(from the site)
A number of people have been asking a few questions that I'll answer here:
Q. What webcam do you use?
A. We are using a Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 attached to a 16' USB repeater cable that is connected to our PC. Also note that when we record footage ourselves (not on Ustream) the quality is MUCH better.
Q. What is that I see you spraying around the room?
A. It's called "Bitter Apple Spray". It's supposed to prevent pups/dogs from chewing on things because of it's high bitter taste. Unfortunately, I think our pups have gotten used to it already!
Q. Will the pups be keeping the names you gave them when they go to their forever homes?
A. Each of the new owners has the option of keeping the name we chose for the pup or giving it a new name.
Q. When do the pups sleep?
A. The pups sleep most of the day but we turn off the lights and the webcam each night... in hopes that they'll sleep till morning.
Q. What is that black thing in the pen?
A. It's an article of clothing from one of the new owners of the pups. We wanted the pups to become a little more familiar with the scents of the new owners before they head off to their future homes.
Q. When you removed the colored collars to give the pups a bath how in the world did you know which pups to put them back onto?
A. Mrs. SFShiba - A mother knows.
Q. Which pups are going to new homes on Dec 7th?
A. We are still working around the schedules of the new owners but it currently appears that Akoni, Ando and now Autumn will be heading to their new homes on the afternoon of Sunday, Dec 7th.
Q. Will we be seeing any of these pups in the show ring?
A. You betcha! The list of pups that you'll see in both AKC and Nippo shows around the U.S. are Ayumi, Aumumn and Aki (and maybe Amaya). Of course, that won't be until they are old enough.
Q. Will you be giving the new parents one of the toys to take home?
A. Of course we will. We made a little "puppy package" for all the new parents. =)
Q. Are the parents registered with the AKC?
A. Both the sire (father) and dam (mother) are not only registered with the AKC but also NIPPO (Japan). The sire is one of the top AKC conformation champions in the US and the dam is just shy of her campionship points. The sire does not live with us as we are not his parents.
Q. Do you perform health tests on both parents before you breed?
A. Absolutely! We would never breed dogs that do not meet AKC/Nippo standards. We also look at the temperament of both dogs and make sure that both pass tests by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) -checks for hip dysplasia & luxating patellas - (we would only breed dogs that are given a "Good" or better rating) and the Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF) - certifies dogs to be free of heritable eye disease.
Q. Will the pups keep the names you gave them when they go to their new homes?
A. Ando and Autumn's new parents have decided to keep the names we gave them. Akoni's parents gave him a really cute new name but we're honoring their request to keep that private.
Q. Do you think Ayumi will be lonely when her siblings leave?
A. Not likely considering her mom and two other adult shibas live with us.
Q. What happened to the Chat Room?
A. While we really loved all of the instant posts about the pups and all things Shiba on the chat room we were constantly bombarded by internet trolls (rude people who say meaan and hurtful things about the pups and other people). Moderating the chat room from these people became a (non-paying) full-time job. We'd rather spend our time with the pups so we hope everyone understands.
Q. Which pup will you be keeping?
A. We'll be keeping the petite Ayumi.
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The dreaded warning... this coming weekend (Dec 6-7th) will be when the first couple of pups will be heading off to their new homes. Yes, it has been and will continue to be really hard for us to let each pup go but we're confident that they are going to extremely loving and caring homes.
We'll be arranging at keast a yearly meet-up (if not more) with the pups that will be going to homes in California. We'll have to post a link to where everyone can go to get updates, progress and pictures on the litter as they grow.
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Very thoughtful tribute video...
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Dec 6 (am) - If you are tuning in right now and don't notice any collars don't be alarmed... we washed everyone this morning and don't want to put their collars on until we feel they are completely dry. Everyone did remarkably well. Only one pup cried - but that was AFTER being washed.
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All of the pups will be going to a Shiba Inu Holiday Party On Saturday (Dec 6th) afternoon for a few hours for more socialization.
UPDATE - There were over 20 people at the party and the pups seemed to do really well with the new environment, people and all the loud noises.
