Takoda's Thread (cool guys wear shades)

Crispy

SO... some of you might already know that I'm welcoming a Shikoku into my wonderful, motley crew! Monica, his previous owner, is a wonderful person and absolutely dedicated to this dog. I'm flattered to have been chosen and I will do the best I can to do right by him - and her!

Here's some pictures of Takoda she shared with me earlier...




I am a -little- nervous about how he's going to react to my cats. They're all pretty dog-savvy and have a Malamute up in their grill every day, though, so I hope they stay calm in the face of a "little", barky Shikoku. I don't expect it to be easy and have them all be best friends overnight (but wouldn't that be wonderful??), but as long as he isn't actively trying to rip them to pieces, I think everything will be okay with time and patience.

I'm so excited!

I thought I'd be asking a lot more questions than I am at this stage, but I must have gotten them out of the way early. I know some forum owners adopted adult Shikoku and they seemed to have a bit of a rough transition to start (I remember @Hinata23/Chocho the most, I think?).

...so, for all of the adult NK adopters out there... if you had to pick one piece of information that you wish you knew during the transition... what would it be?

cdenney

Take it very, very slow and keep your expectations low so morale stays up. Sachi took 2 weeks to let me touch her, an extreme, but now she tries to sleep as close to on my head as possible (once she laid on my back but she had her valid reasons of trying to get me up). Takoda is a very awesome looking shikoku I like that he's the less refined.

Zinja

I'm so happy for you! He's a handsome boy. I apologize for us peer pressuring you to contact Monica. lol.

Crispy

@cdenney - I was wondering if he'd be as sensitive as some of the adult Kai stories I saw - Sachi included. I can really appreciate how difficult it must have been (and, perhaps, continues to be).

I foster a lot of LGD and herding dogs through a rescue I'm active in, so I'm fairly used to their "brand" of sensitivity when they're adjusting... but it'll be interesting to see how Takoda acts and reacts and how different the adjustment period is.

@Zinja - haha, you guys are terrible influences! But... I had to want it to contact her in the first place. I'm really grateful and so happy I did.

cdenney

Bah Sachi and I are as thick as thieves now, totally worth it, we've moved on to working her with strangers socialization. I've worked with a fair number of rescues but she was Damn sensitive but I'm thinking its a kai thing to be fickle and flighty at first. How does Takoda do with other males? When do you get him?

Crispy

@cdenney - I'll be getting him the weekend of the 8th (between the 8th and the 12th)! Monica seems to think he'll do alright with London and he does "okay" with other dogs.

I think the introduction and getting Takoda and London used to one another is going to be the hardest part. I'll likely keep them separated for a while at first, as they get used to one another. I want to make sure Takoda is comfortable in the house and with us before I introduce him to London.

tjbart17

I wouldn't worry about sensitivity. Shikoku could never be as sensitive as Kai's.

cdenney

I believe you got it in the bag I've seen your video of London he seems pretty chill. I remember earlier you were talking about a possible foster, cuz his other mom thought she might be able to take him again. Do you mind if I ask if your fostering or adopting?

Crispy

@tjbart17 - That's the overall feeling I was getting. Shikoku seems sensitive, but not nearly as sensitive as most of the adult Kai placed. I guess the words I'd use would be... the Shikoku seem more "offended" when they don't understand or are uncomfortable and the Kai seem more honestly alarmed and worried.

@cdenney - We're playing it by ear. If I foster, it may be a lot longer than I thought it would from what she was saying (it sounded like "years"). I still feel what I said before and if she ever wants him returned, I won't hesitate if it's the best thing for him.

cdenney

You're good people.

tjbart17

@Crispy LMAO I don't even think Shikoku get offended. You'll laugh at that too once Takoda is with you. They are pretty solid dogs.

Hinata23

@Crispy I think the a rehomed Kai is more sensitive than a rehomed Shikoku. The problem we had with ChoCho was that she was afraid of my-laws (in whose home we were staying at the time while we finished school). Her fear caused her to be afraid of the house as well... complicating a lot of things.

