Thanks Brad! Good tip, in fact I tend to hassle him a lot about his feet, mouth, the whole nine yards. Not so much on his ears for now, I'm kind of afraid to "break" them or something. I want him to be ok with touching his feet and legs and checking his mouth, both for practical reasons and because I want to go on the occasional show. I'll try to avoid the shows where Silvia comes to Portugal, so I stand a chance (just kidding). Not so much for the show itself, but for the socialization factor, there are always loads of dogs from several different breeds and they're normally pretty well socialized so it might teach him a thing or two.
Today, we let them meet for the first time. Kuma was all cool about it, as you would expect, Nyx was a bit less than enthusiasti. She hissed at him a few times, and was starting to growl. He just stayed there with that "Aw, come on!" expression he has. We tried to trick her with a toy, she took to it and even bumped him a few times to catch the toy.She got curious, but kind of suspicious too. We decided to finish the first attempt without any real success, but it was a step in the right direction, I'd like to think. We still have until Sunday with them, then it's just me for another week. By then, they'll be ok with each other, I hope. I'm still pretty tired and a bit frustrated at the pee situation, but small details as the tail wagging when you get close to him, or fully trusting you to hold his head to sleep make it all worth it. I have to compensate Nyx so she doesn't get jealous...
To Nyx's defence though, she's had a pretty rough day.
As soon as we came back late last night she has been segregated to either the bedroom or the living room. She was very cooperative with that. Then we took her to the vet and she got her claws trimmed and her first vaccination. That was an ordeal. Then she met this big 'tank' for the first time and her beloved Rui isn't paying so much attention to her... I'd be in a bad mood too!
She did pass quickly beneath Kuma's legs at one point though and he was like: "Huh?"
It's so funny that they are the same age but they are complete opposites. She's small, agile, elegant, determined, energetic and quick as a flash. He's a big cute slob with this '"love me/huh" look on his face. Both lovable, both cute in such different ways!
You should also get Nyx used to being touched...paws, mouth, ears and eyes. So you have no problems grooming either pet. Kurt didn't do that with his cat, so to snip her nails we had to wrap her head and 3 paws in a towel. Why her head? Because the damn cat would bite, kick and hiss to keep us away.
My cats are cool as can be. I can do absolutely anything with either of them...actually, I can do anything to any of our pets, with not much more than a peep. As Brittney gets older, she doesn't like being tossed up in the air and caught as much as she used to, so she cries. I do have to be more careful with Mika too, she doesn't like my rough play. I manage to hurt her somehow....oops. She doesn't bite or anything, but she doesn't like being wrestled anymore...who knew that an 85lb dog would be so delicate. Geeeeez.
Thanks Dave! And don't worry, the commentary will continue...Oh well, while I'm at it () Kuma made me proud today! He managed to pee on the newspaper. (missed his aim a bit, but I think it counts) Let's just see if it was a one-off thing or if he'll keep it up. Maybe he might keep it up, and I'll explain why I think so on another post, since I have a question I think might be worth another thread. He's starting to play a bit more.
It actually sounds like a GREAT first intro. No one tried to kill eachother. Remember, that in the wild they would be mortal enemies. So that is a great beginning.
Nyx is going to hiss. She is saying, "I may be smaller but I can still hurt you" and that is good for Kuma to know.
Just yesterday, Piglet cornered my cat Calliope. Howling and licking her. When I got to them, Piglet had cuts all over her face. Calli was fine. Frankly Calli is an asshole for lack of a better word, and will actually taunt Piggy. She has gone so far as to stick her paws in Piggy's food bowl when she is eating, The fact that Calli is alive and unharmed is a testament to Piglets good nature.
Nyx and Kuma will be great before you know it. Maybe not best friends, but at least very good co-habitants.
Such great red color already. He is going to be tripping over those paws for months.
Also I think it's hilarious that Piggy was licking a cat as it clawed at her face. My mom's cat has bloodied Nemo's nose a few times, he just play bows.
