Cute! Saya has same type of lifejacket it works pretty good when swimming in the lake. Pond she doesn't need it so much since there is no chance of boats coming by..
@Dragonfly My Shikoku's small Webmaster fits her nicely (she's 34 lbs) and there's still a lot of slack left over. My 52 lbs burly Kai still fits in it, but it's stretched all the way, so I'm sure your Shikoku will grow nicely into it.
@Dragonfly Pups have a growth spurt around this age, and then they slow down and then around 11 months give you another 3-5 pounds. At least that's how it was with my Kai. I don't know how big the Shikoku males get. I'm assuming around 40-45 lbs? You would have to ask @TheWalrus or @ttddinh .
Saya my shiba is not fond of the water, but if it is her idea she likes it like crossing creek or chasing leaves floating in the creek. She went in my pond trying to get the muskrat that she saw swimming she was unsuccessful, but got nice and wet. hehe
@dragonfly - yay! Athena made it on the time line! 1 down 49 more shikoku's to go! Looks like fun in the tub!
Also- if you will allow me to make a suggestion. If he won't eat his kibble. I suggest pouring warm water on it and turning it into mush! And anything he doesn't eat take away. If he is throwing it back up it may be something stuck in his gastro system. Also if he does eat the warm mush, But doesn't finish it all, take it away. They are animals and in the wild they weren't able to leave a carcass and come back to nibble on it . It was eat it all right then or risk the next predator taking your kill.
It also helps to have another dog eat or of his bowl. That forces him to engage the wild behavior or eating before his prey is stolen . ( only try if you have worked with him or confidence in him not being food aggressive) Let us know how it goes.
@Dragonfly- Yea I'm trying to work on that as well, since most Nihon ken I met have gone through this. A Shiba who will only drink water in the house (that was sad esp when they were at the dog park), a spoiled Akita who only ate food if raw eggs were in it. Shikoku who will only eat from the bag. Lol Yes I have seen it all. But because I have deemed Nihon ken as picky eaters I do small thing to get that primal instinct going:
Good tips - Take away the food bowl mid meal, and make them chase me for it. -Decrease the portions.- Let him know mommy is not going to slave over a hot stove cooking him a Buffett that he can enjoy at his leisure. Not sure how you estimate portions with raw, but with kibble its fairly easy. - Put my hand in the bowl and stir the kibble up and creating sounds as if I'm eating some as well. Even pick some up and drop it back (When they are eating it) . This also helps with food aggression. Recommended Especially if you take him to DP that have communal water. I have seen dogs fight really bad over water lol.
**What has worked the best though, is having two dogs because it is definitely a competition of who can finish first, and the winner can go to the other bowl and the looser has his food picked through lol
If its a sudden change and it continues, I would get an xray done just in case. It wouldn't hurt, but it could save you soo much money/complications in the long run. I only suggest this because you said he will eat his Favorite/irresistible food (honey etc.) and still only picks at it. But its just advice, you know little Kiyoshi better than us all and you know when his behavior seems off. Just keep an eye out.
I think adding stress and competitiveness to his meals is a very bad idea. Otherwise, I think Shikoku has some agreeable tips: don't bend over backwards cooking special different meals when he wont eat, don't teach him that if he holds out and looks cute he'll get a sweet dessert instead- those two things are contributing to your picky eating problem. Do reduce portions, do have routine mealtimes and do take the bowl away if he doesn't eat now and keep it away till next mealtime. Asking him to sit or stay (work, in other words, so whatever he knows how to do) before putting his bowl down is also good (anticipaaaation!). But do not risk creating a very ugly resource guarding problem by creating pressure around his food. You don't have this problem now, you do not want it, and even more, you do not want it in a breed that is not a beginner's dog to train. Many 'primitive' breeds are single-event learners when it comes to fear and stress events that are much harder to repair than they are to inflict. That is not a challenge you want to risk just because you want to feed XYZ and he is saying that doesnt work for him. There's lots of choices for feeding dogs very very well- figure out if you are spoiling him, or if he just needs a different meal plan, find the food that works for him and get him on a routine.
It is terrible management to allow dogs to threaten each other over food and kick another dog (a "looser"?) out of his own bowl. Do not buy into the "wild animals do it this way so we should model that in our relationships with dogs" because the human<->dog relationship is very different from wild animal<->wild animal relationships, and you really do not want a relationship with your dog based on wild animal values when you think about what that really means and how wild animals treat each other. Dogs 'get' the human <-> dog relationship and there is no need to think you have to play some wild thing game in order to get them to work with you.
You have a wonderful puppy, and you do a lot of cool things with him Keep it going!
