Putting Shiba paws to the pavement!

Well, the K9 Rescue Me Walkathon was a huge success! Over 20 dog rescues in Ontario participated, and together raised approximately $50, 000!!! Roohoo!!! Shiba Rescue GTA did very well, and there were about 10 Shibas in the walkathon. It was a beautiful day, and we found a nice park to stop at to rest, play, hang out. We had 4 rescued Shibas attend this year, so it was more special than usual.

Here is a video from the day.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Bonnie & Sushi

Shiba Inus to Walk in Support of Dog Rescue!

On June 10, 2007, the Toronto Shiba Inu Meetup group will be participating in the 4th Annual K9 Rescue Me Walkathon. Shiba Rescue GTA is part of the K9 Rescue Me group which consists of nearly 20 different dog rescues across Ontario, Canada. This is Canada's largest canine rescue fundraising event!

If you would like to show your support for the Shiba Inus (and maybe another rescue, if you have several favourite breeds), donations can be accepted online. After you click on Donate Now, there is a drop down menu listing all the participating rescues.

If the link won't let you click on it, please copy and paste it into your browser.

http://www.canadahelps.org/CharityProfilePage.aspx?CharityID=s93626


If you live in or near Toronto and want to walk with the Shibas, email me at c_and_b2002@yahoo.com and I can provide a pledge form to you.

If you donate, the Shibas thank you very much!! :)

"Until there are none, rescue one".


Bonnie & Sushi

A Perfect Shiba Inu Day

I am so proud of Sushi today. It actually started yesterday though. Sushi has had issues with fear aggression towards other dogs. He didn't always used to be that way. About a year and a half ago, he was pinned down at the park by a not-so-friendly Labradoodle. Since then, it's been a gradual change for Sushi's behaviour. He used to LOVE playing with the big dogs, now he is afraid of them. He doesn't run and hide. He has not attacked either, but he does freak out, growling, snarling, ears back and he becomes uncontrollable. For a year now, Sushi and I have been working on his behaviour with the help of his trainer.

Yesterday, I took Sushi for a walk. We now have a Boxer/Shepherd mix living across the street from us. Before Sushi could spot him, I had Sushi "settle" aka lie down and gave the command "watch me". For some reason, lately, he's been listening better to me! lol He did as I asked, but kept sneaking peeks over at Max, and barking his head off. An improvement over freaking out and growling/snarling. He eventually calmed down, and then I gave him tons of praise, a treat, and continued on our walk to the park. I was very proud of him.

I"ve been watching The Dog Whisperer, it's now my new fav show. I now make sure Sushi is calm and relaxed before approaching a situation where I think he might act up. It's working. I've also learned to relax and appear more confident. We've also been re-working on heel. So far so good!!

Today, I took Sushi to his fav park in Mississauga - Totoredaca Park. We always go very early in the morning and only in the small dog area, as nearly no one else uses it. Sushi has his usual pals that will come over and play with him though - 2 Beagles, 2 Basenjis and an older Lab. Sushi is good with all of them, including the Lab. If a bigger dog has no interest in Sushi, Sushi is ok with them.

Today it was just the Beagles and Sushi. Sushi had so much fun, doing the Shiba 500 several times and playing. He usually will growl at some of the bigger dogs on the other side of the fence, but today, it was not as intense. And, when his "nemesis" - a big hound that barks very loudly all the time entered the park (other side of the fence), Sushi listened to me when I gave the command "watch me". He took peaks at the dog, but for Sushi to listen and do as I asked in that kind of situation, was a HUGE improvement. Even I was surprized!

We stayed for about an hour, since Sushi was doing so well and having so much fun. Later in the morning, for a treat, I took him to his favourite store - Global Ryan's Pet Food store in Brampton. His fav pal, Leah works there so he got some extra treats and fussed over.

It's been a great Shiba Day!!!

PS: Sushi is one tired pooch, yay!

Shiba Inu Fun at the Park

Yesterday we had 19 Shiba Inus for our Meetup at White Spruce Park, in Brampton, Ontario. It was crazy, but so much fun!!



