The Misanthropic Shiba

Archive for November, 2009

Remember this post?  Yeah, I finally got it done!  Not in the shoulder, where I figured on getting it in the first place.  My tattooist at Black and Blue Tattoo advised me that it would look a little lost and lonely on my shoulder and recommended somewhere where it would stand out.  I picked my left forearm (the symbolism for evil and wrongdoing appealed to me). Eventually I would like to write something – “Shassi: 1993-2010″ (Assuming she makes it to the New Year) or “The Misanthropic Shiba” above and below “Shassi: 1993-2010″.  Something like that.  But for now, I’m very happy with Shassi’s paw print and looking forward to having more art done in the future.

Original design

Gen-yoo-wine Shiba paw print tattoo

This is a Shiba blog, but I thought I would share one of the emails I sent to someone posting on Craigslist about buying a Pomeranian for her mother for Christmas:

Hey, noticed you were looking for a Pom.  Hold your breath, because you’ve attracted the notice of one of those Dog Obsessed People who is happy to tell you everything she knows about finding a purebred puppy!  (Aren’t you happy?  Be happy!) 

Here’s a link to the Pomeranian Club of Canada:  http://www.pcoc.net/index.html

There is a breeder’s list in there and a host of other interesting articles – mostly geared towards the serious show breeder, but some that could be useful to you and your mother – training tips and grooming tips.

http://www.petpeoplesplace.com/resources/articles/dogs/145-questions-to-ask-dog-breeder.htm

Here’s a link to a site about what questions to ask a dog breeder.  A responsible dog breeder isn’t going to let you buy a puppy for a Christmas present as a surprise, but they will understand you paying for a puppy as a Christmas present if they get to meet you and your mother to reassure themselves that the puppy is going to go to a good home.  There are many people, sadly, that buy puppies as Christmas presents, only to dump them when it’s clear that this Christmas present needs to be walked, fed, housebroken, trained… so don’t feel that it’s something about YOU that makes the breeder go “Well, uh…”  It’s just the desire for the best home possible for their puppies.

You want a breeder who’s intense like this – a breeder who is determined to get the best home is a breeder who has spent a lot of time making sure that these are the Best Damn Puppies on the Planet and as close to what a Pomeranian should look and act like.   They may seem a little crazed and INTENSE but try to look past that and focus on the quality of the dogs.  (Yeah, I’ve been in the dog world a while – could you tell?  haha)

They may not have puppies for Christmas – responsible breeders don’t produce puppies for money or for a specific timeframe.  The money you pay is going to go towards the stud fees, care and testing of the mother during the pregnancy and the care and feeding and shots/worming of the puppies during their time with the breeder.  $500 is a little low for a well-bred Pomeranian; rates go from $600-$1000 for a well-bred anything; I paid $1000 for my Shiba inu dog and that’s considered pretty much the going rate.  However, there are cheaper Poms out there that you can consider… skip down to the bottom of this message if you’re more interested in them!  But it’s worth it to keep on reading…

This list seems a little intimidating, but it’s not that bad, really.  Since the breeding of dogs isn’t something governed by law, like the production of other merchandise (which the law does categorize dogs under, unfortunately), it’s up to you to ensure that the quality of the puppies that you’re getting is high.  Buying a puppy from a pet shop or breeder who “doesn’t bother with all that fancy stuff” is like buying a house without doing a building inspection; you can’t get your money back and it could take thousands of dollars to fix any problems that crop up in the years ahead

You might not want a “show dog” but you do want a happy, healthy companion for your mother – the Pomeranian breed is afflicted with several problems, including knee problems, eye problems and skin problems.  You definitely want a breeder who can tell you that they’ve taken steps (genetic testing, such as knee X-rays, eye exams, thyroid testing, etc) to prevent these conditions from showing up in their puppies.  A puppy who doesn’t have this strong genetic heritage behind it is at high risk (toy breeds are especially susceptible to knee problems) for developing a painful condition that is expensive to fix or to manage.

Another option for you is rescue.  These dogs do not have the genetic heritage of a well-bred Pom, but by the time they hit rescue, their physical problems are largely apparent; some rescues raise funds to help pay for operations and medical care.  A good rescue will inform you of any problems with the dog before you rescue it.  The contact info here is for the Pomeranian Club of Canada Rescue Co-ordinator, who can help you find dogs in need closer to home:  http://www.pcoc.net/rescue-adoption.htm

http://www.petfinder.com is a great place to check for Pomeranians in need near you.  Hey, what’s better than a puppy for Christmas?  Giving a rescue a good home for Christmas!

Good luck with your search!

Yours, etc.

http://nanaimo.craigslist.ca/wan/1472546826.html

A happy, friendly letter may just get you a happy, friendly response… and educate people about buying a puppy through responsible channels.  I don’t know what response this letter will get, but it’s a great antidote to the “Oh, shit another Christmas puppy buyer” feeling AND encourages the ordinary layperson to do their own research and get knowledgeable about what they’re buying.

I have been cornering the market on these stickers, but Coco has 1 or 2 sheets left!

