Adoption status: Adopted!
Kanji is an 8 year old male cream Shiba Inu.
Follow his Facebook album.
Hello everyone, my name is now Kanji, a system of Japanese writing. I am an 8-year-old, male cream, Shiba Inu. I had only one owner my whole life, where I lived outdoors with my brother, Jin. My owners were older and could no longer care for us, so we went to a WV shelter and were later transferred to a VA shelter. My brother and I were quickly adopted out but were returned to the shelter a week later when DC SIR got the chance to pull us. While in the shelter, my brother and I were so stressed. We howled and cried. They put us on antidepressants, but we were going downhill fast. DC SIR got us off the drugs, but we have a lot of anxiety and maybe some separation anxiety or a milder version of isolation distress. DC SIR will let you know more about me as I settle into foster care. Let me tell you a bit about myself. I love people and will happily greet anyone who is kind to me. I’m a big boy at 31lbs, but I think I’m not too big to sit in your lap or on your head if I can! I’d like you to comfort me with gentle pets and a soothing voice. I also love boiled chicken, and I’d jump on a table to get the goods. I did great meeting all the dogs at Shiba HQ, and I get along with everyone just fine. I’m very needy and very anxious. I may knock down gates to follow you wherever you go. I cried a lot on my first night, so my foster mom stayed on the couch all night to comfort my brother and me. DC SIR keeps bonded pairs together, but they aren’t so sure that my brother and I are best kept together. While I was in the shelter, the staff saw me with my face in the corner and saw my brother was bullying me. DC SIR has noticed that we are more anxious and frantic when together, but they will let you know more as we settle into foster and get accustomed to our surroundings. When we were separated for some time, volunteers noticed we were both less frantic. I can tell you that I am probably the cuddliest Shiba ever to grace Shiba HQ along with my super cuddling brother. Please follow and share my story and help me find my perfect forever home.
UPDATE: Kanji has the most severe case of Separation Anxiety (SA) our rescue has ever dealt with. His anxiety manifests even when a human is in a room and he thinks he hears someone in another part of the house. He is also showing dog aggression towards small dogs and puppies (he seems fine with dogs his size or larger). This limits his access in the house which increases his SA. Kanji will tear through any number of gates (10 at one time) to get to the human he wants to be with. He is not crate trained and may hurt himself in a crate. Unfortunately, his dog-aggression is making life for him at Shiba HQ not ideal. Nor is it fair to the other dogs who are in fear of him. Kanji has zero people aggression and will want to be with a human at all times. He becomes more anxious when separated or crated for mere minutes. Since we do not have any foster homes where a volunteer can be home 24/7 and has no pets, we are opening him up to adoption for VERY specific criteria based on his severe SA.
Adopters who will be at home (without trips/travel) for the first couple months to work on his SA
Adopters that have NO other animals in the house (maybe a larger friendly dog)
Adopters that will not restrict him from parts of the home
Understanding of canine separation anxiety and a willingness to work with a reward-based trainer over extended period of time.
Location: Exception
Dogs: Some (No small dogs)
Cats: No
Kids: TBD
DOB: 9/17/2011
Weight: 31lbs
Intake Date: 2/3/20
Available Date: 2/11/20
Considerations: Severe separation anxiety, fly biting that may be related to GI issues. Check out some more information: Separation Anxiety in Dogs: Symptoms and How to Modify the Behavior
Must meet these requirements:
Someone who is always home (at least for next 6 months to work on SA)
No restrictions in the house (gating in one part of home will set him off and take hours to de-escalate)
No pets preferred (or must meet a larger friendly dog – ok with large adults no puppies but also not small dogs)
Note SA is an issue that takes time and patience. Due to his dog-aggression, we are unable to make a long-term commitment to his behavior modification as the resident dogs in house are subjected to attacks while increasing his stress through isolation from the group. We are happy to discuss his issues in great detail with serious applicants. Kanji LOVES people and will want to cuddle and kiss you all day long. With the right family and environment, we know he will thrive!
Follow Kanji’s progress in his Facebook Album!