I got in touch with the local SAR organization about evaluation and right off the bat, they asked me what breed he was. That makes me nervous, even though they say they're open to all breeds, because I'm sure they have biases. I had thought about lying and saying I don't know what breed he is, but I told them the truth. We'll see what happens.
@brada1878 I did tell them that. I think it will probably be okay. They used to do evaluations every Fall, but now their website says the evaluations are ongoing, so we might be able to get started much sooner. That would be awesome. I'm waiting to hear back from someone else.
So, Sosuke's really quite good on the leash, but walking him can be a pain because there are pine cones all over the place right now and he's obsessed with pine cones. Our walks are mostly me throwing pine cones along so he'll chase them and we can keep going, lol. He is learning that leash=we're doing things and going places together, though, so many times he compromises by carrying the pine cone in his mouth for a while, then stopping to play. It's really precious.
Also, socialization win! Tonight we came across two people on motor scooters and one of them had a big, white beard. They loved him! And I got the guy who delivers flyers to give him a treat because he had two huge bags full of flyers hanging off him.
The other day I saw this guy with a huge beard, and he had those earrings that stretch out your earlobes, and a bunch of tattoos, so I really wanted Sosuke to meet him because he hasn't met someone with those features yet. But then the guy got in his truck before I could run over and tell him to pet my dog, lol.
Sosuke makes socialization too easy because he loves everyone and everyone loves him. Also, I cut Sosuke's nails and I didn't meet anyone else to help me. Which is awesome, because for once I really would like a dog whose nails are easy to clip. With Rakka it's a 2 (and preferably 3 or 4) person job and even then it's not easy.
Sosuke's testicles have been spotted. Not quite descended yet, but they're making their way down. Hopefully they'll be down where they're supposed to be in no time.
Saya loves pine cones leaves anything that looks like a toy to her also couple days ago she carried a corn husk thing home it was so cute if she dropped it she'd rush at it to pick it up again.
@brad they're all mighty cute too. thanks to all the owners for taking loads of great pics for us all to enjoy. sosuke in particular has such a beautiful colour
Sosuke went for an (unintentional) swim. He followed Rakka into the river at the dog run and got in over his head. Whoops. He seemed to enjoy himself, though. I can't believe he scrambled up and down this cliff by himself, but he did.
What a cutie! I think our pups might like water. Kyuubi always tries to jump into the little "river" they have at the complex where Kevin's mom lives. He did one time when we were leaving n was soaked on the drive home
Kai seem to really like water, and the best way to get a dog swimming is to let them play in water with an older dog. Looks like you're well on your way to having a water dog! :-)
Great pictures Saya loves water especially if she can walk into it she's an oddball for a shiba inu coarse she wears a life jacket because her backlegs don't kick when swimming.
I bet once he's bigger and he'll be a swimming champ.
Yeah, I think Sosuke definitely likes water. Every time I have to spray something clean or am filling up the bathtub or washing the kids or whatever, he's always sticking his head in there and trying to get in the water. I hope he likes water a lot, because I've always wanted a dog that liked to swim.
@saya That's so funny about her not kicking with her back legs. That's a really silly and cute image.
I went out to a training session with the local SAR people. I brought Sosuke and they met him, and interacted with him, but no official testing happened. They all said they thought he was a shoe-in, though, so I'm super excited! They're in the middle of certifications right now, so formal evaluation will be in a couple weeks. I was worried that they would be biased against an unknown breed, but they actually seemed exciting to have a different kind of dog on the team.
I accompanied a handler and his golden retriever on a practice search for some planted items (shoe, glove, hat, knife). It was really neat! They also had the dog find some coins in the grass.
That's awesome, it'll be cool to see how that SAR stuff goes. I watched a program on SAR dogs and it seems that agility, tracking and ability to handle rough terrain are the important things. I think the nature of the Kai breed is really strong in those aspects so it makes it that much more interesting to see if Sosuke excels.
Awesome! I'm so glad they weren't biased against him. It's great they thought he was a good fit too, seems very promising. If he's anything like his mom he'll be an A-student for sure - Haru is uber-workable.
