New Shikoku Essentials
Hi All, so after trolling and stalking this forum for years now I finally have the opportunity to become a proud Shikoku parent! YAY!!!!! Hopefully I'll be able to pick Miyoko (Miya for short) here in the next couple of weeks. She's 4 months old but already the cutest thing ever! SOOOOOO excited! I'm in the process of getting all her gear, bowls, leashes etc. Anyone have any recommendations on what works well for their shikoku/shikoku pups in terms of collars, harnesses, beds, etc?
Comments
For a bed either something cheap or we have had good luck with K9Ballistics. We got Yuki some fancy bed which he thought was a giant chew toy. We gave it to the cats. He gave up on the K9Ballistics bed. He also sleeps on the floor a lot so you may not need anything. The bed is outside in his run and he spends most of his time out there snoozing on it.
A good supply of cheap white towels might be useful if your new pup gets carsick. I throw those down over the rear seat of my truck and change out as needed.
He likes almost any toy; discs and things you can roll work well. But probably the best thing for driving him insane and tiring him out is a lunge whip with a soft toy tied to the end. He will chase that thing for hours.
Congrats! Take plenty of pics. We took tons and still wish I had taken more from when he was young
I've found the pen has so many uses. I know you were just asking for gear, but I really think a pen is a good purchase. I use mine for so many different things for my Shikoku and Kishu.
As far as collars go, I like leather and tufflex anything - with the tags riveted to the collar itself. They make for easy cleaning.
A long line was also invaluable for training and camping.
Antlers are my dogs' favorite toys. Followed by anything that moves.
I will echo what some people said:
Dog bed -- be aware it will probably get chewed. Kaja destroyed 1 bed entirely... the other 2 I was more adamant in telling her it wasn't ok. xD
A Travel Kennel -- the hard plastic sided ones -- I dunno, just works better than the all wire ones in my experience.
Ex-Pen -- useful for keeping them contained until they are ready. Also useful for protecting certain things you just don't want to risk them deciding is a chew toy, once they are older + roam the house.
Long Line -- this was the BEST thing I got for Kaja. Useful for training + for letting her run around in public parks. Just go all the way and get the longest one you can find -- 50 feet worked for us.
Body harness with a front lead option for walking.
A seat cover or seat cleaners for the probable pukoku effect.
Lots of chew toys. Maybe some bitter apple spray to discourage the things they aren't supposed to chew (like with Kaja, it was window sills).
Jesse
I second most of the suggestions above:
Bed - I've use a Kuranda, Takeo really loved it since he was a puppy. He does like the fluffy pillow kind too, but tends to aternate between the Kuranda or floor the most.
Collar - for everyday I use a nylon Martingale, your puppy will quickly outgrow from one size to another in a few months; so I wouldn't worry too much about the color. I also use a harness for the long line.
Antlers, chew toys, anything to encourage your puppy to teethe on approved item.
I also have lots of small tea towels, handy for wiping paws, drying off after rain, etc.
Ex-pen or baby gates, as noted above. Very handy!
As far as play toys go, my dogs love toys but find equal excitement in shredding the cardboard roll from paper towel and water bottles (supervised of course).
I find it handy to have a travel bowl and water bottle, for when you are on the go.
@emi802 - I'll have to ask peggy about the bed on our next conversation. Good call! My previous dogs only ever used a bed when I was super cold.
@crispy and @Kaja - how big are your x-pens? I am in an apartment and trying to think of where I would put one without taking up the entire living room.
@crimson02 - Yes! Rope toy is a must.
So toys, antlers, bowls, harness, collar, blanket and travel kennel are checked off. YAY!! I'm either going to stay with the Earthborn brand that Peggy has been feeding or try to find something just as good but less expensive. I've heard good things about the Costco brand Natures Domain. Any recommendations?
The trouble with getting high quality dog food in bulk for a single dog is that it does go stale. Make sure you keep the dog food sealed until the dog is about to be fed.
Oh and make sure you buy a clicker and save up for vet costs. I usually tell new dog owners that getting a puppy is 2x the purchase price of the dog. Half for buying the dog and the other half is for the first year of vet costs.
Jesse
We have gotten away from soft toys because Rollo shreds them to ribbons within minutes, even the toughest ones. Ropes don't work as he shreds them as soon as he gets them out of our hands. We've gone with large rubber toys that he can't quite get his mouth around. It has stopped the toy destruction. We have a bionic rubber bone with a hollow in the middle, and we take salmon pepperoni and shove it in the hole so that he can't quite get at it. It keeps him entertained, and every now and then he gets a big reward by getting the pepperoni stick out.
We've recently bought a treat ball-maze for him which he loves. He rolls it around to get treats or even his kibble. He figured it out really quick!
He LOVES the laser pointer! This triggers his prey drive and he pounces at the laser. He also skids around corners almost out of control. It's a great way to tire him out in a hurry, and it's fun to watch.
If you haven't tried the large soft toys with limited or no appendages, those might work. Yuki can destroy a toy in minutes, but the larger ones have stood up well.
With soft toys, it didn't really matter what shape it was, he would just saw through a seam within minutes and start pulling stuffing out.
For a collar, I recommend a martingale style. Primitive dogs seem to be able to pop out of regular collars more easily due to stronger flight/fight instincts (IMO) and their body build. You might want a regular collar for the rabies tag and a martingale for walks.
For beds, my dog uses a cheap fleece blanket from walmart folded up. We've gone through so many dog beds, it's not funny. I even tried k9ballistics... it lasted for all of a couple of hours before my "tailor" decided to go at it (I say that because it looked like he used a thread cutter or scissors). Also, they will replace the cover once OR refund half of the purchase price. I wasn't paying close attention on that...
Antlers and carrots (I got large organic ones) lasted longer than anything else we tried. A prey model raw diet (large portions of meat and bone, i.e. chicken quarters, deer ribs, goat legs) helps with the desire to chew and is great nutrition, IMO. My dog loves playing with animal hides! He thinks its the best toy ever and I don't have to worry about him ingesting rubber or other similar materials.
Best wishes for you and the new baby!!
I'm flying up there on Saturday to spend the day with Peggy and bring her back with me on Sunday. Of coarse puppy spam will follow!