John shall be stopping at the shops on his way home I'm sure Tiger would love you more for it, but when claiming my love I wont be mentioning I stole the idea thanks for the tip will let you know how it goes tomorrow, but tis now w-a-l-k-i-e-s !
How long are your walks? I would assume an akita needs more than a 30 min walk ...Spuds gets min an hours worth (combined) of walking before we go to work (she gets 2 walks in the mornings). Kongs are excellent, I stuff Shao New's with her own dog food, blueberries and carrots..I might try yogurt soon...of course, all frozen so they don't just pop out, and STUFFED in various ways (hence the reason Kristin said peanut butter). Also I noticed when I leave her toys about, she seems more content. I put all her toys in her "new storage bin" aka plastic trashbin, which I never do, and came home to a destroyed interior door mat today, not amused--but i guess she wasn't either!
I've gotta pop in and ask something-- I thought about peanut butter in the kong but I feel like that's a horrible mess waiting to happen? Or am I mistaken because the licks take it from the kong right into their mouths? I only took high school physics but this not getting ugly seems to defy laws of nature. Maybe because it has to be frozen...
It can be a bit messy, but ours enjoy theirs on the hardwood and a quick swipe with the steam mop afterward does the trick. Then you just have to wash out the kongs really well afterwards.
I take him out for half an hour in the garden at 6am every morning for relief and a bit of play and then we come in, I shower etc (if I have work) and then feed (John does the same if he's the early riser, which is only twice out of 6 shifts). Either I go to work or go back to bed and then he gets the 1/2 hours a while after, between 11am and 1pm, from whoever is available based on our shifts. If it's a shorter walk based on the weather or running late on schedule (shorter walk being a minimum of 1 hour) then I try to jog a little with him and whilst he enjoys running he doesn't enjoy doing it for extended periods, which works out well because it's been a while since I jogged anyway! He's then left for between 3 - 6 hours, shifts depending. Home time is garden, grooming, food and relaxation follow by another walk.
An average day (where both John and I are at work) is about an hour and a half in the morning (the first day he had an hour and a half, the second day - today - 2 hours), followed by an hour at night, cut short today because he wasn't a fan of the rain and neither was I. He is always truly tired from his morning walk. Or at least he looks and acts that way? If he needs more walking then more walking we shall do. I like early mornings anyway, quiet and peaceful.
We do leave his toy out and his vet bed which he enjoys chewing on. However the toy is only fun to him if someones with it. I've never seen him play with it on his own, not even to bring it to one of us to initiate it. Not sure about the vet bed, I just know there is vet bed fluff all around it so he's doing something. We'll try the kong, we don't have any carpet downstairs so mess isn't an issue.
Hi Claire, Just an FYI about the Kong, if it rolls under something and Spuds can't get it, she does get annoyed and will try to destroy something out of fustration. It rolled under our entertainment unit once, and she knows she's not allowed down there (I don't think she knows she physically CAN)...and ripped up the rug next to it instead.
Unlike Tiger, she does play by herself, and bring toys over..that's why leaving toys around works for us.. but maybe it's a Shiba thing. Hopefully somebody with an Akita can give you some solid advice as well.
sorry claire i really can't help with this one, venus is a lazy monkey and the minute the doors lock she is spread out on the sofa asleep til we return, mars always had a kong and was crated and that kept him happy for hours then he would just sleep.
If you remember my overly emotional post about Tiger preferring John over me, I thought I'd offer an update. John works 2 earlies, 2 mids and 2 nights with 4 days off. I hate his mids and nights because I dislike being home alone, i always have, when we decided to rescue Tiger I'd thought "ooh, at least I'll have someone to listen to me ramble whilst I rattle about the flat/house" and then was a bit dismayed to realise not only had we rescued a dog who is not a major fan of women but who much prefers John to myself, so much so that the first hour or so John leaves home Tiger cannot be tempted to come from the front door, lest he return and Tigers not there to greet him. However I can live with this, sometimes it's nice not to have a giant bear-dog under your feet whilst your cleaning up or trying to cook etc. But when John doesn't come upstairs to go to bed (because he's not home) Tiger returns to his front door vigil. I have to go downstairs to even say goodnight. Most disheartening.
