Is that a cat or a dog? A fox?
Someone actually asked my husband if Tojo was a cat or a dog yesterday. What's even more unbelievable is I've heard it a few times before myself! Once while I was waiting in a parking lot with Tojo in the back, two guys walked by and I overheard this:
Guy 1: Whoa, look at that. (indicating Tojo)
Guy 2: What about it?
Guy 1: Is that a cat or a dog?
Guy 2: A dog, you moron.
I got a good chuckle out of that. I hear similar conversations from people outside my window, too. My nephew also wouldn't believe me or his mom that Tojo wasn't a cat for a good long while, but he was two years old.
On a related note, a lady at the dog run once asked me if he was half fox. I told her that dogs and foxes can't interbreed so she asked me if he was a "part of the fox family" and I said, no, he's a dog. She just said, "Yeah, I know, but is he part of the fox family?". I said no again and she declared that the breed must have fox in their ancestory
. I thought about telling her that dogs and foxes belonged to different genuses but I didn't want to cause any more confusion.
Comments
I've known people with Rough Collies and people will tell the owner that 'something jumped the fence and they were taken for paying for a purebred.'
I once had a gentleman who said, "You know that wolf or coyote mixes are illegal in Georgia, right?" When I assured him that Ronan was a purebred Shikoku, a rare bred from Japan, he gave me a wink and a nod and said, "Well, sure he is!"
Heidi - That made me lol. There are some rather slow people in the world. I mean a cat??? I can at least kinda understand the fox comment, Shibas do resemble foxes - at least more than cats [in appearance].
Michelle - Jen and I where accused in our last neighbor hood of owning a wolf-dog hybrid by one of the neighbors. We are always asked if Ahi is one of those "new mixed breeds".
On that note - when we took Hilo to the vet the last time the Vet Tech asked if he was a Shiba-Akita mix because we had his breed name down as "Akita Inu" [the proper name for a JA].
I have a black and tan shiba. Of the few people who know what a shiba is, most haven't seen the black and tan ones (I hadn't prior to getting Moto).
I am asked at least once daily if he is a husky puppy or a "mini husky" (which apparently there is such thing, I recently found out, Klee Kai, they're very cute).
I look more like a husky than he does for heavens sakes!
We were hiking 2 weeks ago and he met a fox! They just sat and stared at each other (from a safe distance of course) until the fox got bored and ran. Super cool though.
First off, welcome to the forum!
Wow - that's cool. What type of fox, what area where you in?
We have a black and tan Shiba too - people always thinks she is a little husky. At least a husky is in the same family (spitz). Jen and I where talking about carrying cards with us w/ our dog's breeds on tem so when people ask we could just hand out the card. That would probably be seen as a little rude tho. lol
One of the things we hear about Tojo all the time is, "Wow, he's going to be beautiful when he grows up!" Little do they know he's almost two years old! Brad, I totally know what you mean about the cards. Sometimes I think it would be easier to have a sign around Tojo's neck saying, "I'm a purebred shiba inu, which is a Japanese hunting breed. I am full-grown. I was purchased from a breeder in BC. Yes, I look like a husky/fox/cat/coyote, but I'm not." That would answer most of the questions people ask me.
Yea - a sign for each of the pups, that's a better way to go. Hehe
That is the cool thing about Shibas, they really do look like puppies no matter what age they are. One thing we used to get when Maui was a puppy was - "Oh wow, he is gonna be big when he grows up!" We would always be like "Umm, no, not at all - look at his tiny feet". I guess people are just not used to seeing a spitz breed that is small or something.
the fox looked like a simple red one. We are in Rhode Island and it was in Lincoln woods.
I used to live with a newfoundland who would wear a sign around his neck that said...
"My name is Barkly. I am a Newfoundland. Yes my toes are webbed. I weigh 165lbs. My dad doesn't need a shovel for my poop. I have my own room. I am not a Saint Bernhard and I don't wear whiskey around my neck. No you may not strap a saddle to me. And yes you are the first person to ask all of these questions"
It may have been rude but it was hysterical.
That's very funny!
165# - wow!
I have to say ditto to it all. Niko tends to look so big in pics and then they see her. The one that I am sick of even more....she looks like a wolf! It is amazing how many people dont comprehend the difference between a wolf and fox. I actually have found myself (unknowingly) saying "dont you mean a fox?"
I even have people take out a pen and paper to write Shiba Inu down. "Oh that is the kind of dog I want". Me "Please do lots of research, they are not easy or typical dogs". That is one thing that scares me when people see the shiba...That is a whole other topic!
I always tell people who say they want a shiba after meeting mine, to hold off. I feel like he should have a disclaimer. It makes me so sad how many people adopt shiba because of their appearance (really what is cuter?) and don't look into what they are getting into.
I am also horrified at how many shibas are in pet stores now. Rumford Pets here in Rhode Island has started selling Shibas, which makes me sick. It means one thing, puppy mill puppies.
sorry morning rant. haven't had coffee yet.