It's That Time of Year Again....

BSA(Beikoku Shiba Inu Aikokai) show is this weekend!!!! Can't wait to go out there and see the dogs!  I'll be there with my three Shiba and taking pictures.  I was going to show Kyuubi at this show(it would be my first time showing in a NIPPO style show!)... but Kyuubi's NIPPO papers didn't come in on time to register her in the show....  Oh well, there's next year and I can look around for a good NIPPO male for her when she's old enough. ^-^

Well, I better get back to work so I can prepare for this weekend.

Here's the location of the show if your interested on going.  The show is March 9 and starts at 8am.

Arthur Lee Johnson Memorial Park

1200 W 170th St, Gardena, California 90247

PUPPIES ARE HERE!!!!!

They are here!!!! Born 6/28!!!! Total of 3 puppies! By the order of birth:


Puppy 1: male red largest one 10:45pm
Puppy 2: female red middle size 10:51pm
Puppy 3: female red smallest but a little tornado 11:04pm


Mama Kiyo is doing fine and is an excellent mother.  (^-^)


Will update later during the weekend!

Dog Show Fun and Lessons

Well have a little break from everything today, so might as well do a much needed post.  ^-^  I've been on and off with work and dog shows during the weekends, and school work in between everything.  Today I'm preparing to leave for LA tonight for the Beikoku Shiba Inu Aikokai(BSA) show tomorrow!  I'm so excited to be going this year!  Sadly though I won't be able to show Kiyo in this show because she is not a NIPPO registered dog.  She will just be coming for the exposure.  On the up side, I might be showing a Shiba for a breeder that has a couple of Shiba entered in the show!  I've never been or practice in this type of handling, but I'll do my best.  I've been watching a lot of videos and articles on how to handle the dog in a NIPPO show.  Hopefully this will help me.  My boyfriend and I will be taking pictures, so I'll post them up when I get back(and after class.... -_-;).

Well we've gone to quiet a few shows that have been in the area and to Indio dog show where I meet up with Kiyo's breeder.  That went well.  I had fun showing Kiyo, but the atmosphere there with all the other breeder/handlers was uncomfortable to me.  They kind of kept to themselves a bit and only talked to those they knew well.  They just seemed like they were out for themselves.

Kiyo's breeder did help me out with Kiyo about how she grooms her Shiba, and mention that Kiyo needed some weight.  I did notice that she was a little under but not too much.  Well a month and a half after the show, Kiyo had lost 2lbs and had been vomiting and had diarrhea.  Well it turns out that the grooming products that the breed used and recommended me to use(which I did and followed direction) had been causing it.  Kiyo would groomer herself and would be taking in the grooming products that way.  My vet and I help Kiyo get back to normal and I have made changes to her feeding regiment after suggested by the owner of Kiyo's sire.  I'll go more into details about that later.  So now I'm trying to decided to continue using it in more dilute dose or go all natural with brushing and using a hair blow drier like I was doing before.  From what I've seen in pictures of NIPPO Shiba, what I've read about coat care for Shiba, and what people other then Kiyo's breeder, is to go natural.  Shiba coats have natural oils that protect the coat and give it it's look.  If you bath your Shiba too much, you will strip the coat of those oils. If I continue using the grooming product, that means I would have to bathe her after every show.  I'm going to have to do some experimenting....

Ok back to the feeding regiment, the owner of Kiyo's sire is another breeder that lives not to far from me.  She had very high quality Shiba in her kennel.  The show that we met up at, her 6mth old female took 2nd place overall in breed, and it was the pup first show to boot!  So what she told me, I really paid attention.  She suggested putting Kiyo on a raw diet and to help put extra weight is to feed her Satin Balls.  To help build her coat she suggested a recipe called Growing Hair on the Doorknob(GHDK).  Their are so many different recipes out there for Satin Balls and GHDK on the internet, that it took a while to find the right one for me to make for Kiyo.  Haven't done the GHDK, but I will post my recipe of Satin Balls later if you would like too know what I use.  It's really working for Kiyo. She's almost 17lbs now with in 2wks on this regiment!  For the raw diet Kiyo is give a chicken drumstick at night(skin, meat, and bone), and she eats it with no problem.  In the morning she gets 1 cup of dry dog food with 2 satin balls.  The breeder suggest to use Eukanuba Active Performance.   Having some trouble getting Kiyo to eat the cup of dog food though....  Picky eater she is.  Overall, she is at her best now, much more active, and she is really happy.

Here are some pictures from the shows in January and February.  You can view more on my Flickr page.  Keep in mind, Kiyo was unwell from the grooming products that made her drop in weight.  All pictures taken by Trieu Tran from Lasting Fotos.

Kiyo and I in Indio

Fresno Show

Kiyo has come along way.  She now enjoys the show and thinks the judges are fun people. LOL

Kishu Meet up and Dog Shows

On Nov. 19th, my boyfriend and I headed to the bay area to meet two Kishus and their owner.  It was pretty cold and cloudy day, but once you hit the dog park, the dogs were having a blast.  They were really sweet dogs, especially the female.  It was quite interesting watching them interacting with everyone.  Somethings reminded me of Kiyo and others were something different.  I talked to the owner about the breed and the breeder, while my lovely boyfriend took great pictures of the Kishus.

