Getting our next dog has become more than just idle musings this week. Kivi has been with my parents to give Penny a break and he is just wallowing in supreme happiness at the live-in dog park that is my parents' house. He is keeping himself constantly worn out as every time he finds some energy he burns it all up wrestling with Jill, playing tug with Shani, digging a hole to China, and playing wild games of tag with Jill. He is SO happy there I kinda feel bad about bringing him back here with us.
As I have mentioned in NDR, this week is Penny's last with us. I was thinking that maybe Kivi will be all right as an only dog for a while, but I've changed my mind. The timing is just quite good for another pup. I'm working only two days a week and often from home, and Kivi is just at that age where he's quite easy to look after and coming along very well with his obedience, but still wild about other dogs and about as energetic and playful as he's ever going to be. He thoroughly adores puppies and is capable of being very good with them once he settles down. Shani is less than half his size and I'm told they are getting along famously. Kivi doesn't really care what games everyone wants to play as long as they will play them with him, but he does especially love a boisterous wrestle.
Anyway, our breed of choice has changed several times in the last week. It was a Saluki for a few days until we reluctantly agreed that we might have trouble finding enough time to exercise one, then it was a Swedish Vallhund, which got scrubbed on the basis of noise, then we had a breif foray into Berners, but abandoned that one on the basis of size and health, then it was Bulldogs, which were also abandoned on health, then Dobes, abandoned on exercise requirements, and now it's settled on Shiba Inus. I am a bit worried about the Shibas, but my partner is keen on them and has done some research of his own in which he has found out a lot of the good things about Shibas but perhaps not many of the bad things.
I still want an Akita most, and am trying to swing a meeting with a local breeder who has 6 week old puppies at the moment. I still want a Basenji as well, but my breeder of choice is not having a litter this year, and my partner for some reason isn't wild about Basenjis (how could you not be wild about Basenjis??).
I tried my hardest to convince the man that we wanted another Lapphund, but he just would not hear of it. I tried also to convince him that we wanted a German Spitz, PBGV, or a Puli. It didn't work.
So here we are, looking like we are going to end up with a Japanese breed of some kind. I know I've asked about Shibas before, but is there any last minute advice people can offer to pass onto my partner? I researched the hell out of Akitas a few years ago when I wanted one, so I'm feeling confident about them, but haven't been able to pin anyone down on Shibas, really.