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 »

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 »

Shayna is a great little dog. Snickers and I having fallen completely in love with her. Every time I watch them nuzzle and snuggle or play with each other, I think I want to KEEP HER. The only problem with that is that there is one of me and two of them. They are both fiercely loyal and loving dogs and I can’t give both of them the interaction and affection that they need. So… someone, please adopt Shayna quickly. She’s going to the vet for her checkup tomorrow and should be available for adoption forthwith.

Shayna gets along with other dogs and should definitely be in a home where she will have neighbor pals for playdates and fun time. She would also do really well in a home with other dogs as long as there are at least as many people as dogs… she loves her one-on-one play and affection time! She tried to bully Snickers when she first arrived, because she wanted more of my time and attention, but as soon as she learned the “pack order” she settled right in and they get along great. She also gets along fine with small children when she is on leash and they are calm. (No idea how she would react to children off leash.)

She is well trained - sit, down, stay, come, go to bed - but pulls on the leash in situations where she needs to “walk nice” (like in crowds). I’ve remedied this temporarily with a Gentle Leader No Pull Harness (the harness, not the halter), but she learns VERY quickly and could mostly likely be easily taught not to pull if someone spent the time with her individually. She actually really enjoys learning and is “praise driven” rather than “food driven.” Whoever adopts her should continue training in classes and at home.

Shayna barks quiet warning barks when she hears neighbors in the hall, but responds very quickly when I tell her it’s alright and she doesn’t need to bark. She has a high prey drive and will chase anything small and fast moving if given the chance. Don’t be surprised if she kills small animals, birds, mice, etc!

She is very physically affectionate and needs a home with someone that (1) doesn’t mind doggy kisses (she loves to lick you) and (2) will let her sleep UNDER the covers at night. She likes to burrow under the sheets and curl up right next to me for the first few hours each night. Shayna would also very much like a home where she has a special spot to sit and watch the world outside the window.

Posted on October 31st, 2007 by jenna
Filed under: Shayna | 2 Comments »

Shayna was surrendered by her owner because she didn’t like sharing her home with puppies. (Her owner had other dogs that had puppies recently.) Shayna was apparently very unhappy and needed a place to live where she felt more comfortable. She’s definitely comfortable living with me! Snickers and I are enjoying having our first NYCSR foster dog at home. We’re taking Shayna for her vet check soon and promise to let you know as soon as she’s available for adoption.

Shayna is very friendly. She actually LOVES people and the attention she gets from them. She gets along fine with other dogs also (but not puppies).

Posted on October 21st, 2007 by jenna
Filed under: Shayna | 11 Comments »