I am placing some young adults as pet and show dogs..  As usual these are amazing, well behaved, beautiful Shibas.  All pets are neutered, shots, microchipped and AKC registered!

This is HERO (4.16.24) His father is GCH. Hiroto and his mother is Wik from Spain. Hero needs an active and assertive owner to keep up with his spunky personality.  He is probably the most beautiful little black and tan package I have ever created. He is active, food motivated and wants to learn so would be a fun dog for sports however he is dog reactive so will need someone who can deal with that so not for the passive, faint of heart Shiba owner.  He is good with grooming, nails, walking on leash, crating, car trips and likes cats.  Hero has never shown disrespect to his mistress and listens well when on leash.  He's neutered and ready to go!

This is LOLO MEI| we call her LOLA. (9.21.23)  Ch. Cooper x Junebug. Generations of my females behind her will full DNA & OFA tests.  She has two points and nice wins in PNW competition.  She would be a nice show & breeding dog for a beginner.  She is OK with most other dogs and likes cats. Lola can me coy and sensitive but is just quite goofy most of the time. No kid experience but most of mine are very good with children.  She carries black and most likely cream too.  I have not tested for long coat but she probably carries it.  Along with a lot of other nice qualities.

COOPER (12.23.17) would like to retire to a farm with lots of little human children or grandchildren to play with.  He loooooves kids.  Cooper was raised on a farm in Spain then came to our farm in WA so we will wait for a similar situation for him or he'll stay here as our barnyard ambassador however he would love to be a full time family farm pet.  .  Cooper is easy going and will go along with whatever you want to do, home on the farm, at a show or the beach he just takes it in stride.  Cooper is also still a stud dog who produced some nice puppies for me.  They have good bone, adorable cat feet and good coat texture. He isn't bad with other males but prefers the girls of course. He has never been sick a day since we've had him and he's an easy keeper.  Doesn't dig or jump fences and is just a nice dog. 

If you are interested in any of these dogs call 360.606.6222 or email me cefmm@aol.com.

 HAPPY NEW YEAR!  from Kawa no ko Gingerbug!

What Dogs Really Need

I get lots of emails every day asking for Shiba puppies from very nice people not all of whom will end up being appropriate for the breed but I trust everyone is well meaning and kind and loves meeting well behaved Shibas they see and they genuinely feel they can raise a great Shiba. The fact is most people have it all wrong Here is an example of what people THINK a dog needs most, love and exercise.

Hi! My name is _______.  We are looking for a Shiba Inu puppy. The reason why we choose to keep a Shiba is that they are loyal, intelligent and confident. We would love its companionship, an additional family member that can offer unconditional love and emotional support to us, and we feel that the time is right to bring a puppy into our home and into our life.

My husband works from home during most of the week. I am currently a housewife.  For most of the time we will be available to take care of the puppy.  My son is 15 years old and he will be able to help to walk and take care of the puppy. So the puppy will be left alone at home very rarely. 

We live in a comfortable condominium with a 1700 sq. ft. livable area and it is near Redmond downtown. We live near Marymoor Park, where there is a large off-leash dog area. We plan to take our puppy there frequently so the puppy can get a lot of chances to socialize with the other dogs.  In addition, there is also a scenic walking trail near where we live. We enjoy walking on it and are really looking forward to going on nice walks with our puppy. We ensure that our puppy will have plenty of opportunities to exercise on and off leash so the puppy will live both healthily and happily.

I would appreciate if you can consider my application. Should you have any questions, please call me. I look forward to hearing from you soon. 

Kind regards,

_____________________

My response......

Thank you for the nice introduction of your family.  Sounds like lots of exercise for your puppy how bout training?  Have you thought of that?  I have a mentee in Kirkland that could possibly help you with some of that BUT I do require my puppy people come to my home on weekends for Shiba training and you are very far away to drive here every weekend.  

While exercise is wonderful to keep a puppy fit the most important part of creating a well behaved and well adjust Shiba that doesn't bite is TRAINING.  A balance of exercise, training and affection is the key to proper communication and relationship with any companion animal and it is sadly imbalanced in all the cases bad behavior I see in my animal training practice every single day.  Giving lavish affection and over stimulating fondling & petting and letting a dog go wild in dog parks and pointless long walks is all one sided without a goal in mind this will back fire on you.   So it is my goal to teach proper interaction and create calm and gentle Shibas which after all, is what most people really want.

It is awesome that someone can always take care of your puppy but puppy must also learn to be alone at home without stressing out becoming destructive or barking and howling not to mention punishing YOU when you come home!  HA!  Being alone is not natural for many animals BUT they live in our society and I bet if you think about it there is more time your home is empty of people then you realize.  Staying alone is skill that must be taught to your puppy for his own mental health and safety.

I bet you did not think owning a dog would be so difficult.  Training is necessary for your Shiba but your family also needs to learn how dogs think, what motivates their behavior we deem "naughty" and how to avoid creating bad habits.  I find it is human nature to inadvertently reward Shibas when you think you are doing the right thing.  I can point it out all day just sitting in a park and watching people with their dogs or horses.  It is MY nature to think like an animal most of the time since I am surrounded by them on my farm.

Next, did you know you have a Shiba breeder in your same town????  It really would be to your advantage to work with a breeder who is closer to you that way she can help you with hands on instruction when you need it.  Her name is _________ and her information can be found on the breeder directory of the national Shiba club at shibas.org.  If she can't help you will see other breeders closer to you than I am.

I hope the information I provided helps you in your search for an appropriate companion from a fabulous breeder who will be there to support you while raising your new puppy.

Sincerely,

Cheri

In my years as an animal trainer and Shiba breeder I see and hear about it all the time.  Untrained & disciplined dogs, cats, horses & birds and children are everywhere you look.  This makes all involved unhappy, sad and disappointed in a dream they had for themselves AND for that animal or little human.  It sucks.  Frankly no wants to be around these undisciplined beings and their humans as they cause annoyance and in some cases chaos and fear.

I take full responsibility for making mistakes in a few placements of puppies over the years. It happens to all breeders. The people are nice and they SINCERELY think they can handle a Shiba even after I give them my spiel about how spoiled Shibas bite.  I also think going to shows and visiting breeders such as myself is misleading because it looks easy and the reality is that it is far from easy.  Returning a dog to the breeder because he is biting the family is devastating. Families love their Shiba regardless of it abusing them. Both the breeder and the buyer are emotionally and financially invested in the dog.  I have taken 2 males back recently, retrained them, discovered their quirks and placed them more appropriately and they are now freaking fabulous dogs for their new very strict owners.  I do the best I can to place appropriately the first time but sometimes you take a chance on a family and it doesn't work out.  All I can do as a responsible breeder is take the dog back.  

If you are reading my blog I hope you get something out of my honesty.  Breeders are human too and we all make mistakes.  Luckily dogs are the most forgiving animals created.  Humans can and do withstand outrageous trauma and drama and can bounce back but they aren't nearly as forgiving as a dog who lives its life in the moment.

Best wishes to you and the animals.