Update on the Nyx/Kuma story...As I left to buy peepads and the holder and the pheromone spray (I'll get to that later), Nyx opened up to Kuma. She got in front of him, on her back, with her arms and legs open, and purring it seems. Since then, they get to be around each other a bit every so often, and it doesn't go bad. Of course I feel like one of tose referees in the wrestling thing, always looking for illegal contact. Kuma like to bite, and he goes for her tail a lot, and the she has to clean it all again and again. She took several swings at him, I have still to decide if it was a good thing to cut her nails yesterday. A good swing to the nose might get him to understand that she his not a dog and doesn't have the same patterns of communication or play. So it's going forward in baby steps, not to overwhelm either of them.
Now for the peepads...So I got them, the holder; unfortunately without the protective plastic cover to prevent them from riping it; and the pheromone spray to help El Gordito find his way in the dark . So far, it seems to be working prety good, with a small glitch. The little guy doesn't seem to know hoe long he actually is, so he smells the pads and start peeing, but of course his rear end is close to the lining of newspaper I left, to prevent accidents. So the pheromones are helping and it meight save some money on peepads, .
Jessica - he's pooped for the third time today, at home, always on the newspaper. The trip did take a lot out of him (and us, for that matter) but now, he's more playful and is wising up. He also seems to be getting attache, which is very good.
Barbara - It was pretty great, especially when he got it right. The "problem" is he wasn't getting it right that often, and the floor was getting lined in newspaper to cover his "flaws".
Brad - Yes, the little guy has these huge paws. Tomorrow I want to see if I can measure him up, just for reference. Ah, and of course cute is his middle name, the big bear he is.
Brandon - Although his colour is nice, he is a bit on the lighter side. Maybe because he's still a puppy, don't know, but his mother is not a deep red. Don't get fooled by the colours of the photo, it was taken with my mobile phone, and so they are most likely a little/lot off.
It's amazing to me that dog's colors change so much in the course of their lives. Mika was a black pup. I had ZERO idea I would be getting a brindle babe. And Brittney (our youngest kitty) is getting whiter and whiter. It's really strange so watch a black cat whitening at such a young age (7). She also used to have these cool LONG white eyebrows. They are all black now, except one, so you can't see them.
Thanks guys! They are getting along quite well, apart from some rowdy playing by Kuma, and ambushes by Nyx. But they're not trying to kill each other or anything, so yes, they're getting along well.
Dave - today we'll probably weigh him again at the vet. He went there Tuesday, he weighed 6,6kg, Thursday 6,7, and Saturday 7kg! Although last time we weighed him, he hadn't pooped after lunch, so I have to subtract 50/100g! Still, 300/350g in 4 days!
I forgot to tell you guys one thing. The last time I took Kuma out (last night) we came across this Lakeland Terrier that, being a true terrier, made a whole fuss and growled and wanted to drag his owner over. Kuma just sat down (he got that sooo quickly) and I got my legs in a way to keep him between them. He didn't eve flinch. This guy is either going to be the coolest dog around here or he'll just tear them apart if any one should get close enough...(I hope not)
Those pics are so cute - I love the first one. In this last pic he looks a lot like Hilo did as a pup.
The situation w/ the Terrier is totally Akita, they just have so much confidence, other dogs don't bother them. Hilo doesn't have as much confidence with people or objects as I would expect from an Akita, but with dogs he doesn't even think twice about walking right up to him.
Yes, he's so confident. Yesterday after the vet, we went to meet my mom at the school she works in. It's Easter break, so there were only a few kids on the Free Time Occupation Activities thing. One of the girls has heard and has books with Akitas, so she was dying to meet the little guy. When we got there, 10 or 12 kids came out, orderly enough, and started petting him. He trying to lick them all and eventually sat down to be pet. This took 3 minutes or so. I wish I could meet kids like that oftne, it would be a great socialization thing for Kuma and kids. I can't wait for him to have his vaccines up to date.
On the Kuma and Nyx getting along, this just in. I took this 5 minutes ago, and now she's on my chest as I type. He's on his vetbed.
So, today I got to know Kuma's official name. He's Daiichimaru go Shun'You Kensha.
Here go some today pictures of Dai...Kuma!
He's getting big!! I took him out, actually carried him out, since he doesn't have the full vaccination plan I'm kind of paranoid he'll get parvo or something, and we spent some 20/30 min walking around. By the end of it, I was kind of tired. Last Monday he weighed 7,35Kg, I think it might be safe to say 8Kg now.
