I get email once or twice a week asking for advice on finding a Shiba puppy. I’m glad when people ask, because it means they are trying to buy a pup the RIGHT way, but on the other hand, I know there aren’t enough puppies from good breeders to go around and that frustrates me. So many people buy puppies from pet stores and back yard breeders because they don’t know any better, but then – even worse – people who DO know better, to some degree, get frustrated and impatient and end up buying a dog from a less [...]
Sometimes a topic for a blog post has to jump up and down in front of me waving its metaphorical arms, before I realize I need to write it. This was apparently one of those times. First, someone on Twitter asked Snickers (@snick_the_dog) about puppy nipping and teething, which we did cover in Dealing with Puppy Biting and Chewing. Then someone on Yahoo Answers, asked How to teach a Shiba Inu Bite Inhibition? Lastly, it came up briefly on my favorite breed-specific mailing list, Shiba-L. What Exactly Is Bite Inhibition? Pups usually learn bite inhibition – as it pertains to [...]
Today brings us to the third installment of the One Question Interview series. Today’s answer is from Aurora Piacentino, Director of Operations at Liberty Humane Society. Question: If you had the opportunity to communicate and teach one concept to all dog owners everywhere, what would it be and why? Answer from Aurora Piacentino Probably something you would expect from the Director of an animal shelter – the importance of spay/neuter in pet quality companion animals. I think that by this point, most people have probably heard that they should spay or neuter their dog, but most don’t know why. They [...]
In no particular order, here are a few dog-related societal improvements that I feel would have immense benefits for companion animals and the humans who love them. the psychological benefits of animal companions recognized so that the elderly wouldn’t have to give up their pets when entering assisted living or nursing care facilities dogs proven to be well-behaved and under control (Canine Good Citizens perhaps) given the ability to fly in the cabin with their humans, without fitting under a seat an end to large commercial pet breeding facilities animals uniformly protected from neglect and abuse the sale of dogs, [...]
When I wrote the mission for Jenna & Snickers (.com), I defined my own personal idea of responsible dog ownership. I listed ten basic requirements that I feel our dogs deserve from us. I expanded on one of those in the post about Making the Most of Companion Identification Methods. Today, I want to expand on four more. to not live an isolated life proper socialization with people and other dogs appropriate levels of exercise and mental stimulation basic companion training (at least sit, stay and come) These four things have a common theme… you can’t accomplish any of these [...]
One of the bullets listed under Responsible Dog Ownership on our mission page says that I believe our canine companions deserve at least one form of identification (tags, microchips, tattoos) in case they are lost. Although tags are the easiest solution for someone to see and read if they find your dog, collars can break or slip off and are not always enough. According to the American Humane Association, only 17% of lost dogs find their way back to their owners. 17%!!!!! Microchips and tattoos are more permanent solutions than ID tags and give your dog a much better chance [...]
My mind at the age of 10 worked very much like this. I thought it would be simple, but taking care of a dog was much more difficult than I had imagined. I had no idea what I was getting into and ABSOLUTELY no idea how hard it would be to take care of a puppy. As a child I didn’t have much knowledge of exactly what feeding, walking, and loving him really meant. I didn’t realize how much of your life included the dog or how important my puppy would end up being to me. When I first got [...]
Recently, someone on a Shiba board asked for recommendations for a good vet to neuter their dog. One of the responses was "Why do you want to do that to your dog? If you are a responsible owner and control your dog, there is no reason." Well… there are more than a few reasons why truly responsible owners have their companions spayed or neutered. Even if “you are a responsible owner and control your dog” there is no guarantee that your dog will never be loose without permission (how many of us have had our Shiba slip or break their [...]