ANYWAY, basically, Tiger came up to say goodnight. I'd been up here for half an hour reading the internet/a book intermittently (it's not a very good book) and he poked his head around the door. He only gets on the bed when the duvet is not on fully and if you invite him. Which is a lovely little surprise to have as it means we don't have to train it out of him (he takes up a lot of space). So I moved the duvet, patted the bed and said "up", he came and we had a lovely half hour cuddling session before he got up to lie in his spot by the stairs in case anyone tries to get us.
Also I was lying in bed awake a few nights ago, unable to sleep, and at about 330am he came in, sniffed around and when he was happy everything was ok he went back. It's really very sweet. John also informs me he has a similar but less lengthy-vigil when I leave the house. So, whilst he definitely does prefer John, I am second best and can happily live with it
if I were a dog I'd prefer Johns walking style to mine anyway. He walks at triple the speed I do and so they cover far more ground and he gets to see many more sights. Men. Pst. They're in it together.
Aww, that's sweet about Tiger coming up on the bed...I was a little worried about you guys when Tiger was growling when you got near the bed, so this is nice!
When our independent dogs seek snuggle time its the best.
Maybe the front door vigil is not so much about John but about John LEAVING. Maybe Tiger is just protecting you and your home so he makes sure everything is A OKAY while the man of the house is gone. When you leave and John and Tiger are home alone, Tiger doesn't feel the need to protect John as much so his vigil is much shorter
Kristin, I like your explanation better than mine hehe John always tells me that Tiger is happiest when we're all home together, I like it that way too so I guess we at least have a lot in common.
Chrystal, he wouldn't growl when I approached he bed but when I tried to remove him, he doesn't do that anymore though, I think he was just a bit new to both of us and the house rules
We took Tiger to Bunkers Hill again with Bailey (Lurcher) and Pip (Jack Russell English Bull Terrier mix). They had a lot of fun, it was more of a challenge because Pip has a few issues with strange dogs but they were all so tired after a while that it didn't really matter. We also went to a pub in the country after and Tiger, aside from a bit of barking at strange dogs, was incredibly well behaved he didn't even try to get at anyone, he just kind of guarded our table from other dogs. He's shattered now, lying on the floor snoozing lovely day. Sorry about the video quality, it's from my phone and I was trying to keep up but not shake it too much! edited// John sorted out the videos for me! enjoy
a few basic obedience commands before everyones dinner. He was much easier to work with after his 3 hour walk and an hours nap. If not, still, a little bit excitable sometimes. But it's hard not to love him for it, sometimes he acts like he's 10 weeks old!
excuse my slobbish appearance, I'd just gotten home from work and wanted to feel comfy.
Today we finally got around to mowing the lawn! We're only halfway there because it's so big, but it was fun. Tiger didn't react once, we're very proud.
Johns dad fails to notice John and Tiger sitting by the area he's mowing...
and gets grass all over his head!
poor Ti
John did no work whatsoever.
Thats Ollie, the stuffed Lemur. He's not lasting very well, but we're using him and a giant bear to train leave it during play. He has "leave it" of things left on the floor or things in the street perfectly, but when he's playing he doesn't yet realise, or doesn't want to realise, that the game has to end. We're getting there though by using the two toys to reinforce the decision to leave what we ask him to.
The men, doing various degrees of work ranging from lots, to a bit, to none. Except nobody expected Tiger to hop up and mow.
Relaxing in Johns shadow.
and drinking his water
Ollie looks tiny in comparison!
Johns brother, Lee, in charge of the rake. Took this to show the length of the garden. I can't wait to get the fence up so I can play properly with Tiger.
Johns dad testing the length of the extension cord. Look at the difference in the grass length! Good grief.
packing away!