ChoCho has a pretty high prey-drive... I can't imagine her in a house with two cats. She freaks out when she sees them during walks. You should ask the owner how Takoda does with cats.

I think @hondru adopted Rakka while also having cats. Maybe she can help.

ttddinh

Kaiju's placement went seamlessly. He was owning the place within 24 hr lol

Btw I a super duper excited for u!

Crispy

Thank you, everyone.

I've only met one Shikoku, and she tends to influence me a lof. I would have liked more before Takoda came, but he was the right dog (fingers crossed!) at the right time.

Tho, maybe it's not too late to meet more! I have two weeks, after all.

Saya

Good luck with Takoda.

shibamistress

Good luck with everything! He sure is handsome! I'll be looking forward to hearing your reports!

Crispy

Takoda's flight is all booked for Monday.

I have to say, Delta Airline is extremely pleasant to deal with! I'm very happy with them.

MapleTwinkie

YAY! i'm excited for you too...!! >:D<
I'm totally getting the Shikoku bug. Especially for B&T ones...

Crispy

The B&T are very striking. Something about how clear the markings are is very appealing.


I also just saw the shipping confirmation - the way they spell Shikoku is just lol.

CarabooA

Wow! He's stunning! Good luck with him traveling and getting settled in!!!

Kuma123

So happy for you! Good luck!

Hinata23

Yay! Keep us posted!

Crispy

As an aside... I'm tryi g to get him a collar before he comes. What sizes do Shikoku normally fit in? He's 38 pounds. @Edgwood - how big is your Kuma? Is a 16-20 inch too big? I'm getting leather and tufflex.

WrylyBrindle

I'm waiting for the "Takoda's Here!!" post! What day is he coming in?

PoetikDragon

@Crispy I know I don't have a small enough dog to give you a good measurement, but my Akitas are as follows -- burly 72lb American Akita female 18" neck, lanky 75lb Japanese Akita male 17" neck, feminine 60lb Japanese Akita female 15" neck. That's actual circumference, not collar size. I would put a 16"-20" collar on a Japanese Akita, which leads me to believe it is too big for a Shikoku.

Crispy

@poeticdragon - thank you! That actually helps a lot. I thought that 16-20 was the size my brother used for Russell (65lb), but I couldn't remember... and I use a 22-26 on London for most collars, so I couldn't figure it out. I guess he'll probably be 12-18 or whatever the next size down is.

@WrylyBrindle - I'll pick him up on Tuesday! It's a super long flight for him. He's coming from Las Vegas on Monday night (11:30) and he won't be in Providence until 12:30 on Tuesday because of a layover in Detroit.

I was nervous because of the blizzard we're getting today and tomorrow, I didn't know if it would end up being warm enough to have him fly (or I would have had him fly tomorrow). Luckily, we're going to get a small, warmish break on Monday and Tuesday.

I just hope his flight goes well. Monica got him a basket muzzle for the trip because she didn't want to give him a chance to hurt himself. He's in a cozy kennel. Something like 20 x 27 x 19? Anyway, I'm already a nervous dogmom.

cdenney

I feel your pain crispy, ive been through it! It will all be okay though the wait for the next couple of days will feel like forever it will be over before you know it. with the muzzle my girl can get hers off in about 6 seconds (when trying to clean her ears) and she cant drink while in it. are you sure he needs muzzled?

PoetikDragon

I would not muzzle a dog for a flight... I would NEVER muzzle a dog unattended, but certainly, not when the dog needs to be able to drink and eat for long travel.

Crispy

@cdenny @poeticdragon I can tell Monica not to muzzle him - she's the one who wanted to muzzle him for the flight. I didn't object much because he should be able to eat and drink normally with the basket muzzle on, but I figured I'd see what other opinions were.

She was also looking into a chewable type of sedative? She wants to make sure he's okay for his flight. I just want to know that we did all we could to decrease the stress of travel.

PoetikDragon

Its also recommended not to sedate animals for flights. Some airlines will not allow a dog to fly at all if it has been tranquilized.

Crispy

Good to know! Thank you - I've never... done this before. I sounded so dumb on the phone with the airline and they were so patient and everyone else has been awesome.