Agreed with @WrylyBrindle. He's a juvenile and they go through changes in their appetite at this age. Keep to your scheduled and timed feedings and don't change a thing. He's pushing his boundaries and he'll soon figure out that going without food for a day, maybe 2 won't get him anything but hungry.
This sudden lack of appetite is pretty common amongst the NK breeds around their juvenile stages.
I know with shiba breed some tend to be picky.. Conker @Losech's shiba has had issues and I know few others who do. not sure if it is shiba thing or not..
Saya she loves food she eats it fine only time she refused it was when she was new to kidneys, heart and tongue it was a texture thing I think. I just offered one tiny piece of one item and worked till she at big piece fine then went to next one.
Saya did go through period when she was kibble fed where she wouldn't eat some or all of her food. I just picked it up and gave it the next meal. etc. she did fine missing breakfast or dinner.. She eventually got her appetite back.
She was good weight and active drank fine too so I wasn't too worried. I did watch her weight and activity, but it stayed normal.
I agree with WrylyBrindle, its a bad idea to add stress and competition.
I also have a similar situation with my little shihtzu mix. She is just like Kiyoshi. Tried a bunch of suggestions, taking way bowl of 20 mins...adding a bunch of stuff...I eventually learn she can self manage her food so what I did instead was train my Shiba to stay out of her bowl.
Although some things that do have some effect are, adding anchovies, tuna...basically fish toppers to her kibble gets her to eat. But I don't spoil her and do those as occasional treats, rather than to get her to eat. I also notice if I drain her energy before serving her meal, the chance of her eating drastically increases.
@wrylybrindle@bootz - although the OP already mentioned she doesn't have 2 dogs to try with , what makes you guys think that two dogs eating from the same bowl is dangerous and stressful for HER dog? I think you guys have taken what I said to the extreme. Please note that any dog who goes to a dog park or shares a community space shouldn't feel threatened or become competitive( in a dangerous way) when someone violates their food or space. Water is often something that is shared at a dog park and if your dog is stressed by that or feels the need to become dangerously competitive then as responsible owners I suggest you keep them out of that situation, and I will agree with you.
However even as puppies most dogs have always had "friendly competition" with the food bowl even for their moms milk. As you can read she has tried most things, and I gave her a list of things she hasn't tried. I know For a fact this has worked with me countless of times, with NK who are not DOG AGGRESSIVE . If something doesn't work for YOUR pups do not discredit it as if it will not work for kiyoshi. She knows her pups limits and knows how her dog will react to another dog in his bowl. My pups share the same bowl always. And I just introduced a little one to the mix who eats from a shiba's bowl all the time.
Takeaway: know your dog, know your limits. We are all here to benefit eachother no one is an expert.
@Shikoku, the thing is, resource guarding can appear all of a sudden. Especially with puppies who are still learning how things work. One day they might seem ok with it, the next they've finally had enough and snap. And it's not limited to dog-aggression, people can get hurt too. Intentionally adding stress about food is NOT a good idea, especially with primitive breeds like NKs, who tend to think on their own rather than look to you for answers. It's not a matter of knowing limits, when your dog is still developing them.
I have experienced my innocent puppy cross that line, and it is extremely difficult to fix. Almost a year later, we are still working on it, every day.
@Shikoku stress and competition is how I read your suggestion....Sharing a bowl is different. My two pups can share a bowl, but I don't promote it, seeing that my shiba can over eat, and my shihtzu mix the opposite.
Another suggestion @Dragonfly those IQ balls where you can put kibble in? Or maybe the kong wobbler? Another weird thing my husband noticed is my shihtzu mix...the picky eater...would eat when he's watching him...Hahah! I thought this was hilarious. But I also observed that this is true, only when my husband is watching or if my shiba is watching her eat.
@Dragonfly , I'm not sure how you take better photos than me. Maybe because I'm on this sucky iPhone but keep em' coming! You guys gotta come up in about a month. She will be bigger (Hopefully).
Also what do you mean working on the Chi x Shikoku? Beautiful dogs btw!
Wow!! I like the one with you and him on the Mountain! Unfortunately I was too freakin scared. We havent gone to swim class yet, and I cant save a thing if it gets in the water. LOL We both need to do swim classes together.
Yea Kiyoshi is cool, anytime you guys are up and need a babysitter I volunteer. :-c
Look at those legs!! He's gettin so big! I still love his face. With his big smile, expressionable eyes and the spot on his checks, It always reminds me of a kabuki mask.