For the record, I did do some work, unlike John. His dad mowed it down a bit and I tidied it up. The garden, due to being untended for half a year or so, has lost its shape and is all lumpy and weird so I was a bit dubious about going over some of the mounds based on Johns dads stories of "this guy I knew who lost a toe". Marvelous.
I think a gas mower would solve the problem! I find your lil electric mower quite funny- where are the wheels? where does the grass shoot out of? Tiger however, is a big lug who knows where the shade is! good boy!
haha. We're looking for a petrol mower but being as the fence is costing £1,500 and we have obedience classes coming up and are still searching for a behaviorist and everybody in the house eats so much food it makes my debit card cry... we borrowed two from family/neighbours. That small section of garden filled our recycling garden box thing so we can't do much until wednesday now, but dads bringing over his mower and he, myself and my brother will be going to town on the end of that garden!
The grass in the one in the last photo goes where-ever it pleases, the one I was using fills a box inside. Which needs emptying every 10 or so steps. It was frustrating haha. Hopefully once it's all done it wont take much to keep it down our neighbours were laughing at them too, as they all use petrol mowers. We got their old ones. lol.
This is why I pay people to mow the lawn. I am soooo lazy when it comes to lawn stuff and clearing backyards. I'd rather play with my veggies, herbs, and flowers.
Tara, we don't plan on having much in our garden, just grass for play and a handful of flowers towards the patio area for me. It's a shame but we don't have the time to do what our neighbours do and grow our own vegetables. Nor do we have the inclination when friends, family and neighbours do the same and give us the rewards of their effort for free! My Dads got green fingers, in fact I think he's all green, he loves his garden and his plants he grows all sorts.
haha, yes, our neighbours on both sides keep asking why we have to fence them out. I may ask him to jump it to prove to them that its really just a step over. They have such nice gardens it would be a shame for Tiger to wreak his havoc over there. hehe.
Today we walked up Sandwell Valley, which is beautiful. We had a really nice walk, Tiger didn't like the swans and almost pulled John over chasing a squirrel but it was fun nonetheless.
Love the spam, thanks for sharing. Tiger looks great, and you are so very lucky to have all that beautiful countryside within walking distance. Love the Shire in the 3rd picture, and those grounds are gorgeous. Tiger is lucky to have you guys, too. Keep up the good work!
Jen, thankyou. I'd never been to Sandwell Valley before, we'll be going a lot more often I think - it only took 10 minutes to get there in the car!
Chrystal, he's much easier to control around cows than he is horses. It's weird, I'll have to find a cow with up ears or a horse with down ones to test that theory :P
Nicole, thanks. We are really lucky, we're surrounded on all sides by the opportunity to roam about all sorts of countryside. It's good! We're really enjoying having him with us in the house. We spend a lot of time messing about with his teddy bear, hehe.
I'm sat in the garden with a glass of cranberry juice with a less than welcome headache from the festivities at my uncles wedding in London last night. We're having some real success with the "thank you" stop barking training. Usually he wont take food in the garden because he's so busy guarding but I've attached him to the shed and am sat next to him, everytime he barks at someone walking past the back of our garden I thank him and treat, by the time he's finished eating it they've moved on and when they haven't and he continues, I just ignore him. Which is hard, because it breaks my ear drums sat at his level but nevermind haha.
We ventured to the Wyre Forest last week with Johns aunty and her two kids. Hopefully once the gardens fixed and he's learnt a few manners so we don't have to use his muzzle on walks anymore and can maybe venture to a longer leash for playing in the water we'll have some different photos instead of just John and Tiger surrounded by various bits of countryside!
Jamie, Johns Godson (the small red head), got a little scare when he was waving his lunch about and Tiger decided if he wasn't going to eat it then he would! Almost knocked the poor thing from his log but Ti had both muzzle and leash. We explained to him that Tiger thought he was offering the food and thats why he put his head so close to him so fast and that he needed to eat calmly.
They had a nice time though, lol.
