Say hello to this very sweet 10 year old girl named Persephone! She will be celebrating her birthday this July.

Persephone was an owner surrender left at the Brooklyn AC&C due to food and environmental allergies. She’s got a good amount of fur loss in her back legs, rump and belly do to being severely itchy!

She’s very smiley and snuggly girl and is very glad to be out of the shelter and into a foster home. So far, we can see that she has a very happy-go-lucky personality and has an amazing spring in her step.

We can’t wait to see her blossom even more with good nutrition and medical care to get her on the right track and her skin and fur healthy and her allergies under control! Check back for more on Persephone!

Saya has adjusted well to her foster home. She likes her personal space and time but can also be very affectionate and cuddly. Says greets her foster family when they come home giving them kisses and welcoming pets. She also has started enjoying and feeling ok with belly rubs. Sometimes Saya also lets her foster family hug her. Her favorite form of affection is head scratches.

Clara and James, her foster family, told us that Saya has recently become really curious about other doorways or stoops on our walk. She sniffs around and stares inside if there is a glass door. In other words, it seems Saya is a nosy neighbor.

When it comes to food, Saya shows no aggression. She is hesitant of strangers she sees on the street but if they know how to approach a dog, not reach over her head or hover, she will become comfortable and sniff them. If they come too close or reach down to pet her head, she will bark and warn them that she’s not ok with how they are approaching her. When people come over to the house she gets happy and shows a lot of affections and warmth. Saya ignores children she has met unless they rush towards her then she gets uncomfortable.

Saya sometimes doesn’t like meeting other dogs if they exhibit high energy. She will become calm if the other dog is calm. She can walk by a dog and ignore them but she will react and James and Clara are working with her to learn to keep walking, not worry, and pay attention to them. Saya has a ‘behavior buddy’ – they just sit near each other and maintain calm. And a pseudo-friend dog we pass on a walk who is a yard dog on the other side of a fence – Saya sits in front of him, with the fence between them and they ignore each other calmly. Saya is learning how to not care about other dogs and their reactions to her and becoming desensitized. Most importantly, Saya has exhibited that she is perfectly capable of ignoring dogs that initiate escalation. She can walk perfectly by a dog that is barking, lunging or otherwise behaving badly at her, in fact, she will tend to do this more than rise to the bad-behavior occasion.

She has a prey drive and likes to chase squirrels and will try to charge at birds. However, she ignores cats or leaves them alone after an initial sniff and inspection. When she’s home, she has free range of the apartment and likes to sleep on her bed. She has no interest in the garbage, she is not a chewer or scratcher, things left on the floor are ignored – she just flops herself on different spots all day. One of her favorites spots is the couch.

Saya must have a home with a family that will love her for all the many wonderful, brilliant things about her but understand that she will never be a dog park dog and never be the dog that just sits beside you at brunch. She needs a patient, calm, firm leader, someone she can trust, someone who is dedicated to her continued improvement.

Happy smiles for all!

Last month, Ren was placed in a loving foster home and his new foster mom lets us know that he is thriving in his new environment! She affectionately calls him “Ren Tin Tin” because he likes to climb on rocks and pose on them just like his canine movie star counterpart. Ren has achieved what we consider his ideal weight for his frame and is a very healthy 26 lbs.  He is also reported to be in excellent health and contains a bountiful amount of Shiba puppy energy!

Besides Ren’s captivating caramel brown eyes and cream fur, our young Shiba-mix also has a docked tail, filed teeth, and a slight scar on the tip of his nose. One can only speculate on the reasons for the unusual physical adjustments on Ren since we do not know his past. All we know for sure is that he is ducks his head away when a stranger reaches to pet his head and exhibits the all signs of “keep away” body language and barking towards dogs he does not trust. This distrusting behavior is not to say that Ren should never be around new people or dogs! Ren’s foster mom and a private trainer have been working on reconditioning Ren’s initial reactions towards strangers. After lengthy introductions towards new dogs using clicker training, Ren eventually eases into getting to know the other dog and will go as far as to initiate play! With new humans, he likes to get to know new people at his own pace so it is best to ignore him until he is ready to come to you. For example, after just 10 minutes of initial introduction to his foster mom’s elderly mom, Ren now wiggles his whole body in excitement whenever he sees that his foster grandmother is visiting! At this time, it is not recommended that Ren be around small children because he needs a mature adult to understand that he needs time before he feels comfortable around them.