C

Worldwide Pet Shipping

I get a lot of inquiries from people all over the US and occasionally from around the world asking me to ship them a Shiba puppy as a pet. When I give a simple NO they start asking a lot of questions that I wish I didn't have to elaborate on but I've made a comittment to my breed so I'm obligated to explain this to them.

Hopefully the world will read this and have a better understanding of how breeders think and will self assess themselves as potential Shiba owners.....or not.

You just want a pet right? Responsible breeders don't sell pets outside a certain radius from their home. I find it's based on what they are personally comfortable with. One breeder I know only places puppies within 60 miles! I thought that was a little to restrictive for me. I personally say 1/2 a day's or 250 miles for first time Shiba owners and I only ship pets on the west coast to people who have had a Shiba before and I really prefer they fly in to pick them up personally. With Covid I've shipped two puppies on the 90 minute flight to CA.

Why do breeders have a personal pet puppy placement radius? Because this breed is very complicated and requires help from the breeder to raise it properly. What the heck does that mean? It means 50-75% of first time Shiba owners create spoiled, ill-mannered & unruly Shibas that BITE them indiscriminately. Owners just don't understand why the Shiba they treated so well and gave everything they ever wanted, still bites them. Owners learn from these first mistakes and do much better with their next Shiba by setting limits and enforcing good behavior and actually following their breeder's instructions for raising a nice Shiba. THIS IS WHY YOU WANT YOUR BREEDER CLOSE TO YOU.

Most people buy a dog for enjoyment, to enhance their life as a companion to their family and NOT for a lot of added stress to their lives. When you have a Shiba their will be some stress at times which is created by the drama. Shibas are dramatic. Dramatic look and dramatic behavior. Fun and interesting to some people, giant pain in rear to other people who would be so much happier with a more "simple" and "normal" dog.

Yes, breeders do sell to other breeders all over the world. They still take time to develop a relationship with each other and they want to be sure their dogs will be treated & cared for well and well loved just like they would with a pet owner. Most of us will not sell a dog to anyone we think will just keep the Shiba in their kennel and not treat like a pet as well as a show & breeding dog. We know Shibas don't thrive in kennel environments.


Breeders see no purpose in shipping puppies strictly as pets across the country or world. It's a lot of work to arrange and not necessarily kind to the puppy. It's not unnecessary as you can find a pet within driving distance IF a breeder thinks you can properly raise a Shiba puppy. If you have been turned down by several local breeders you should probably accept the consensus that the breeders believe this isn't the right breed for you. It's NOT that you are a bad person or bad dog owner just that you will do better with another breed.


EVERYONE wants a Shiba based on the cute looks but I tell them all dogs are a lot more than just looks. Then they tell me they also like the independance, spunkiness and brilliance. What people don't understand (until they are living it) is that with those characteristics are the reason for all the problems people have with the breed like running off and not coming when called, fighting with other dogs, hunting and killing smaller animals to name a few. It's because they are so smart that they get bored and constantly create new problems to keep their owners busy 24/7 solving those problems not to mention making home repairs.


A good question to ask yourself is would you still want a Shiba if it was hairless. Your decisions would be based only on the characteristics and temperament of the breed. It would still be independent, spunky and brilliant. If you say no then you should look at another breed.


That's my honest truth. It's the only way I operate, with true and tough information that people don't always like to hear. You can find someone to take your money and sell you a Shiba puppy if you keep looking but you won't be getting the best quality & healthy Shiba you are expecting. Anyone who would ship a pet quality puppy OF ANY BREED a long way doesn't care about their dogs at all. These purchases are done with puppy mills and dog brokers. It is bad enough to send top quality puppies across the world, breeders don't like doing it but sometimes it is the right thing to do to help build a healthy breeding program in that country. That is the ONLY reason to be shipping animals across the world.


I hope this information helps you understand breeders views on shipping pet puppies and also helps you make a good decision on whether this breed is right for you or not.


As usual, wishing you all good health and much happiness.


C

Choosing sire & dams

This was going to be an post about how I choose males for my lovely female Shibas but it's turned into something else with my over flowing of words and information.  

The males we choose to breed to our lovely Shiba girls are usually not the same dogs as the breeders around us use or the newest champion in town.  There usually end up an abundance of offspring from new champions in what is called  "popular male syndrome."  Luckily in the PNW we have some great breeders and above average quality in our dogs but I am usually looking for something completely different then show wins and pretty faces when I choose a sire for a litter.

First of all a breeder has to know their female dogs well. Know their natural tendencies in behavior that is called their temperament.  Are they over reactive to stimuli? Are they more active then you'd like in a house dog? Are they a bit shy or timid in new surroundings?  Those are things you can modify with exposure and training so you have to know what they would do naturally in those situations because that is what their pups will tend to be like also and pet owners don't have the skills to deal with an already difficult breed that has a lot of hurdles to overcome to create a great pet.  Then you look at the physical qualities you may want to change.  Is the topline soft, or is the tail too tight, do you want more pigment in the coat? More slant to the eye or ear pitch.  And of course their is personality traits are also passed.  Are they sweet natured and kind, do they play with other dogs or go all Cujo, do they enjoy training?  Then I know the kind of males I am looking for to enhance the temperament and personality of the females.  

Something I've learned over the years is most breeders don't learn enough about their dog's trainability and tractability if they don't teach their dogs strict manners and basic to advanced obedience so always keep that in mind when interviewing breeders.  Good breeders show their dogs in conformation but only minimal training is required to be successful.  GREAT breeders ALSO train their dogs in performance events like FORMAL obedience, agility & tracking.  Less training is required for rally, scent work, barn hunt, lure coursing, tricks and all the other kooky events AKC has come up with in an attempt to create attainable titles for the average owner and to stimulate income in what can only be called the dying sport of dog shows.  STILL with a Shiba ANY performance sport is a MAJOR deal because their nature is so independent. It's not in their DNA to play as a team like it is for other AKC breeds.

In the male, of course I want a beautiful dog with great features but I'm always wanting to improve upon on the female I am considering breeding him to.  I tend to go with an older male 5-7 years old who is MELLOW, easy going, non dog aggressive and a great companion and house dog.  Then I look at his overall health and the puppies he has produced in the past.

My main goal is great temperament and personality, health and beauty.  If a Shiba doesn't have a fantastic personality and good heart and isn't adored by his owner they won't pay a giant vet bill in an emergency.  If an owner pays a $40,000 vet bill to save their Shiba they really love that Shiba!  Realistically I know I can't pay that kind of a vet bill nor do I expect any of my young pet owners to pay that kind of bill but when an owner does decide to go in major debt for a pet you stand up and take notice.  You know who you are............Ichi.  As a breeder I know I did something right and produced a great family dog when the family loves them that much.  Sigh of awwwwww.

So a breeder has to focus on a lot more than just putting two pretty dogs together.  There is an old saying that many of you have probably have never heard before, "pretty is and pretty does."  I actually said that once and was asked what that meant.  In such a superficial world everyone should know that saying.  A pretty dog, human, horse, cat, whatever is only as beautiful as his or her actions.  Example: a pretty dog that bites everyone is only a pretty big asshole and has no redeeming qualities worth reproducing.

While no being is perfect, when breeding dogs you want the scale to tip to freaking awesome!  

