Shio and Children
I've always been a Nervous Nellie when it comes to having Shio around children. Some parents understand and have had dogs while others are very nervous around them.
When Shio first came home with us, we only allowed him near kids who were not afraid of dogs (as long as their parent were okay with it.) Each time that he approached a child, we would have them give him a treat so he would think that they were living treat dispensers. During that time, Shio was very intrigued by these little creatures.
After exposing him to a number of kids, he started viewing them as little human playmates and took their shrieking and running as an invitation to play. He also learned that he should sit and stay children who want to pet him but were also afraid of him.
I'm proud to say that he behaved like a model canine while I was babysitting my friend's son! Little G loves "doggies" and was very comfortable around Shio. They played with each other's toys and tried to eat each other's snacks during their two hours together. Little G and Shio are the two cutest elements in the world combined to create an unstoppable force that makes everyone stop on the streets all say, "Aww..."
How We Keep Shio Busy
We've found that the trouble with having Shio out of his crate is keeping him entertained. If he is not entertained, he starts looking for trouble.
The best source of entertainment for him have been interactive dog toys made by Busy Buddy or Kong. The best one so far has been the Busy Buddy Treat Dispenser toy that we fill up with his dry food.
Shio’s Lobster Rope Toy
Video evidence of why Shio has a stringy butt issue from the lobster rope toy that J bought for him:
Shio’s Photoshoot
I finally got around to trying out the Westcott Apollo 28" softbox + RadioPoppers PX.
Of course, who better a test model than Shio?
Shio was extremely curious about the softbox. He tried to chew at the velcro, wanted to poke his head in when I was setting it up, etc.
The results?
For other photo-geeks, the photos were shot with a Nikon D700, 50mm 1.4G, SU-800 + RadioPopper PX, SB-900 + Westcott Apollo 28" Softbox. Minor post-processing done in Aperture.
Shio @ 7 months
The single major change that we've seen in Shio is his change in willingness to cuddle with us. He used to struggle and jump out of our arms but lately, he's stays in our arms... that is until he finds an opportunity to escape!
Lately, he's been fascinated with teething on his plastic crate. I'm sure that when we bring him to the airport in his crate they will think that we have a rabid dog on our hands.
Shio's bad habit of teething on our floor continues. :(
Shio @ 3 months
Shio @ 7 months
Shio’s Rainy Day Playdate
We have small playdates in our apartment for Shio with dogs in my building, especially on rainy days like today. Here's some pics from today:
After an hour of playing... he has completely passed out.
Shio @ Dog-Run
Got a chance to hang out with Shio at the dog-run today.
Took a few snaps of him playing.
Shio’s Puppy Playdate
Shio had his bi-weekly playdate with his Shiba girlfriend Pita at the dog run yesterday. They are so cute together!
