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Cream Shiba Goji

I was walking Maggie around our neighborhood streets yesterday and I see a shiba waiting outside a grocery store all by herself! Her leash was tied to a bar, but come on! You can't trust a shiba alone outside because:
a) someone will steal the cute little dog because people steal anything and everything ALL the time here; and
b) shiba's can get feisty and loosen it's own leash somehow. You do not want a shiba on the loose!

I walked over to the pup with Maggie, and was delighted to see that they were practically same in size. I let Maggie and who I later learned was Goji sniff each other to get acquainted. Goji looked a bit nervous so I told Maggie to keep her company while she waited for her owner to come out. I was also worried that someone might snatch Goji... I know I won't be able to leave Maggie outside by herself! Goji didn't seem to care much to play until her owner came out. She got excited and that excited Maggie and they were wrestling each other, it was too cute. Nice meeting you Goji!

Sesame Shiba

Maggie's coat color is changing. There's definitely more black overall compared to three months ago when she was at her breeder's. The shedding is winding down as well. Phew!

Begger

"I smell food!"

"Gimme gimme!!"

Eat, sleep and play

Guilty as charged

Lineup of her treats in the house currently.

It's sad but true: some of us in San Francisco treat our dogs WAY better than we do fellow human beings. I used to look at people who treat their dogs like little babies with horror and disgust. Feeding them from their own plates; allowing to sleep with them in their bed; letting them ride in the front seat of the car; taking them to spas and restaurants; showering them with toys and treats....the list goes on. I couldn't understand why so much money could be spent on a dog when there were hungry people living out on the streets.

Well, so much for my self-righteousness. After Maggie came into our lives all I can think about is what to buy to keep her happy. I would buy treat after treat after treat that there would be constant supply of treats open in the house. I soon realized that Maggie was filling herself up with more treats than kibble. She's even gotten picky about kibble now that I alternate two different brands and give her Merrick's delicious can foods so she won't get bored.
I am terrible and I am making a conscious effort to change starting now.

For the betterment of humanity

Maggie had to go under the knife last week. Thanks to the great people at SFSPCA, she is recovering quite quickly. I cannot bear to see her glum face when the e-collar is on so I promised to watch her like a hawk so she wouldn't have to wear it. She did sneak in a few licks here and there but it's healing nicely. You better not lick if you want to go to the dog park!

Spring sun

Soaking in some vitamin D's.

Why in such awkward position....?

Gated

All those discussions I keep reading online about Shibas not to be trusted on their own has made me nervous about leaving her at home by herself. Maggie is pretty good about not destroying things around the house. The only thing she has semi-destroyed are my slippers and a cardboard box. I guess we are blessed with such a good dog for a Shiba. In any case, I will be going back to work after having spent almost 3 months everyday at home with her. I purchased a Carlson pet gate with cat door which has proven to be very effective. She has the whole kitchen to roam around, which I'm sure she won't be too happy about.

New carpet to pee on!

Since Maggie has reached her 6 month mark and what seemed to be a solid month of accident-free days, we were confident we could bring out our carpets that we had hardly used. Of course, she is excited and sniffing all over the place and makes her mark on the white carpet. She even hurled some foamy-looking bile on the blue one, just to test how far she can go (she may actually been a bit sick this morning). Dogs are funny, aren't they?

Expression

What do you possibly have to be sad about?
Maybe Maggie knows she's getting spayed in two days.

Mission Creek Park

Another fun day at the park. Mission creek park is practically brand new meaning no poop everywhere, no brown patches or dog diseases. Since it's all the way on the east side of the city, not many people come here with their dogs so lucky for us!

Mini Shiba?

Now that we are getting out and about, people who come across Maggie have asked on more than one occasion, "Is she a Shiba? She has unusual markings for a Shiba....She's the smallest Shiba I've ever seen...Her ears are smaller than most Shiba's...She's very friendly for a Shiba...etc.''
Maybe Maggie isn't a regular Shiba. She might be a Mame-Shiba (mini). I don't really know but she seems to me like a Shiba with great qualities. Oh, she hates baths like she's supposed to.

It's that time of year again

Every Shiba owner knows that around spring time their dog starts shedding like there's no tomorrow. I was ready for this but didn't think I would have to empty the vacuum filter several times a day. Dyson ball + Furminator is the right combo for this season. No matter how many times I clean, hair is everywhere. We may need to upgrade to the Dyson Animal for the next season.

Oral hygiene for dogs

Thank goodness for chicken flavored toothpaste. Maggie loves having her canines cleaned with this. You may think it's excessive to clean a dog's teeth. I think so too, but hey, her breath is poultry-fresh!

Obey the Shiba Inu!

This is a bumper sticker but it's on the back of Maggie's kennel.

Hellowowow

Total Relaxation

The Shiba Inu, known to be an alert and brave breed can relax completely when at home.

First video

My first video of Maggie when she came to our house. The bone is now almost gone.

From puppy to young pup

Is this a bit gross? Collecting my dog's milk teeth off the floor and keeping them as her (for me) puppyhood memories. It's what all caring puppy parents do. What can I say....she's my first dog and I will treat her accordingly. All her adult canines are out now so she is ready for anything!

Winding stairs

We know Maggie can go up and down these stairs if she really wanted to. She just has to tell herself that she can.

When can I go outside?

Maggie looking out the window like a cat. She's watching cars, people and dogs go by wondering when she will be let out of the house. Go away parasites.

e-collar

Oh, the dreaded e-collar... Poor Maggie didn't enjoy wearing this one bit. It didn't even help cure the stubborn giardiasis she harbored inside her for two months. I was secretly hoping she would grow to like it, like a proud kid with a cast and a broken arm. In the end, I just felt too sorry for her to make her wear it. Just look at that face.

A warm spring day at Dolores Park

Finally Maggie is cleared of giardiasis and we're taking her everywhere we can imagine. Maggie had never been 'off-leash' until recently so she was quite happy to be running around freely with her friends. She was doing so well until she spotted a pigeon and chased it furiously into the distance that it freaked me out a bit.

The dogs are enjoying this beautiful day in the park.