RouxLobster

Leading up to Halloween, I was a bit concerned about how Roux would react to it all. We weren't sure how he would tolerate his costume, or if he would get nervous around trick or treaters. I came home from work, and we took Roux for a walk around the neighborhood with his costume on to see how he would do.

He LOVED it. That little Shiba pranced around the neighborhood and was smiling so big at everyone we met.

It might not look like it in this picture, but Roux really did enjoy wearing his costume.

Roux also enjoyed all of the kids he saw in costume coming to our door. He spent most of the evening looking out the window just waiting for the next group to come to visit. People adored the lobster Shiba who greeted them at the front door.

Going to people's houses and getting food? Why can't dogs do this too??

Roux got to even enjoy his own special Halloween treat, a rawhide card he got from his Aunt Kassie!

Ok, this is more like it!

All that Halloween excitement made for a very sleepy Shiba!

I'm not asleep, just checking my eyelids for leaks.

Roux in the Leaves

Last weekend, Roux was introduced to one of the best things about the Fall...LEAF PILES!

Shibas love the Fall

Check out that Shiba smile!

Wisconsin in October

Hi there! Wow, it's sure been a while...

Holy cow!! It's been forever since I last updated. Roux said he'd find someone better if I didn't get on the ball.

Last Sunday we dropped everything and headed to a lovely park near us called Devil's Lake. We had wanted to take Roux there every since we adopted him and finally got around to going once we realized that the days of nice weather are numbered.

Devil's Lake was a Shiba playground, lots of fun trails and plenty of large rocks to climb on. Roux loved it! He also met a lot of people. It felt like every 10 feet people were asking us what kind of dog he has and commenting that he looks like a fox. One gentleman asked us if it was difficult owning the world's happiest dog. Roux was certainly flashing his biggest Shiba smile! But the best comments came when we went past a group of Japanese tourists. We couldn't understand a word they were saying until they noticed Roux. Then we heard "OHHH SHIBA!!!" Roux seemed to understand and pranced by them.

Roux making friends on the ferry.

Looks like a scene from a movie, "Walking Mister VelvetEars"

Roux looking over his new territory. There's a lot of trees left to mark!

Midwest Shiba Inu Rescue Picnic!

Today was the annual MSIR Summer picnic. So we loaded up the car and heading down to Illinois for the day.

Roux with his new MSIR bandana

Hey, those dogs look like me!

You gonna eat that?

MSIR had a lot of really good food at the picnic. So Roux was quite happy, especially since they had a doggie dessert table along with the human desserts!

About time you gave me something to eat. Oh a K9 cookie?

Yum!

Besides the eating, there were Shiba games, like the most curly tail and biggest Shiba grin. The park we were at also had a bat education area. So Roux got to learn what it would be like to be a bat!

I'll stick with being a dog.

Plus there was lots of just socializing. We're working on Roux's socialization behavior around other dogs and while there was some snapping, Roux did relax and have a fun time. On the whole, Roux made us proud.

A tired Roux dog.

All the loot! Doggie treat samples, new bandana, rescue magnet and water bottle.

Italian Roux

We discovered recently that Roux has a thing for Italian bread.

Roux at first wasn't too sure about the bread. But in true Roux fashion, he doesn't question food for very long.

The shy first bite!

Yum! Maybe I'm an Italian dog!

Where did the month go??

Wow, it's been over a month since our last post! Sorry about that everyone. Mike, Roux & I have been enjoying the great weather here in Wisconsin, great because we don't have feet upon feet of snow anymore!!

I've got plenty of Roux material for several posts and a week where I finally don't have a lot going on. So sit back and enjoy!

Devil Dog

Big Game Hunter

After reading this post on Bravewolf's Shibalog, Roux would like to show everyone that he too is a boar hunter.

This boar had been terrorizing our home.
Thank goodness we have a Shiba to protect us!

Not for the faint of heart, a Shiba going in for the kill.

I couldn't resist getting Roux that wild boar toy. Mike was trying to resist but once I explained that it was Roux's instinct to hunt wild boar and who are we to deny him that, Mike was convinced. Or maybe he just rolled his eyes and let me get it anyhow.