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Hi all - I've got some new updates for everyone. Actually 3 of the pups will be heading to their new homes today (Sun Dec 7th). First will be Ando followed by Autumn this morning. Akoni will be heading to his new home in the afternoon. Apologies for the short notice but we've been trying to accomodate the schedules of each of the new owners.
Updated the Q&A section with a little more info. Trying to get caught up on all the comments this morning. Honestly, some of the comments are bringing a tear to my eye almost as much as what I think will happen when the pups start to leave. It's so nice to see that the pups have impacted the lives of so many wonderful people around the globe. Hopefully the world is a little better place because of it. To you viewers out there - we really can't thank you enough for your kind words.
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Regarding the calendar... we have a lot of photos of the pups that we still need to go through and narrow down all the cute images. We've been a tad busy with the pups so we haven't had much time lately to get to them but we'll be doing our best to work on it this coming week. Thanks again for the interest!
And yes, we're working on a website too... when we have a spare moment!
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Updates on Ando, Akoni and Autumn from their new parents:
- Autumn is enjoying her new home and the fact that she has another pup around the same age to play/sleep with.
- Akoni only cried a little the first night and actually slept most of the way through it. He went on his first walk with his new parents on Monday and he is even learning to fetch... no small feat for a Shiba!
- Ando did miss his siblings the first night but he's been getting better with it each day. He's been on numerous walks and is displaying a very bold personality (as you would expect from him). He has met two new play-friends, a beagle and a Schipperke. He is responding very well to the positive reinforcement praises that his new owners are showering him with. And he is already the talk of the town.
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Dec 11 - We didn't get a chance to weigh the pups on Tues since I was out of town... plus, I think we're reaching our limit for our tiny scale. The pups will be going to the bet tomorrow morning for their 2nd set of shots and we'll weigh them then.
Just took Amaya out for a walk around the neighborhood. No leash biting - yay! Also let her run around the house with the other adult Shibas we have (including mom). More sniffing everything than playing but she's taking everything in stride.
Aki also had some fun play time with mom romping around the carpet in the other room. Sorry, didn't capture the play time on video but it was super cute.
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FYI - for those asking about interaction with Kika, that usually occurs in the morning with us before we turn the webcam on for the day.
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Not sure where the Oprah rumor started but it's simply that... a rumor.
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Minnesota Public Radio made a song about the puppies!
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/loophole/archive/2008/12/-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian Williams of NBC Nightly News wonders why the pups are so popular...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/28200897#28200897-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Direct link to the Dec 13th Today Show spot:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/28208858#28208858-----------------------------------------------------------------------
We had the pups out and about yesterday (Dec 13th) since the weather held out for us. Leash training continues to improve with all. They had a chance to meet both adult and children on bikes, saw their first tricycle, watched a volleyball game, romped on grass, sand and wood chips and had no problems being close to a really loud soccer game. They even had some time in a large enclosed dog park to run around together at full speed. They did really good with everyone that came up to meet them and were very bold in their new environments.
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We will be taking Aki and Amaya to their new homes just prior to Xmas. Since we will be travelling that direction to see family for the holidays it works out well for all involved. NO they are not Xmas "gifts". We simply decided to evaluate them a little longer to determine whether or not they are actually both show pups. And no, no pup gets left behind. We'll be taking all of our "kids" with us on our trip.
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Dec 14 - If you only see 2 pups for a while today it's because we're taking Ayumi over to see Autumn for some play-time and to compare the two for their prospects in the show ring.
Upadate - Amazing how siblings recognize each other after being apart. Soooooo funny to watch Ayumi and Autumn's tails wagging at break-neck speeds when they saw each other. So fast that their little back ends were also moving slightly back and forth. They had a fabulous time. Learned that Autumn and her new step-sister are getting along superb. =)
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Yes, there is even a page dedicated to the pups on Wikipedia now!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puppy_CamIt's been a challenge to keep up with all the mentions of the pups in the media so if you don't see something that should be on there, please feel free to add to it!
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We've been working on the Calendar each night and should have an update for you soon. Thanks again for the interest.
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PLEASE don't ask for a Shiba pup (or any animal for that matter) as a "gift" for Xmas! Find out if the breed is right for you. Sure they're cute but they are not for everyone. OK, getting off my soapbox now...
