There are many factors that can cause a dog to develop rashes and itching.

Are there any additional symptoms that make you think it is from grass?

The last week that we went to play group, Reptar was getting to know a little Chihuahua, they were smelling each other and then the next thing I knew, Reptar marked him.

LOL – that is so Shiba. They are such scamps and will always push the boundaries.

I saw an Akita the other day on a walk with Reptar!

Yeah I also love the way Akitas look. One of my neighbors has a Shiba and an Akita. They make a lovely pair while walking together. According to my neighbor, her Akita is very friendly with people but a lot more iffy with other dogs. She says that the Akita is very particular about her space and doesn’t like dogs coming in uninvited with the yip-yaps.

I just want to adopt all the SPCA dogs and rescue dogs!

Yeah – I feel the same way. Have you watched the show DogTown on NatGeo? It is one of my favorite shows. Another neighbor of mine goes there every few months to volunteer. Ultimately, it would be great to move somewhere close to an animal sanctuary and just hang out with a whole bunch of dogs.

I guess you could say we’re not actively looking at this moment. Thats usually when you end up finding the right pup, though. With Reptar, we got him in October because we just fell in love with him. We hadn’t planned on getting a dog until the following Spring (which is right now). Until then, we’ll just keep playing with his best dog friends.

I saw an Akita the other day on a walk with Reptar! That was the first time I saw real dog of that breed and boy they sure are beautiful too. Our obedience class instructor said she had 3 Shibas in her play group last week. We were not able to make it to that play group, hopefully this week we will and will meet some other Shibas. The last week that we went to play group, Reptar was getting to know a little Chihuahua, they were smelling each other and then the next thing I knew, Reptar marked him. EEEEK! I’m a little nervous to bring him back there but he loves going there to run around and play with the other dogs! I may just have to make an extra effort to keep him away from tiny dogs.

The nervousness will probably make it challenging in the beginning especially with a no-fear Shiba But she is such a beautiful and sweet looking girl.

With Sephy, at first I thought he would be too much for Shania because he comes on pretty strong. However, he turned out to be a very goofy fellow who lets Shania do whatever she wants and lets her win. Sometimes it is difficult to predict how two dogs will interact with each other.

Has Cha Cha met Reptar?

When I first got Sephy I didn’t have a backyard so one thing that really helped was to exercise him at the SPCA. We arranged these dog play sessions with them, where one of their trainers was present and helped us with dog-to-dog socialization training.

Sephy really loved meeting all the friendly dogs at the SPCA. It was great because the staff there helped pick dogs that suited his personality and he had a blast playing with all the different dogs.

Good luck with the search. When the right dog comes along, Reptar will pick her out

http://www.niagaraspca.org/4716Cha%20Cha%20001.jpg

Our second dog search is crawling. We’re looking first to get a dog from a shelter, SPCA. We happened to find Reptar in the local online newspaper, did our research on the breed and then went to see the little guy. There is a Pitbull named Cha Cha (http://www.niagaraspca.org/4716Cha%20Cha%20001.jpg)at a local SPCA that I’ve fallen in love with however I do not think a Shiba and a Pitbull would be a good fit/match. Especially with Cha Cha’s special needs. I’ve been known to be wrong before however, we are still just beginning the search. We have a lot to consider, especially after reading your Second dog post.
Thanks!

Sibes are a great breed and in many ways, easier to take care of compared to the Shiba. The two key challenges I have found with Shania are –
1. Crazy level of energy. She needs a lot of exercise and she is still going and going. She plays with Sephy, we go for 2+hour walks, and she is still active and hunting for critters in the backyard!
2. She likes to pull, pull, pull. Leash training is a lot more of a challenge with her.

How are you? How are things going with the second dog search?