Roux is Stylin'

At times like this, I really wish I could read.

I recently ordered Roux a couple of bandanas from Ruff Ruff and Meow, and they came today! Besides the Stinky one, Roux also has a Happy Camper one for our trips to the parks this summer.

Trip to Indiana

Roux enjoyed Indiana as long as he got rib bones with meat! He didn't enjoy visiting with our families' dogs and cats though. But he made up for that by behaving perfectly in the car.

Get your own rib! This is MINE!!

Additional Proof

Roux is certainly not a morning dog, especially on Monday mornings. After a busy weekend of lawn care, barking at squirrels, long walks, and chewing up stuff, Roux's not ready to start his week. This morning was especially rough. I opened Roux's crate door and he stretched as he walked out and then immediately laid down again! After a little while, he made his way to the couch, where I saw him like this:

Why are you talking to me before I've had my coffee??

Oh, don't pay any attention to his morning fur. It was nothing compared to Ginger's morning hair, which will never be documented on the internet. Ever.

Spring in Wisconsin!

Spring is finally here! Most of our snow has melted, birds are chirping, and everyone is coming out of their homes to enjoy the warmer weather, Roux included! When we're out doing yard work or just relaxing outside, Roux gets to run around the yard on his tie out. He's been enjoying helping us find sticks, like this one:

Bark softly and carry a BIG stick.

Roux meets Frosty Paws

While picking out some tasty ice cream treats for Mike & I, I discovered that our local grocery store now carries Frosty Paws So of course I had to pick up a pack for Roux to try. He got his first one once we finished dinner.

What's this?

YUM!

It's empty?!
(Notice his tail has come uncurled, when Roux really gets focused on something his tail uncurls!)

Roux's Not A Morning Dog

Man, 6am is really early!

After his breakfast and morning walk, Roux is often pretty quick to either crash on the floor, couch, or retreat back to his crate. Like his adopted mom, he's not made for mornings.

I'm Glad We Went With the Seatbelt Harness...

And not this...
I think Roux is glad too.

Shiba Tails are Useful

They make a handy hook for carrying toys that the Shiba won't let you put away. This however didn't last long at all.

Shibas Are Hungry

Are you going to finish that pizza?

I think I would like Thai food, can I just try a bite?

Begging is hard work!

Shibas Are Demanding

Saturday here in Wisconsin was beautiful. The sun was out and the snow was starting to melt. Your nose hairs weren't freezing as soon as you stepped outside, so it was a great day finally! We were spending the morning cleaning the house, it felt like Spring and so a little bit of Spring cleaning was in order. However we forgot to tell Roux that.

I was sorting through some random papers when I heard a light "tink" noise and then the sound of something light but metal being dragged. Figuring my husband was doing something, I didn't get up to check it out. After a few moments though, Roux came walking into the living room dragging his leash. He had the handle in his mouth and dropped it right in front of me before running to the window. "Outside??" was his obvious comment. Yea it was nice outside but I really wanted to finish up. Roux just wouldn't take no for an answer.

Come on! Get your shoes on, we're goin' for a walk already!!

I just wasn't able to resist that face anymore. Roux got his walk. I think that's why Shibas are so cute, they just have to be to get their way all the time.

Good Dog, Bad Dog

Shibas are very yin and yang. The good is balanced by the bad. Roux reminded us of this fact today.

In the morning, as I'm getting ready for work, I now can often tell Roux its bedtime and he runs off to get into his crate. Good dog! This morning he saw me finishing up my morning routine and ran to his crate without me telling him to do that. Very Good Dog! He was rewarded with lots of string cheese.

What? I'm not doing anything.

However good dog can't last forever as any Shiba owner knows...