Ren is extremely affectionate towards humans that he trusts and you’ll often find him snoozing at his foster mom’s feet with his head

"Ren Tin Tin" posing on his rock.

resting on her lap while she’s at her computer desk. This cuddle bug will always accept a hearty belly rub. At night he happily sleeps through the night in his crate and can be left alone at home for four hours at a time as long as you leave enough toys to keep him occupied. During times of boredom when he’s alone at home, he’ll happily find entertainment by chewing anything from shoes to bedding. Dog proofing parts of the home is necessary to avoid Ren from causing “death by shredding” of your favorite items! Ren even smart enough to unscrew a bottle top!

The nickname “Ren Tin Tin” was earned by his acrobatic antics when he is outdoors chasing small animals or flying insects. At the sight of squirrels, bees, or lizards, Ren becomes a one dog show when he starts attempting to climb trees, stalk his prey, or performs on of his gymnastic moves into an azalea bush in attempt to catch a bee. Ren is a very intelligent and highly energetic dog and would require an owner who lives an active lifestyle, perhaps someone looking for a hiking or running companion. Patience is another attribute important for his forever home and so is the love of laughter because Ren will entertain you for hours!

It’s already time for another monthly update for our sweet foster Mystie! Time really flies when you’re working with a mellow and easy going Shiba like her.

Mystie’s caring foster parent lets us know that Mystie slimmed down since arriving in her care. At this time, we don’t know the exact difference in weight but the loss is significant enough to notice with the naked eye. Mystie’s coat is shiny and soft, just the way that Shiba fur should be and she is still navigating her way around very well despite her arthritis.

Mystie patiently waiting to go out for a walk!

Now that Mystie is comfortable and fully integrated in her foster home, her true personality is shining through. She is a upbeat, happy, and curious girl. She does not display any sign of behavioral issues that need to be addressed by her foster family. Last month, Mystie would get excited when she watched the cats at home leaping and frolicking in her foster home. This month she has grown accustomed to their antics and has become indifferent to their presence. Last month, she would get upset with the younger Shiba living with her because the younger Shiba intentionally behaved in a way to get a rouse out of her. This month, Mystie has been more relaxed as the younger Shiba has found less entertainment in pestering Mystie throughout the day.

Exploring wildlife and long walks are Mystie’s favorite activities. She finds a lot of joy in sniffing for chipmunks and mice. We would love to see her adopted by a family who lives out in the countryside where Mystie can meander in the meadow for as long as her heart desires. Though last month we thought that Mystie would be best in a home without other dogs, we can now see that Mystie will also do well in a home with a well-adjusted and equally mellow dog who will explore the woods with her.

Let’s all sing Happy Birthday to Snicker-Doodle, one of our newest foster Shibas, who is turning 6 or 7 years old this month! As you might have guessed from her name, she’s a tri-colored Shiba! When she first arrived in our care Snicker-Doodle clocked in at 46.5 lbs but after just one short week with her foster family, she has already lost 2.5 lbs. We are working on helping her lose more weight to alleviate the stress on her slightly shifting knee caps as recommended by the vet. Aside from her weight and knees, she is in good physical health.

Snicker-Doodle is an extremely affectionate dog. She nuzzles and pokes her foster mom with her head whenever her foster mom stops petting her and even snuggles! When outside and meeting strangers Snicker-Doodle is also very sweet to them though she will also occasionally bark and lunge in their direction. She has adapted easily to her new environment and has free range of her foster home. She can be left alone for hours at a time without causing trouble or damage. Snicker Doodle will bark at strange noises she hears outside the door of her foster home to warn everyone that someone or something is approaching. Don’t open the door without keeping an eye on Snicker-Doodle though because in true Shiba fashion, she’ll try to escape!

Her foster mom also notices that Snicker-Doodle has food aggression, guards her toy box, and hates the vacuum cleaner. Unfortunately for those reasons, Snicker-Doodle is not allowed to be around other dogs while at home, not even the resident 9 year old Shiba named Tuffy. In Snicker-Doodle’s prior home, she lived with 3 other dogs but we are recommending that she be placed in a home where she is the only pet. Her foster family has not yet been able to socialize her with new dogs without adverse reactions from Snicker-Doodle.