Pictures taken by Trieu Tran of Lasting Fotos

There are more pictures of the female because she was more active then the male for my boyfriend.  All and all, we learned a bit more about the Kishus that day and are considering adding one to our family.  Still up for discussion. LOL

Before that fun event, I had an appointment made for Kiyo to have her OFA done and have a health exam at work.  She was a little pill for the VD pelvis film, but we got all the xrays done without sedating her.  Dr. said her hips, elbows, and stifles look good and her heart and eyes are great too.  But I had to get Kiyo's eye certified by an opthamologist.  So thank goodness that one of the shows we went to had an opthamologist doing an eye exam clinic and certified her eyes. He said they looked perfect.  So over all I have a healthy little Shiba girl. ^-^ I was so happy to hear that from all of them.

Thankgiving weekend Kiyo and I were busy at two dog shows.  It was our first shows we've ever been in.  It was lots of fun.  I learned a lot on how the show works, then from just watching the shows.  My boyfriend came along to support us and to take pictures. ^-^  Anyways, the first show on Saturday, Kiyo and I were entered in the amateur handler class.  We were the only ones in that class..... But it was our first time so it was all right.  No pressure.  The judge was very nice and helpful, but after he was finished judging her, he said she wasn't the best.....  I know she might not, mostly because of her coat, but she's my best.  She got a blue ribbon.  Sunday was the show i was more into doing since I've been going to it for two years and my shiba breeder friend goes to that show too.  She had a front row seat and watched us compete against another female.  Much fluffier. This show we were in the open class.  And as I figured, Kiyo got second place.....  But really it wasn't her day.  She was having a reverse sneeze while I was taking her around the ring.  Anyways we watched all the Shibas in the ring and they were nice.  After the show and got hold of the pictures, I notice I was looking at each picture seeing the difference between Kiyo and I, and the other Shibas and their handlers.  There's a big difference.  I still have a lot to learn.  Kiyo and I will be practicing a little more for the January show.  ^-^ 

Here are some pictures of those shows.

"It's too early in the morning to do this mommy...."

I like this male's stack.

This male here won.  He isn't my favorite....

This male took last but he is my favorite.  Not short and stocky as the male who won.

Getting Ready For the Show!

It's almost here!!! Thanksgiving weekend is almost here and the two shows Kiyo and I are in are almost here!!! I'm starting to get nervous about it.  But I just need to keep on practicing and keep focus to get through it and trust in Kiyo on what's right.  :D

Another subject I'm nervous about is Kiyo's exam and OFA certifications.  I have a list of things that need to be check.  I need her elbows, hips, knees, eyes and heart checked out..... That's a lot for a little dog, but it must be done to make sure she is healthy and that's all I want for my little girl.  I'm just nervous about the results.  I'll post the results when they come in.

I've been in touch with a breeder for a couple of months about another nihon ken.  My boyfriend and I are looking at the Kishu Ken.  We think that its the good between dog for us.  I'm actually surprise how excited he is about the breed and getting a dog.  But it's still in the early stage.  I've been talking to the breeder to meet a Kishu in person and she's helped me get into contact with a Kishu owner that lives near me so I can meet the breed.  Right now I'm trying to figure out a day to meet them.  Once the day comes, I'll take pictures ( I hope ) and post how the day went.

October Mayhem

Ok October has become one of the most craziest months out of the year for me.  Birthdays, after birthdays....  Parties, after parties......  Animals, after animals.....  It's never ending.  But that's life.  ^-^

So Kiyo turned 2 years old Oct. 6!  She's a big girl now and all grown up!  So what does her mommy do for her on her bday? Take her to work to have the dreaded toe nail trim and wear a purple scarf with her purple diaper. LOL Kiyo was not happy.  She through her usual tantrums when she goes in heat and didn't want the toe nail trim done, but she was a trooper through it all.  She still wanted to play and run.  Sorry, no picture of her bday outfit.  Maybe next time. ^-^

Kiyo and I have been going to conformation class every Tuesday now.  Trying to get ready for our first shows in November.  2 weeks ago though, one of the instructors were concern about Kiyo.  When it came to being place on the table to be examine, Kiyo would stack ok, but it was like no one was home.  She had no personality.  I knew exactly what it was, Kiyo's famous "I hate you for doing this to me" attitude.  I told the instructor that it was her protesting to it and I was hoping with practice she will get over it.  Last week it showed. She started to perk up a little and had some happiness to do it.  I was getting excited and she saw that.  So hopefully we can work together and have fun with this.   Fingers cross for us!

Also last week, I took in a pit bull puppy to foster.  His name is Junior and man was he a handful....  He is a very demanding puppy, needing constant human interaction.  I'm not use to that anymore since I got Kiyo.  But I took care of him till Saturday when my boyfriend found him a forever home with a family.  Here are some pictures of him.

Today I received a book called The Nihon Ken from a blogger I've been following from Japan.  I love reading his adventures with his Nihon Ken.  To the mountains of Japan hunting, to the show rings.  His photography is great too.  About a month ago, he posted a blog about this book and giving an overview about it, as well posting if anyone was interested in the book to let him know.  I was really interested, since I wanted to have a better understanding of the Nihon Ken breeds in the Japanese point of view, since that's where they originated from.  So I got the book.  Here some pictures of it.

Here's the blogger's blog site.  http://nihonken.blogspot.com/  Check it out if you are interested in the Nihon Ken breeds.  This is the guy who knows a lot about them.