Bugged-eye pong

Then after a tiring vet visit (will post about it in a new post), we headed to the dog park at 7pm.

Rolling a snow ball

Eating the snowball..

She ran away from me when we were heading back to the car after the dog park. She ran and ran and ran… but always kept me in sight. I knew she would come back eventually so I just waited. After another car with 3 dogs came, I decided it was time to chase her back to the dog park and get her from there. After much taunting she went in the dog park and the 3 dogs came out. She went up and down the fence like a nut.. and then pooped out after a good 10 minutes of running. She stared at me like ‘uh, mom. HOME. NOW.’

sigh..shibas.

Step 1: Have your dog pretend to like snuggling near you.

If you haven’t gotten up yet to exclaim at the rare occurrence, continue on to..

Step 2: Telepathically  tell your dog to sit.

If you still can’t get up despite realizing your dog can HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS AND ACTUALLY OBEY THEM..

Step 3: Have them sit on your face.

Most of the time you will have the fortunate luck of your face in the same direction where your dog is and be able to get up when a big fat furball is clogging up your breathing passage. Though as you can tell in this picture, the human has gotten smart and sleeps facing the other way.

If all else fails, just tell your dog to sigh a lot and crawl up next to you and hog all the pillow.

If that pitiful-make-me-some-yummy-human-food-now look doesn’t get ya, think of how late you will be to work/school when your shiba decides to take her/his sweet ol’ time finding a poopy spot.

My housemates loveeee her.. except during meal time, which can occur anytime from 12pm to 4am in the morning. She’s getting pretty good at stealing food and taking licks at what’s on your plate. Fortunately, nobody is germaphobic and tend to keep eating along with the dog hair that is usually found in the food anyways.

We did have a doggy playdate with 1 pomeranion, 1 chiuawawa, and 2 other shibas. A total of 5 dogs in a house… imagine the amount of butt sniffing and ball icking had occured.. It was fun though, watching the 3 shibas ignoring each other and going after the smaller dogs.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures at the moment but I’ll put them up later..

Here are some pictures of the dogs.. uh, being in the same room:

all the dogs together.. sort of.

the pom and the chihuahua. Can you tell who’s who?

Here are they together again, ignoring each other.

There are more pictures in the Doggies Play Date gallery for your viewing pleasure

2. ignore her puppy eyes and snap away.

3.  Take more pictures of her escaping.

As you can see, she was pooped out. You can kinda see her stitches..

Hehe. Her butt is in the air because I don’t think it’s very comfortable for her to lie down..

*sigh..*

she went to hide in her corner.

her butt is still up. lol.

lookin pretty pathetic.

She’s supposed to take pain killers twice a day starting tomorrow. Also, we’re gonna go back and see the vet in 10-14 days. Eef. she’s making noises. Gonna go see what’s up..

okay. She just had to pee.. took her out and she immediately sits down instead of peeing. She refused to go back in until i pretended i was gonna get to the front door first.

So here’s the 16 dollar toy:

It makes this longgggg squeaky noise that will annoy the hell out of you if you aren’t the one squeaking it. hehe.

another pathetic attempt at getting comfortable..

Warning: It’s really sad  

I don’t remember much from the place I was born. It was cramped and dark, and we were never played with by the humans. I remember Mom and her soft fur, but she was often sick, and very thin. She had hardly any milk for me and my brothers and sisters. I remember many of them dying and I missed them so.

I do remember the day I was taken from Mom. I was so sad and scared, my milk teeth had only just come in, and I really should have been with Mom still, but she was so sick, and the Humans kept saying that they wanted money and were sick of the “mess” that me and my sister made. So we were crated up and taken to a strange place. Just the two of us.

So many sights and sounds, and smells! We were in a store where there are many different animals! Some that squawk! Some that meow! Some that peep! My sister and I are jammed into a small cage, I hear the other puppies here. I see humans look at me, I like the “little humans”, the kids. They look so sweet, and fun, like they would play with me!

All day we stay in the small cage, sometimes mean people will hit the glass and frighten us, every once in a while we are taken out to be held or shown to humans. Some are gentle, some hurt us and we always hear “Aw they are so cute! I want one!” but we never get to go with any.

My sister died last night, when the store was dark. I lay my head on her soft fur and felt the life leave her small thin body. I had heard them say she was sick, and that I should be sold at a “discount price” so that I would quickly leave the store. I think my soft whine was the only one that mourned for her as her body was taken out of the cage in the morning and dumped.

Today, a family came and bought me! Oh happy day! They are a nice family, they really, really wanted me! They had bought a dish and food and the little girl held me so tenderly in her arms. I love her so much! The mom and dad say what a sweet and good puppy I am! I am named Angel. I love to lick my new humans!

The family takes such good care of me, they are loving and tender and sweet. They gently teach me right and wrong, give me good food, and lots of love! I want only to please these wonderful people! I love the little girl and I enjoy running and playing with her.

Today I went to the veterinarian. It was a strange place and I was frightened. I got some shots, but my best friend the little girl held me softly and said it would be OK. So I relaxed. The vet must have said some sad words to my beloved family, because they looked awfully sad. I heard Severe Hip Dysplasia and something about my heart. I heard the vet say something about backyard breeders and my parents not being tested. I know not what any of that means, just that it hurts me to see my family so sad. But they still love me, and I still love them very much!

I am 6 months old now. Where most other puppies are robust and rowdy, it hurts me terribly just to move. The pain never lets up. It hurts to run and play with my beloved little girl, and I find it hard to breathe. I keep trying my best to be the strong pup I know I am supposed to be but it is so hard. It breaks my heart to see the little girl so sad and to hear the mom and dad talk about how it might now be the time. Several times I have gone to that veterinarian’s place and the news is never good. Always talk about Congenital Problems. I just want to feel the warm sunshine and run and play and nuzzle with my family.

Last night was the worst. Pain has been my constant companion. Now it hurts even to get up and get a drink. I try to get up but can only whine in pain. I am taken in the car one last time. Everyone is so sad and I don’t know why. Have I been bad? I try to be good and loving, what have I done wrong? Oh if only this pain would be gone! If only I could soothe the tears of the little girl. I reach out my muzzle to lick her hand but can only whine in pain.

The veterinarian’s table is so cold. I am so frightened. The humans all hug and love me and they cry into my soft fur. I can feel their love and sadness. I manage to lick softly their hands. Even the vet doesn’t seem so scary today. He is gentle and I sense some kind of relief for my pain. The little girl holds me softly and I thank her for giving me all her love. I feel a soft pinch in my foreleg. The pain is beginning to lift and I am beginning to feel a peace descend upon me. I can now softly lick her hand. My vision is becoming dream like now and I see my Mother and my brothers and sisters in a far off green place. They tell me there is no pain there only peace and happiness. I tell the family goodbye in the only way I know how, a soft wag of my tail and a nuzzle of my nose. I had hoped to spend many many moons with them but it was not meant to be. “You see,” said the veterinarian, “Pet shop puppies do not come from ethical breeders.”

The pain ends now and I know it will be many years until I see my beloved family again. If only things could have been different.

(This story may be published or reprinted in the hopes that it will stop unethical breeders and those who breed only for money and not the betterment of the breed. Copywrite 1999 J. Ellis)

[ link from Northeast Shiba Rescue ]