ATTENTION SHIBA LOVERS!!! We are looking for people to send us their shiba stories and videos. Fascinating, Funny, Interesting, Unusual, Rescue, even sad, or anything that you would like to share with other shiba lovers.If your shiba does some crazy things we would like to hear all about it! If you have a great video of your shiba please send it in with a short story. If we use your story we will send your shiba a free gift. Please send your shiba story to Karen at IcewindShiba@yahoo.com. Thank You!!!
A Breeder’s Poem
I love my little puppy; she makes my house a home.
She is my very sweetest little friend; I never feel alone.
She makes me smile; She makes me laugh; She fills my heart with love . . .
Did some person breed her, or did she fall from above?
I’ve never been a breeder, never seen life through their eyes;
I hold my little puppy and just sit and criticize.
I’ve never known their anguish; I’ve never felt their pain,
the caring of their charges, through snow or wind or rain.
I’ve never waited the whole night through for babies to be born,
The stress and trepidation when they’re still not there by morn.
The weight of responsibility for this body in my hands,
This darling little baby, who weighs but 60 grams.
Should you do that instead of this . . . or maybe that was wrong?
Alone you fight and hope, one day, he’ll grow up proud and strong.
You pray he’ll live to bring great joy to someone else’s home.
You know it’s all just up to you; you’ll fight this fight alone.
Formula, bottles, heating pads, you’ve got to get this right,
two-hour feedings for this tiny guy, throughout the day and night.
Within your heart you dread that you will surely lose this fight,
To save this little baby, but God willing . . . you just MIGHT.
Day one; he’s in there fighting; you say a silent prayer.
Day two & three, he’s doing well, with lots of love and care.
Day four & five . . . he’s still alive; your hopes soar to the heavens.
Day six he slips away again, dies in your hands, day seven.
You take this little angel, and bury him alone.
With aching heart and burning tears, and an exhausted groan,
You ask yourself, “Why do this? . . . Why suffer through this pain?”
Yet watch the joy your puppies bring,and everything’s explained.
So, when you think of breeders and label them with “Greed,”
Think of all that they endure to fill another’s need.
For when you buy your puppy, with your precious dollars part,
You only pay with money . . . while they pay with all their heart.
…. Author Unknown….
Shiba Inu Rescue “Rafiki”
A beautiful Shiba Inu was dropped off at Icewind in the beginning of December 2009. We were told he was living in a college dorm in Florida and the kids use to get drunk and abuse, tease, corner him until he would bite, and then beat him. When we took him in, no one could get near him, he no longer trusted people. After weeks of re-training him with lots of patience, finally in January 2010 we started to make progress. Danielle put the most time into Rafaki, if it weren’t for her, he would be dead now. We talked with many shelters and rescue groups and they told us to kill him. We are so glad we didn’t cause he has found his forever home. James came to visit and clicked with Rakaki. Thank You SO Much James! From all of us at Icewind.
Update from James – February 2010:
He loves belly rubs. He’s already really coming around but we’re definitely being patient with him and moving slowly around him. He loves belly rubs and playing catch.
Bear – Our Rescue Shiba Inu – Fits Into Our Pack
We are very happy with him; he goes absolutely everywhere with me. He loves to drive in the car. When we can’t get him to come to us in the yard, we simply open the SUV door and immediately he runs to it and jumps in. He is just the right size to take everywhere…..the 90 lb Rottie can be a bit much to take everywhere I go but Bear is just the right size!
We will definitely be thinking about getting a puppy from you at a later date (when our pack “thins”).
Thank you so much for bringing him into our lives….he is a wonderful addition to our family.
Candice and Paul
January 2010
Rescue Shiba Kouji
Hi Karen and Anya,
I just wanted to say hi and to tell you that we went to a Shiba Inu meet up yesterday and 3 out of the four shibas that were there came from Icewind! I consider Kouji an Icewind Shiba, even though he wasn’t born there. He has such a wonderful temperament and is such a great dog that he could be an Icewind Shiba. We were there with Patrick and Coral, who is a tiny female. To see Kouji play with other shibas was amazing and we plan on attending as many of these as we can.