Then there is health to consider.  I'm going to write another post on it in detail but genetic and physical testing is very important.  We rarely have hip dysplasia in Shibas yet we always test for it.  Why?  Because if we stop it will creep back into the genepool when we aren't looking.  The Shiba is overall a very healthy breed compared to a dog like a Golden Retriever who probably has about ever health problem you could possibly think of and a ton more to be yet discovered.  It is probably the most popular dog in the entire world and for good reason.  The funny thing is the Shiba and the Golden are about as far apart as you can get if you start comparing temperament and behavioral traits.  Very rarely do I have a person who owns a Golden inquire about a Shiba.  I can think of 2 times and one was actually a Goldendoodle............yikes, don't get me started.

Behavioral traits and personality are import to me.  Not many breeders are professional dog trainers who study dog behavior.  Most people and most breeders just lump temperament & personality together and I don't.  While both temperament and personality have genetic markers to pass them on personality is a little trickier.  Maybe a better example is this, a good temperament is a good temperament in any breed.  Stable minded, proper energy level for the breeds purpose, no extreme reactions to stimuli.  But a good personality in a Golden is totally different then a good personality in a Shiba.  So if you were doing an AKC temperament test for Shibas and Goldens you would get different reactions to some of the portions of the test because of breed differences.

All my dogs have excellent temperaments for Shibas but each one has a different personality.  Some are super attentive, always near you, willing to please, wanting to do tricks for treats and others don't give a rip what you are doing or what you might ask of them they just go through life happily chasing butterflies and killing bunnies.  Both are totally great Shibas.  More on the difference between male and female pets in another article.

Below is Haku with Darla looking on (horse right above Darla's tail).  These dogs are soooo different, both great Shibas.  Darla is my mock border collie and is honest as the day is long. She waits for instructions while Haku doesn't give a second though about darting out an open door in impetuous Shiba fashion.  Haku is more the norm but my goal will always be for another Darla because it is my personal preference in a pet.  Darla is a tad more active in the house then I typically like but she can control her impulses pretty well.  Haku is a great house dog and if I am still he will mimic me and lay down to wait until I move again.  I have to TELL Darla to lay down but luckily she listens.  So they both have great temperament and different personalities, both great dogs.  A Darla type dog is usually easier for a pet owner to "train" and Haku dog is the kind of dog best managed with baby gates.

I love the tail on Darla, Haku's is OK but less curled tails balance out the front and the back of the dog better but Haku has soooo many other good traits I use him to enhance a female lacking in those traits.  Goals, goals, goals.  And I'll leave you with that.

Holiday memories with dogs and their people

I want to tell about a wonderful memory of the holidays we had when we lived in California.

We used to have a haunted cemetery at my parents house every year and I considered that my very own birthday celebration. It came complete with the fog and lightning machines and all the other possible goodies and gadgets from the current Halloween technology of the time. I had painted a castle structure to surround for the porch and a big sign for the opening of the cemetery complete with a lounging skeleton on the top that said " The Fellinger's Very Scary Cemetery." It was way cool.

All my available friends would come over all dressed up to "work the grave yard." We'd have snacks and drank adult punch (tee hee) and could chat to catch up while I did their zombie makeup and everyone got into character. Tina would stir the giant bubbling kettle dressed like a witch. Joy would pop out of the coffin and I would draw attention on the street and guide passers by through the maze of tombstones. We have several zombies, a devil and even more ghosts hiding amount the tombstones. My friends all knew they couldn't do anything more wonderful for my birthday then making these memories every year as it's my favorite day of the year.....Halloween.

My parents got a kick out of counting the trick or treaters and families that came from other neighborhoods. One year 650! Every year my parents would say they had to buy more and more candy but I could tell they really loved it. We did that for about 10 years. After Marcel and I moved to WA my parents said people would come to the door and asked what happened. My nephews tried to carry on but they didn't quite have the finesse it took to be just scary enough NOT to scare the little ones.

My obedience school students had a doggie costume contest and many of them helped put on a dog & owner Halloween costume contest at the Pleasant Hill October Fest celebration to raise money for local animal charities and we had a decorated graveyard backdrop for $5 photos.

For Christmas we had dress up again at dog school and we also put on pictures with Santa at any pet related store that would have us. Marcel got peed on a lot. That's pretty funny.

We also went in several parades each year. You've probably read my earlier posts about how we met our first Shiba. If you look closely at the picture below you will see Marcel in the middle with Spencer the Poodle and Kiko the first Shiba we ever met and who inspired us to get our own Shiba. Kiko was a dog training project since 3 other trainers had deemed her emotionally "unreachable' and "untrainable." Sheesh. She turned out great under our tutelage and her owner added Spencer to the family. We were their pet sitters and they joined us in adventures until we moved to WA.

Funny story.....Liz and Lola (the dog) who went to my dog school became best friends of ours and since Liz lived several cities away she would bring Lola to the house before work then come get her before we left for dog school. She said she wondered what we did all day. One day she got of work early and snuck up to the house and peering through the screen door she saw Taboo and Lola sitting next to my sewing machine, each with bunny ears on their heads! BUSTED! We still laugh about that.

Marcel's mom worked at a convalescent facility as a nurse her entire carrier and Marcel and I went there for a few house every holiday because we figured it was the most lonely time for those who didn't have family or who's family did not come visit or take them home for the holidays. We started a group of interested students in joining us. We did visitations to 3 local facilities and started our own chapter of therapy dogs.

We got to know several of the full time residence at the facility mom worked at because we picked her up every day after work. Sometimes we would go in to say hi if we arrived before mom got off duty. Mom said the elderly folks really liked seeing young people and we brightened up the place. Sometimes we would bring little things for people to enjoy like flowers or pictures to hang in the communal areas.

One young resident had been brain damaged by gun fire in a robbery. When we would stop in to see how his day was going he would always say "it's a good day to be alive" with a big smile. He really enjoyed our Rottweiler Taboo. That nice young man passed away from complications of his injury eventually. One day we went to pick up mom and she said he had passed.

Another permanent resident was a dedicated & decorated veteran. We really enjoyed talking to him because he had spent time in Japan and he knew what our Shiba Inu was as soon as he saw her and told us about the different Shibas and other Japanese breeds he'd met while stationed there. He talked through a machine that looked like a tiny laptop computer. I can't remember exactly why he had lost the ability to speak, maybe throat cancer but we had to be patient while he typed. He was a very intelligent and charming man.

Our dogs had a lot of different costumes we would put on them when we'd go visiting. Taboo pulled a cart that we could put decorations in. She had a sleigh, an Easter basket, a Conestoga chuck wagon and an American flag covered wagon she'd wear with her uncle Sam hat and cap for 4th of July. Taboo was not good with other people and I could never leave her alone in the house with anyone (even Marcel for a while) but the two things she loved were obedience shows and pully that cart. Her face would light up and her little nubby tail just wiggled. She was always good when I was present but I think she just enjoyed frightening people. It was just her personality and she got a kick out of it. Nobody else did though.

