It feels great to be a “local celebrity” with so many congratulations and nice comments about my wins in New York. It amazes me to hear how many people enjoy watching the televised dog shows. I will continue to keep Nakusp on the map in the dog world. We have since won another Best Puppy in Show award with “Jolie” in Chilliwack and she is now a champion at only 11 months of age.
Dog shows create a dog community and pet owners often have a feeling of family. Shiba Inu breeders in Spillimacheen, B.C., contacted me 13 years ago to ask me what they should do with a couple of puppies that had them in a dilemma. The problem was that during their eight week health check these two puppies had been discovered to have severe heart defects. Because I had more breeding experience they asked me if they should euthanize the puppies.
I suggested that if they were mine, I would try to find “compassionate placements” for them in homes where the new owners were aware that the pups were ill and might not survive, but that in the meantime they would need loving homes.
Among those who stepped forward were local pet lovers, Jan and Pat Dion.
Jan and Pat had a history with me of being devoted dog lovers. When I first met them they had met their challenges with their pets. Jan’s English Cocker, Sebastian, suffered from glaucoma and had to have an eye removed, and Pat was devoted to Bear, an elderly black-and-tan collie-shepherd cross. With both dogs now gone, Jan expressed interest in adopting one of the heart problem puppies.
When Tomo, which means friend in Japanese, came to the Dion home in Nakusp he was a black-and-tan cub with dense, velvet-like fur and a tightly curled tail. Shibas are a small, sturdy spitz breed that was originally developed to hunt vermin but is now a popular companion dog in its native Japan. When I visited Japan in 1989, I was delighted to see Shibas accompanying their owners throughout the city and at the heels of farmers in plot gardens in the country.
A true town-and-country dog, Shibas are great companions for apartments and condos because they tend to be quiet and are quite satisfied with a daily walk. They are foxlike but retain the characteristics of a fox cub throughout their lives with smallish triangular ears and a shortish very thick coat.
Their personality is what sets them apart from many breeds. They are very self-controlled and dignified. In one judging seminar, a Japanese expert on the breed was asked how he would determine a first place between two equally good specimens.
“I would put them together, nose to nose, in the centre of the ring,” he explained. “And the first one to show emotion would be the loser.”
In spite of his heart problem, Tomo seemed like a normal puppy and he has continued to amaze us all with his health and longevity. Jan has been particularly careful to avoid unnecessary vaccinations in his health care, avoiding surgeries because of the risk of anesthetic and she has always fed him carefully. He eats a variety of meats, vegetables and raw meaty bones — especially chicken backs and turkey necks. The raw diet has kept him healthy for nearly 13 years.
Jan says she especially enjoys the Shiba Inu’s devotion to family. While Tomo is not overly demonstrative, “He has a very quiet way of showing his love for us,” says Jan. “He will just gently lay his head on a lap.”
She also enjoys the independence of the breed, which is sometimes a little quirky. “Mi casa es mi casa” in the Shiba household, she says, and compares living with a Shiba to living with a cat. This independence can lead to some challenges when running loose where the that old instinct to explore can sometimes overcome their devotion to their humans. Shibas are not always reliable off-leash.
A walk on leash is always appreciated though and that Japanese dignity means that Shibas rarely tug or pull. They are well-behaved on a walk and are quiet and self-controlled around other dogs. Pat enjoys daily walks with Tomo and often jokes with friends about his 12-year-old dog who was not supposed to live.
Even though Tomo does not show exuberance in his love or moments of happiness he does have a special little twitch to his tail and a twinkle in his intelligent deep black eyes.