Comments
Thanks Brad! Good tip, in fact I tend to hassle him a lot about his feet, mouth, the whole nine yards. Not so much on his ears for now, I'm kind of afraid to "break" them or something. I want him to be ok with touching his feet and legs and checking his mouth, both for practical reasons and because I want to go on the occasional show. I'll try to avoid the shows where Silvia comes to Portugal, so I stand a chance
Today, we let them meet for the first time. Kuma was all cool about it, as you would expect, Nyx was a bit less than enthusiasti. She hissed at him a few times, and was starting to growl. He just stayed there with that "Aw, come on!" expression he has. We tried to trick her with a toy, she took to it and even bumped him a few times to catch the toy.She got curious, but kind of suspicious too. We decided to finish the first attempt without any real success, but it was a step in the right direction, I'd like to think. We still have until Sunday with them, then it's just me for another week. By then, they'll be ok with each other, I hope. I'm still pretty tired and a bit frustrated at the pee situation, but small details as the tail wagging when you get close to him, or fully trusting you to hold his head to sleep make it all worth it. I have to compensate Nyx so she doesn't get jealous...
To Nyx's defence though, she's had a pretty rough day.
As soon as we came back late last night she has been segregated to either the bedroom or the living room. She was very cooperative with that. Then we took her to the vet and she got her claws trimmed and her first vaccination. That was an ordeal. Then she met this big 'tank' for the first time and her beloved Rui isn't paying so much attention to her... I'd be in a bad mood too!
She did pass quickly beneath Kuma's legs at one point though and he was like: "Huh?"
It's so funny that they are the same age but they are complete opposites. She's small, agile, elegant, determined, energetic and quick as a flash. He's a big cute slob with this '"love me/huh" look on his face. Both lovable, both cute in such different ways!
I'm off to bed, and it's 11.15pm... I'm drained!
You should also get Nyx used to being touched...paws, mouth, ears and eyes. So you have no problems grooming either pet. Kurt didn't do that with his cat, so to snip her nails we had to wrap her head and 3 paws in a towel. Why her head? Because the damn cat would bite, kick and hiss to keep us away.
My cats are cool as can be. I can do absolutely anything with either of them...actually, I can do anything to any of our pets, with not much more than a peep. As Brittney gets older, she doesn't like being tossed up in the air and caught as much as she used to, so she cries. I do have to be more careful with Mika too, she doesn't like my rough play. I manage to hurt her somehow....oops. She doesn't bite or anything, but she doesn't like being wrestled anymore...who knew that an 85lb dog would be so delicate. Geeeeez.
lol - I love it, you are standing up for you baby (Nyx). Don't worry we will not judge her, I will not even judge her and she is a cat!
You guys seem like you are on top of things, so I am sure they will be the best of friends.
It actually sounds like a GREAT first intro. No one tried to kill eachother. Remember, that in the wild they would be mortal enemies. So that is a great beginning.
Nyx is going to hiss. She is saying, "I may be smaller but I can still hurt you" and that is good for Kuma to know.
Just yesterday, Piglet cornered my cat Calliope. Howling and licking her. When I got to them, Piglet had cuts all over her face. Calli was fine. Frankly Calli is an asshole for lack of a better word, and will actually taunt Piggy. She has gone so far as to stick her paws in Piggy's food bowl when she is eating, The fact that Calli is alive and unharmed is a testament to Piglets good nature.
Nyx and Kuma will be great before you know it. Maybe not best friends, but at least very good co-habitants.
Well, the spamming continues...
Yesterday, sleeping on the kitchen floor...
Jessica, I'm laughing my ass off over here!!! Cali is so funny.
Leon, you are off to a great start. Peeing on the newpaper so quickly!! How great!
Such great red color already. He is going to be tripping over those paws for months.
Also I think it's hilarious that Piggy was licking a cat as it clawed at her face. My mom's cat has bloodied Nemo's nose a few times, he just play bows.