Bonnie & Sushi

My Shiba Inu on Video

I finally bought a new camcorder and of course, Sushi is my main subject.

Here he is doing some of his tricks.


Shiba Inu Tricks

Bonnie

For Adoption: Dasher, 8 yr old Shiba Inu

CAN YOU PROVIDE A FOREVER HOME FOR DASHER? Dasher is a very handsome 8 yr old 28 lb male looking for a new forever home.

He is up to date on his shots, neutered, housebroken and crate-trained. He loves walks and is food motivated. As with some other dogs, he can be mildly affected by seasonal allergies. Dasher needs someone that is familiar with this breed and is willing to commit themselves to training. Dasher will also need time spent to socialize him around people. The potential adopter must have experience with dogs, patience, time, and a lot of love. Dasher needs to be in a mature, adult home preferably with another dog and an owner that will respect and understand his quirks, needs and personality. No cats or young children in the home. .

* Dasher would enjoy being the second dog in the home; he enjoys dog play time and is more comfortable not being the center of attention. .

For more information or to fill out an adoption application form, please email us at shibarescuegta@gto.net

Safety First!

Being wintertime, I'm reminded a little bit more about car safety. Not just for people, but for our furkids as well.

Two years ago, Sushi and I were in a bad car accident, after having a wonderful time at the dog park. 3 cars were involved in the accident - mine was written off. I had 7 months of physiotherapy on my knees and then my back. Sushi was scared to be in the car for about 2 months, but other than that, my little Shiba Inu boy was unharmed. Sushi was wearing his seatbelt harness, which to this day, I believe saved his life. Please, if you allow your dog to remain free in the car or even worse, allow him/her to sit up front with you - please don't do that anymore. You are putting your dog at risk, and even yourself. Find a good seatbelt harness - one that won't allow too much movement; the dog should not be able to wiggle his way out of it. With Sushi's, he can sit and lie down; it can also be used as a regular harness for walks. A crate is the best option and should be placed behind the passenger seat, in the back of course. It should be positioned in between the back of the passenger seat and the back of the backseat, so it can not budge. There are other options as well - some people install a guard or gate, depending on the vehicle they own. Do not take your pet's life for granted. An accident can happen so quickly, and there is no way for your pet to prepare himself for it.

Lots and lots of snow!

Oh boy, it snowed a lot last night. Sushi loves the snow, but this time he seems unsure whether to be excited or not about it. The snow nearly touches his belly. He leaps and hops through the snow. I had to trudge around our yard to make a path for him, which he now uses for his Shiba 500. He keeps wanting to go outside, he loves it if you take a shovelfull of light snow and throw it for him to catch. Crazy Shiba.

Shiba Rescue GTA

Shiba Rescue GTA was founded last year in the spring (2006). A 9 yr old female Shiba Inu was left at a local Toronto shelter. Her name is Yoshi, and it is because of her that Shiba Rescue GTA was born. My friend and I (also from the Toronto Shiba Inu Meetup group) realized there wasn't an active rescue dedicated to the Shiba Inu in the Greater Toronto Area. Currently, Shiba Rescue GTA is the only Shiba rescue in Canada. We do not have a shelter, we have foster homes. We conduct interviews, home visits, reference checks. Shibas are not for everyone and placing them in the right home is very important. If you would like to make a donation or learn more about Shiba Rescue GTA, please visit our website: http://www.shibarescuegta.ca

Bonnie & Sushi

The Shiba 500

For those that are owned by a Shiba Inu already, you know what I'm talking about. The infamous Shiba 500. Where your Shiba runs like s/he's psycho at warped speed and the best thing you can do is cheer them on but stay out of the way! Sushi had 2 rounds of the Shiba 500 tonight. He used to do this more often as a puppy, but I still laugh everytime he does it. I think when I laugh it encourages him to run even more! Odd things can set off the Shiba 500 - a good poop usually does it. But, tonight, it was because I furminated him outside. The Furminator is an excellent "comb" to help when they are blowing their coats. Sushi's nickname these days is "FuzzButt".

Bonnie & Sushi