This evening Mike took Roux for his walk. When I next saw Mike & Roux, Mike rushed into the house and took Roux straight to his crate for some timeout. Normally this doesn't happen, so I was curious as to what Roux had done. He had evidently pulled the leash out of Mike's hand and took off running. Bad Dog! Roux stopped every so often to make sure Mike was still around but would take off again as soon as Mike got remotely close. Very Bad Dog! Mike finally caught Roux when he had rushed off to visit a neighbor dog and got the handle for the flexi leash stuck around a car tire. *Sigh* So I have to take Roux out again here shortly because in all the confusion and excitement Roux didn't finish the business that needed to be taken care of outside.

Is there anything I can chew up under here? A shoe? A cat?

Not A Dog School Dropout

On Monday night, Roux graduated from his beginning family dog training class. We have a week off and then he starts his next class. He LOVES going to class (might be all the string cheese he gets in an evening there). He always seems to have a lot of fun there learning new things. Plus I really think the class has helped us bond with Roux.

Since Roux has been doing so well with us and with class, I decided to try out the dog park with him on my day off from work today. I was worried about it, since we were told that Roux has some dog aggression issues. But our class instructor doesn't think Roux's aggression issues are very bad, considering how he acts in class. So I decided to try him at the park on a weekday when there wouldn't be a ton of people at the park. Roux did great! He played with 5 other dogs and didn't show any signs of aggression. He was super excited romping around with the other dogs and wouldn't listen to anything I said, but that was ok for his first time there. We'll be working on that. He would check in on me from time to time as I followed him around the park.

A Worn Out Roux

Shiba De-Stuffing

After seeing Loki's video of de-stuffing a toy, I captured a couple of pictures of Roux in the act of de-stuffing his newest Bobo.

Nooo! Not the Bobo! Oh the humanity!

Quick, Roux! Get that Bobo, it's getting away!

Roux got the Bobo on Monday and it surprisingly made it to Friday. For some reason I keep getting these toys for him, this is his third such Loofa Dog, ie Bobo, and they get de-stuffed right away. Now he has some stuffed fox toys that we found at Ikea. They're kids' toys not made for dogs but he hasn't been able to destroy them yet. Three cheers for Swedish design!

Maybe he hasn't destroyed them yet because they look just like him.

So you want to take your Shiba for a walk in Wisconsin

Here's a rather embarrassing photo of my Roux walkin' outfit. It's been in the negatives in Wisconsin, so when we go for a walk, I dress warm. (Don't pay attention to the messy kitchen)

Uh oh, I have to pee.

Let's take stock of what I'm wearing:

-Snow boots w/ wool socks
-Jeans,Heavy fleece pants
-long sleeve t-shirt, sweatshirt, jacket w/ fleece liner
- Neck warmer, hat, gloves

Roux's outfit:
-Red & Cream fur coat, warm but falling apart (ie shedding)
-Rolled leather collar, martingale collar, green nylon leash

Just for the record, Madison has shattered our all time snow record for the winter. It had been 76 inches set in 1979. We're at 79.2 inches with more on its way. I'll be dressing like this for a while...can't wait till Spring!

Safety Dance!

Roux loves going for car rides...really, really loves going for rides. So much so that he's a bit insane in the car and difficult to control. We finally realized just how dangerous this can be, to both Roux and to us, a week ago when we were coming back from dog class with a lot of ice on the roads. That night I ordered a travel car harness from Drs Foster & Smith.
Roux does look a bit special in his new harness and his 'goingforacarride' dance has been renamed the safety dance, but he was much calmer in the car (he may have just been tired from his weekend at Spawoof though). Next week we should know for sure how he acts with the harness. But it kept him more secure in the backseat and us from having to wrestle with a hyper Shiba and drive.

Roux's Wisconsin Blizzard

King Roux sitting on his snow throne

Over a foot of new snow fell in Madison today. That was on top of all of the preexisting snow. Our snow piles are starting to look like ski hills. Roux enjoyed himself out in the snow though. Including when his leash somehow came undone from his collar. I spent sometime running (well lumbering really, it was a foot of snow) after a hopping Shiba. I was finally able to catch him when he fell through some snow and got stuck under me as I threw myself on him.

Hey, where did the sidewalk go?

Shiba Snow Shake