I give up. YES she IS a wolf/fox/coyote.

JessicaRabbitJessicaRabbit
edited April 2009 in Shikoku Ken (四国犬)
Jay and I have given up.

When people ask if Miko is a wolf or a fox, we just say yes.

For some reason, that ends all questions and we can just keep walking.

Obviously when we have someone legitimately inquiring ,we will talk about her and the Shikoku breed, but the people who stop on the road or the college kids who should questions we have given up and let them think she is the tiniest wolf in the world.
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Comments

  • RomiRomi
    edited November -1
    LOL! Man, at the shikoku booth today...I don't know how many times I heard "looks like a fox" or "this breed is part wolf right?" I feel bad for Corina, I was only there for 4 hours, she has been there friday, today, and tomorrow from 10am-7pm! Answering the same questions over and over again and explaining how Shikoku are their own DOG breed.
  • CrimsonO2CrimsonO2
    edited November -1
    Corina and I wandered over to the Shiba booth to see if they knew where the Kai ken display was (I think Corina's source misinformed her and mistook the "Alaskan Klee Kai" booth as the Kai Ken). Anyways, they had makeshift tip jars on their booth that said, "If you say, "it/he/she/they look like a fox/wolf. Then you owe us a quarter to help our Shiba Rescue". I thought it was clever:)

    Jesse
  • wliu003wliu003
    edited April 2009
    lol, since im still in college, I always say that shes a fox when i take her to campus. I get a lot of people asking so I had to think of a clever answer to see whose really interested.
  • EdgewoodEdgewood
    edited November -1
    Yeah, I know! I did the pet expo in Reading PA and I must have gotten "he looks like a fox" about 100 million times. Coyote and wolf too...
  • NekopanNekopan
    edited November -1
    I don't know what kind of crazy foxes these people have seen, but the Shikoku looks nothing like a fox to me. Wolf/coyote maybe. Even that is a stretch.
  • SangmortSangmort
    edited November -1
    What?! Either giganticly huge fox with the wrong colouring, or a tiny little wolf!

    A coyote is pretty close tho ;)


    Take it as a compliment since foxes, coyotes, & wolves are all gorgeous :) ~
  • animatorshibaanimatorshiba
    edited November -1
    maybe get a shirt or put up a sign that says NOT A WOLF / FOX / COYOTE
    i imagine that gets kind of annoying
  • JessicaRabbitJessicaRabbit
    edited November -1
    Miko is the same size as our local fox. And she does resemble our coyote. I totally understand the question. Just sick of clarifying.
  • tsukitsunetsukitsune
    edited November -1
    lol. its amazing that people ask that with total naivety, totally expecting you to say yes, and amazed that a DOG would be at the other end of your leash.

    Kris - I know of a woman who went to that pet expo in Reading to see if she could find any shikoku or icelandic sheepdogs! I wonder if you met her?
  • KaddyKaddy
    edited November -1
    I totally understand Jess...

    We went downtown today and I had to convince a woman that we weren't breaking the law by having a fox in our custody... *sigh*

    I love the idea of having a tip jar, Jesse - I'm just not sure how I could attach one to my body ;o)
  • ljowen123ljowen123
    edited November -1
    My favorite is when you explain it to them and they ask, "Are you sure?" - gotta love those idiots.
  • Honey's momHoney's mom
    edited November -1
    "maybe get a shirt or put up a sign that says NOT A WOLF / FOX / COYOTE
    i imagine that gets kind of annoying"


    I think Kristen has a shirt that says....SHIBA INU. NOT a fox! hahaha I know I've seen her post a picture that says that! hahah

    We get the "looks like a fox" thing Everywhere we go. I'm pretty much immune to it now. lol My automatic response has become "She's a Shiba Inu, They are like Cousins to the Akita." (ARE they "cousins"? lol) But I'm finding that people around here aren't REALLY familiar with Akitas either! hahah So THEN I just say....."She's a Japanese Breed. Google it." LOL
  • EdgewoodEdgewood
    edited November -1
    Jen - she might have met Kuma. I worked 3 h on Friday and 3 h on Saturday at the Berks Co Dog Training Club booth. We did get lots of traffic. But no one came up and actually knew that he was a Shikoku, so maybe not!
  • lindsaytlindsayt
    edited November -1
    If I know I'm talking to an idiot, or suspect I am, I have occasionally gone so far to tell them "these aren't even my dogs, I'm just a dog walker". For the average red blooded George and Georgina Liquor out their that can barely spell their street name, I tell them "Oh it's a little Japanese hunting dog" which seems to also end all questions.
    I almost feel protective of even the name of the breed, and I don't want to just go giving it out to people without first knowing if they are even literate or capable of logical thoughts. I guess I fear that they will go right home and then order one off the internet or something like that now that they know what the breed's called.
  • KaddyKaddy
    edited November -1
    LOL Lindsay I felt the same way today!!!!!! I had soooooo many people ask about Keiko, and I was honestly happy when they didn't understand me saying 'Shiba Inu'