We’ve had Kouji for about 6 months now and I can’t tell you how we adore him. That one growling incident must have been an isolated incident because he hasn’t done it since. In fact, my daughter put a t-shirt on him yesterday (to get ready for Halloween) and he just looked at me as if to say, “make her stop.” We bathe him and brush his teeth and he tolerates it all without a sound. He sleeps every night in my daughters’ room, but he knows when it’s time for his morning walk, because then he’s right next to my side of the bed!
I am sending an updated picture of Kouji. We just adore him and feel very lucky to have found him. The other shiba owners were amazed that he was a rescue and yet has such a sweet temperament. Everyone at the meet up had high praises for Icewind Farms and your dogs. I’m still trying to talk my husband into another one….we’ll see!
Take care and thanks for Kouji!
Sherri
October 2009
Rescue Shiba Tiegan
Just wanted to give you guys an update on how Tiegan, (formerly Connie) is doing. Shes been an awesome dog and great friend so far. Shes been getting along with a cat in the apartment. She fit right in here and has been great with other people living in the area as well as other dogs. Shes been getting a lot of exercise and has gained a considerable amount of muscle. She has an abundance of energy and is eager to play anytime of the day. She listens very well even during her time off the leash. She recently went to the beach with us and had no problem jumping right into the water after her toys. She seemed to really enjoy all the people, sights and smells. She has been able to go into Petsmart with no problems regardless of the other animals there. She has also been great in the house all day, not one accident inside so far. Needless to say we are extremely happy to have her. She seems happy to be here as well. We are trying not to spoil her too much but she is the center of attention when she is out in public. When she runs out of food we’ll come visit with her.
Mike and Leslie (September 2009)
Shiba Inu Rescue Update…… August 2009
Foxy has found a home with Anna in New Jersey and is living a wonderful life of being pamered and played with all day. Foxy has found her forever home!
THE JOYS OF ADOPTING AN OLDER DOG
This past Fall, I awoke one morning feeling certain that our family had room for a second dog, and decided it was time to go hunting. Having welcomed 8-year old Max, an unbelievably sweet Samoyed a few years before, I researched lots of other breeds and quickly fixated on Shiba Inus. Yes, I read all the pros and cons about the breed. (Just be aware of the door-bolting tendency and prepare accordingly.) Truly, logic played no part in this decision, but it just felt right. Shibas are different and interesting. We searched regionally for reputable breeders and Karen, Anya and company topped the list. So it was off to Icewinds Farm to see these little creatures up close. If you can, please try to schedule a visit to Icewinds. It’s beautiful country and you will be entertained every minute you are there.
The charms of a Shiba are obvious, and if you are reading this, you are probably already hooked. Surely, there are times and places in our lives when a puppy is a perfect fit. But a Shiba puppy, while almost unbearably cute, may prove challenging for the faint of heart or those with ultra-busy lives and careers. If the average puppy is high-octane, young Shibas run on jet fuel. So, if you’ve “been there and done that” with raising puppies, please think about adopting an older rescue dog or as we did from Icewinds, a retired breeding dog.
Instead of housebreaking and obedience training for a year or two (or three or four), you could have a terrific canine companion oriented into your home and family within a few weeks at most. And if your Shiba has been vetted by Karen and Anya, you are virtually assured of success! They clearly love their dogs and know each of their individual personalities.
On our second visit to Icewinds, we were adopted by Misty (formerly ” Sahara” and briefly “H oney”), a sweet little red female, 7 years young. Before I became a rescue fan, I used to worry that an older dog would be with us for fewer years. Now I know that every year with a lovely dog is time well spent – for them and for us. We’ve come to learn that an 8-year journey can be every bit as rewarding as a one that lasts 15. After all, we Baby Boomers don’t want to be written off in middle age, so let’s appreciate our canine friends in the same phase of life! There are now five rescue dogs in my extended family — our Samoyed, an Akita , a Beagle, a mystery dog, and now little Misty. None of them came to us as puppies, but all have been loads of fun.