Every animal you meet or own will teach you something new if you just pay attention to them. It can be hard to see them as teachers when they are being naughty but as I think back to all our pets that have passed and all the people and their animals I've met during my training career it has been a fantastic life and quite the education. Enjoy these pictures I know I did looking at them again.

Evacuation from Summer Fires

 E-gads.  Like we don't have enough to worry about with Covid and of course with life in general now the fires are crazy on the west coast.  Talk about culling the herd.  Geez.  We are basically surrounded by them and anyone could end up trapped.  It's not very often that civilians die in fires but I know that some died in OR.  This is terrible.

We are in level 1 preparation mode at this time. There is a fire 16 miles up the road where an evacuation is in order but it's only 8 miles as the crow flies.  Poor Marcel has asthma and of course I can't expect him to help much in this situation because he has to stay inside so it's all on me and I'm so tired.  Loaded trailer for horse, dogs and cats yesterday.  Luckily a friend stopped by to help me before she got her own pets out of town.  Wow. 

I am blessed with many fabulous friends.  I had a place to take my menagerie of animals offered to me.  I didn't even have to ask and Marcel has a room closer to work so if it gets to that point so we are covered that way thank goodness.  My friends keep calling to check on me.  

It really is important to be ready for the worst case scenario.  I got the basics covered but I have things in the house I need to look for while I still have the time so that is my goal today.  Photographs are important to me so it's a scary movie and going through the boxes and boxes of photos.  Of course I had to take the many many boxes of cremains I have from pets.....and a few people.  I'm sentimental and can't leave them behind especially since I have time but man, they weigh a lot!

And of course I'm still getting puppy inquiries.  During this plethora of inquiries I have found many great people and families and many of them have had Shibas before but of course I have to turn away a lot of people too.  By now I am booked for my next 7 litters. That's at least two years work for me. Could take longer if the female only has a one puppy litter but it could be a shorter wait if there are 4 or more in a litter. That is all I can say at this time.  All the best breeders are booked out a year or more.

Well that's all for now.  I hope anyone who reads this is safe, healthy and happy.

C

Finding perfect homes for dogs and puppies

Marcel and I both grew up with animals in our respective families and once we moved in together we've never had a pet-less moment.  Our lives pretty much revolve around our animal pets.  We've had many breeds of dogs, cats, horses, rats & mice, birds, rabbits and hedgehogs.  We've taken in many animals in need and found them their perfect forever homes.  My lifelong friend Tina says "You have a knack for finding perfect homes for animals" and that has always been a blessing.

Most of the dogs we breed ourselves will be placed as pets either as 8 week old pups or as a young adult after a career as a show & breeding dog. I think it's even better to find homes for mature animals because we really know them and know what kind of situation will make them happiest.

As rule my Shiba girls will have 3 chances to produce their female puppy replacement utilizing 3 different sires.  The puppy should be better than her mother and hopefully ads the qualities of the sire I picked for her as well.  If I haven't gotten a puppy from the female after 3 litters there just isn't any reason to breed her again.  She will be spayed and "career change" to a super pet for someone.

The majority of my girls fit right in the pet home I place them in like they have lived there for their entire life and go on to be the best dog their owners have ever had.  I hear that over and over again.  Or how they are thrilled that their last Shiba's negative behaviors aren't present in the girl I placed with them. It never grows old hearing how loved my girls are in their second home.

Knowing my Shiba girls the way I do it's usually pretty easy to find them a perfect home.  Luckily my dogs are well adjusted and fit in just about anywhere a person is somewhat Shiba savvy.  The one thing I'm sure is of they are used to running and sunning in large paddocks and while most would rather be having their turn inside the house with us they still like to go for a yard patrol and potty break so I don't place them in apartments of condos.

What becomes a problem is when a person makes comparisons to their last dog, be it Shiba or another breed.  People who have had other breeds are surprised by the Shibas non dog-like behaviors.  Even people who had Shibas before forget what it was like when  their Shiba was a puppy, they only remember the last few well behaved years together.

New dogs of any age in a new home must be treated like puppies when it comes to bathroom habits and taken out every few hours until you see regular success.  Dogs that must now go potty on leash can have bashful bladders.  Shibas have been known to "hold it" for 4 days or more until they get home to familiar grass or gravel or whatever.  Shibas are truly creatures of habit which can work for you or against you.

Shibas that are well adjusted are more likely to be open to new situations and in forming new habits in new homes.  Dogs that are not well socialized and haven't been challenged with new experiences as puppies have a hard time with changing homes.

We always give people 21 days to return a puppy or dog that doesn't work for them for any reason.  I seriously try to impress upon the new owner that this time should be spent really observing the dog in their home and looking for potential deal breakers and then sticking to their guns.  It's hard for most people to think with their minds and not their hearts when it comes to pets.  I would not offer to take the dog back if it didn't matter to me.  A pet is supposed to add enjoyment to your life not make it more complicated, difficult, sad, messy or angry.  There is always another dog that will fit better and make you both happy.

Over the years we have only gotten a handful of dogs returned because we usually place them wisely but circumstances do change and sometime choices need to be made.  I don't condem those that return a dog, I think they are strong and caring and probably thinking with their mind which they need to do in this situation.  Most of these dogs are rehomed with no problem.  Some have been real gems.  We finally kept one Rottweiler that was returned 3 times.  I think he was the best Rottweiler we've ever had and I miss him every day.

How deeply do we need investigate the the people who inquire about a puppy?  Usually I get a feeling about a person whom I've talked to a few times and then eventually they come to house to meet face to face and I can observe how the adults supervise their children's interaction with the dogs. Marcel and I make a great team because he thinks to ask all the questions I've forgotten to ask about.  Then we discuss our instincts about the potential puppy owners we've met.  We do home checks on local people and I have a network of other breeders all over the US that can do home checks for us.  Google satellite is awesome.  References are called.  A google search, Facebook scan and in some cases a background check will reveal something that makes placing a puppy with them not possible.  Also, the Shiba community will go on alert if a questionable person is making the rounds to breeders searching for a puppy.  Unfortunately there is always someone who will sell them a puppy.

Finding great homes can be a challenge for animal breeders that really care about the sweet baby animals they produce.  Those babies depend on us, their breeder, to find them the best homes we can.

Time for goodbye to a good dog.

The sad fact is that animal lovers will outlive many pets. How do we deal with this loss?

Many people tell me they just can't stand the loss of another animal so they won't get another cat, dog, insert animal here.  I don't understand this way of thinking at all.

I used to get sad and depressed and stay in bed for weeks but I've overcome that.  Now too many animals depend on me for their care to take the time to grieve in that manner.

Now I focus on the good times and remember my animals fondly and without so much sadness.  Instead I am happy in the knowledge that I gave them the best life I could and I let them leave this earth with their dignity.

So how do you know when it's the best time to take your pet his last visit to the vet for euthanasia?  Everyone has a different opinion for this but Marcel and I have decided that we would rather not see any animal suffer much further than the regular woes of old age.  Once an animal shows us his quality of life is gone we have the discussion about the next move.  I have my own way of finding the best time to end my animal friend's life.

