that she’s a very smart dog, and will need activities to keep her occupied. Playing the same old games and tricks will get boring to her, but she gets thrilled at anything new. She eats well in her crate, but doesn’t like to stay in it for long periods of time. In the beginning, she would whine when left alone in a room, but she’s stopped doing that (i think because she knows i’m going to come back). I think she has become attached in the short amount of time we’ve been together.
We typically go out for a walk in the morning, after work, and then a jog in the evening. She still has some things to work on (jumping on people to say hi, not social with other dogs, and heel) but I think a permanent owner who knows what they’re doing will be fine.
Over the weekend I had the privilege to dogsit Penny for a day. I picked her up Sat night and upon first impression I wasn’t sure if she would let me take her anywhere. She was scared to meet me and kept howling and jogging around. After a few minutes she started to ignore me and followed her foster mom around which eventually led to following her out to the car.
When we got to my apt, she met my cats and immediately turned and stared at the front door. My gf took her for a short walk and we entered again, this time walking her through the whole apartment and right past the cats, who are almost the same size. Penny is a petite little dog and was very unsure, shy, and frightened of her new surroundings. She spent a lot of the first night in her crate or peeking into the living room, where the cats were. The cats spent a good part of the night walking into the office, staring at Penny, and walking out with big puffed tails. To my surprise, there was no fighting or fur flying through the air.
The next morning, Penny and I went for a good mile walk around the neighborhood. She got to explore new territory and pass dogs. Penny is amazing with passing dogs, she sat and watched them walk by her - no jumping, lounging, or aggression. We sat on the stoop for a while afterwards as cars drove down the street, bikes went by, joggers, lots of challenges and movement to react to. The whole time she was great. It seems if she feels that she can trust the person she is with - she is ok, still nervous but overall ok. I had to keep reminding myself to not react to her bouts of nervousness and keep her walking or just sit there and let her see that it didn’t bother me.
Penny relaxed in a night and played with us, ate, and seemed pretty content. She was thrilled to see her foster mom on Sunday night and ran around the apt with delight. We miss Penny and think she needs a home where the owner has some dog experience and could work with her insecurity. She showed me her teeth once out of fear and a quick “Hey!” that wasn’t loud just firm, stopped that for the rest of the time she was with us. She struck me as a shy and quiet dog - who needs time to feel out an environment, its noises, smells, etc and once it seems ok she’s fine.
Lola recently moved to a new foster home, her foster dad Mike had this to say:
She’s extremely friendly with people, but she’s pretty afraid of other dogs regardless of size if they make any sort of noise or advance. She really likes to jump on people, which we are working on. She’s gotten better at it though. So far we’re doing pretty good. It’s been a lot of effort but I think she’s getting calmer.
This little cutie pie is Penny. Penny is almost two years old and she’s a small, tri-colored - or what some people call a red-headed black and tan - Shiba Inu.
Penny was purchased from a pet store as a puppy. She wasn’t taught the rules or boundaries of her new home and grew up making her own rules. She was surrendered to us a few days ago because she was reportedly an ankle and foot biter, with a tendency to nip at visitors or when startled.
The first day Penny was with us, she was very quiet. I think she was sad and confused. By the second day, though, Penny was snarling at me and at Snickers when we came into “her” territory (near her crate) or when I wanted to pick her up or put her leash on. She was clearly nervous and trying to stake out her space and protect herself. After a day of quiet, firm reprimands from both myself and Snick, she decided to respect us. Now, after only four days, she is a snuggly loving girl who plays with Snickers and lets me handle her whenever and however I want. She’s adjusting to the city and she’s learning to accept new people and situations faster every day. She feels confident and safe with me and Snickers; she hasn’t snapped at anyone and I don’t really think she will.
Lola has been doing very well and is extremely sweet, although still a bit clingy and anxious. She is nervous meeting other dogs, but has not shown any aggression toward them. She LOVES people, strangers, everyone. She is more attached to Adam than me. I’m not sure if it’s me in particular or women in general.
Lola doesn’t understand toys, she just looks at them and doesn’t seem to be that interested. She will show food aggression if I am in the crate with her food (e.g., crawling in and putting it toward the back or even if she hasn’t eaten it all and I walk right up to the crate). However, now she understands “kennel” and runs in waiting for her food, so I put it in the front and she is fine. Additionally, she finishes each serving now, so no food-guarding in that sense.
Lola is very curious and affectionate, but she is aloof at the dog run. I am working on leash training her and she is progressing slowly. She gets very excited for the first 15 minutes of the walk then somewhat calms down. She’s even starting to understand “heel.”
I believe Lola would be good in a home that is patient with parents willing to provide good training and understanding her exercise needs. Should could live with a male dog as long as he is not aggressive towards her.
Posted on April 22nd, 2008 by michele m
Filed under: Lola | No 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
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Barbie has certainly relaxed a bit since moving in here a week ago. For one thing, she’s figured out how to get on the couch by herself. It’s actually cute to watch, because unless she’s got a running start, she needs to bounce a few times to get the momentum to get up there. Of course, since she’s now capable of getting up on the couch, she’s also now capable of looking out THE WINDOW! Ooooh. Now I will never, ever not know when a car parks anywhere remotely close to our house because of the Barbie Alert. The Barbie Alert sets off the Dakota Alert (who typically has no idea what he’s barking at), until I thank both of them.
Barbie’s confidence is slowly coming back and she doesn’t hide in her crate all day. Her new preferred spot is at the top of the stairs, where she can keep an eye (or ear) on everything. She’s also much more willing to come up to the husband or me for pets and rubs - particularly at the shoulders or right at the base of her tail. So far she’s been pretty okay with Dakota, aside from the little squabble they got into when Dakota decided to be selfish with his toy.
Lola came to us on 3/26 and is not yet ready for adoption. Lola is a sweet Shiba mix (or Spitz mix or Husky mix) who was found as a stray in Brooklyn and taken to the AC&C. She’s healthy, up to date on all vaccinations, and spayed.
Lola needs to be housebroken and leash trained. She’s EXTREMELY affectionate… always looking for attention from people. She doesn’t mind other dogs one way or another and seems to get along with every person and every animal. She’s a very cute dog.
Check back with us for updates on Lola.
Posted on April 1st, 2008 by kathy
Filed under: Lola | 6 Comments »
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.
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 »
A few days ago we got this new pic of Tasha. She doesn’t look like the nervous dog in her profile pic and looks like she’s having a good time in her foster home. She’s still shy but has been slowly coming around and relaxing. 
