Hurricanes, Hips and Haters

It's been a New York minute since last checking in. Our male shikoku, Mr. Sugu, continues to be the sweetest and most protective member of our family. Rumi, our female Shikoku, maintains her position as the most patient and snugglicious (is that a word?) member of the family. And Yuki, our Shiba Inu, holds the position as the "capo di capi", the boss of all bosses, canines and humans.

While the Hurricane Season in South Florida is at its nadir, the Hurricane Season back at home in Germany is at its apex. We are beyond happy to report that Yuki appears to be harboring 4 walnuts. Naturally, we are cautious to assume any outcomes based on the first review of the ultrasound. But to be honest, I have a deep faith in our girl Yuki. Moreover, the lust of her life and baby daddy, Kaito, is a perfect specimen of male Shiba royalty, and his family (Alexandra and Andi) are among the most caring humans in the world. When you find a good template you should use it. Yuki and Kaito have produced a very good proof of concept in their first litter and it is only looking better with the second one. The two seem to have a solid relationship founded upon mutual chemistry and respect for each other.

Hurricanes. A pregnant Yuki is a bellwether. She oscillates between two worlds. At once she is constantly sleepy and cuddly, on the other hand she is a terrorist attack waiting for unsuspecting Rumi and Sugu. We accept this dichotomy as part of the hormonal pregnancy process. If all goes well, and we are certain it will, Yuki will be a mother for a second time to no fewer than 4 Shiba puppies. The process of caring for Yuki, prenatal and postnatal, is relatively simple. What is not so simple is the process of deciding where these little perfect creatures should find a home. To date, we could not be happier with the family members we have found for Rumi's and Yuki's first family members. It is no stretch to say that most, if not all, remain in constant contact as friends. Speaking for myself, my standard is always.... "would I want to live with these people?" Oftentimes the answer is no. But occasionally it is yes, and we get to "yes" by a process of vetting and conversations with the prospective owners/ family members. So far, we are 8 for 8 in finding amazing people and homes.

Hips. Who doesn't love great hips. Kim Kardashian has virtually made a career of perfect hips, if you like big butts. In the canine world, things are less subjective. It's an open secret that Rumi had only "C1" hips and therefore had to produce offspring with superior hips... were she to breed again. Spoiler alert, our first two X-Rays of Rumi's progeny revealed "A" hips. I can't help but regard Rumi's less than perfect hips to the liberties we took with her as a puppy.... chasing marmots in the mountains, exploring the Taunus region and otherwise being a curious active puppy. My bad. But she has never been a "shrinking violet" or couch potato, and we prefer it that way.

Haters. The world is full of them. So much easier to hate or criticize than to create something positive. When it comes to breeding and showing pure breeds, it is literally a "dog eat dog world." But there are exceptions. I would like to think that we are an exception to that attitude, but we are also competitive and protective of our family members. That does not set us apart. I think what does set us apart are the people we are so grateful to regard as friends through the process of breeding. The list is long and you know who you are. We are "bigly" grateful for each breeder or family member of our progeny with whom we stay in contact. In my view, the greatest satisfaction is providing one of our puppies to a family that is truly grateful and responsible. So far, we are batting 100%. Despite this fact, we are sensitive to other breeders who seem to regal in back-stabbing and two-faced conversations. To them, we say, good luck. And you know who you are.