Shio's Birthday! + NYCSR Donation

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Wishing our main little furry man, Shio, a very happy 4th birthday!

He may have been born on Christmas eve during the busy holiday season but we always make time to do something extra special for him!

We started this blog when he was a wee 3 months old and it's very amazing how quickly time flies. We thank you readers for joining this fabulous journey with us!

For Shio's 4th Birthday and Emi's 1st Gotcha Day this year we bought and served them salmon and tuna sashimi! Unfortunately because they were just getting over some tummy troubles from last month, J and I decided it would be best to cook the fish before serving.

Regardless of the fact that we decided to cook the fish first, Shio and Emi really enjoyed it! Shio gulped down his food as usual and sat and waited for Emi to finish so that he could scavenge for leftovers. Emi thoroughly enjoyed her meal and there was nothing left for the birthday boy!

We also bought Shio a very special gift this year. It's a mongolian lamb pillow from West Elm. Whenever we bring the pups to West Elm, Shio has never wasted time rubbing himself all over the pillow so it was only fitting that he should finally have his own. Shio wasted no time getting acquainted with his new gift!

NYCSR Donation

Thank you all for spending a minute and commenting on the blog! We know that you all have very busy lives and it was nice to see comments from all our internet and blog friends. We raised a whopping $95 this year for NYC Shiba Rescue!

Happy holidays to all!

Happy Gotcha Day Emi + NYCSR Holiday Fundraiser!

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Emi-and-her-soccer-ball.jpg

ONE YEAR OF EMI

It's been one year (yesterday) since we officially adopted Emi, formerly known as Goo Goo 2, from NYC Shiba Rescue!

Time seemed to fly a little quicker this year. Having two Shibas is really better than just one. Blog updates have been skinny thanks to the extra time spent cuddling with Emi instead of writing. Yes, she is a fake Shiba in many respects! We've also spent much time in training them  and covered under mounds of Shiba fur.

I decided to cease the monthly updates for Emi midway through 2012 because the progress was more gradual and we did not want to bore you with mundane details. After one year with us, she is still a very nervous girl around other dogs. She still prefers to keep to herself and play with tennis balls or Shio. Her true self shines when she is at home with us. There are times where I wonder if she knows her name and we really haven't trained her with as many tricks as we taught Shio. She is not as intellectually stimulated as Shio is and is satisfied to simply be near us or play with squeaky things. We still want her to live a well-rounded life so we continue to introduce her to new dogs and people. I'm hopeful for progress but we will see how things unfold next year.

We've had many friends from the "twiba" community meet Emi this year during their visits to NYC and I'm confident to say that everyone understands how quickly we fell for her. She is an amazing creature and we adore her to pieces.

Thank you all for your support during the year!

 

COMMENT TO RAISE MONEY FOR NYC SHIBA RESCUE:

We are working on creating a tradition for the holiday season. We want to continue to help raise money for the very same rescue that I volunteer at and rescued Emi from. NYC Shiba Rescue and their volunteers have selflessly saved many Shibas in 2012 and accumulated debt from veterinary care from this year alone, especially after helping a sweet girl named Layla. Contrary to popular belief, the adoption fee for NYC Shiba Rescue at the time of adoption does not cover the full cost of vet care for foster dogs in most cases. It was only after I started volunteering that I realized this! Last year we raised $250 - let's aim for the same amount this year! Every dollar and cent counts and we want to help raise some to help!

For each comment that is left for this post from now until noon Shio's birthday 12/24, we will donate $5 to NYCSR.*

All comments are welcome! INCLUDING multiple comments from one household. We just want you to come by for a quick hello and update us on your lives. The holiday season is always so busy and it's nice to take a minute just to reconnect.

If you've been bitten by the happy holiday bug like we have, please consider also donating to NYC Shiba Rescue through this link: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/nycsr/layla

Also, don't forget to follow us on on twitter! @shiotheshiba and @emitheshiba

*maximum $250

Fostering Goo Goo

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Josh and I thought a lot about the possibility of a second dog when Shio turned 2 years old in December of last year. The problem was that even if we were ready emotionally to take on another dog, the timing was still off. We didn't have a car and it would be difficult to live with two dogs in a small Manhattan apartment. Then, we moved to Brooklyn in March and started having some behavioral issues with Shio because of the drastic change for him. Shio was stressed from the move and started fights with dogs in the dog run. After 4 months he finally settled in and the breeder we leave him with said that he would pair well with any dog that we welcome into our new home. In Brooklyn, we still have no car but a lot more space and a large local dog run in a community where everyone jumps to help each other out if there is a dog in need or trouble. In September, we started thinking about fostering a dog instead of adopting one. This decision was largely influenced by one blogger, Jen at Inu Baka blog. She details the chronicles of her experiences with each of her fosters, beginning with the basic training issues to the emotional bond that she builds with each dog. Reading her blog helped ease the fear of having a strange temporary dog and the sadness that I might feel when the dog is adopted out. Thanks to Jen's blog, we know that the sadness that we feel when we let go of our foster would be replaced by the joy of him/her finding the perfect home and knowing that we have him/her a second chance.

When we heard that there were Shibas in New Jersey were confiscated, it was the perfect opportunity to assist the organization and we applied to foster. (Thank you Jenna for the wonderful recommendation.)

The foster program director matched us up with a female black and tan Shiba. She's approximately 11 months old. Her name is "Goo Goo 2". Unfortunately, all the Shibas have simple names like our foster's.

After this long and sappy post, here is a picture of our foster to lift your spirits:

Goo Goo arrives on Friday at 3pm. We think that she has the sweetest face and from the pictures we've seen, an equally sweet disposition.

Before I saw Goo Goo's picture, I was sure that this we would foster and give up the dog to a better home but after seeing Goo Goo's face, we are preparing for the prospect of failing Foster 101. :)

Read more about 10 of the 22 Shibas (Goo Goo's in there!) confiscated from NJ on the NYCSR website: http://nycshibarescue.org/category/nycsr/

 

Shio vs. Foster Dogs

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As you may have heard, there are Shibas being confiscated from a well intentioned but misguided hoarding family in New Jersey. If you haven't, here's a link to their facebook page for the full story: http://www.facebook.com/pages/NJ-22/211059608960917

22 Shibas will be confiscated

10 Shibas will be under NYCSR's watch

And... wait for it...

1 Shiba will be fostered by us! 

We are truly excited to meet our foster and the process has been fast. We submitted our application last week, home inspection this week, and our foster will arrive next week.

More information to come.

In the meantime, please consider donating to help with medical expenses for these Shibas: http://solsticesanctuary.chipin.com/the-nj-22