Poo on you! Poo on me!

Last night I took Hiro out to potty. As he finished his #2, a neighbor's dog came outside UNLEASHED! Hiro got really excited! Tail wagging and all. I tried to pull him back but the dog kept coming closer. Somehow the poo bag I was holding broke! Getting poo over my jacket and over Hiro. Gross!! I took Hiro home and gave him a bath. Ahh...the sound of the Shiba scream! He was a lot better during the first bath I gave him. As for my jacket, just threw it in the wash. =)

Merry Christmas!

Hiro wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Fast Learner

Hiro is such a fast learner! I wonder if all Shibas learn that fast.  At 9 weeks he was able to climb up the stairs on his own. (still unable to go downstairs). While I was walking him today he decided that he wanted to climb up 1 flight of stairs to his neighbor's. But when he got up, he couldn't come back down. O_o  He knows how to "sit". Today I tried to teach him "down" but that didn't work out too well. We made huge progress for potty training. When Hiro needs to go out, I say "go potty" and he always goes before he wants to run around and play. Such a good boy!  =)

Here's another video. Enjoy!

What a Mama's Boy

Hiro is such a Mama's Boy. He always has to be next to me when he's laying down. Sometimes he'll even hop on my lap to nap. I wonder if it's just the puppy stages because Shiba's aren't usually lap dog. I guess we'll find out when he gets older.

The past couple days he hasn't had many "accidents". I take him out after every nap. He is pretty good at letting me know when he needs to go out. He will either start whining or pace back and forth. I don't know why but when he needs to go out, he will go to my bedroom door and start whining, even when I'm not in my room. O_o. 

Here's another Hiro video:
Hiro Video

I'm in LOVE

I've had Hiro for 3 days and I'm in L<3VE.  =)

I will recap what happened the past 3 days.
Hiro's flight was scheduled for 9:03 PM on Friday. His flight actually came about 15 min early. On the way to the airport, my friend goes, "You don't seem very excited." I said "I don't think it's hit me yet. Oh boy did it hit me. When I saw the cargo guy carrying my Hiro, I almost wanted to cry. My eyes did get watery. He was shivering like crazy in his crate. I signed his papers and then took him home. He slept on my lap.

When we got home, he was so scared. He didn't know what was going on. He was probably thinking "Where is my mommy?" Where are my brothers and sisters?"  Hiro hid on the bottom shelf of my bookcase and just sat there all night. Here is the pic.

Eventually he fell asleep in the corner. But at about 1:30 am, I took him outside to go potty and then I put him in his crate to sleep. He slept all night until 7:30 am to potty again outside.

I took him to the vet on Saturday for his first checkup and to get his vaccination. The vet recommended him that he gets his 8 week vaccination again because his first set was done at 6 weeks which may have been too early. The vet technicians said they found cedar in his stool, but that was okay. They also found rounds (type of worms). The vet gave me some meds to give to him for the next 3 days. Hiro was a hit at the vet office. Everyone wanted to know what breed he as and also to pet him.  The vet loved his stinky puppy breathe which I thought was kind odd.  O_o  haha. She was giving him a physical exam and goes "I feel two testicles! Yes I do!" hahaha...she definitely loves what she does. I will close with a few videos of Hiro. Enjoy!

Hiro Video #1
Hiro Video #2

Talk Dog?

Is your dog misbehaving? Does he have an itch? fleas? 
If you need some advice or just want to join us at the dog park with other dog lovers, come check out Dog Talk DC. My friend created this forum for people who are living in the DC Metro area, but all are welcome.
Come sniff around.  =)

December 16th is the day!

***Updated***
Hiro's flight is booked!!! Thursday at 9:03 PM !!!  =D

I have requested the breeder to ship Hiro on the 16th. Just 9 more days! I feel like I am forgetting something. I just ordered a bed for his crate and puppy food (Amazon free shipping is awesome). I picked up the crate from my friend on Sunday. (Thanks Anita!)

I just checked the weather for next week. It's suppose to snow Tuesday and Wednesday. Hopefully just light flurries. Weather permitting, I will be a mommy in 9 days!  =)

2 More Weeks!

Today I received 3 pictures of Hiro. He looks like he's about 6 weeks old.  He will be 8 weeks on December 12th. I am looking at a date of December 15th or 16th of December. I plan on taking a week off of work. The boss already approved!  =)
I would of wanted an earlier pickup date but I have a meeting on the 14th! doh!!

Patiently Waiting

I think I got everything I need.  And still time to spare! I just gotta get the crate from my friend, buy some all-natural toys and get some food and I'm set!