If you listen your dog, cat, horse he will tell you when he's ready to go.  Have a quiet moment alone together.  Clear your mind of all thoughts and breath deep and slow.  Relax your body all over. You can speak or you can just think it but ask the question "are you ready to go?" then being quiet and concentrating on your breathing wait for a response and his answer should just pop into your mind. Some people have the "gift" and can do this easily and other people never achieve the ability to communicate with animals in this manner.  I seem to only be able to do to it when the situation is very serious and the weight is heavy on my mind about an issue being passing or doing something else like moving one to a new home.

Many people keep their animals alive simply because they can't let go.  I do not think of that as kindness.  To me it is very sad situation.  Animals live in the moment, that is what they have to teach us silly humans.  When there are no more good moments for them it is kinder to let them go. This is against the grain for us humans who typically live in the past and then spend our lives planning for some uncertain future.

Animals bring such joy and special knowledge to us humans I can't imagine not having some kind of pet in my life.  I hope there is never a time when I can't take care of a pet because that will be the time I'm ready to leave this world and see all my past pets in the next phase of my being.  And what's sad about that??????

Shibas in Pandemic

While people are in lock down at home during the pandemic they start thinking about how this would be a perfect time to get a puppy.  AKC informed their members that puppy inquiries are up 65%.  The news tells us shelters and rescues have been emptied out by adopters.  I think there are two perspectives on this.  The first is if we responsible breeders do not provide good quality health puppies to those interested in purchasing one buyers will be forced to buy from puppy mill and back yard bred dogs on line and in virtual pet stores.  The other train of thought is that responsible breeders should only place puppies as planned with people with those who are on their paid reservation or waiting list because everyone else is just bored and looking for pups on a whim and once everyone goes back to school and work the pups will left alone at home or taken back to the shelter or rescue where they came from. 

I don't necessarily think the second perspective is true of all purebred dogs. Usually if someone pays a large amount for something they don't trash it but there is no denying that we live in a vary wasteful culture.  Hopefully we get to know our buyers and know they have given purchasing a Shiba a LOT of thought.  Besides, breeders have agreements that if any of their dogs ever need to be re-homed it should be returned to the breeder.  Buyers SIGN this agreement but do they follow through?

I have had a few people break the rule.  This is after they have jumped through all the hoops to convince me they are ready for a Shiba only to find out they can't deal with it for no fault of the Shibas but the fault of their own over confidence.  They are embarrassed to come back and have to admit it was too difficult or it didn't fit their lifestyle after all or they plain old aren't cut out for a pet.

People say all kinds of things to me that they expect I want to hear.  Those things make me shudder because I know better.

• I work from home
• We live near the dog park
• We plan on using doggie daycare
• I grew up with dogs
• I've read everything about Shibas
• We feel confident and ready for the Shiba temperament
• I've never actually met one but......fill in all the statements above.

Yikes I say!  I have rebuttals for all those statements that I won't address here.  While all those things might influence the outcome it could never prepare you for the journey through your soul you are about to embark on. 

A lot of it boils down to how well do you know yourself and are you HONEST WITH YOURSELF about your capabilities to own an animal as smart and complex as a Shiba?  Because they do have an evil and mischievous side that is going to test every fiber of your being.  I shit you not.

It doesn't matter where you acquire your Shiba it is still a Shiba.  If you get your Shiba from a rescue you might be told about all the illnesses the Shiba currently has, that he screams and nips at people or other animals when he is scared and that he will take a long time to adjust and trust you, etc., etc.  If you get your Shiba from a breeder they can tell you all about the Shibas healthy background and you can see the good temperament of both parents and how your proper care & training will make him a wonderful family dog.  Both are Shibas and both are extremely intelligent.

This is how a Shiba negotiates the world:

Self preservation is the top priority for a Shiba which means not trusting anything or anyone but themselves until proven otherwise. Running away and/or screaming and biting being the most likely response when stressed, challenged or threatened.  Protecting themselves from other dogs manifests as dog to dog aggression.  He's scared for his safety so he attempts to make the intruder go away by attacking it before it attacks him.  Always just staying out of reach from owners grabbing hands equates to staying safe from the slashing tusks of wild boar. They are extremely fast and agile. Learning by observation and just one or two repetitions means they stay safe and are prepared for the next move.   The aloof and dismissive attitude toward strangers tells us the Shiba does not NEED humans, they are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves and surviving in the wild, something ingrained in them from thousands of years as a semi-feral village dog in the mountains of Japan.  The Shiba decides to stay with a human family if it sees value in the arrangement, if not, they move on just like a cat.  It will be perfectly clear to you if the Shiba is not happy and is requesting to move on. 

Right now is a bad time to try to meet Shibas but I usually tell people to go to a Shiba meetup group and spend some time with Shibas.  There is nothing like first hand experience with the breed and talking to other pet owners about the complexity of living with one.  Depending on you and whom you finally get your Shiba from it will be a piece of cake OR the most difficult thing you've ever done. The words in articles or books cannot fully explain the experience.  It's all sugar coated.  But that being said, people who own Shibas become completely devoted to the breed.  It is a life changer.  Kinda like surviving a family tragedy and coming out the other side a different person.  I became a better person with a more accepting and understanding nature.  It's a strange thing but I see it over and over with everyone who becomes involved with this breed.  It engulfs your life.  Shibas have lessons to teach us, it's amazing.

So even with the challenges and difficulties this breed it's sooooo worth it.  Most people will be hooked on the breed the rest of their lives and will tell you no other breed will do for them.  A few will say they'd never have another one, it was an awful experience.

I think the first major obstacle for Shiba owners to overcome safety issues.  Can you keep your Shiba alive and in your possession through the puppy & teen stages to the adult stage. Once to they are adults and you have a system for containment and control things get much easier. That is besides the fact that all dogs seem to settle down by 3 years of age. 

Human nature being what it is everyone thinks they can handle a dog.  Humans also like to find out the hard way.  After you have chased your Shiba through the woods for two days or through several lanes of  busy traffic you most likely will not make that mistake again. 

So considering life with a Shiba is a major deal.  Our home, the yards, the barn and small kennel is organized and fenced to manage and maintain our Shibas safely and even so we constantly need to be looking out for the new and exciting ways the Shibas attempt to escape so we are constantly changing our system.  NOT they want to run away per say, we own a large property with plenty of space.  Their goal is always to get into the house and get the 4 delicious meals a day that momma's get when they are raising baby puppies in the kitchen.

There are so many good qualities in the Shiba too.  They're clean, quiet, non demanding of attention, perfect size for a house dog and for traveling with, easy to train (not as easy to make listen), gentle, sweet, they mirror your energy level at home but are always ready for action and adventure.  Once you overcome the more difficult stuff he is a loyal friend that still retains his dignity and independence. They are also just fascinating to observe while they interact with nature.  They make you laugh. What's not to love? Then there is always the cute factor because it's off the freakin' carts!  Like any relationship it takes time, dedication and commitment and it's totally worth it.

What is a good Shiba owner?

