Bath time is not for the faint of heart

Shibas do not like water. Let me repeat...Shibas do NOT like water!! Or maybe our dog is a freak of nature. If the water is running Simba is running the other way. He will do whatever it takes not to take a bath. He has thrown himself against the walls in the shower and screamed and scratched. You never leave a bath with Simba without battle scars. My sister had the displeasure of bathing the crazy animal and had scratches on her thighs, arms and stomach. They did not go away for weeks! Simba does not intend to commit bodily harm but acts involuntarily. If a dog could commit a crime it would likely be an unintentional tort. Let's break it down some more. My sister claimed it was an assault (jokingly) but an assault is an act intended to cause apprehension of an imminent bodily harm or contact. Let's assume Simba is a "person" and that the laws pertain to him in this instance. Did Simba act intentionally? Did he intend to cause the apprehension of imminent bodily harm? I would argue nay! His intent was to break free at any cost. He did not intend to hurt anybody.

Since he actually did touch her harmfully it would then be a battery.

Either way, too bad so sad because he's just a cute little puppy.

Shiba Inu meetup

Simba had the opportunity to meet up with some family members of his. Well, they weren't really related but they are of the same breed. It was lots of fun to see all the pretty Shiba's running around. So many different colors and sizes. They are a fun loving breed and they don't really bark either. There is something called the Shiba scream and you have to hear to believe it. Regardless, there was a lot of sound at the meet up and I noticed that Simba was not the only dog who made such a nasty "bitch" face as we call it. When Shiba's play they look really mean and are very vocal. It does not look like play to the naked eye and I always have to reassure people that there is nothing evil about it. Just because some dogs don't want to be hugged, kissed or smothered all the time doesn't mean that they are not good dogs. I force my little Simba to give me hugs and kisses. He sighs deeply because he rather be left alone but I say it's OK for him to suffer just a little!

Dog eat dog world

Simba and Onix spent almost everyday in August and September at the dog park. We were told that socializing dogs at an early age is of the essence so we wanted to make sure that our pups grew up healthy. Onix outran a greyhound and then wiped out on a rock. Ouch. Poor pup. he was a little timid after that happened. Simba was the typical Shiba Inu because he was aloof and mostly on his own. However, he has found a few friends who he goes crazy for. When he sees these dogs at the park he jumps, runs and acts like a kid in a candy store. It is priceless. He has gotten cuter and cuter.

One thing I can say about the dog park is that there are a few unstable dogs and unstable owners. This often leads to conflict involving profanities and dog bites.

What's up with eating wood chips though? I thought we were feeding him enough and he has tasted all the treats imaginable. But the wood chips never fail. Sure, I understand that he is teething but eating a ton of wood chips just gives him other problems. Wood chips never solve a thing!

Growing pains

Losing teeth at a rapid pace and adjusting to a new home has its problems. Actually, those problems don't actually bother Simba. But for us simple humans it can be nerve racking. Every few hours we have to take the pup out in order to avoid an accident on the Persian rug. Unfortunately, poop happens! We could not get him to stay in the crate at night because he would howl like mad. So we caved and only put him in the crate when he left home. Let's just say that I have gone through many bottles of cleaners because his separation anxiety caused him to pee in the crate.

The good news is that Simba learned to use a training bell at the front door. This device allows a pet to let you know when he needs to go outside. He learned within one week and every time he rang the bell we gave him praise. I must say that this breed has certainly surprised me. Shiba's are known to be independent and intelligent and so far it is true. The only problem with being independent is that you can have selective hearing at times. At least I know that he will bend over backwards for a treat!

Doggy dip

The annual doggy dip took place after the pool officially closed for the summer. Dogs of all breeds came to take a dip in frigid water. Simba preferred to play with the dogs rather than jump in the water. He kept looking, smelling and even leaning over the pool. I helped him to put his paw in the water but he shrank back rapidly. The weather was gorgeous so I decided it was time for him to hit the swimming pool. I saw that he was not going in himself so what did this good mom do? I lifted him and placed him into the water. My little pup was in for about a minute and that was plenty. As he got out of the pool and shook the water off he began to run. I didn't think anything of it until he squeezed through the bars and kept going! And so the chase began. Me, my sister, her boyfriend, the entire neighborhood and a few dogs after little Simba. After an intense stand off and the kindest words we could think of; my friend was able to catch him by surprise and bring him back. I guess that's what you get when you force your pup to do something that they are not ready for. Oops! Well I guess I learned my lesson!