Weds 1st April: Talking about shibas

Gringo on the right became just one of the gang 

Today's memory that popped up on my own Facebook page was quite an appropriate one because it was about a shiba inu puppy that we'd taken in, and who was adopted on this day a few years ago.  As it turned out that puppy, Gringo, was one of the early shiba inus in Hong Kong, a breed whose popularity would explode for some reason completely unknown to me other than the fact that they're fairly small and look a bit like foxes.  The thing about shiba inus is that, just like Gringo, they're not easy dogs in general, and many end up with serious behaviour issues due to the ignorance of their owners as far as training, and dog care in general, is concerned.

Gringo came to us as a young puppy who had already been deemed to be untrainable by a behaviourist who had recommended he be put to sleep.  We were Gringo's last chance, and as he was only four months old I agreed to accept him.  I took him (literally kicking and screaming) back to my home on Lamma, where he was put with all of the other dogs.  Admittedly I had far fewer in those days than I have now, but it was enough of a group of mixed ages and size that Gringo had to fit in.  After only a few days of him being a pest, behaviour which was ignored, Gringo changed into a normal puppy and began playing with the others, and snuggling up with the group for sleeping. 

He was soon adopted and became one of a new family.

Other then being fed separately Gumbo is a normal dog

We subsequently took in more shiba inu puppies, a bit older than Gringo so their behaviour issues had become more ingrained.  One of them, Gumbo, is still at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre, and while his intial food guarding was extreme, after training with Cactus it's now at a level that's really not such a problem.

Another female shiba inu puppy, Damson, also had biting behaviour problems, and she's now on Lamma where she has changed into a very happy dog who initiates play and asks for cuddles and tummy rubs. 

Today we were asked if we'd accept another shiba inu puppy, one who like many others had already been in several homes but then rejected for the usual issues.  After discussion with Cactus we agreed to take this particular puppy in, then received a message saying someone else wanted to give him a try.  The result will I'm sure be yet another failure, further eroding any sense of trust and stability that's so essential for any puppy if it's going to grow up to be a well balanced adult.

I dislike intensely the fashion for particular breeds, especially when like shiba inus they're really not suitable for most of the people that buy them.   Shibas may be small but they think they're big, and combined with an obstinate and difficult streak that makes them a problem.  You need to know what you're doing and how to get the best out of a dog to be able to handle these tough little guys.

This is Jasmine, a beautiful girl waiting for someone to love her

Now for the happy news that forty four dogs and puppies found homes in March, a pretty good total given everything else that's been going on.  Thank you as always to everyone who chose to adopt rather than buy, and especially the adults.  Here's a list of the lucky ones:

Tai Po:
Amora (Multibreed)
Oscar (Multibreed)
Prudence (Multibreed)
Mica (Multibreed puppy)
Misha (Husky)

Ap Lei Chau:
Tiller (Multibreed puppy)
Rose (Multibreed puppy)
Maltese puppy (in-and-out)
Aggie (Pomeranian)
Tasha (Multibreed puppy)
Sadie & Skippy (Poodle)
Taurus (Multibreed puppy)
Sophie (Multibreed puppy)
Jenny (Multibreed puppy)
Google (Multibreed puppy)
Ollie (Multibreed puppy)

Whiskers N Paws puppies:
Shadow
Canoe
Willow
Karina
Gemini
Hazel
Jacob
Paddle
Tanya
Rio

Foster Home:
Jade (Multibreed)
Gisele (Poodle)
Romany & Gypsy (Multibreed puppy)
Digger (Rottweiler cross)
Bunny (Multibreed puppy)
Mocha (Bichon cross puppy)
Doris (Bichon cross puppy)
Spotty (Bichon cross puppy)
Panda (Bichon cross puppy)
Isaac (Pomeranian)
Chase (Poodle)
Bamboo (Doberman)
Donald (Multibreed puppy)
Sloop (Multibreed puppy)
Lola (Multibreed puppy)

📸Featured in this photo - Lovely young adult JASMINE who recently joined HKDR Tai Po Homing Centre. Jasmine has the sweetest personality, and she’s looking for a family that can give her lots of love!