I am patiently waiting for Hiro's arrival. A little bit over 3.5 weeks and I will be a mommy. As weird as it may sound, I guess there is some truth to it! =P  I've emailed the breeder asking her to send me more pictures, but I have not heard back. I haven't heard from her in 3 weeks. Ever since she sent me the first set of pictures. My cousin did warn me that she is not the best at getting back to you but assures me that I will get my puppy.  I just want to see how big he's gotten and how cute he is. ><" 

Have you had bad experiences with breeders?

One of everything please?

Last week I placed an order with PETCO. I wanted to get the basics before Hiro comes. I have to say that if I had to choose between Petco or Petsmart, I would choose Petco. They have a better selection and also they have free shipping on minimum purchases. Only thing I don't like is they have restrictions on their free shipping. (i.e. no dog food.  @_@). 

When I told my friends that I ordered a bunch of stuff online, they said "Why don't you buy it when the dogs comes?" But I want to be prepared. I wanted to get one of everything online, but I controlled myself.

So here is my list for the first shipment. (yes, I placed another order 3 days ago.  ><")

*Earth Friendly Products Pre-Moistened Pet Wipes
*PETCO Comfort Blue Leash for Dogs
*PETCO Comfort Adjustable Blue Collar for Dogs
*Puppy KONG Dog Toy
*KONG Small ZIGGIES Puppy Treats
*Finishing Touch Oatmeal Puppy Shampoo
*PediPaws Nail Trimmer
*BioBag USA 100% Biodegradable Dog Waste Bags 

I went to PETCO today because I had to make an exchange. They gave me a pink colored KONG Dog Toy. I exchanged it for a blue one. Sorry, but Hiro is a male. =P   I ordered the wrong size ZIGGIES Puppy Treat. O_o I think I could stay there for hours! ^_^

2nd Shipment:

*PETCO Stainless Steel Diner
*KissAble Doggie Tartar Control Toothpaste
*KONG Zoom Groom Brush
*PETCO Comfort Control Blue Dog Harness
*Sniffers All Natural Lifestages Semi Moist Puppy Treats 

What else am I missing? The only thing I need to buy is Natural Balance Dog Food. I am buying a new crate from my friend. I think I'm all set!!

Puppy Training

Sit, Down, Come, Stay, and Leave it. All commands I want my new puppy to learn. I've been researching on Puppy Training classes in the Montgomery County area had have narrowed it down to 3 choices.

Best Friends Pet Care
$110 for seven 1 hr sessions

PetSmart
$119 for eight 1 hr sessions

PetCo
$107 for six 45 min sessions.

I think I'm leaning towards signing Hiro up at PetSmart.  Where did you take your puppy for training?

I've emailed the breeder for more pictures of Hiro. I hope I get them soon!  *crosses fingers*

Dog Tag

Some people may think that picking out a pet tag for your pet is one of the easiest purchases. But I got to say, for me, not so easy.  Even Petco.com and Petsmart.com didn't have a big selection. Most of them were Pet Recovery ID tags.  After numerous Google searches on "Pet ID Tags" I finally settled on one from PetTags4Less. My only concern was that the name was not engraved in the aluminum. I was afraid that the name would rub off.  They use a method called LASER engraving. "The beam emitted from it allows the controller to trace patterns onto the surface. It vaporizes and “burns off” the enamel (hard-coated) and produces a permanent mark that won't rub off." Satisfaction Guaranteed! I have to say it was the best $3.59 I spent! Now I just need my puppy! What do you guys think?

No Turning Back

It was finally happening. In about 5-6 weeks I will be officially a Shiba Inu owner. There's no turning back. I have sent my deposit. .  For the past few months, I have been contacting Shiba Inu breeders from the National Shiba Club of America.  If you are looking to get a Shiba, I would recommend this site because there can be shady breeders out there. 

My friends know that this has been a very frustrating experience for me because not all breeders will respond back in a timely manner. Some may not respond back at all. I did have my hopes set on getting a puppy from Rodel Shibas. One, they were local (1 1/2 hr drive) and two, my friend adopted a Shiba from them. I have to say, he is one of the most gorgeous Shibas I have ever seen and is such a good boy!  Rodel Shibas did let me know that there may be a wait for her puppies. She mentioned there are people who have been waiting over a year for her puppies. A year is a LONG time! I wanted my Shiba NOW. Sooner rather than later please.  =)  

Buying a puppy is a long process. It's not as easy as it looks. Yes, I could of gone to any puppy store, picked out my puppy and be on my merry way but for those of you who do not do your homework, you could end up with a puppy that has genetic defects which could cost you lots of $$$$ down the road.

Meet Hiro (ひろ- means Prosperous in Japanese). Born October 17, 2010. I actually do not know which one he is in the picture, but I have been telling everyone that the one showing his face is him O_o. The other red one looks more sesame (If you are familiar with Shibas, you know what I'm talking about ^^). My first baby picture. Hopefully, more pics to come......

2 weeks old