My regular spiel is "passive people do not do well owning Shibas".  I do think a person should be somewhat assertive to own any kind of animal.  A passive rider of a 1200 pound horse will soon lose control of the horse's actions correct?  A passive person with a 20 pound dominant female Shiba will also lose control of the dog's actions.  Then it's oops, she slipped her out of her way too loose collar (can't be mean with a chain collar right?) and darted into traffic. One dead dog....not good. Who's in charge now?  Just sadness & regret.

I tend to find myself on the fence about so many important issues but when it comes to dogs my opinions are pretty definitive.  I know I'm an extrovert as I know what I want to convey and I'm confident in expressing it.  However, many times I'd rather be an introvert and let someone else go for it and wait and see if my own opinion can be swayed by a good theory.  Does that mean I am this new thing they call an ambivert?  I think not.  Sometimes I think labels are just a bunch of hog wash anyway.  Shibas taught me that.  A Shiba can be dangerously aggressive toward smaller animals but obliging to a Rottweiler or a giant horse. They can be submissive with their human owner but leathal to another Shiba in the household.  Shibas can be total opposites of the scale on traits based on the danger to themselves......they aren't stupid.

I would say both introvert and extroverts can be good dog owners.  It's more about actions then feelings when you are dealing with animals.  Remember all other animals besides humans live in the moment.  They don't much care about your thought on things or your past experiences. They just know what they want at that moment in time and their goal is to make the stupid human to give it to them.  The rest doesn't matter. There are very few gray areas with animals.  Their decisions are based on instincts of survival even if they aren't in any danger at the moment.  You don't see it as much when you have one or even two pets but when you get packs like we have, it's very obvious if you are at all attentive.

Important thing is you are open minded enough to think like a dog because lets face it, dogs do NOT have the capacity to think like humans.  So that is what I look for in good potential Shiba owners.  It isn't science but science has proven that we have to think on the animals level, thinking like a human is way too confusing for them and if you treat them like little furry humans it won't work for the animal or the human.  That way of thinking always ends badly for both parties.

Shibas are such cool dogs, they aren't like any other animal.  They have tons to teach us stupid humans about the natural world. Things we have long forgotten.  If we will only listen to them.  It is such a gift!  However to keep them safe in this land of humans we need a form of communication to speak to them with.  You must learn it.  If you do this will be the most rewarding relationship of your life and it will definitely change you in ways you can't even imagine.  My sister is always telling me she never thought I would be the way I am now.  I was such a type "A" (for asshole....tee hee).  Now I am relaxed and truly generous with my heart.  The Shibas changed me for the better. It's a gift I can never repay.  There is just no way.

All my animals have taught me things.  I've made a TON of mistakes with my animals and they have all forgiven me.  How generous is that????  When I don't listen to them, shit happens.  Ooops.  I should have listened!  Women are notorious for not following their heart or listening to their instincts.  We always question it when we should just go with it.  It's human nature at work.  Damn it.....I hate when I was right the first time and didn't listen to myself!!!!!

Anyway, owning a Shiba is a learning experience you should not deny yourself if you feel at all drawn to them in any way.  As long as you listen to your breeder's suggestions on care and training you should have a really nice dog.  You pay for their experience so don't believe you know better then they do just because you've owned other dogs in the past.  LISTEN and LEARN.  You will never regret this decision.  If you do, return the Shiba to his breeder and move on.  It's still a learning experience none the less.  Just because you aren't a perfect Shiba owner doesn't make you a bad dog owner.  Life is way to short to have a dog, horse, cat or spouse you can't get along with.  Everyone deserves to be happy so make it happen for yourself.

I miss my cat Ming sooooooo much.........

The day after a wonderful Thanks Giving at a friend's house our cat Ming howled at me and I knew something was wrong.  We left for the vet right away.  He had crystals for the second time in his life and this time it was too late.  He was already septic when we got him there, he died, alone at the vet.  They actually put him in his crate to get transferred to ER for the night.  He was already dead as we stood at the counter to pay for him. I knew he was dead but I didn't want to say it out loud because it would make it all real. Over $1000 in just under 4 hours. The money doesn't matter.  I would have paid any amount to save him.  Truth is, I'd have traded the life of any one of my dogs if I could and I love my dogs an awful lot. There's a lot more to the story and a lot of things are yet unanswered about why a dead pet was packed up for us but it doesn't seem to matter now.  We're just sad because we don't have our baby cat anymore.  Marcel wants to sleep all the time to avoid thinking of him.  I have run myself ragged, working too much to avoid thinking of him.  I can't sleep at night, I have insomnia and I'm so used to listening to him purr next to my head until I fall asleep.  Ming was my special once in a lifetime heart cat.  I'm so glad I told him every day that he was the most favorite cat I ever had and he knew it was true.  I think he thought I was his mate.  Oh, he loved Marcel too but he was my shadow.  I couldn't sit down without him appearing.  He sat on my shoulder when I typed.  He watched me all the time.  I don't think there will ever be another cat like that for me. 

I'm a big girl and we've lost lots and lots of pets over the years but this one is the hardest since I was young and didn't yet know as much about loss of loved ones and special pets.  I'm usually realistic about the short lives of pet but we usually have the luxury of losing them older so we can say they had a very well loved and well lived life but this isn't the case.

We both feel we let Ming down and I definitely feel our "team" of vets let us down.  There is always guilt involved in any loss.  We feel we were preoccupied with holidays, my father's illness, mother's back surgery and the death of a two week old puppy just 4 days prior.  We should have taken heed of some off things we saw in hindsight.  Guilt sucks.  We even have 3 barn cats but they aren't the same.  I feel bad I don't love them as much.  I want to give them a chance in the house but they're terrible house cats climbing on everything and knocking stuff over......more guilt.

Animals live in the moment.  I'm glad Ming isn't in pain any longer.  I can't wait to see him again one day and tell him how sorry I am that I wasn't more assertive about making him homemade food instead of deadly kibble crap.  He was the only animal we had that refused to eat homemade. I can't wait till I can think of him again and not cry.

We will pick up his cremains on Saturday and bring home his little box to join the boxes of those who went before him.  No animal will ever eat kibble again.  I learned a hard lesson at the expense of my best friend and for that I am very, very sorry.  Please don't make that mistake with your cats and dogs.

This is the last picture I took of Ming sitting behind me while at my computer, making sure he had the prime spot closest  to mommy.

I miss you so much Ming-Ming, say hi to Stitchy for me.

God, please let him sit on your lap sometimes. 

Response to a Puppy Inquiry

I could have called this topic post: "The difference between your last Golden Retriever and the Shiba you are now inquiring about" but that was too long.  The person inquiring would like to come look at puppies and choose one. Yep....