Although Misty came home with us just two short months ago, it feels like she’s been part of the family forever. She flitted about on the outskirts of our daily lives for the first few days, much like a shy little woodland creature, quietly observing the life lead by King Max. She’s very smart and soon decided that she would be Queen, and it would be a monarchy. Misty has adjusted very well, concluding her breeding career and transforming with calm assurance into pampered pet in short order, despite what had to be enormous life change for her. She is friendly but not needy, amusing but not exhausting, very quiet (not heard the infamous Shiba scream yet), and never destructive. She has no interest (thank God) in scaling our 4 foot fence, which would not even challenge a young Shiba. Misty will often play and frolic all by herself. In the chaos of remodeling, she has been no trouble at all, only snitching a little paintbrush every now and then. She has captivated even those that are not the biggest dog lovers, including Mom, who in her eighties can easily handle Misty on her own. In fact, we’ve come to believe that an older Shiba would make a wonderful companion to seniors. All in all, a more mature Shiba can be a perfect second dog – or a great first dog – or a third dog….
Karen and daughter Anya will tell you all you need to know and Karen is also very generous with post-adoption advice that we really appreciate. And visit Anya’s store for Shiba favorites. Just be assured that if Karen and Anya recommend the dog, you can have the utmost confidence and perhaps you too will be adopted by a quirky little Shiba. Please remember that a nice dog is a nice dog every year of its life.
Debbi
COCO’S ADOPTION (RESCUE SHIBA ADOPTED AS AN ADULT)
I haven’t sent you an update on Coco lately. I thought you would like knowing that she is now showing interest in playing with other dogs when we are out for our walks. She is still a little shy/leery of people on the walks, but no longer panics and runs in the other direction! She will actually sniff the hand of some folks and just act aloof with others. She is happiest when she is just with me. Runs around the house doing the “Indy 500″ which makes me laugh out loud! She is even warming up to Eric now, and no longer hides when he comes home. She loves her bed, which is next to my side of our bed in our bedroom. Even though she could sleep with us, and sometimes does…she seems to prefer her own bed. She is so confident now that we sometimes find her sleeping on her back, with her paws up….very cute!!!! Her favorite safe place is next to a toilet. (We call the toilet her boyfriend “John”).
She is very comfortable over at my daughter’s house, and doesn’t even hide when we are there anymore. You will just find her in the “thick of things” hanging around wherever we all are. And she loves going for walks with me and my daughter and her dog, Wade (a Golden). Their neighborhood is very “woodsy” and she loves all the rabbit smells. etc. She enjoys going in the car, and I take her everywhere with me. At first she was afraid to look out the windows, but now she does it a lot…and then retreats to the floor, where she feels safe. I have a car harness for her, so she can ride safely on the back seat.
She has her favorite places in the house…on the green chair in the den when I am on the computer, on our bed when I am in the bathroom or bedroom, and next to her boyfriend “John” whenever someone strange is in the house. We are looking forward to the day when she no longer feels she needs to do this. She doesn’t seem interested in playing with any toys, balls, etc., but does move things out of her toy basket and onto her bed…you know, the “mine” thing! She does like to chew on her bone, though. We just keep “loving her through it” on every phase of her adjustment. She is so sweet, and it has been a joy to see her develop her confidence. Even the neighbors comment on what a different dog she is now…it is so evident. She struts now when we walk…with her tail and her head held high…like she owns the place!
UPDATE She is doing so well…she is very happy, and is a great pet. Very obedient and well behaved. We love her more every day!
UPDATE I just wanted to drop you a note to let you know that Coco is doing great! She is such a love, and gets more and more secure every day. I have even taught her to “sit” for her dog biscuits! We are taking her with us on a three day “vacation” to La Quinta this weekend. There are so many dog friendly hotels now, that it has become very easy to travel with your pet. She loves to go in the car. There is a large grassy area where I walk her, and I now can let her off leash and she runs like the wind. Then she stops and waits for me to put her back on leash. It’s great exercise for her. There are a couple of dogs in the neighborhood that she just loves and then there’s a few that she is oblivious to…she’s very selective of her friends!!!
I just wanted to let you know that I think your newly designed website is fantastic! I love visiting it and reading all about your pups, Anya’s store, your testimonials, etc. Well done!!! And very informative.
ICEWIND SHIBA PLAYING WITH CAT
Here is a video of Copper at about 10 months old. He is now 2 years (just had a birthday on March 7th!). Who said Shiba’s and cats can’t get along? Leo the cat (who belonged to my roommate) and Copper were best friends! In fact, Copper prefers cats over dogs!
