Morning Dew Shiba

08/08/2024

11/23/2023

Yelling louder for the people in the back

My dog is not my child.

My dog is not my furbaby.

I am not her mother, I am her trainer. The word trainer is not a bad word, it means leader, supporter,disciplinary.. and friend.

My dog is my friend. She is my partner and my companion. To treat her like a child, to infantilize her and make it seem as though she needs my constant coddling or protection, would be unfair to her.

She is an adult carnivore that I have brought into my human world. Because of that it is my responsibility as her owner:

1) To communicate with her in a way she can understand.

2) To provide leadership, discipline and mutual respect.

3) To understand her instincts and needs, and provide appropriate outlets for them.

4) To train her and provide her the skills to function effectively in our human world, including acceptable manners and behaviors including the veterinarian.

Our dogs deserve to be given responsibility and allowed to be adult creatures, not perpetual babies. Please, don't try to make them tiny humans, they aren't and they don't want to be. Dogs are wonderful because they are dogs. Let them be dogs.

Teach them to be good ones.

I couldn’t live a day without them..

10/02/2023

While we are on coats:

The Shiba standard states that the Shiba should be “Double coated with the outer coat being stiff and straight and the undercoat soft and thick. Fur is short and even on face, ears, and legs. Guard hairs stand off the body are about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in length at the withers. Tail hair is slightly longer and stands open in a brush. It is preferred that the Shiba be presented in a natural state. Trimming of the coat must be severely penalized. Serious Fault--Long or woolly coat.”

Often times in poorly bred shiba, we see the guard hairs pinned smooth against the body as opposed to standing off the body, as they are supposed to.

This would be an example of the genetic difference in coat. These two dogs are about the same age in these pictures, and are both were spayed at 6mo, before their first heat. The dog on the left is purebred, but not wellbred. This picture was taken in Maryland in winter and she is in coat. You can see fur sticking out at her neck, but it is laying flat against her sides. The dog on the right is purebred and wellbred. This picture was taken today, it is 95° out, and she is not completely in coat. Her fur is much more full. You can see it sticking out at her sides, as opposed to flat against her. The texture at the chest is very different as well. That is the texture that is called for in the standard.

10/02/2023

I brushed my dog with a Furminator so you don’t have to.

Sebastian is a 3yo poorly bred shiba (probably mix). His coat is not a standard shiba coat, but my other dogs are show dogs, and the black and tan coat is easiest to see this particular difference in. The furminator deshedding brush does the same thing on all double coated breeds. Sebastian has black guard hairs over a light tan/grayish undercoat. As this isn’t a routine of ours, you will not notice a huge difference in the left (furminator side) and right (slicker side). The last picture is from a groomer’s page regarding the long term effects of using a furminator.

Notice the differences. Yes it appears the furminator got out more hair, but it is predominantly dark top coat. We are not trying to shed top coat. It’s the undercoat that is what they blow. The slicker got out much lighter fur - his undercoat. You can sort of see the difference of texture in this image. The darker hairs the furminator pulled are longer and more thick, indicating guard hairs (top coat). The lighter hairs pulled by the slicker are shorter, more wispy, and more textured.

Something I noticed while grooming him was that the furminator seemed to cause him pain. You can see him pulling away from the furminator and sitting down. When I used the slicker he did not pull away and remained standing. Also note the difference in sound. When using the furminator it sounds like hair is being ripped out. The slicker is just pulling out dead hair. Side note: slickers are not meant to be used in long pulling strokes. They are short strokes from back to front. (Video in comments, it won’t let me add it here)

At the end of the day, you can use whatever you want to groom your dog. But if you want a fluffy shiba coat, the furminator is not the way to go.

09/24/2023

Daichi Go You Djenima CGC
Oklahoma Summer Classic 2023
📸 Hounds in Motion Photography

07/23/2023

Iri passed her TKN the other day, and we finally submitted our application for title!