Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello Out There,

I would love some feedback from you cold weather Shiba experts out there.
We have been going through a pretty bad rainstorm this past week (I realize that California "bad" is different than what a lot of you consider is bad). My Kari is obsessed with going out in the backyard (sunny days or wickedly stormy days) and staring into the hillside behind our house. She and Beni continue to get there 3 walks every day - 1 hr. in the a.m, 20 - 30 min. or so after work, and a quick one before bed. When I go to work the doggie door is left open so both have free access to go as they please. The last few days, when I have come home, Kari has been sitting in the pouring rain, staring into the hillside. After their 2nd walk, and as soon as she is done being dried off, she is out the door again to stare into the hillside. When she comes in she is shivering, but as soon as I dry her off she is out again. I just got done drying her off, but this time I closed the doggie door.....guess where she is.....staring out the window. Should I let her go or keep her in?

I Need Your Advice!!!!

Nervous (and overprotective) Mother Patty

Okay here is my theory. There must be something at the hillside that has come around or that she has spied whether it's some sort of animal or a coyote or something that has her obsessed with watching. You didn't say... is the hillside developed or undeveloped? It would make me nervous to have the dogs going in and out the doggie door while I was at work if no one was home just in case something happened. Have you had opportunity to watch the hillside yourself to see if anything is moving out there?
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If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.

I agree with Bob. It seems to me that Kari either is seeing, or has seen, something on that hillside. I wouldn't feel at all comfortable with leaving the dogs with an open door when I wasn't home. I am in the city, but we've had reports of coyotes in various areas and we never allow Murphy to go out of the house alone after dark. He knows when it gets dark his doggie door gets closed! How high is your fence?
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Anne, Bill, and Murphy

Patty, does Kari always stare at the same spot? Is it wooded or otherwise kind of concealed? It just occured to me that perhaps some animal has a nest there.....coyote comes to mind. How long has this been going on? I sure would be very watchful if she continues to be so obsessed with this. Perhaps you could take a walk up that way (maybe not alone) and check it out. I don't mean to take the dogs, I was thinking of another person.

Mom, I sure would like to know what Kari is watching!
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Anne, Bill, and Murphy

Hello!

Our back hill is is used by kids, adults, maintenance workers, horseback riders, rabbits, squirrels, coyotes, big birds, etc. I would say that it is a combo of developed and underdeveloped land - It is a 5 mile corridor all the way to the ocean. Our backyard fence is between 5-6 ft high, but there are so many rabbits, neighbors, and other dogs around I always felt Beni and Kari were safe. Now I wonder....I was hoping that Kari's obsession was for the rain, but now I am rethinking my decision of letting them have open access to the yard when I'm not at home....Opinions and advice are needed!

Patty

Patty, my guide with my dogs has always been that I wouldn't let them be in a situation I wouldn't let a small child be in. Of course there have to be differences, but I wouldn't leave a child waiting alone in front of a grocery store. I wouldn't leave a child alone in a car, and I wouldn't leave a child outside alone when I wasn't home. In other words, I wouldn't leave a child or a dog in a situation where it could encounter harm and I wouldn't be there to intervene. If you know, or even suspect, that coyotes are in that area, then I feel it's unsafe to give them access to the yard when you aren't there. Here in Denver, we just recently had an incident where a small dog was being walked, on leash, on a neighborhood street and a coyote raced up and grabbed the dog. The owners had a good hold on the leash and were able to get the dog away from the coyote and very quickly to an animal hospital. The dog had bites, slashes, and puncture wounds, as well as broken ribs, but it did recover.

In my opinion, it's just not worth taking the chance.
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Anne, Bill, and Murphy

P.S. to my other post.......

Our Wildlife Control people here tell us a 6 foot fence will deter a coyote, to a degree, but they can still get over it if they really want to. Also, they tell us that this time of year, into spring, is the most dangerous because it is the time they are denning and raising pups.

I realize it may be difficult to transition from doggie door freedom to staying inside, and I don't envy you that!
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Anne, Bill, and Murphy

I wouldn't let my dog go outside when I wasn't home, but I'm very protective. Let us know what you decide.

If I remember correctly, I believe Kari is my Tsuki's (Sunni's granddaughter) aunt. Tsuki does the same thing. She gets tired of being couped inside the house and endures the rain for some hunting.

I also live on a hillside w/ coyotes (we even have couple living beneath our hill in a bush) and they do not usually roam during the day, unless we are bbqing. But my dogs do not have free access to the yard when we are not at home, but Tsuki LOVES to hunt and people watch. That is what I think Kari is doing.