bone 2.

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Kit is twice the size of Nova. I always thought Nova didn't really have canine etiquette. When I took her to the dog run, she made her rounds, greeted all the people, and ignored all the dogs. Maybe she is socially retarded in the canine world as she always seemed more interested in people than dogs. So it was good to hear she is communicating and standing her ground when Kit came to bully and take her marrow bone. After being snapped at by Nova, Kit backed off with a sad bashful face.

*** Get ready for the new year! There are only two 2011 Shibal Inu calendars left! ***

mm-hmm.

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In real life, Nova surprisingly hates sweaters. It's been super cold out and I tried to get her wear one her owner left. She hates it. Nova will run away from me if she sees the sweater in my hand.

Hope everyone had a great holiday!
Kit and Betsy opened their Christmas gift. After watching Mac the shiba inu play with his Kong Wobbler, I decided to get one for Kit and Betsy:


You'll notice Mac plays with his Kong Wobbler very nicely. Kit and Betsy play with utmost animal desperation and urgency.

* * * BTW! There's only a week left 'til the year ends! Why not get a 2011 calendar now on sale for $10? * * *

What is Nova thankful for?

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FNL.

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"Friday Night Lights" is one of my favorite shows. I think it's Kit's favorite too. I love Tami Taylor. If you have a Netflix account, the first three seasons are available on instant view. You can also watch clips and recent episodes on the show's site.

Anyways, I know it's not Thanksgiving yet but I like to be prepared for the upcoming winter holiday. This year's Shibal Inu holiday card is now available at the Etsy store! Last year's design is also available:

(2010 Shibal Inu Holiday Greeting Card)


(2009 Shibal Inu Holiday Greeting Card)

As always, a portion of the proceeds will go towards helping support the NYC Shiba Rescue!

Q: What are you dressing up as for Halloween?

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I do not think dogs need clothes and doggy sweaters unless it's for functional purposes. Like the time I knitted Betsy a sweater because her undercoat hadn't grown in time for cold weather and she was shivering during walks (Sweater FAIL btw. Betsy hated her sweater). Although I think costumes can be fun when done in tasteful manner. Rain won't let me dress the dogs up for Halloween though. Otherwise, Kit would be superman and Betsy would be Robin Hood as done by Shio.

Speaking of knitting, I went to the Duchess County Sheep & Wool Festival with Nova's owner Jenni and my friend Laura this past weekend. We got to see sheep dog demonstrations! I learned that border collies are total OCD workaholics. They are happiest when all their sheep are gathered and in order. What super smart and well behaved dogs!


[Workaholic at work - Rhinebeck, NY]


[It's been a long day - Rhinebeck, NY]


[OMG they lemme hold one. Shot by Laura - Rhinebeck, NY]


[Look out world. Almost ready to put sheep in order - Shot by Laura - Rhinebeck, NY]

I don't think the Shibal Inus would make very good sheep dogs. Kit would just bark at the sheep. Natto would try to play with them. Betsy would take a sniff and roll around in their poo. Nova would not go anywhere near them.

mini husky!

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I dog-sat Nova this past weekend. We went on a road trip up to Providence, RI to visit the alma mater (RISD holla~). Most people had no idea what a shiba inu was. A lot of people thought Nova a mini husky. Many have not heard of shiba inus. They don't seem as popular as they are in New York. However, we did meet a three year old tan shiba inu on our way to pick up some lunch. Nova wasn't interested in making friends. Neither was the other dog. She did say hello to all the humans around her.


[Walking north of Thayer. Shot by Laura - Providence, RI]


[Nova & her bunny. Shot by Laura - Providence, RI]

Nova got something stuck in her teef:

[Shot by Laura - Providence, RI]

My non-attempt to play chase with Nova:

[Shot by Laura - Providence, RI]

When Nova was at home while I was at work, I used the iCam app on my iPhone to keep an eye on her:


Being a shiba is tough, man.

*** Wsup to Taro! He's giving away Shibal Inu button pins which are now sold out on the Etsy store. There's still some time to enter and win! Hurry! Go! Go! Go!***

hunt.

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Zuko has got some awesome pictures of shiba inus hunting over on his blog.
If Kit and Betsy went hunting for wild boar, it would most likely look something like this:

How can you take those fluffy tails seriously?

deer.

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Took Kit, Betsy and Nova on a cabin trip getaway last weekend. I really don't understand Betsy's obsession with poop. Neither of the other dogs were as equally fascinated. Once released into the dog pen, Betsy managed to find old poop from previous dog visitors and rolled around in it. While on a long leash outside the pen, she found deer poop and rolled around in that also. She had to be washed twice.