Also John almost got knocked over when Ti went for a squirrel, it was funny to watch him scrambling around shouting "leave it" and being ignored, hehe.
I was thinking, on our walk just now, about things Tiger does that either confuse me or make me smile.
- He is much more visual than other dogs I know. I assume he can smell a cat 15 feet away but only makes to chase when it has run right through his eye line. Though the more I think about that, maybe he is only interested in the chase? We've never met a cat on the walk that was stood still so I don't know.
- He cannot, seemingly, tell the difference between a plastic cat on a fence and a real cat. He eyed a cat on a fence for the entirety that we were walking by it. He pulled a couple of times towards it before we got past. If he can't tell the difference then I would say he definitely is more visual, surely he should be able to smell the lack of cat?
- It's true what Brad and others say about Akitas making decent Watch Dogs but not very good Guard dogs. He barks at everything and everybody that passes our gate and has fantastic hearing (unless, of course, you're saying "sit" or any other command). I am not confident in his ability to tell the difference between friend and foe, I think once you're inside the house you're a friend in his eyes. Which is good, I wouldn't want to have to deal with the same thing someone else in the UK had a few years ago where a man broke into a house, got bit by the dog and then went to court with the owner. I'm pretty sure that man ended up paying compensation and the like despite the fact the guy who got bit was a tresspasser! Regardless, I'm pretty sure the sight of Tiger at the door barking like theres no tomorrow is a good enough deterrent.
- he's learnt the sound of Johns car, any other car (before today) pulling up on the drive and he's at the door, barking. When it's Johns car he goes and sits by the door until it's open. Today, since Johns Dads been over a few days in a row to help with the garden/babysit Tiger when we went away yesterday, he does the same at the sound of that car. It's cute.
- He definitely does not have the sense to pick shade when he's in the garden, nor does he seem to know when it's a good time to take a drink of water. I had to sit him in the shade with me and then tap the water bowl when I thought he looked ready for more. Left to his own devices I don't know if he'd drink it, it doesn't seem so. That's ok though because he'll never be out there on his own, I just thought it was interesting.
OH and he mouthed the neighbour. He barks and barks when they're at the gate so I have him sit and after a bit of quiet I walk him up and ask them to stroke him, today he jumped up at the fence and I thought he was going to lick her but as she went to stroke him he put his mouth around her hand. I shouted "OUCH" in a high pitched voice (which I had to explain to the neighbours after) and had her step away whilst we all ignored him for about 45 seconds. It was weird. I thought he'd gotten over the mouthing thing. I hope my neighbours realise they're now in a training programme!
I just wanted to post an update. John got a promotion and my manager got suspended so our walks have been alone recently, (I can't walk and take decent photos. John isn't allowed my nice camera if I'm not there). However we have graduated from the muzzle to a "head collar" recommended by the rescue. My only concern was that if he jumped using the head collar that it would damage his neck but the way the leash works, it's the same as having his half choke on, I'll take a photo on Sunday when we go for a walk with the rescue but I thought you'd all like to know he no longer wears his cage as he has proven himself friendly enough to go without it. The head collar is to keep a tab on his pulling as sans muzzle and head collar his pulling on the lead goes up 150%. I'm still a bit unsure about the new collar, but I'll take a photo on Sunday and hopefully you can let me know what you think.
But he's coming along very well and has lots of doggy friends. It just goes to show that an old dog (or at least a 2 year old dog) CAN learn new tricks. We've proud parents.
Comments
I thought about peanut butter in the kong but I feel like that's a horrible mess waiting to happen? Or am I mistaken because the licks take it from the kong right into their mouths? I only took high school physics but this not getting ugly seems to defy laws of nature. Maybe because it has to be frozen...
An average day (where both John and I are at work) is about an hour and a half in the morning (the first day he had an hour and a half, the second day - today - 2 hours), followed by an hour at night, cut short today because he wasn't a fan of the rain and neither was I. He is always truly tired from his morning walk. Or at least he looks and acts that way? If he needs more walking then more walking we shall do. I like early mornings anyway, quiet and peaceful.