Update on the Nyx/Kuma story...As I left to buy peepads and the holder and the pheromone spray (I'll get to that later), Nyx opened up to Kuma. She got in front of him, on her back, with her arms and legs open, and purring it seems. Since then, they get to be around each other a bit every so often, and it doesn't go bad. Of course I feel like one of tose referees in the wrestling thing, always looking for illegal contact. Kuma like to bite, and he goes for her tail a lot, and the she has to clean it all again and again. She took several swings at him, I have still to decide if it was a good thing to cut her nails yesterday. A good swing to the nose might get him to understand that she his not a dog and doesn't have the same patterns of communication or play. So it's going forward in baby steps, not to overwhelm either of them.
Now for the peepads...So I got them, the holder; unfortunately without the protective plastic cover to prevent them from riping it; and the pheromone spray to help El Gordito find his way in the dark
Jessica - he's pooped for the third time today, at home, always on the newspaper. The trip did take a lot out of him (and us, for that matter) but now, he's more playful and is wising up. He also seems to be getting attache, which is very good.
Barbara - It was pretty great, especially when he got it right. The "problem" is he wasn't getting it right that often, and the floor was getting lined in newspaper to cover his "flaws".
Brad - Yes, the little guy has these huge paws. Tomorrow I want to see if I can measure him up, just for reference. Ah, and of course cute is his middle name, the big bear he is.
Brandon - Although his colour is nice, he is a bit on the lighter side. Maybe because he's still a puppy, don't know, but his mother is not a deep red. Don't get fooled by the colours of the photo, it was taken with my mobile phone, and so they are most likely a little/lot off.
It's amazing to me that dog's colors change so much in the course of their lives. Mika was a black pup. I had ZERO idea I would be getting a brindle babe. And Brittney (our youngest kitty) is getting whiter and whiter. It's really strange so watch a black cat whitening at such a young age (7). She also used to have these cool LONG white eyebrows. They are all black now, except one, so you can't see them
Barbara - Mika & Keigo (Akita Inus); Jewel and Brittney (Kitties)
Kuma turned two months old today. So here's some birthday spam...
That's how playful he is, even sneezing and not eating much. He was kicking the rawhide bone's a$$!
More spam heading your way!
And one still from the trip hom, that I don't think we posted
I think there are already some differences, in a week.
Thanks guys! They are getting along quite well, apart from some rowdy playing by Kuma, and ambushes by Nyx. But they're not trying to kill each other or anything, so yes, they're getting along well.
Dave - today we'll probably weigh him again at the vet. He went there Tuesday, he weighed 6,6kg, Thursday 6,7, and Saturday 7kg! Although last time we weighed him, he hadn't pooped after lunch, so I have to subtract 50/100g! Still, 300/350g in 4 days!
Spam day, it seems...
Those pics are so cute - I love the first one. In this last pic he looks a lot like Hilo did as a pup.
The situation w/ the Terrier is totally Akita, they just have so much confidence, other dogs don't bother them. Hilo doesn't have as much confidence with people or objects as I would expect from an Akita, but with dogs he doesn't even think twice about walking right up to him.
Yes, he's so confident. Yesterday after the vet, we went to meet my mom at the school she works in. It's Easter break, so there were only a few kids on the Free Time Occupation Activities thing. One of the girls has heard and has books with Akitas, so she was dying to meet the little guy. When we got there, 10 or 12 kids came out, orderly enough, and started petting him. He trying to lick them all and eventually sat down to be pet. This took 3 minutes or so. I wish I could meet kids like that oftne, it would be a great socialization thing for Kuma and kids. I can't wait for him to have his vaccines up to date.
On the Kuma and Nyx getting along, this just in. I took this 5 minutes ago, and now she's on my chest as I type. He's on his vetbed.
Awwww. It looks like they are going to be best friends. I love the one with Kuma's paws up on the bed.
So, today I got to know Kuma's official name. He's Daiichimaru go Shun'You Kensha.
Here go some today pictures of Dai...Kuma!
He's getting big!! I took him out, actually carried him out, since he doesn't have the full vaccination plan I'm kind of paranoid he'll get parvo or something, and we spent some 20/30 min walking around. By the end of it, I was kind of tired. Last Monday he weighed 7,35Kg, I think it might be safe to say 8Kg now.