Akana
Hi all,
It all started a few months ago when me and my wife wanted a new dog as we had to put our previous dog, a samojed, down due to an eye desease she lost both of her eyes and all the joy she had was gone, so after trying it with her for several months we decided to stop her struggle.
We both love(d) the Akita and Shiba, but our house isnt the largest so an Akita is/was probably not the best for us, a shiba we both found too small...
So the search continued and then we came up with the Shikoku. We read and read (well.. whatever we could find) and then the Winner Show was in Amsterdam at the 18th of November 2010.
The programme book said there were also 3 Shikoku dogs wich made us decide to go after walking around for a while we found the dogs but there was nobody with them, we waited near enough for an hour when the breeder walked up with one of the Shikokus. She was breathetaking, ever so friendly and very secure. What a beautifull dog!
We spoke with the breeder for quite some time when she told us she recently had a litter of 3, 2 of them were allready discussed and for the last one she had people comming over from Belgium the next day. We agreed to contact her and make an appointment to see her kennel and the rest of her dogs.
We e-mailed her on monday to make an appointment and to ask her of the last puppy was also sold, wich wasnt the case... We immediatly aggreed to meet her on Wednesday, we drove up and met the rest of the pack and the pups. Akana drew our attention immediatly, funnily enough she was also the last pup that was free.
We went home to discuss if this was the dog for us, in this situation. And after a few days we agreed she was/is.
We picked Akana up last Tuesday, so she's with us for exactly a week now. She's "potty-trained" completely allready and she loves our 6 months old daughter.
She's very focussed on "candy" wich makes it very easy to train her, i've read that Shikokus growl a lot.... In the week shes with us now she hasnt growled nor barked once.
We realise we are VERY VERY lucky that we've got her in such a short time as normally there's quite a waiting list!
I'll try to post some pictures later on.
Regards,
Stefan
It all started a few months ago when me and my wife wanted a new dog as we had to put our previous dog, a samojed, down due to an eye desease she lost both of her eyes and all the joy she had was gone, so after trying it with her for several months we decided to stop her struggle.
We both love(d) the Akita and Shiba, but our house isnt the largest so an Akita is/was probably not the best for us, a shiba we both found too small...
So the search continued and then we came up with the Shikoku. We read and read (well.. whatever we could find) and then the Winner Show was in Amsterdam at the 18th of November 2010.
The programme book said there were also 3 Shikoku dogs wich made us decide to go after walking around for a while we found the dogs but there was nobody with them, we waited near enough for an hour when the breeder walked up with one of the Shikokus. She was breathetaking, ever so friendly and very secure. What a beautifull dog!
We spoke with the breeder for quite some time when she told us she recently had a litter of 3, 2 of them were allready discussed and for the last one she had people comming over from Belgium the next day. We agreed to contact her and make an appointment to see her kennel and the rest of her dogs.
We e-mailed her on monday to make an appointment and to ask her of the last puppy was also sold, wich wasnt the case... We immediatly aggreed to meet her on Wednesday, we drove up and met the rest of the pack and the pups. Akana drew our attention immediatly, funnily enough she was also the last pup that was free.
We went home to discuss if this was the dog for us, in this situation. And after a few days we agreed she was/is.
We picked Akana up last Tuesday, so she's with us for exactly a week now. She's "potty-trained" completely allready and she loves our 6 months old daughter.
She's very focussed on "candy" wich makes it very easy to train her, i've read that Shikokus growl a lot.... In the week shes with us now she hasnt growled nor barked once.
We realise we are VERY VERY lucky that we've got her in such a short time as normally there's quite a waiting list!
I'll try to post some pictures later on.
Regards,
Stefan
Comments
Will post some pictures of her in the snow later on, also made a vid wich i will try to upload later as well.
Update:
We went to the vet with her to get her shot, he had never seen a Shikoku before, but he said that he thought she looked absolutly beautifull, very alert and healthy.
She didn't even blink when he gave her a shot.
Taking her outside for her needs doesnt go to well yet, she's not used to being leashed. We are outside for near enough an hour and she doesnt do anything then when we come home
she walks straight to our backdoor (to the garden) we then open it and she runs outside to pee and/or poo and all is good again... But thats not quite how we want it, does anyone have any experience with that? And if so, what did you do about it? It quite annoys me when im out in the rain for hours and she just runs around and sniffs a bit and then when i come home she does it all in the backyard.... lol.
As for the potty experience... I am not sure... Is it that she does not want to go while she walks, or is she uncomfortable with the leash? If it is the leash, you will just have to be patient. I know it can be an adjustment period... I would suggest keeping her leashed at times in the house with a very light 4 foot lead. This will help get her a little more comfortable with it. You could also try a harness instead of just her collar. That tends to be a little easier on their necks and throats, and safer as they are less likely to slip out of a harness than a collar.
If it is not wanting to go on her walks... Not sure I can help you there... Just keep trying and praise her like she just pooped gold when she does go on the walk... Nice yummy treats would probably help too, after she goes.
Enjoy your shikoku girl! I love both of mine. As far as growling, I think many people say that because they are used to other breeds (non-Spitz) who don't do that growly/woo-woo talk like some Spitz breeds do. I don't notice that my 2 Shikoku are more "growly" than my Siberians were, more that they often woo-woo talk at me.
As far as the leash and potty, I think it is because she is not too used to the leash it seems. Can you first start by taking her into your backyard with the leash on and when she potties, giving her lots of yummy treats. Also a verbal cue with help "go potty". That way, if she is comfortable going potty in the back yard, she can get used to the leash and the treats and the verbal cue will let her understand that you want her to potty. Then once she is starting to get that, I would then take her on walks and say "go potty". If she does do her business, I would give her lots of yummy treats.
Potty training can be fun (wink/grin) and each dog is unique. Patience is a virtue with puppies, there is a reason that they are so cute since they can be frustrating too!!
She is super cute! Congratulations, and what an amazing story that you didn't have to wait. I guess she was just meant to be part of your family.
My shepherd also only wanted to go potty in the yard for the first period of time, I couldn't ask her for the reason - or rather I wouldn't get an answer, but I do believe she was careful about doing her business on other's "territory"... When she got older and more confident, she didn't care...
Its as if she read this discussion though... As since yesterdayafternoon she walks to the front door, take her out and she goes pee and/or poo as if she had never done it different.
I did praise her way up high when she did/does go outside and overload her with treats, she does everything for them!
Clever girl as she is, she sits when we go walk so i can put on her leash easy... I am well impressed by that.
So thats great! I will go to the shop today to buy her a little harness as i do notice that the collar is "irritating" her a bit.
Last night she was barking at me, guess she was just testing me, she only does it to me, not to my wife, whats up with that?
Some more piccies of Akana in the snow. Enjoy! ;-)
Glad that she is doing better with potty. They are very smart dogs and really aim to please (especially if food is involved) ;-)
Saya is a shiba inu, but she'll bark, growl, yodel to let me know she wants to play maybe that's why Akana did it.
Cat and Dog lovinnn.
She's nearly 14 weeks now, she's had all of her shots and she is doing GREAT with other dogs. She still surprises me with the fact thats she's sooo smart and so quickly picking up on things and learning, its unbelievable.
We went to a dogpark last weekend with our friends who own a 8 months old chow-chow, that really went well.
We let Akana run off-leash for the first time and that also went very well.. Listened to all my whistles to call her back.(except for one time, when she stood ON the ice of a small creek)
She basically loves all dogs (except for the really small ones..) and all humans. All in all a GREAT doggy, who is very very smart, listens very well and is soo sweet :-)