We do leave his toy out and his vet bed which he enjoys chewing on. However the toy is only fun to him if someones with it. I've never seen him play with it on his own, not even to bring it to one of us to initiate it. Not sure about the vet bed, I just know there is vet bed fluff all around it so he's doing something. We'll try the kong, we don't have any carpet downstairs so mess isn't an issue.
Unlike Tiger, she does play by herself, and bring toys over..that's why leaving toys around works for us.. but maybe it's a Shiba thing. Hopefully somebody with an Akita can give you some solid advice as well.
ANYWAY, basically, Tiger came up to say goodnight. I'd been up here for half an hour reading the internet/a book intermittently (it's not a very good book) and he poked his head around the door. He only gets on the bed when the duvet is not on fully and if you invite him. Which is a lovely little surprise to have as it means we don't have to train it out of him (he takes up a lot of space). So I moved the duvet, patted the bed and said "up", he came and we had a lovely half hour cuddling session before he got up to lie in his spot by the stairs in case anyone tries to get us.
Also I was lying in bed awake a few nights ago, unable to sleep, and at about 330am he came in, sniffed around and when he was happy everything was ok he went back. It's really very sweet. John also informs me he has a similar but less lengthy-vigil when I leave the house. So, whilst he definitely does prefer John, I am second best and can happily live with it
if I were a dog I'd prefer Johns walking style to mine anyway. He walks at triple the speed I do and so they cover far more ground and he gets to see many more sights. Men. Pst. They're in it together.
When our independent dogs seek snuggle time its the best.
I think you and John share #1 on Tiger's list
Chrystal, he wouldn't growl when I approached he bed but when I tried to remove him, he doesn't do that anymore though, I think he was just a bit new to both of us and the house rules
a few basic obedience commands before everyones dinner. He was much easier to work with after his 3 hour walk and an hours nap. If not, still, a little bit excitable sometimes. But it's hard not to love him for it, sometimes he acts like he's 10 weeks old!
excuse my slobbish appearance, I'd just gotten home from work and wanted to feel comfy.
Johns dad fails to notice John and Tiger sitting by the area he's mowing...
and gets grass all over his head!
poor Ti
John did no work whatsoever.
Thats Ollie, the stuffed Lemur. He's not lasting very well, but we're using him and a giant bear to train leave it during play. He has "leave it" of things left on the floor or things in the street perfectly, but when he's playing he doesn't yet realise, or doesn't want to realise, that the game has to end. We're getting there though by using the two toys to reinforce the decision to leave what we ask him to.
The men, doing various degrees of work ranging from lots, to a bit, to none. Except nobody expected Tiger to hop up and mow.
Relaxing in Johns shadow.
and drinking his water
Ollie looks tiny in comparison!
Johns brother, Lee, in charge of the rake. Took this to show the length of the garden. I can't wait to get the fence up so I can play properly with Tiger.
Johns dad testing the length of the extension cord. Look at the difference in the grass length! Good grief.
packing away!
For the record, I did do some work, unlike John. His dad mowed it down a bit and I tidied it up. The garden, due to being untended for half a year or so, has lost its shape and is all lumpy and weird so I was a bit dubious about going over some of the mounds based on Johns dads stories of "this guy I knew who lost a toe". Marvelous.
The grass in the one in the last photo goes where-ever it pleases, the one I was using fills a box inside. Which needs emptying every 10 or so steps. It was frustrating haha. Hopefully once it's all done it wont take much to keep it down
Claire, tiger looks good! and yeah, I think he could crawl over that fence it's so small ;-P fence sounds good for 1,500 pounds. yay when it's up!!
haha, yes, our neighbours on both sides keep asking why we have to fence them out. I may ask him to jump it to prove to them that its really just a step over. They have such nice gardens it would be a shame for Tiger to wreak his havoc over there. hehe.
Interestingly, Sage tolerates cows better than horses- I think its because alert horses have Up ears and cows are sideways.