I do try to stop Kyuubi and Mika from digging because then they start doing it at the dog park. Then other dogs will start doing it and the owners of those dogs get mad.
When I first saw the picture I was like ... what the heck is that, a giant ball of fluff Sosuke is climbing over (like the seeded fluff from dandelions or trees ... yet wrong season right, LOL). Then of course I read on and it is just flying dirt and rock. Wow, you got a good camera! Great Pic.
Sosuke has one descended testicle. Hurrah! Yesterday was a vet visit and his first puppy class. He did very well at both.
Although, he has a tooth that has the tip chipped off (from chewing on metal, silly pup). It's a baby tooth, but the vet was saying we should have it extracted. But then I said I didn't really want him put under anesthesia at such a young age, and she said we'd just wait until he was 5 months old, but then, his adult tooth would be coming in them anyway. So, I'm checking it frequently to make sure it's still clean and not sore or whatever. It's pretty clean and no blood or infection, so hopefully it will continue to be fine. If the other teeth start coming in and this one isn't falling out or it seems sore, then we'll have it pulled. But yeah, a tooth extraction is definitely something I'd like to skip.
@jujee So why do people get mad when their dogs dig at the dog park? That seems silly to me, but I have noticed that people like to yell at their dogs at the dog park, even if all they're doing is being dogs. Always seems silly to me.
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So, Sosuke's really quite good on the leash, but walking him can be a pain because there are pine cones all over the place right now and he's obsessed with pine cones. Our walks are mostly me throwing pine cones along so he'll chase them and we can keep going, lol. He is learning that leash=we're doing things and going places together, though, so many times he compromises by carrying the pine cone in his mouth for a while, then stopping to play. It's really precious.
Also, socialization win! Tonight we came across two people on motor scooters and one of them had a big, white beard. They loved him! And I got the guy who delivers flyers to give him a treat because he had two huge bags full of flyers hanging off him.
The other day I saw this guy with a huge beard, and he had those earrings that stretch out your earlobes, and a bunch of tattoos, so I really wanted Sosuke to meet him because he hasn't met someone with those features yet. But then the guy got in his truck before I could run over and tell him to pet my dog, lol.
Sosuke makes socialization too easy because he loves everyone and everyone loves him. Also, I cut Sosuke's nails and I didn't meet anyone else to help me. Which is awesome, because for once I really would like a dog whose nails are easy to clip. With Rakka it's a 2 (and preferably 3 or 4) person job and even then it's not easy.
Yep, we're pretty happy.
That pic is very cute.
I'm glad he is so easy to socialize, I'm please with Haru's first litter so far.
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Saya loves pine cones leaves anything that looks like a toy to her also couple days ago she carried a corn husk thing home it was so cute if she dropped it she'd rush at it to pick it up again.
Good luck with the SAR stuff.
Now she is just obsessed with acorns.
Sosuke is absolutely adorable. And I love that picture of him and Naomi. Is that a collapsible wagon?
I bet once he's bigger and he'll be a swimming champ.
@saya That's so funny about her not kicking with her back legs. That's a really silly and cute image.
I accompanied a handler and his golden retriever on a practice search for some planted items (shoe, glove, hat, knife). It was really neat! They also had the dog find some coins in the grass.
those pics of him all wet are totally adorable
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I do try to stop Kyuubi and Mika from digging because then they start doing it at the dog park. Then other dogs will start doing it and the owners of those dogs get mad.
Although, he has a tooth that has the tip chipped off (from chewing on metal, silly pup). It's a baby tooth, but the vet was saying we should have it extracted. But then I said I didn't really want him put under anesthesia at such a young age, and she said we'd just wait until he was 5 months old, but then, his adult tooth would be coming in them anyway. So, I'm checking it frequently to make sure it's still clean and not sore or whatever. It's pretty clean and no blood or infection, so hopefully it will continue to be fine. If the other teeth start coming in and this one isn't falling out or it seems sore, then we'll have it pulled. But yeah, a tooth extraction is definitely something I'd like to skip.