[Video shot by Jenni]


[Basking in the sun - Bethel, NY]


[Shade chaser - Bethel, NY]
Look at that innocent face. You wouldn't be able to tell she rolled around in deer poo.


[Maxin' & relaxin' - Bethel, NY]


[You take this side, I'll take that side - Bethel, NY]

*squeak*

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I got Kit a squeaky football for his Gotcha Day. Been watching a lot of Friday Night Lights. I think Kit is very much like "Smash" Williams. He's not as fast though because Betsy got to his football before he did:

As you can see, they LOOOOOOOOOVED it. I think because the ball also squeaked when it was released. It didn't last very long though as Kit and Betsy managed to tear the ball apart and eat the squeaker.

baggage.

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*** There's still time to participate in Kit's Gotcha Day interactive fundraiser! I just need 17 more comments! Be a hero! Please help other shiba inus! ***

xxx.

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Kit's sexy poses:

[Ladies come and get it - SoHo, NY]

daydream.

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Don't by shy! There's still a few days left to enter Natto's birthday giveaway!

world cup.

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Guess which team the Shibal Inus are rootin' for at the World Cup?

[Korea fighting! - SoHo, NY]

dirt.

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Kit, Betsy and Nova headed up to Roxbury for a weekend cabin trip. Kit and Betsy found deer poo in the woods and rolled around in it. They were FILTHY... SO SO FILTHY but sooooooooo happy! Nova was the only clean one.


[SO DIRTY!!!!!!! - Roxbury, NY]

grass.

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Betsy was at a park a couple weeks ago. After running around, she found a shady cool area with freshly mowed grass... and promptly rolled around in it. Check out her grass stains:

[Turning into Incredible Hulk - SoHo, NY]

birthday cake.

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[Birthday cake - SoHo, NY]


Okay okay, video may be cheesy but it's got the following awesome things: cake, presents, shiba inus, and Sufjan Stevens.

Betsy had a quiet birthday over the weekend. She and Kit had birthday cake from Buttercup's Pawtisserie located in Park Slope, Brooklyn. She opened her birthday present like a pro and played with her new rope toy all afternoon.
I think next time, I will try and make a dog birthday cake instead of buying because holy moly, that itty bitty cake was expensive! Did some research and found a few recipes online that seemed simple enough. Many include ingredients like carob. What is carob? And where can I find it? Is there a particular brand bakers use?

Don't forget, only 5 days left to enter Betsy's Birthday Giveaway Contest! Don't be shy! :D

arrow.

Can you see the arrow pointing at Kit's butt hole:


Thanks to Ting for great beach suggestion! Took Kit and Betsy to the beach at Fort Tilden last week. Learned that Kit cannot be trusted off leash as he ran off to check out abandoned houses nearby. Here are some other shots from the morning:


[He enjoys long romantic walks on the beach - Fort Tilden, NY]


[Rolling around on something smelly - Fort Tilden, NY]


[Happy face - Fort Tilden, NY]


[Kit & Betsy both licked this... gross - Fort Tilden, NY]

work out.

Natto's gained a little weight due to too much love from Michelle's mom. So to encourage some indoor exercise (as Seoul doesn't have dog parks), I sent him a cat toy. Natto likes cat toys.

Auntie Gina's awesome gift that lasted 5 whole mins. from michellemin on Vimeo.

I've been watching Jaime Oliver's Food Revolution. I totally support eating fresh foods and buying local produce, even for dogs. Kit, Betsy, and Natto are all on a natural food diet. They don't eat processed dog food.

Here's Michelle's recipe for home made dog food which yields enough for about a week:
- dozen eggs hard-boiled, peeled and mashed
- 2 cans of tuna or salmon
- broccoli boiled
- two cups of brown rice
- peas and carrots
- freshly chopped parsley

Mix all together and voila!
Please feel free to adjust the recipe according to your preference!

Do you have any suggestions for unprocessed dog food? What do you feed your dog?

q: where were you before your forever home?

Am back from an action packed vacation in Peru!
You can read about highlights from the trip on my personal blog throughout the week:
http://www.run-parallel.blogspot.com/

pep talk.

[Old shot of Nova w/ an Eeyore which is otherwise known as bunny - Dallas, TX]

We're about to get some stellar weather this weekend.
Hope everyone will be out enjoying the sun 8)
HAPPY EGG DAY!