Shibas: Japanese mountain dogs
After seeing my two shibas navigate the massive snow, I realized why shibas make great Japanese mountain dogs. Prior to owning shibas, my mental image of a "snow dog" was a husky. That's what most people think of. Shibas are little dogs. But when you need to climb through snow that is higher than you, being little is a huge benefit. Shibas are light enough so that they don't sink all the way down. They sink down only to their chest, and can easily climb up and proceed forward again. This was how Jujube was able to plow her way through our backyard and make all sorts of paths for herself and Loki. It doesn't matter that the snow is taller than she is; she's light enough so that she doesn't sink down and get stuck. No wonder shibas are little, double-coated dogs. They are perfectly built for the snowy mountain terrain of Japan.
Playing in the snow
As if two feet of snow wasn't enough, we got even more on Wednesday morning. Well, at least the dogs loved it.
When the two of my pups play, there is a lot of noise, a lot of teeth, and a lot of speed. It can look scary to people who haven't seen such rough play, but it's all fun and games to them.
Loki looking up. He's got a little bit of snow on his nose.
Loki loves digging. He digs in dirt. He digs in sand at the beach. He digs in our bed.
And here, he digs in the snow.
When the two of my pups play, there is a lot of noise, a lot of teeth, and a lot of speed. It can look scary to people who haven't seen such rough play, but it's all fun and games to them.
Doesn't Loki look so mean in this last shot?
A tale of two tails
Our two shibas have very different tails.
Loki has a very loose curl. His tail curls and uncurls easily and all the time. You can tell when he's fearful or apprehensive when his tail uncurls. His tail seems to have a personality all on its own.
Jujube, on the other hand, has a very tightly curled tail. It's more like a little bundled knob. Perhaps she never gets fearful or apprehensive -- she is pretty fearless. The only time I see it uncurled is when she is fully relaxed when sitting or lying down, and even then, it doesn't happen often.
Loki has a very loose curl. His tail curls and uncurls easily and all the time. You can tell when he's fearful or apprehensive when his tail uncurls. His tail seems to have a personality all on its own.
Jujube, on the other hand, has a very tightly curled tail. It's more like a little bundled knob. Perhaps she never gets fearful or apprehensive -- she is pretty fearless. The only time I see it uncurled is when she is fully relaxed when sitting or lying down, and even then, it doesn't happen often.
Jujube vs. The Snow, Round II
A lot more snow later, Jujube is still winning. This time she has to jump into the snow.
Jujube vs. The Snow
When we got Jujube from the breeder, the breeder asked me, "Does it snow where you are? She loves the snow." The breeder wasn't kidding! Jujube loves the snow. She absolutely adores it.
Here's Jujube making her way through our backyard. Why she ventured out there? I don't know. She's happy to pee and poop in the foreground area, the area under the deck where there is little snow accumulation; so she's not going out there for that purpose. Maybe she's thinking that if the snow keeps up, then she'll be able to make her escape and jump over the fence.
We have about two feet of snow now and it's still snowing. The snow is taller than she is! But that doesn't deter her from trekking through it. Shiba Inus are Japanese mountain dogs. I guess this is what they do best.
Jujube conquers the snow.
Here's Jujube making her way through our backyard. Why she ventured out there? I don't know. She's happy to pee and poop in the foreground area, the area under the deck where there is little snow accumulation; so she's not going out there for that purpose. Maybe she's thinking that if the snow keeps up, then she'll be able to make her escape and jump over the fence.
We have about two feet of snow now and it's still snowing. The snow is taller than she is! But that doesn't deter her from trekking through it. Shiba Inus are Japanese mountain dogs. I guess this is what they do best.
Jujube conquers the snow.
Random Shiba Links
In honor of the final season of ABC's LOST, here's a picture of a shiba!
Credit to anna.hawaii on Flickr.
Credit to anna.hawaii on Flickr.
You want me to do what ?!?!
Monday, I came home from work to a peeing accident. Tuesday, I came home again to a peeing accident.
Suspecting a urinary tract infection (UTI), I call the vet and talk to the receptionist.
Suspecting a urinary tract infection (UTI), I call the vet and talk to the receptionist.
“You want me to do what ?!?!
You want me to get a urine sample?
For my DOG?
Are you joking?”
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