Fuzzy Shiba Stickers

They are a lot smaller than the first photograph suggests, but there’s a pic with a ruler to give them some perspective.  They are the cutest stickers ever!  I just bought my first sheet and ordered 3 more from the store – very cheap and Coco is an awesome seller; fast shipping and prompt replies to emails.

Calling ALL dog lovers!

In honour of the effort by concerned dog lovers, I present to you these wonderful shirts, which I have made to aid people looking to educate others about the Shiba Inu.  No, I’m not for blindly urging people not to get Shibas, especially if they sound like people who are prepared for the kind of ‘interesting life’ owning a Shiba will give them.  However, I think the statement will provoke conversations which, if people are polite and informative, could lead the way for education about Shibas and responsible dog buying in general.  K9 Solutions has links to flyers that you can give people if they want some more information.

No Buy Shiba Cafepress Store

No Buy Shiba Value T-Shirt

No Buy Shiba Dark T-Shirt

These shirts come in other styles and colors.  There are also mugs, stickers and buttons.  By purchasing these items, you will both put yourself in the position to educate people about the Shiba (and Akita) and fund Tierce’s beef stick chewing ambitions.

I’m still working on Nanowrimo; don’t know whether I’m going to make it this year, but here’s to trying!

Tierce is doing much better on Atopica every other day, but now he’s showing some hair loss on the tips of his ears.  ???  I don’t know.  I’m going to mention this to the vet on December 5th.  He didn’t have this problem when he was scratching his head off.

When I went to Sunojo’s site, I found that they have revamped it – looks pretty spiffy.  They also have started a new business up on Comox:  House of Dogs Pet Resort.

I’ve been working on NaNoWriMo for the past couple of weeks… here’s an excerpt:

Tierce:  You know, if there are aliens watching us right now, they would figure that we ran things and you just follow us around with bags, saving our poop for some unknown purpose.

Me:  It could be construed that way, but I think that in the general scheme of things, I’m betting that the aliens’ eyes will be elsewhere.

Tierce:  I see aliens *every day*.

Me:  No kidding.

Tierce:  Like our neighbour.

Me:  Which one?

Tierce:  The one that has that sign out on the lawn.

Me:  Oh, that one with the plumber’s business or something?

Tierce:  Yeah.

Me:  Why is he an alien?

Tierce: I can’t believe this… you were there!  I tried to warn you!

Me:  *sigh*  Kindly elaborate?

Tierce:  Well, when we were walking a few months back, he had *put a sign out*.   You can’t tell me that’s not seriously weird.

Me:  Yep, that’s the sign of the Beast all right.  Anything else?

Tierce:  I’m getting to the good part.  You know when we were walking last week?

Me:  Uh, sure.

Tierce:  Well I was just minding all the other dogs’ business when I looked over and he had moved it to a different place.

Me:  Oh, I remember that time.  When you started barking at the sign and wouldn’t stop until I dragged you into the house?

Tierce:  Yeah, it was freaky.

Me:  I would say ‘embarrassing’ is a more accurate term.  Yes, ‘embarrassing’ covers it.

Tierce:  I’m sure you’ll be embarrassed when the truth comes out!

Me:  Well, so we have an alien on our block.  Thanks for the info.

Tierce:  Any time.  It’s about time that you realized that I’m not making noise just for the hell of it.

Me:  Why don’t you bark at the sign any more?

Tierce:  Two reasons:  you get annoyed and the sign isn’t alien anymore.  I fixed it.

Me:  How did you fix the sign?

Tierce:  By peeing on it.

Me:  You have magical piss?  Hey, could you pee on this new truck over here?

Tierce:  That’s not how it works!  Once I pee on it, it’s mine.

Me:  Oh, okay.

Tierce:  Besides, I can’t drive.

Me:  Duly noted.  Well, thanks for the warning that wasn’t.

Tierce:  I wasn’t finished!  There are more.

Me:  More what?

Tierce:  Aliens.

Me:  More aliens?  Do tell.

Tierce:  For instance, those small people.

Me:  Small people.

Tierce:  Yeah, small people.  They’re weird and I’m sure they’re from another planet.

Me:  Wait, “small people”; you mean children?

Tierce:  Yeah.

Me:  Children aren’t aliens… well, all children aren’t aliens.  I’ve seen some pretty freaky kids, so you could be right about some of that.

Tierce:  No, they’re all aliens.

Me:  Is that why you bark at a lot of them?

Tierce:  Someone has to take a stand.

Me:  And yet when they come up to you, you like them.

Tierce:  Well, I’m so awesome that when they come up to pet me, my aura changes them into humans.

Me:  You don’t bark at Logan or Kim anymore.

Tierce:  Who?

Me:  My friends’ grandkids.

Tierce:  Oh, they stopped being aliens a long time ago.  They’re real people now.

Me:  Because of… you.

Tierce:  Of course because of me.  If it weren’t for me, those poor kids would have been aliens all their lives.

Me:  Uh, sure.  You know what?

Tierce:  What?

Me:  I think you have it backwards.

Tierce:  How so?

Me:  Well, every time *you* get used to something or someone, they’re not an alien anymore.  It’s you who is changing; not them.

Tierce:  Now who’s talking crazy?  I’m the same as I ever was.