Picking a Shiba puppy is a little different than picking a puppy from a larger breed's huge litter because Shibas usually only have 1-4 puppies in a litter, with 3 being average. Usually the breeder will keep one, that leaves two puppies for the 20-30 people on the waiting list.  IF the first two people waiting wanted males there would surely be nothing but females in the litter!  It always seems to go that way. If one male and one female was wanted and that's what was available then that works out IF the personalities match the families. The breeder will usually decide which puppy goes where. It is a good idea to listen to the breeder's advice on puppies as they've seen hundreds and you only see one or two.  I try to follow my list but this is not a Golden by any means.  A person who wants a Golden can pretty much pick any puppy from the litter of 14 and they will GET a Golden. We call them Golden Dumbtrievers and yes, we too have owned one. Goldens are all pretty much the same perpetual puppy till near their end. My best friend breeds Goldens and I love to help her evaluate pups because they are so darned cute and bumbly but they are NOT the breed for us.  An 8 week old Golden is still tripping over his feet with that innocent look on his face while an 8 week old Shiba is wearing horns and an Evel Kneivel costume and leaping from the back of your couch, landing on all fours and racing through the kitchen like his tail is on fire.  Not to be misunderstood about the difference, a Shiba is the 2nd closest canine relative to the wolf and a wolf pup has to move fast in case of danger, let's say fire, while the poor extremely domesticated Golden would just sit there and go up in flames. Duh.

I honestly don't think a Shiba should even be considered a dog as it is in a class of its own.  A cat in a dog suit that acts like a coyote/fox mix.  They learn at an alarming rate so you have to be on your toes NOT to teach them the wrong things.  They are not forgiving like a Golden who apologizes to you if you step on his tail and then must reinforce the fact that you still love him by fawning all over you for the next 10 minutes.  If you step on a Shiba's tail he will surely make sure you never get close enough to him to let that happen again and basically....forever!  Lesson learned the end.  That would be one huge difference between those breeds.  The Shiba will have some of the characteristics of the northern/spitz breeds you've owned in the past.........but ad speed.  The Elkhound, Akita and Mal are all working spitz breeds, the Shiba is in it for himself, to be admired and be waited on, not to do anything remotely looking like work!  HA!  It is your job as the boss to make obedience and manners look like FUN so the Shiba wants to participate.

You have to have a good sense of humor along with a an assertive nature to live successfully with a Shiba or they will embarrass you just for fun.  Also, most of what you read on the internet about them is obviously not written by Shiba owners or people that understand them AND it is outdated.  Modern Shibas are much different then the earlier imports who were very sharp, dominant and unsocial with everyone but their owner and sometimes their owner as well.  Modern Shibas have much better dispositions, they are social, friendly to all and cuddly while still having some classic Shiba character, especially once mature at age 3 when they really settle in and become incredible companions.

Still, Shibas don't do well with passive owners.  They will walk all over you like a high maintenance girlfriend in stilettos.  So it's important to look at one's self honestly and decide if you are willing and capable of changing your life for this dog because trust me, life will change.  Luckily most of the best Shiba owners agree that the Shiba changed their life for the better.  Shibas have old souls and they teach you things about yourself you never knew.  It's really kinda cool.

Every Shiba is different too.  As a breeder, I have had many Shibas over the 25 years I have been involved in this breed.  Each one so different then the last and all very special and dear to me.  I was a very strict disciplinarian with the other breeds of dogs I owned before Shibas came into my life.  Shibas taught me to choose my battles and chill out.  My previous training skills are barely used with the Shiba. I had to learn a whole new way. It's something undescribable.

If you want to visit Shiba puppies that is fine but know that they will be spoken for already.  Good breeders have long wait times for pups opposed to the sad puppy mill & back yard bred puppies who are always readily available and actively seeking homes.  You get what you pay for in this breed so be cautious and buyer beware is always a good motto to remember. 

There are Shiba Meet Up groups (yahoogroups.com) in Portland and in Seattle where you can meet with other pet owners who would love to share their various stories about adventures with their Shibas. Neutered pet Shibas are different than the intact Shibas you will meet at a breeders home. You can see different colors and compare personalities.  You will see subtle differences in looks, size and behavior in dogs from different breeders and you may even come away with some certainties in the kind of Shiba you want to purchase and from what breeder.

Just make sure you purchase your Shiba from a National Shiba Club of America (NSCA) member as they have the highest standard of care of their dogs, puppies and customers.  People producing puppies that are not a member of the breed's parent club are not members for a reason.......

OH SCREW THIS NOISE!

Every day I hear people say they treat their dogs "like family" and I understand that it's just a saying....hopefully.  It's mentioned briefly in my website that I am passionate about spreading the truth about animal rights vs. animal husbandry or animal welfare.  Animal welfare is the proper care of companion animals and "animal husbandry" is usually used to describe the humane treatment and care of livestock.  While horses are livestock they are usually kept as companion animals.

As a professional animal trainer I know it isn't fair to treat a horse, dog or cat or any other animal like a human. It confuses them and causes them to become neurotic. So I try to help people remember that the words we use to describe our actions has an impact on others perception of pet ownership and all its legal ramifications. 

The word "ownership" needs to remain in the conversations we have about the animals we keep as pets. If we don't keep this wording then the Animal Rightists like PETA have a perfect spot to move in and lobby our government to change laws that will give animals equal rights to humans!  They are using your donations to do just that. YES! No kidding!  In which case we can no long keep animals as pets because it is considered slavery!  Only with ownership do we have control over the care and containment of our animal friends.

The goal of PETA is to kill all pets and no longer allow animals of any kind to be kept and used by humans in any way.  Wild animals will be left in the wild with no protection.  If they go extinct from poaching so be it.  No meat, fish, poultry consumed by humans or used in the production of consumer products like shoes, etc. No lab rats that save lives. 

People give financial support groups like PETA all the time with funding.  Movie stars endorse PETA. I don't believe these people really understand PETA's final plan for that sweet kitty sitting on your lap, the dogs playing in your back yard, the horses in your pastures or the pet chickens you keep for eggs.

PLEASE google animal rights vs.animal welfare and find out the truth before use the words "pet guardian" or "fur-babies" that were all coined by animal rightist to infiltrate the way we think and describe ourselves and our pets.  Your wording really DOES matter.

It is amazing to me that some people know so little about their breed but will still produce puppies!  Big old no-no.

I have no problem helping someone whom I feel is sincere in learning more so they can produce better dogs and be accepted by their peers and thought of a breeders instead of a puppy mill (PM) or backyard breeder (BYB). 

I meet these people all the time when they inquire about buying a breeding dog from me.  I obviously would not sell them a show/breeding dog with no strings attached.  They would have to learn to show it, make it a champion and then breed the dog under my guidance and then sell the puppies with protective contracts.

This training could go on a long time before I would set this person free amongst the wolves and without the full knowledge that they will continue to learn and produce BETTER dogs than they started with.

Every "breeder in training" starts somewhere and established breeders need to be more kind to these people.  We all started with a pet quality dog we thought was simply the best in the world and we wanted to breed it for various reasons.  Hopefully we see a quality dog at a show and aspire to do better.  Most people will neuter their pets and develop a relationship with a breeder who will help them find a better dog to purchase.  NOT one of their own dogs but a test dog from another breeder.  HA! So funny.

Newbies need mentors.  So many of us are getting up there in age and will retire from show/breeding in the next 20 years.  Who will take over our dogs for us?  Who will show?  Who breed?  Better question is who do "we" want showing and breeding?  People who are clueless?  No.  As the current guardians of our breed we must search for and nurture a new generation of breeders. 

