Twiba-Interview: Tokyo

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Our next guest is the babe of the Twiba community -- Tokyo!!

<S>: Shio / <T>: Tokyo

<S>: It is great to be able to interview you -- you are the first female Twiba I managed to get to interview!!!

<T>: Pawsome! I'm honored to get this exclusive interview! What would you like to know about me?

<S>: First off, is it true that you and Prince Zuko are dating? I think all the Twibas out there are dying to know the details!!

<T>: No comment. Next question, please.

<S>: Your San Diego home looks pretty sweet. It seems your pawrents and mine have similar good tastes, and also have set aside special areas for us. Can you tell us some other special features of your crib?

<T>: Well, my crib is on the 18th floor of a high-rise condo in downtown San Diego, which happens to be a very fun dog friendly city. Everyday after my morning walk, I like to stop by the concierge desk in my lobby to get a post-walk treat before heading back upstairs. David is my favorite concierge because he always gives me the biggest treats. This is probably one of the best features of living in a high-rise, extra treats!! Back upstairs, I like to spend the rest of the morning chillin on my balcony. It has comfy couches for relaxing in the warm sun. It's also a great place for me to monitor the comings-and-goings of my neighbors on their balconies.

Inside my crib, one of my favorite furniture items is something called the Pierre Paulin Orange Slice chair. Strangely, our chairs are brown and not orange. Anyway, my people say the chair wasn't originally conceived for dogs and cats, but let me tell you, this chair has a design highly suited for animal napping. Thank goodness we have two Orange Slice chairs in my  house, because my meowie brother Capone also likes to nap there. If you don't have this chair Shio, you should definitely get one for your crib.

<S>: You travel on air a lot! Can you tell us about what that is like, and how easy or difficult it is for Shibas to fly? Especially for the cross-country flights...

<T>: Oh yes, I'm a jet set shiba. I started flying with my people right away when I was not quite 6 months old. So far I've been on 12 in cabin flights, 10 of which were cross-country. I'm very comfortable in my soft carrier, so that helps keep me calm during the long flights. During the flight, I have to stay inside my carrier tucked under the seat in front of my people. I would much rather sit on the seat and look out the window, but it's not allowed. *huff*

As far as size, I would say shibas are a good size for flying in cabin up to 13 lbs. Any bigger - 14 lbs to 16 lbs - can get iffy with the airline people since shibas tend to be proportionally taller than other dogs of that weight and we don't fit under the seat space as well.

<S>: What has been your favorite destination so far?

<T>: I love going to any destination where there are other shibas of course! For the last two years, I flew to the east coast for Christmas and got to play in the snow. We don't have snow in San Diego so it was fun to play in the fluffy white stuff. I also love going to Arizona a couple times throughout the year to play with my other twiba friends, Taro, Rinji and Mika. I love running super fast, so any place where I can be leash free is a favorite for me.

<S>: You also provide a lot of good tips for humans in terms of shiba-friendly tools. What is your favorite right now?

<T>: For one, I have my own bag always packed by the front door to expedite my outings - whether it be a weekend getaway, a lunch at a city cafe or a trip to the dog park. It makes it super convenient for my people to grab my bag and be out the door. When we get to the destination, it always makes me happy to sniff "my bag" and I know all is good.

The bag I use is by Mountainsmith and while it's not marketed as a dog bag, it has a thick rubber bottom and is perfect for dogs. Inside my bag I keep a water bowl, water bottle, toys, balls, extra leash, pet wipes, bags, dryer towel, lint roller, hand wipes for my people, etc. It makes it extra easy to be a shiba on the go.

<S>: Thank you so much for spending some time here! Please come to Brooklyn soon!

<T>: Thanks for the interview Shio. I would love to come visit you! *checks map for fastest route to Brooklyn*

Photos provided by Tokyo.

What's so cute about Goo Goo?

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Let's discuss Goo Goo. We've been doing that for the last two weeks, so why not talk a little more about this cute little Shiba.

Here's picture from her first week with us. Notice anything besides the fact that she's incredibly cute? I'll list them here for you to analyze with me starting with the ears to the feet.

1. Ears: They're slightly larger than proportion to her body but not too large that they would constitute as bat ears. They're softer than velvet in the back and just slightly pink to show her feminine side on the inside. Shio loves to groom her ears and I love to nom on them.

2. Eyes: Large kawaii anime eyes that any Japanese girl would die to have. Notice the light markings around the eyes to perfectly accentuate her round eyes and eyeliner. You literally melt into a little puddle after looking into them. Trust me, I would know.

3. Nose: Her snout is not too large and not too long. Juuuust right. If Goldilocks was a nose surgeon, she would approve in a heartbeat. And right at the tip of the snout, a cute little button nose that feels like buttery soft leather.

4. Smile: Oh yeah, this girl's got the Shiba smile. You can't tell from this picture but she's always carries a coy little curl at the corner of her lips. What's even cuter is that her cheeks have a slight poof over the curled corners.

5. Torso: She's a pint sized gal. Slim and slender yet covered in lean muscle. Narrow shoulders and tucked in tummy. 15 lbs of pure fuzzy cuteness.

6. Tail: It's a little unfair for you, as a reader, because the perky tail is not shown in this photo. It's a neat and slender tail that's curls like a dark chocolate cinnabon with white frosting. When she wags her tail, it moves left and right like Shio's tail and also forward and back causing this spastic jumping movement. It's freaking adorable. Trust me on this one.

7. Paws: Oh the paws. They're so small. So dainty. So smelly like musky corn chips. Love them.

She stops traffic when we walk and people are always compelled to ask about her. They need to pet her. And the best part is that Goo Goo lets them.

Really, what's not to love about this gal?