As a family we came together and decided we'd just be extra careful keeping to shiba's apart. Each dog had his or her own secure area both inside and outside. Or so I had thought, until I was out shopping when my cell phone rang and it was my husband going off about how Tien' kou infiltrated Asa's kennel.
Two months later.. We have PUPPIES !!
One red female named Sakura.
I decided to think ahead this time and started taking request for adoptions as soon as I got home. Thankfully one of my best friends had been wanting a Shiba inu for some time and had requested a red female if Asa had one. I was so happy when Sakura was born first. Tears swelled up in my eyes the moment I saw she was a female. I just knew she would have a wonderful home and family.
For awhile I thought Sakura would be the only puppy this time. A good hour had passed and no sign of any more puppies. To be honest I was a little disappointed. I had been telling Asa the whole time she was pregnant that she had better give me a black or white little boy. I didn't really care what color the pups were. It was just fun to poke fun at her from time to time. My Asa is such a preppy little girl. It's true when they say people don't have Shiba inu's. Shiba inu's have people. Caring for all of my shiba's, especially Asa, I have learned that its quite easy to fall victim to Shiba arrogance.
I never really noticed, until I adopted an American bull dog "Ember" last summer. Ember is the sweetest, my loyal, affectionate, sensitive, and most of all obedient dog I have ever met. And yet basting in all of the glory that is Ember. I came to understand my shiba's all the more! It was so simple and right in front of me the whole time and I completely missed out on the Shiba inu.
Suddenly just as I was least expecting it, came a white little boy. I was so pleased and satisfied. I got my white boy and my best friend got his red female. Asa began to return to her normal. Asa had left the whelping box to get some water and I had settled in to get ready for a good nights sleep. When I turned around and saw a black pile of what I thought was afterbirth or poo in the far side of the whelping box. Asa laid with her two pups looking at it intently. So I bent down to see what it was and realized it was a black puppy and he was not breathing or even out of the birthing sack. I scooped him up and sank my claws into the sack clearing around his head first and immediately started rubbing his chest to try and get him going. After a couple of seconds he started to breathe but it was very labored and he could not breathe from his nose. So I kept clearing out his nose the best I could all the while I kept rubbing him.
After an hour there was nothing more for me to do. The pup was on his own, it would be his will alone that would determine rather he would survive the night or not.
I lay the black pup down next to Asa and said prayer for him. Kissed Asa on the head and stepped into my bedroom. There my husband stood sniffling. At first I thought he was tearing up over the pup. But I knew better. My husband is not the sensitive type. So I asked if he was alright. To which he replied "yea I've just been stuffed up all day! Now I feel like I can't" and he sneezed real hard and finished saying " breathe..Now that's better!" Now I know this sounds odd but with that I tilted my head and looked at him. I just spent the last hour trying to clear out a puppies nose and you suddenly can't breathe.? Maybe the puppy can breathe now. So I went back out to the puppy and found him laying there firm and still no longer breathing. I stroked his tiny body as I witnessed him sigh what could have been his last breath. I scooped him up seeing he hadn't left yet and gently but firmly rubbed his chest. He sneezed and sighed once more and he has been wonderful and healthy ever since.
Of course my husband insist that we name him "ah choo". Lol