Dog breeders are notorious for scaring the general public away from us. We are the protective coating for our breed. We are wonderful and loving with our dogs but basically suspicious of anybody else who says they want to breed.  That's why so many puppy buyers return to the nice people at PMs & BYBs.  Because they are more than willing to say whatever the buyer wants to hear about how wonderful their dogs are and sure you can have papers and breeder her!  Heck they don't care.  They want the money and say good-bye and good luck.

Dog breeders police their dogs carefully so people don't get a hold of one of their pet puppies or dogs and use it to mass produce in a PM or BYB program.  That's our worst freaking nightmare!

There is so much to learn about the finer points of the Shiba.  The little details that make a truly fine specimen look the way it does and why exactly the PM Shiba doesn't look that way.  It take time studying the whole body of the dog.  Diagrams drawn by Japanese breeders are very helpful and I use them all the time to help people see what I see in dogs they ask me about.

More to come!

I was answering a Shiba inquiry the other day and a lot of things came up for me while I was typing the reply and I want to share some of my thoughts here.   It was mostly about how dog overpopulation is misunderstood by the average pet owner.  I started the reply and wrote this essay which is more a rant and I decided against sending it to it's original destination and thought it was more suitable for my blog so here she is.

The most important thing to consider is this: SOME private and public rescues, animal controls, shelters, pounds, etc. are actually importing dogs from other countries because there is a SHORTAGE of dogs to SELL!  Yes, that's right, a shortage of small, colorful dogs.  Large and black dogs are at a disadvantage so they die just because genetically black is a dominate color.  Sucks to be a black cat or dog, huh?  That's why we always find a black male cat to adopt when we need a new house cat.

HISTORY: In the 80's there was a media campaign about "dog breeders" overpopulating the world with purebred dogs.  It has never been the case that show/hobby breeders contribute to over population.  It was gossip started by PETA and it worked well.  The general public knows little about what the REAL state of animal population is at any time.  I could go on and on but if you google "PETA real agenda" you will find out the truth about what they do and it ain't good!

PETA is the one who started the BS about "You kill a shelter animal every time you buy from a breeder" which is so not true.

Now that we have purebred rescues in place there's rarely a purebred dog at an animal shelter as the rescues bail out the purebreds and even some high percentage mixes that look like purebreds.  

Responsible breeders such as myself have contracts that state their dog should be returned to them in the event the buyer cannot keep it for any reason.  So there are rarely any well bred Shibas in rescue.  We take care of our own and sometimes the messes of other producers as well.

Shiba rescues have many Shibas in need of homes but be aware as you may STILL be supporting puppy mills.  That's right.  There are several rescuers who buy Shibas of all ages directly from puppy mill auctions.  The puppy mills are like "ALL RIGHT!  We makin sales!"  So they breed more shitty Shibas!   It's not really a rescue situation at all.  In my opinion it is a sale and it fuels the PM!  Cheri does NOT approve!  I know there are several trains of thought on this but bottom line is it doesn't stop puppy mills in any way to buy their puppies!  DUH!

I'm sure there are other misguided individuals and rescues buying directly from PM.  I would ask any rescue where the dog originally came from and only take a dog that didn't come from a puppy mill.  You may be thinking you are helping the breed but you would really be helping the puppy mill to bring in new fresh stock to breed.  

There is also a stigma with being a "rescue pet."  I hate calling them rescues as it alludes to something unwanted, mistreated and saved by the white knight!  I prefer to call it helping and animal find his place in the world.  

If you want to adopt a mix or purebred do so but it doesn't make you any kind of hero.  Helping other beings is what most humans do naturally.  You will love whatever dog you get pure or not.  They do all the regular dog things, bark, wag and poop.

If you want to buy a purebred animal you should!  I consider it a wonderful gift to one's self.  Something really special you might only have one or two times in your life.  

If you love pets you will have many of them in your 70 year lifespan.  Don't be sad when they die.  Be happy knowing you gave them the best life you could and they died content in your arms. Amen.

So that is my 2 cents on rescue.  On to the new topic: The definition of the word breeder.

I don't like to use the word "breeder" for anything other than a true-blue, dedicated to the breed, person who shows their dogs in AKC, CKC(Canadian) or FCI competitions.  The rest are millers, producers or pet owners breeding for all the wrong reasons.  It breaks my heart that I am considered a bad person by the uninformed general public for enjoying breeding and showing my beautiful well bred dogs.

I have been involved in training and showing dogs since 1980.  I had my first litter in 1985 and I too was swayed by PETA's media influence.  Back then hobby show breeders used to say "I only breed a litter when I need another puppy to show and to carry on my bloodline."  I said this same thing.  As a result my breeding program took me no where. I couldn't make any progress improving my stock only having a litter every few years.  As I learned about the media sensationalism, etc., and that I too had fallen for it, I changed thoughts and actions.  Now it is my goal to teach other people about the truth about "adoption" and "rescue" and buying purebreds in our country.  

Right now the only really serious overpopulation is in cats and horses.  Cats, well I don't know what will ever happen with that situation.  As long as crazy cat ladies feed the strays they will be healthy enough to breed!  Outdoor pet cats and feral cats kill wildlife and dig up our gardens to poop in. In some parts of the world they have actually cause the extinction of other animals.  It's not cool.

Well bred horses will always demand good money but I see no reason at all why people choose to breed their poorly bred grade mares.  It's just stupid in our current situation.  Then PETA manages to get multiple bills passed that stops horse slaughter in the US and now we have people abandoning horses on public lands to starve all over the country!  These are not wild horses, they cannot revert to the wild, they don't even know how to find water for goodness sake!  

In the last 2 years I purchased (yes, I paid so it's a sale NOT a rescue) 3 horses from the feed lot, also known as a "kill pen" which is where livestock go to fatten up before they are sold by the pound for meat.   One horse went on to be a wonderful mount for a gal, the other I kept for over a year but had to put down because he was dangerous and would never make a good family horse, the last one is in our pasture. He is a Spanish Mustang which a whole 'nother issue.  All of them were slaughter bound to Mexico where US companies can still slaughter horses for human consumption to sell around the world. That's a whole big long story there. 

Last summer we took in 4 kittens. These are the 3 we have left.

I placed one tortie in a wonderful home, the husband cried when he held her the first time. She was the spittin' image of the last cat they had for 21 years. It was so wonderful to see a man who loves his animals and it made me cry too.  My new rule....if you buy a puppy you also get a kitten!  HA!  They are beautiful kitties with wonderful personalities and they love all the dogs!  The didn't deserve to die.  I made a deal with woman I got them from.  I'd take the kittens and find them homes if she would spay the mother and she did but I still have the darned kitties! I love them but they still have to find homes as I don't like cleaning up after 4 cats when I just want to devote myself to the dogs.

I love my Shibas so much and only want the very best for them.  They are my little friends and I just adore them. They are like precious treasure and everything we do revolves around them.  I miss them when I am stuck in the house like right now.  I will hobble to the barn and groom them and love on them and we will all feel so much better.  I watch them run and play in the pasture and think it isn't a bad life for a dog. They eat homemade raw food which makes them lean, mean dog show winning machines!  HA! 

That's all folks.  Whomever reads this.  Here's a picture of some young hopefuls for the show/breeding program.  Enjoy.