Mon 24th May: A day at the seaside

Damson 

 Luckily the weather was perfect for the visit to my Lamma bay of Iris and two volunteers, the start of what is planned to be regular outings and grooming sessions for the smaller dogs that stay over on the island with me.  Today it was shiba inu Damson and little mixed breed Dainty who went swimming and had their hair brushed, and they both loved it. 

Dainty

Although Dainty is probably too timid to be a candidate for adoption, Damson is just a typical shiba inu with the behaviour seen in so many of this breed.  She can be as sweet as anything but she will guard what she seens as her possessions, so toys and long-lasting chews or treats are out of the question, although she's totally fine around food in general.  She came to us as an eight month-old puppy and is now three years old, still young enough to have a long life ahead of her with the right home and environment.   In fact I'd say she's an easier dog than (shiba) King is, but now that he's adopted and has the freedom to roam at will and pretty much make his own rules he's a happy boy.  Luckily our community is very small and nobody minds having neighbours' dogs dropping by to say hello as long as they later go back home.  As for Damson, if anyone is interested in adopting her (with no children in the home) please complete the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/ 

As it happens we have another shiba of the same age arriving on Tuesday, coming from AFCD Sheung Shui, along with a poodle and a Maltese (estimated to be around seven years old). This new shiba is the same age as Damson but is white, a colour I don't think is natural for the breed, and again we won't consider homing to a family with children.  By now the characteristics of the shiba inu are clearly shared as a breed norm, and there are many YouTube videos you can watch to see that it's not only our own experience that has seen this, but a general fact.