Snicker-Doodle’s young energy emerges during long walks and playtime with her foster mom. She loves playing tug of war and fetch with stuffed animals at home and lays down to nap immediately after a hearty walk. She even watches television with her foster family! It’s been noted that Snicker-Doodle will run up to the television screen and bark when she sees an animal on the show they’re watching! Isn’t that clever?

Check back soon to hear more about Snicker-Doodle’s progress!

Rina has gained 2 lbs in the last month and her foster family has noticed she doesn’t seem to digest chicken very well. It gives her an upset stomach. Rina will be going to vet soon because she’s been limping a bit.

Her foster family has also been doing some physical therapy with her to stretch and strengthen the muscles in her rear legs. Rina’s been taking her Rimadyl like a good dog as well as supplements for her arthritis. She’s a sweet dog and has been learning her commands. She doesn’t always listen to “lie down” but she’s learning and she’s happy.

Jack came into our care several days ago, he’s estimated to be about 3 to 4 years old and is a young Pinto Shiba. He was found as a stray in Philidelphia, was picked up by animal control, and has since come into NYCSR.

He has an injury to his right rear leg and he doesn’t put too much weight on it at the moment. Jack has been spending his days with one of our favorite vets Dr. Dazen at Animal and Bird Health Care in Cherry Hill NJ. He’s been pampered and Dr. Drazen found that Jack has a dislocated hip.

Poor Jack will need surgery to fix his dislocated hip, which seems to have been dislocated for quite a while now. Jack also has a shallow socket. However, Jack’s spirit is still optimistic and joyous.

While he’s been there, he’s had a lot of fun. He loves the attention from the staff and is particularly fond of having his neck and ears scratched. They believe he is housebroken and must have been around children. When he saw some kids one day he really wanted to meet and play with them. He also seems to get along well with dogs he’s met.

Stay tuned to learn more about Jack.

Last week Ren’s new foster mom came up to meet him. After less than an hour, he fell in love with her. Ren’s foster mom worked with him like a pro and gained his respect immediately.

His foster mom plans on continuing his obedience training and even enrolling him in agility classes after a few weeks. NYCSR could not ask for a better home for Ren. He is going to make us proud!

NYCSR wants to thank Casey from Country Haven Kennels for giving Ren amazing care over the last several months and Marissa and Above and Beyond Dog Training for going Above and Beyond in helping us train him to be the wonderful dog we have all fallen in love with. Without their dedication, Ren wouldn’t be in a foster home now.

Poe is having a great time with his foster family. He’s started to shed (blow coat) and it’s still a shiny, beautiful coat. Pretty soon Poe will be going to the vet. He has a lump on his stomach that needs to be looked at to see if it’s anything to be concerned abut. Poe’s doing well with hs anti-seizure medication and hasn’t had any seizures since he’s been in foster care.

Poe is loving, affectionate, curious about his surroundings, and friendly with people he’s met. He likes to be included in all family activities and loves going for walks. His foster mom, Kelly, has a trainer who has met Poe and together they are working on the best methods to introduce Poe to other dogs, babies, and small children. So far, Poe has been doing a great job! He takes treats from Kelly’s todder and baby very gently. He’s also not as reactive with her dogs anymore. All in all, it seems Poe is learning to live harmoniously with different people, different pets, and loving his environment.

He’s having great days, learning more tricks and commands, and looking forward to more long walks as the weather improves!

Our beautiful Shiba-mix Saya has left the care of Country Haven Kennel and is now in the care of a foster family! Here is another update by our NYCSR volunteer, Jenn, who has been working very closely with Saya since she has come into the care of our rescue.

Saya has left the kennel and is now in foster care.  During her stay at the kennel, Saya received 2 individual training sessions a week and attended 2-3 classes a week with Marissa from Above and Beyond Dog Training. Saya mastered sit, down, stay, walking nicely on a leash. Marissa also put a lot of time in counter-conditioning Saya to other dogs which minimized her reactivity to other dogs.  

Saya will probably never be able to live with another animal or go to a dog park. However, she does love being around people, going on walks, and doing the Shiba 500. She doesn’t really play with toys. She does like to dance and has a little one she does that makes anyone who is watching her laugh. She really is quite the comedian.
New York City Shiba Rescue could not be as successful as we are today without the generosity our volunteers and businesses. We want to take a moment to thank Casey at Country Haven Kennel for taking great care of Saya and to Marissa from Above and Beyond Training for teaching Saya the manners she needs in order to be an even better family member.