Dave - he is very thin (not a big eater) so you see his muscles, but he is not "muscular" as in large muscles (like Kona). He only weighs about 35 lbs.
Brad - you must be used to Loa's coloration. Kuma is actually a bit darker (more black hairs) than when he was younger. :-) Catching the frisbee - nope. I have tried. He waits till it comes to the ground. Although he loves to have it roll along the ground and grab it on the run. He has very poor eye to mouth coordination when I try throwing things for him to catch ;-). But he LOVES fetch games!
PS - Sweety (his dam) is pretty light too, so I think that he and his siblings from this litter take after her.
"Is he food motivated?" yes, at home as long as the treats are yummy (and he is selective on which treats he likes). Away, not so much, especially when he was younger. I usually have to spend at least 15-20 minutes at a place before he will eat even the yummiest treats that he scarfs up at home
"How is his appetite?" Picky at home. He eats when he is hungry. For training, he needs yummy treats (eg, bologna, turkey, other meats are his favorites). Hard crunchy treats he doesn't like.
On that note, any of you dog lovers who are coming to PA for the meet up, I have a several unopened bags of "clicker" treats from Karen Pryor's site that he won't eat (they are dry, hard treats). Anyone can have them if they want.
Wow, those are cool pics and I feel the same way...the more pics I see and the more I get to see them in action the more I lean towards having one someday!
Rui - that must be the difference between Kuma (akita) and Kuma (shikoku). This Kuma is only done fetching when he gets hot. In the summer it is usually after 5 to 6 throws. In the winter, it can take A LOT longer to get him tired and hot. He loves to fetch!
Kris, Kuma is so handsome. I love the expressive faces in Shikoku dogs. I haven't tried a frisbee with Tenji as we are very limited in off leash space but Tenji loves retrieving any ball that he finds in and around the house. He, too, is very picky about treats. He will not eat any of the generic treats but will fall right into his obedience training for a piece of meat.
Yay with the frisbee action shots and Kuma photo updates! Yeah, you totally need to spam us with more Kuma pics.
I've tried to play frisbee with Shoushuu as well. He'll chase after it, retrieve and then chew on it. I've tried to toss it to him but I just end up bonking him in the head, lol. I should just continue trying it though. Maybe he'll eventually get sick of being hit in the head and will try to catch it -vbg-.
Comments
Is he as muscular as he looks in some of those photos?
Does he ever catch the Frisbee? Ahi is really good at catching things, Loa not so much.
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Brad - you must be used to Loa's coloration. Kuma is actually a bit darker (more black hairs) than when he was younger. :-) Catching the frisbee - nope. I have tried. He waits till it comes to the ground. Although he loves to have it roll along the ground and grab it on the run. He has very poor eye to mouth coordination when I try throwing things for him to catch ;-). But he LOVES fetch games!
PS - Sweety (his dam) is pretty light too, so I think that he and his siblings from this litter take after her.
Is he food motivated? How is his appetite?
I also cannot wait to see him!
"How is his appetite?" Picky at home. He eats when he is hungry. For training, he needs yummy treats (eg, bologna, turkey, other meats are his favorites). Hard crunchy treats he doesn't like.
On that note, any of you dog lovers who are coming to PA for the meet up, I have a several unopened bags of "clicker" treats from Karen Pryor's site that he won't eat (they are dry, hard treats). Anyone can have them if they want.
Does he insist at the fetching game a lot?
Kuma on this side of the Atlantic is done by the 3rd try, normally. Sometimes less.
I haven't tried a frisbee with Tenji as we are very limited in off leash space but Tenji loves retrieving any ball that he finds in and around the house. He, too, is very picky about treats. He will not eat any of the generic treats but will fall right into his obedience training for a piece of meat.
I've tried to play frisbee with Shoushuu as well. He'll chase after it, retrieve and then chew on it. I've tried to toss it to him but I just end up bonking him in the head, lol. I should just continue trying it though. Maybe he'll eventually get sick of being hit in the head and will try to catch it -vbg-.