Zucca is being fostered by Rain and lives with Clay aka Kit now. This has been a great match, both dogs love playing together and hanging out. Zucca has helped Kit like his crate and understand what it’s for and Kit has shown Zucca what it means to be housebroken. Overall, they are a lot of fun and Rain loves having two shibas in the house.

Rain told that Zucca is mostly housebroken now and has gained some weight and grown a little. He also mentioned that her fur seems to have become softer. She’s a healthy looking dog and has great energy although sometimes she jumps on people when she’s happy to see them and has to learn better manners.

Zucca sometimes barks at strangers and seems to get nervous when initially meeting someone new. After she’s comfortable with them, she is better. Rain is working with her and shows her new things as they walk to help her understand that new experiences are not scary.

She still has some possession issues but they are mild. Occasionally she will growl at another dog if she has a toy and the other dog comes too close but she has not shown as food aggression and can have her food bowl near Kit’s with no issues. She’s also improved with her leash walking and heels when Rain stops walking and does not pull. Zucca also seems to be very smart and picking up basic commands quickly. She sits when asked and is learning to lie down. Overall, Zucca is improving and we’re glad to hear that she’s having fun with Kit and Rain.

Posted on November 23rd, 2008 by kathy
Filed under: Zucca | 3 Comments »

Zucca is doing very well in her foster home. She’s about 13lbs now and gets along well with her foster brother, to the point where she lets him stand near her when she’s eating. Talk about good friends!

At the dog run she is still a little nervous being around so many dogs; it still seems to overwhelm her. However, she’s very very good on walks and is becoming crate-trained. Zucca doesn’t seem to notice small animals such as squirrels that often, so she’s not pulled or lunged or tried to chase them. She is still aggressive about food with new dogs, and will give some attitude to stake her claim.

Zucca now knows how to Sit, Lie Down, and Come (she comes about 80% of the time). She still jumps on people that she’s comfortable with, but her foster mom is working with her to curb this behavior. She’s also working on the shyness that Zucca displays with new people and situations. Sometimes Zucca will bark at strangers, but from what we understand it’s due to her shyness and she’s trying to say, “Hey! I see you. Don’t scare me!” Her foster mom is helping her learn that not all people are going to scare her and that new things and places can be fun.

Zucca definitely does well with another dog, and could go to a home with another dog. We recommend that any owner who has a dog and is interested in Zucca, please be aware there are many new challenges that can come up when you add a new pet to the family.

Please keep checking back for updates on Zucca

Posted on October 9th, 2008 by kathy
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Zucca is doing well in her foster home. She weighs about 8-9 lbs. She is friendly with the other dog in the house except when eating - Zucca tends to be a little food aggressive. Zucca is good on walks, but gets a little nervous in the dog run. She still prefers women over men, but just needs a little time to warm up to them. Zucca is very curious of a friend’s 2 year old boy - she wants to play with him like she does the other dogs but scares him off when she gets mouthy.

Zucca would be good in a home with another dog to play with or with a family who is willing to give her the time and exercise she needs.

Stay tuned for more on Zucca’s progress.

Posted on September 5th, 2008 by michele m
Filed under: Zucca | 4 Comments »

Zucca is a 3 month old female, red and white Shiba Inu who weighs about 8lbs. and was brought to us because her owners did not have the time it takes to raise a puppy. Puppies require a lot of patience, time, and consistent training. We hope to find Zucca a forever home with people who are ready and prepared to take on all the responsibilities of raising a dog and all the sighing, frustration, and love that comes with it.

Zucca has some very typical puppy moods, sleepy and tired for periods of time and then hyper and silly. Her former owners told us that she would be very mellow for a while and then want to play and zoom around the place. In her foster home, she has a fellow Shiba Inu that she’s been making good friends with. According to her new foster family, Zucca is sweet and has some very typical puppy traits. She loves to play with toys, especially plush toys, and is not afraid to run up to her foster sister and bug her to play.

She displays some shyness towards men but they are working with her to understand that men are just as fun as other dogs and women! She’s a good puppy who has some attitude, in the sense that she doesn’t back down easily when the other dog tries to teach her manners. Zucca is create-trained and has not had any accidents in her foster home. She is learning to walk on a leash but sometimes just wants to sit down in the middle of the sidewalk. So her foster family is working with her to understand that she needs to keep moving, keep walking, and can only stop when they stop. She does not pull on the leash.

She’s completely unaffected by city noises and is happy to be outside. She’s finally gotten the hang of going up and down stairs. The first couple days she was confused by them- but now she has conquered them like a champ!

Keep checking back for more in Zucca.

Posted on August 24th, 2008 by kathy
Filed under: Zucca | 4 Comments »