Comments
Saya my shiba is not fond of the water, but if it is her idea she likes it like crossing creek or chasing leaves floating in the creek. She went in my pond trying to get the muskrat that she saw swimming she was unsuccessful, but got nice and wet. hehe
Kiyoshi is looking great.
Also- if you will allow me to make a suggestion. If he won't eat his kibble. I suggest pouring warm water on it and turning it into mush! And anything he doesn't eat take away. If he is throwing it back up it may be something stuck in his gastro system. Also if he does eat the warm mush, But doesn't finish it all, take it away. They are animals and in the wild they weren't able to leave a carcass and come back to nibble on it . It was eat it all right then or risk the next predator taking your kill.
It also helps to have another dog eat or of his bowl. That forces him to engage the wild behavior or eating before his prey is stolen . ( only try if you have worked with him or confidence in him not being food aggressive)
Let us know how it goes.
Jesse
Good tips
- Take away the food bowl mid meal, and make them chase me for it.
-Decrease the portions.- Let him know mommy is not going to slave over a hot stove cooking him a Buffett that he can enjoy at his leisure. Not sure how you estimate portions with raw, but with kibble its fairly easy.
- Put my hand in the bowl and stir the kibble up and creating sounds as if I'm eating some as well. Even pick some up and drop it back (When they are eating it) .
**What has worked the best though, is having two dogs because it is definitely a competition of who can finish first, and the winner can go to the other bowl and the looser has his food picked through lol
If its a sudden change and it continues, I would get an xray done just in case. It wouldn't hurt, but it could save you soo much money/complications in the long run. I only suggest this because you said he will eat his Favorite/irresistible food (honey etc.) and still only picks at it. But its just advice, you know little Kiyoshi better than us all and you know when his behavior seems off. Just keep an eye out.
It is terrible management to allow dogs to threaten each other over food and kick another dog (a "looser"?) out of his own bowl. Do not buy into the "wild animals do it this way so we should model that in our relationships with dogs" because the human<->dog relationship is very different from wild animal<->wild animal relationships, and you really do not want a relationship with your dog based on wild animal values when you think about what that really means and how wild animals treat each other. Dogs 'get' the human <-> dog relationship and there is no need to think you have to play some wild thing game in order to get them to work with you.
You have a wonderful puppy, and you do a lot of cool things with him
This sudden lack of appetite is pretty common amongst the NK breeds around their juvenile stages.
Jesse
Saya she loves food she eats it fine only time she refused it was when she was new to kidneys, heart and tongue it was a texture thing I think. I just offered one tiny piece of one item and worked till she at big piece fine then went to next one.
Saya did go through period when she was kibble fed where she wouldn't eat some or all of her food. I just picked it up and gave it the next meal. etc. she did fine missing breakfast or dinner.. She eventually got her appetite back.
She was good weight and active drank fine too so I wasn't too worried. I did watch her weight and activity, but it stayed normal.
I also have a similar situation with my little shihtzu mix. She is just like Kiyoshi. Tried a bunch of suggestions, taking way bowl of 20 mins...adding a bunch of stuff...I eventually learn she can self manage her food so what I did instead was train my Shiba to stay out of her bowl.
Although some things that do have some effect are, adding anchovies, tuna...basically fish toppers to her kibble gets her to eat. But I don't spoil her and do those as occasional treats, rather than to get her to eat. I also notice if I drain her energy before serving her meal, the chance of her eating drastically increases.
However even as puppies most dogs have always had "friendly competition" with the food bowl even for their moms milk. As you can read she has tried most things, and I gave her a list of things she hasn't tried. I know For a fact this has worked with me countless of times, with NK who are not DOG AGGRESSIVE . If something doesn't work for YOUR pups do not discredit it as if it will not work for kiyoshi. She knows her pups limits and knows how her dog will react to another dog in his bowl. My pups share the same bowl always. And I just introduced a little one to the mix who eats from a shiba's bowl all the time.
Takeaway: know your dog, know your limits. We are all here to benefit eachother no one is an expert.
I have experienced my innocent puppy cross that line, and it is extremely difficult to fix. Almost a year later, we are still working on it, every day.
Back on track, more scandalous "boys cuddling in the bath" please!
Another suggestion @Dragonfly those IQ balls where you can put kibble in? Or maybe the kong wobbler? Another weird thing my husband noticed is my shihtzu mix...the picky eater...would eat when he's watching him...Hahah! I thought this was hilarious. But I also observed that this is true, only when my husband is watching or if my shiba is watching her eat.
He will eat eventually when he is hungry.
Also what do you mean working on the Chi x Shikoku? Beautiful dogs btw!
Yea Kiyoshi is cool, anytime you guys are up and need a babysitter I volunteer. :-c