    There was one lady OBSESSED with Keiko that kept saying "I'm going to get me one one of these Shina Kebo's!!!" ... I seriously thanked her hearing issues...
  • shimaurashibalover92shimaurashibalover92
    edited November -1
    Someone at the meetup was talking about "If I had a dollar for everytime somebody asked me if she was a fox, I'd be rich" Since we've only had Katsu for a week we're still not sick of it. Last night we were outsied walking her when someone stopped and said.
    "Awww she's cute, she looks like a little bear/wolf/fox thing. What is she? A what? A Shimu Emu? What's her name? Katchu? Catsup? Oh Katsu."
    Any time anyone asks about her. I go into a long speech about the Japanese spitz breeds, and how shiba's aren't for everyone and then I tell them about this forum, tell them to do their research, and tell them to rescue or buy from a good breeder. Either they listen or their eyes glaze over and they lose intrest in the dog, both work for me.
  • lindsaytlindsayt
    edited November -1
    You're much more pt than I am with strangers.
  • lindsaytlindsayt
    edited April 2009
    I ment "patient"
  • lepercannlepercann
    edited November -1
    Poor Triton, he gets: "is that a white fox/wolf? What kind of dog is that?" And when we have Sadie too (who is a red sesame) it's, "are they the same kind of dog"? Different color, people. That's it. Same breed. Now I just say that they are both a small Japanese hunting breed. People hear hunting and walk away.
  • CaliaCalia
    edited November -1
    I've had people come up to me and think that Tetsu is a puppy version of Tikaani, and some who ask if he's a Klee Kai. One lady argued with me and said that "shibu emus" don't come in a back and tan color, only tan, so he has to be a type of shepherd.
  • lindsaytlindsayt
    edited April 2009
    Something about telling people "it's a hunting breed" really puts most of them off. I guess that's good, but considering how many people have labs/spaniels/beagles, etc, I thought more people would think that was a bonus.

    For the longest time, all we ever saw at the clinic were red Shiba Inu. My girl was the first sesame(ish). When a black and tan boy came for unsucessful treatment of bladder stones/acute blockage, nobody including me thought he was a Shiba until some of us got into the breed much later. Of course, we were just being stupid, vets are not good authorities on breed standards at all.
  • JessicaRabbitJessicaRabbit
    edited November -1
    You would think that, but how many times do I meet people who complain that their beagle barks all the time?
    People get dogs for looks and then get annoyed when they act like dogs.
  • lindsaytlindsayt
    edited November -1
    Too true.
  • CrimsonO2CrimsonO2
    edited November -1
    People also get dogs for their looks (without research into breed characteristics) and get annoyed when they act true to their breed.

    Case in point, I was taking Ichi out for a walk today and a woman came up to me with a black and tan female (no more than 6 months old).

    Her: "Oh look you have one too!"

    Me: "Oh hey, what a pretty girl!" (I crouch down and she proceeds to climb on my lap as I give her scritches behind her ear).

    Her: "My gosh she went right up to you! She doesn't like him at all! She just stands and barks at him" (points to gruff lookin' guy on bench)

    Me: "Yeah, the breed is known to be aloof of strangers, dogs, etc."

    Her: "She doesn't act like a puppy at all!"

    Me: "Ummm...yeah."

    Jesse
  • KevinKevin
    edited November -1
    Don't go to a convention or some such event with an unusual dog if you don't want to field questions from ignorants.
    It's that simple.
  • JessicaRabbitJessicaRabbit
    edited November -1
    I am talking about standing in my own yard.
  • HeidiHeidi
    edited November -1
    One person once asked me if Tojo was Rakka's puppy. It's not a dumb question, but it made me smile, because Tojo is the total boss dog of Skella and Rakka and to think of him as Rakka's puppy is funny.

    I met a lady once who insisted that Tojo must be part fox, even though I told her that dogs and foxes can't interbreed. Oy vey. The funniest though is when people think he's a cat. It's happened THREE times! All three times, he was in the car, so I think they just didn't get a good look at him, but two of the times, the person was like, "Oh, your cat likes car rides, that's strange!" and the other time, two guys were walking through the parking lot and their conversation went like this:

    Guy1: Whoa... look at that! *pointing to Tojo*
    Guy2: What about it?
    Guy1: Is that a cat or a dog?
    Guy2: A dog, you moron.
  • ZinjaZinja
    edited November -1
    Looks more like a Dingo to me :)
  • JessicaRabbitJessicaRabbit
    edited November -1
    My next door neighbor asked if Miko was a cat when I brought her home.
  • KFontaine04KFontaine04
    edited November -1
    Maybe the Dingo ate your baby!
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