A Fox in the Woods

We went camping this weekend for the first time this year. The last time we went, Niko was still very young.  On this trip, Niko enjoyed the hike around the 1 acre lake, but did not like the lake itself at all. He is still not a water dog.  Ed took Niko out on his kayak and we thought he would stay inside it to avoid jumping into the water.  Not far from shore, Niko couldn't take it anymore and jumped out of the kayak. He went under water for a second and emerged out of the lake and quickly doggy paddled to where I was standing on the shore.  It was quite a funny thing to watch. It's interesting how most dogs instinctively know how to swim.

To our disappointment, Niko's learned to bark more and more lately. Granted, he only barks when he feels there is real danger. Unlike home, camping means we don't have four walls and a door protecting us.  At night, we sat around a campfire. Niko barked at people walking by on the main road and people going through the woods to get to the lake.  He even barked at a pair of ducks who decided to come close to our site.  Fortunately, he slept peacefully in the tent.  So peacefully that he did not hear whatever came by and ate half the bread we left in a soft cooler. Those sneaky chipmunks, raccoons, and/or ducks??? 

A natural bed made of leaves. Quite cushy for Niko

Note: To the grammarians out there, I originally wrote "doggy pedaled." I had never written that phrase and had my doubts. I learned (from the web) that it is actually "doggy paddle" to my surprise. To me, it should really be "pedal" because you use your feet to pedal. Yes, "pedalboat" makes more sense to me than "paddleboat."

Labor Day Weekend

It was time for Niko's 2nd camping trip. This time to a place farther away - The Thousand Islands (a 3 hr drive). It was a beautiful weekend with lots of sunshine.  Our campsite was right by the shore and full of shade and rocks for Niko to rest and climb.  He found a spot on a rock that had a great vantage point. He was able to watch us, watch our neighboring campers, and also watch boats in the water and birds in the sky.


Some things Niko did that were new this time:
1) Spent a few minutes in the kayak in the water (he did a nice balancing act)

2) Went on a boat (short cruise to Boldt Island) 

3) Wake up to a beautiful sunrise on waterfront (he would peek out of the tent to observe activity out in the water)

4) Went on castle grounds on Boldt Island. Perhaps he was in search of his princess?

Niko once again received a ton of attention from strangers.  When we toured the island, we overheard comments on how cute he is.  Many came up to us and asked to pet him.  Niko wagged his tail every time he met someone who was interested.  We met a few people who know about the Shiba Inu breed and even met a couple who owns a 1.5 yr old Shiba. They even showed us pictures of their Shiba and told us about him. 

One lady asked if Niko was part fox.  One family took pictures of Niko with their kids, who were enamored with him.  We felt like we were escorting a celebrity.

I noticed how attentive Niko is to other creatures.  I saw him follow and pounce on ants several times.  He followed the crayfish bait that was at the end of my fishing pole.  He also loved watching birds fly in the sky.  He would first notice a bird's sound and his eyes would go to where his ears tell him to. After that, his head moves from left to right as the bird flies around, it's adorable. Added to his list of hobbies is now birdwatching.  

Unfortunately, there was no grass on the site for Niko to rest on like last time.  He got very dirty quick from rolling in the dirt. Once we got home, we had to give him a bath.  He is becoming stronger and more resistant to baths.  It is a very challenging and ear piercing experience to us humans!  He hates baths -