Zoom Zoom!

We had a new addition to our family on Friday.... our Shiba Inu puppy! I picked him up from the airport on Friday afternoon then raced home to cook dinner for the missionaries. Nearly the entire weekend was devoted to getting to know our puppy, whom we named Zumi. (And putting off chores... who wants to fold laundry when there's an adorable puppy to play with??) The choices were between Samson, Kitsu, Kuma, and Zumi (from Mi Kazumi, his name from the breeder) on Friday night. We still couldn't decide through Saturday morning. We took turns with each of the names and he responded best to Zumi. That sealed the deal for us and I laid down my foot on our indecision: "His names is Zumi!" We also regularly call him Zoom, Zoomers, handsome boy (me), and buddy (Kurt).

He wouldn't come out of the cage all evening. We went to the store and got him a leash, collar, and soft blanket. When we got home, we took the top off the crate and made him come out!

Surprisingly, he loved the blanket from the get-go. Dude, buy fleece in the spring. This was only $3.99 a yard!


He kept trying to sit over by the tv, for some reason.

Kurt's turn to make Zumi like him!

By the end of the night, he was comfortable enough that he was panting. (Zumi, not Kurt... well, Kurt too, actually.)
He had one accident Friday night (he was terrified when I took him outside for potty--the train and an ambulance went by and he grew up in the sticks) and Saturday around noon (I lost track of time) but other than that, he's been great! Saturday night he howled loud enough to wake us up to take him out, which I prefer to him going in his crate (we're crate training him).

Err... I think the rest of these pics are from Sunday, but maybe a few from Saturday night. He's wet because it rained all weekend (and snowed this morning...). He actually doesn't mind water too much (he didn't enjoy his bath on Saturday morning, but didn't try to jump out of the tub, like Chou).


He sits really funny!

I throw this blanket over him and then he rolls over to get more tangled before getting out.

Shaking off the rain water.


Bad Kurt!


Happy boy!

He is so handsome! All of my neighbors (and the people at the airport) kept saying how much he looked like a fox. He does! You can see how red he is on his back, but then white on his tummy (which is how Shibas are supposed to be). As he gets older, he'll probably get a little more white on his face, just around his eyes and cheeks.


Cute little curled tail!


This is my favorite picture of him--it's so cute! Some traits he has that aren't typical Shiba: he fetches pretty well, he follows us around constantly (but if we stay in one place he'll start to wander around the apartment, though still checking on us occasionally), and he lets us pet him more often than most Shibas. However, sometimes he still walks up and then runs away when we try to pet him, he's aloof with strangers (though it only takes him a couple hours to warm up), he doesn't make a peep (unless he really needs to pee), he's spazzy and quirky with his toys, and he doesn't always listen the best (come, no, etc.)--these are all very typical Shiba traits. He's very curious and happy. On Saturday night our neighbors were having a party in the courtyard. When I had to take him out, he needed to be carried because he was afraid of all the noise. Then he would hide his head under my chin or on my shoulder or against my chest. It was adorable. Jen and Evan and my friend Marianne came over for dinner last night and by the end of the night he would let them pet him, so he isn't a total scaredy cat! We know he'll get more confidence with age.
Anyhow, that's our Zumi. We sure do love him! And I'm so grateful to Kurt for finally letting me get my puppy (and little Zoom is worth waiting for)!