Chrystal, he's much easier to control around cows than he is horses. It's weird, I'll have to find a cow with up ears or a horse with down ones to test that theory :P
Nicole, thanks. We are really lucky, we're surrounded on all sides by the opportunity to roam about all sorts of countryside. It's good! We're really enjoying having him with us in the house. We spend a lot of time messing about with his teddy bear, hehe.
We ventured to the Wyre Forest last week with Johns aunty and her two kids. Hopefully once the gardens fixed and he's learnt a few manners so we don't have to use his muzzle on walks anymore and can maybe venture to a longer leash for playing in the water we'll have some different photos instead of just John and Tiger surrounded by various bits of countryside!
Jamie, Johns Godson (the small red head), got a little scare when he was waving his lunch about and Tiger decided if he wasn't going to eat it then he would! Almost knocked the poor thing from his log but Ti had both muzzle and leash. We explained to him that Tiger thought he was offering the food and thats why he put his head so close to him so fast and that he needed to eat calmly.
They had a nice time though, lol.
Also John almost got knocked over when Ti went for a squirrel, it was funny to watch him scrambling around shouting "leave it" and being ignored, hehe.
- He is much more visual than other dogs I know. I assume he can smell a cat 15 feet away but only makes to chase when it has run right through his eye line. Though the more I think about that, maybe he is only interested in the chase? We've never met a cat on the walk that was stood still so I don't know.
- He cannot, seemingly, tell the difference between a plastic cat on a fence and a real cat. He eyed a cat on a fence for the entirety that we were walking by it. He pulled a couple of times towards it before we got past. If he can't tell the difference then I would say he definitely is more visual, surely he should be able to smell the lack of cat?
- It's true what Brad and others say about Akitas making decent Watch Dogs but not very good Guard dogs. He barks at everything and everybody that passes our gate and has fantastic hearing (unless, of course, you're saying "sit" or any other command). I am not confident in his ability to tell the difference between friend and foe, I think once you're inside the house you're a friend in his eyes. Which is good, I wouldn't want to have to deal with the same thing someone else in the UK had a few years ago where a man broke into a house, got bit by the dog and then went to court with the owner. I'm pretty sure that man ended up paying compensation and the like despite the fact the guy who got bit was a tresspasser! Regardless, I'm pretty sure the sight of Tiger at the door barking like theres no tomorrow is a good enough deterrent.
- he's learnt the sound of Johns car, any other car (before today) pulling up on the drive and he's at the door, barking. When it's Johns car he goes and sits by the door until it's open. Today, since Johns Dads been over a few days in a row to help with the garden/babysit Tiger when we went away yesterday, he does the same at the sound of that car. It's cute.
- He definitely does not have the sense to pick shade when he's in the garden, nor does he seem to know when it's a good time to take a drink of water. I had to sit him in the shade with me and then tap the water bowl when I thought he looked ready for more. Left to his own devices I don't know if he'd drink it, it doesn't seem so. That's ok though because he'll never be out there on his own, I just thought it was interesting.
OH and he mouthed the neighbour. He barks and barks when they're at the gate so I have him sit and after a bit of quiet I walk him up and ask them to stroke him, today he jumped up at the fence and I thought he was going to lick her but as she went to stroke him he put his mouth around her hand. I shouted "OUCH" in a high pitched voice (which I had to explain to the neighbours after) and had her step away whilst we all ignored him for about 45 seconds. It was weird. I thought he'd gotten over the mouthing thing. I hope my neighbours realise they're now in a training programme!
But he's coming along very well and has lots of doggy friends. It just goes to show that an old dog (or at least a 2 year old dog) CAN learn new tricks.
This is where he gets the nickname "worm dog"
This is his "what is that sound?" face - in these pics, a whistle. Usually the icecream man though.
Teddy!
"UP"
he seems content. I like his high five trick!
Nice thick coat- does he enjoy brushing?
is that a little tongue sticking out in the last shot?