TK the Shikoku Ken (Updated 4/20)
I figured I'd give a picture update! I've been active on FB, but not on the forum! 
Most of you are familiar with TK, but for those who are not - TK first came to me in February of last year. At the end of February, I discovered he was stranger-aggressive and we visited a behaviorist. Almost a year later and he's doing great! He is getting worlds better when we're out in public and is much quicker to warm up to people I invite into my home (friends). He no longer approaches strangers, which is what we set out for!
Now that we've got that in the bag, I feel much more comfortable bringing him to events. We're going to try dock diving as soon as we get warmer weather. Until then, I'm working on his toy drive. He works well for tennis balls, so that's a start!
Despite his idiosyncracies, I couldn't ask for a better dog. He's extremely biddable, sensitive, and fun. He's a great family dog, he's an awesome trail dog, and he rides super-well in the car.
We celebrated his 7th birthday in November. No one can believe he's "that old" when they get to know him, though.
and I never would have known about him if it was not for this forum. Thank you! The thread that started it all:
http://www.nihonken.org/forum/index.php?p=/discussion/8019/adult-shikoku-male-available
Now onto the pictures!
Most of you are familiar with TK, but for those who are not - TK first came to me in February of last year. At the end of February, I discovered he was stranger-aggressive and we visited a behaviorist. Almost a year later and he's doing great! He is getting worlds better when we're out in public and is much quicker to warm up to people I invite into my home (friends). He no longer approaches strangers, which is what we set out for!
Now that we've got that in the bag, I feel much more comfortable bringing him to events. We're going to try dock diving as soon as we get warmer weather. Until then, I'm working on his toy drive. He works well for tennis balls, so that's a start!
Despite his idiosyncracies, I couldn't ask for a better dog. He's extremely biddable, sensitive, and fun. He's a great family dog, he's an awesome trail dog, and he rides super-well in the car.
We celebrated his 7th birthday in November. No one can believe he's "that old" when they get to know him, though.
and I never would have known about him if it was not for this forum. Thank you! The thread that started it all:
http://www.nihonken.org/forum/index.php?p=/discussion/8019/adult-shikoku-male-available
Now onto the pictures!
Comments
He is looking good!
The big dog says, "I shall carry you!"
He's a really fun guy. He's come really far from the super-serious dog I got off the plane and I'm happy he's comfortable.
@zandrame - Haha, the Pyrenees and the Pit mix are my brother's dogs. TK and Russell (levitating dog) were bolting around the yard and Joseph (Pyr) just happened to be trotting away from my brother at the perfect time.
TK has a very good relationship with the cats. He wasn't raised with cats and, from what I understand, used to chase them--so this is pretty good.
He didn't start this way. Lots of monitoring and "nuh uhs" later, he loves them.
That was the last of the snow, before it all melted. My brother and I went on a hike in the woods and got my Jeep stuck in the snow/ice/mud.
TK and my brother's dog, Russell, found bits of fox to dig up, tear up, and roll in, too.
Snf
He's gorgeous, thanks for sharing.
Truthfully, I always thought TK was kind of funny looking compared to other Shikoku. I think it's the shape of his head and the white snip on his nose, though... but it makes him unique!
I do enjoy seeing him have fun, though. He's come a long way from where he was when he came here. It was a year in February!
Most recent shot...
Zoomie time.
Pretending he's regal.
I love this stare. "What are we doing next!?"
With my foster puppy. He's usually very good with the puppies. He -does- love to pull tails, though.
And... I tried to capture his whine-gun when we went to a trail late in February, but all I got was this...
Typical shikoku double standard- "*I* can pull tails but don't touch mine!" LOL
"TK, TeeKaaaaay!
Tail so thick and fllllluff-aaay!"
@poltergeist - TK spent a week and a half/two weeks mostly separated from the household animals because of my management system here. By the time I introduced him to the house, he wasn't too interested in the cats anymore. It helps that one of my cats is brain damaged (and doesn't respond typically to threats) and the other cat is just dog-dumb (and doesn't recognize dogs as something that might eat him).
TK used to try to chase them every once in a while, but they weren't very interesting because they didn't do anything other than stare at him like he had a problem.
Now, every once in a while, he'll try to play with them - bow at them or gently "nom" on their tail like he would with a dog, but nothing ever comes of it.
It took a lot of "uh uhs" and supervision to get him there, but considering he'd never lived with cats before I got him, I think things went WAY better than I could have hoped for.
He hasn't ever tried to hump your cats, has he? That is Meitou's favorite thing to do to cats. He thinks they were all made to be his bestest humpables. Poor cats. *sigh* But maybe that's just because he's an intact adolescent dog, lol.