The Princess and The Toad
Some years ago, our family expanded to include a one year old Shiba Inu named Princess Misha. Like all Shiba Inus, Misha had an innate love of the outdoors, and of course, the cooler the better. She would lie curled up in a ball on top of a snowdrift on the coldest of winter days with her tail flicked over her only vulnerable spot — her nose. When fresh snow fell, she would lay so still that she soon disappeared under a blanket of snow and became a part of the landscape. Every so often, she stood up, shook off, turned in a few circles, and then laid back down to keep watch over her domain.
On warm summer days, she found the coolest corner in the house and spent her days napping. Then after her nightly walk, she’d spend the rest of the evening stretched out on the cool cement of the front patio. All through the hot summers and into the fall, this was her nightly ritual.
One summer evening, as we sat out on the front patio relishing a late-evening breeze, we saw a small toad hop out of the grass, then down the sidewalk to a few feet away from where Misha was lying. Suddenly Misha stood up, walked over to the toad, picked it up in her mouth and then walked back to her resting place and lay back down. She then put her chin down on the walk, opened her mouth and let the toad hop out while we watched in astonishment. The toad sat there in front of Misha’s eyes, the two seeming to stare at one another for some time. Then the toad hopped down the walk and back into the grass.
On other nights that summer, we noticed this same ritual. We commented on the fact that Misha seemed to have a fondness for toads. We worried because some toads can be poisonous, but since she never experienced any ill effect and never hurt them, we didn’t interfere. If she spotted a toad in the street on one of her walks, she would actually run over to it and nudge it with her nose till it had safely hopped off the street and back on to the grass, out of harm’s way.
The following summer was the same. Misha enjoyed cooling off by lying out on the front patio after nightfall. Many times, we noticed a toad within inches of her face. At other times, we watched as she walked into the grass and came back to her resting spot with a toad in her mouth, only to release it. The toad always stayed near her for some time before hopping off into the night. The only difference from the previous summer was that she spent more nights in this manner, and toads were bigger. A toad always seemed to be close at hand.
One night early in the third summer, after letting Misha out, we watched as a large toad hopped out of the grass and over to her, stopping inches in front of her. Misha gently laid her head down so that her nose almost touched the toad. That was when it finally dawned on us — perhaps there was just one toad! Could Misha have shared the past three summers with the same toad? We called a local wildlife expert who told us that toads can live three to six years, so it was entirely possible. Somehow these two unlikely companions had formed a bond. At first it seemed so strange to us. But then we realized we were very different from Misha too, but the love between us seemed completely natural. If she could love us, we marveled, why not a toad?
Misha had a minor operation that summer, and we kept her indoors for a while afterwards to recuperate. Each night she went to the front door and asked to be let out, but we didn’t let her. Instead, leash in hand, we took her for short walks. One evening a few days later, I went to the front door to turn on the porch light for guests we were expecting. When the light came on illuminating the front stoop, there, to my utter amazement, sat Toad (as we came to call him), staring up at me through the screen door! He had hopped up the three steps from the patio, and we supposed he was looking for Misha. Such devotion could not be denied. We let Misha out to be with her pal. She immediately picked the toad up in her mouth and took it down the steps where she and Toad stayed nose to nose until we brought her in for the night. After that, if Misha didn’t get to come out soon enough, Toad frequently came to the door to get her. We made sure that the porch light was turned on before dark and posted a big sign on the porch, “Please don’t step on the toad!”
We often laughed about the incongruous friendship — they did make a comical sight, gazing into each other’s eyes. But their devotion sometimes made me wonder if I should regard them so lightly. Maybe it was more than just a friendship. Maybe in her stalwart toad, Princess Misha had found her Prince Charming.
Video of our IceWind Shibas playing in the snow
A Christmas Miracle
A speedy dog with a red and white coat, Rebel is what his owner calls a laid-back “southern boy.”
That cool demeanor also means the 8-month-old shiba inu doesn’t bark, which didn’t help Michael McLeod find Rebel when he ran off at a truck stop on Interstate 80 in Knowlton Township in mid-September. McLeod assumed someone took Rebel or that he died of starvation.
After roaming around the truck stop and eating McDonald’s hamburgers for more than three months, Rebel was reunited with McLeod on Sunday at the Blairstown Animal Hospital. Offering the dog treats, McLeod cradled his traveling companion in his arms and kissed his head.
“I’ve called this my little Christmas miracle,” said McLeod, standing near his blue truck with a wreath attached to its grille.