Puppy-cam!

[Flur]

Mom's in with them and they're nursing. So cute!

[lph]

aaaawwww - they're asleep, one of them flat on his back with his feet straight up. Just stretched, pointing his hind toes at the sky And there's one awake, and about to start tormenting his siblings, I can just tell. awww.....

[jobob]

I love that they have different colored collars. Purple collar seems to be the largest one. Er, maybe not ...

[channlluv]

Oh great. There goes my productivity for the morning. I'm seeing me some lotsa puppy bellies!

Whoop, incoming! Is that a play yard to the top of the screen?

Roxy

[spindizzy]

Every time I have checked in on those puppies, they are sleeping. Could I just give them a little BOO!? Just this once?

[lph]

Ha! They were all asleep, one hanging halfway out of the box, he figured it out and came rolling in, then suddenly one! two! three! four! the whole lot were on their feet and stormed out - MEALTIME!

[lph]

Yup, they're all gone. This is a HOOT.

[F8th637]

Every time I have checked in on those puppies, they are sleeping. Could I just give them a little BOO!? Just this once?

Oh you missed it! Earlier they were all rough-housing and then one-by-one they all started going to sleep and then the last one to fall asleep began howling out that door. They are a rambunctious bunch when they aren't napping.

[Bluetree]

Bluetree -- I'm not at all familiar with the breed. What are they like? The pups are just too cute. I'm not getting anything done (well, okay, I blogged about them instead of the stuff I'm supposed to blog about!) and instead of watching the shows I watch on Monday night, I paused my TiVo because the human was playing with the pups...

They are like miniature Akitas, about 15-25 lbs depending on show quality. Because they are one of the 14 ancient breeds they can be very strongwilled and must be socialized heavily when young. Otherwise, they tend to have territorial or dominance issues with other dogs, and can rarely be off-leash, lest their wild natures take over whenever they see anything that resembles prey. They also adhere to a very strict "pack hierarchy" when it comes to dealing with their humans. They are not impossible to train, but they are fairly high on the difficulty scale.

One thing I have noticed about them is that are so persnickety clean. I've had two Shibas and neither of them required any housebreaking at all. They absolutely will not foul up anywhere they consider "home" and avoid stepping in puddles, mud, or anything that will get them dirty. They constantly preen and clean their paws like cats. This clean nature, of course, totally goes out the window if they see small game, cats, birds, etc... then they go into hunter mode and you can see the wolfishness in them.

They are very brave in defending their home. I've seen my 20-lb. female Shiba go directly after a 70-lb. German Shepherd that jumped our fence. She's chased off a prowler one night, too. She also has scars on her muzzle from encounters with wild rats and raccoons. Absolutely fearless in that regard, almost to the point of stupid.

They have a two-layered coat which is great for cold weather, and no-so-great during shedding season. Health problems are rare, although we got our Shibas from carefully bred stock in Japan. Most of the Americanized version has been bred after their inclusion into the AKC, which means that traits may have been bred into them for looks, as opposed to function.

I've read some reports that because of their size, they can be made into apartment dogs. I heartily disagree. This breed is very athletic and loves to run!

[Pedal Wench]

Wow. Gorgeous picture, and wonderful description. Thanks for taking the time. As cute as they are, it's clear that a lot of thought and dedication must come with choosing them. Your description will help discourage people who don't have the time or temperment -- because as cute as they are, I know I thought about one!

[Pedal Wench]

I love that they have different colored collars. Purple collar seems to be the largest one. Er, maybe not ...

That would be Autumn!

Girls:
- Autumn (Purple collar)
- Ayumi (Yellow collar)
- Amaya (Red collar)

Boys:
- Aki (Green collar)
- Akoni (Black collar)
- Ando (Blue collar)

[BethG]

Every time I have checked in on those puppies, they are sleeping. Could I just give them a little BOO!? Just this once?

No yelling boo!, but if you go here:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/shiba-inu-puppy-cam

You can look at a number of video clips, some of which show them playing. Not to mention clips of them when they were even tinier, and of them nursing (beware of cuteness-induced catatonia)

I just want to rub their fat little bellies Thank you so much for posting the webcam link! I'm having a stressful week, and I'm finding puppy-watching very calming.

[channlluv]

[QUOTE=Pedal Wench;379620]That would be Autumn!

Girls:
- Autumn (Purple collar)
- Ayumi (Yellow collar)
- Amaya (Red collar)

Boys:
- Aki (Green collar)
- Akoni (Black collar)
- Ando (Blue collar)[/QUOTE

How do you know their names? Are these your puppies? I'm hearing a bird of some kind in the background, too.

I'm just all squishy inside watching these little guys. What a neat thing to do.

Roxy - They're making me want a nap.

[Pedal Wench]

Oh -- I wish they were mine! I just love them so much I started trying to find out more about them because I was making up my own names for them. I found out their names and more about the breed at the site BethG posted above:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/shiba-inu-puppy-cam

[emily_in_nc]

OMG, they are darling! They are all "fighting", licking and nipping each other, and squeaking at the moment. We just got a puppy this spring, so this sure does bring back memories. Every now and then one will cry as if it's really in pain, but I know that's the way litters learn limits. It's a bit distressing to listen too, though.

I expect they'll all be snoozing in a minute or two.