Pumpkin Playtime

Headless horseman costume? This is as close as we'll get to Niko wearing a costume. (Chuckle chuckle)

That's Niko sticking his head into a plastic jack-o-lantern my friend Nichole got for him. Last year, Niko was fearful of this thing. When I brought it back out this year, he showed some anxiety. Then it hit me, it's the face that he was focused on.  I have noticed how fixated Niko becomes on objects that have a face. With any stuffed animal we give him, it's the head/face that is annihilated first. Actually, the eyes fall out and then holes are bitten through the head until it's not recognizable. 


I turned the pumpkin so that the face is turned away from Niko and I put toys and treats in it. He hasn't growled at it since even when the face is visible.  This pumpkin also turned out to be a great storage bin for Niko's toys.


I learned of a fun game from The Dog Trainer podcast and modified it with this pumpkin. Her game entailed a few empty yogurt cups and hiding a treat under one or all of them. Then, let your dog tip the cup over to get a treat. I flipped the pumpkin upside down and hid small toys and treats over and over again for Niko to "find." This is one of many ways to entertain a dog.


I think pets in costumes are super cute. However, Niko is skittish and doesn't enjoy wearing articles of clothings or accessories. It was a lot of work making him wear a Santa hat/kerchief around his neck last Christmas. When Niko suspects anyone coming at him to give him a bath or to put clothes on him, he goes into "catch me if you can" mode and it's nearly impossible to get him.

Don't you dare come near me with a costume! Argh...

Notice how he's curled up under his cheetah chair. He's in this position a LOT. We'll be watching TV and not hear a peep out of him for 30 minutes. Then, out of no where, we would see the chair move up, down,  or tilt slightly. When he gets out, he sometimes get stuck and moves the chair with him a few inches. It's like in the cartoons when a character hides under the rock and the rock moves slyly. 

To see a Shiba in costume, check out Shio the Shiba!

Doggie Entertainment

Niko's level of energy doesn't quite always match ours.  Nor does he have the same preference of entertainment as us human adults have. Niko likes to play tag, fetch toys, do tricks, and run wild.  For some reason, he especially likes to do those things when we're trying to watch TV.
When this happens, I sit on the floor and play fetch and tug of war. 

We did find a new-+ form of entertainment for Niko, his idea of TV, actually.  It's a view of the neighborhood, right at the tips of his paws. For days, I was thinking I need to get some kind of platform high enough so that Niko can look out the window.  Serendipitously, someone had discarded a small arm chair and I happened to see it. It was the perfect size and in great condition. I almost think it was a children's chair. Now it is Niko's!

Initially, he needed some persuasion to get on it, but once he's on, he loves looking out the window. I leave some toys on it and now he jumps on his chair whenever he wants. This morning, moments after letting him out of the crate, I found him watching his version of the saturday morning cartoons. The birds flying by, cars, squirrels, leaves dancing in the wind, walkers, and dogs all fascinate him. Good thing is, he doesn't bark at them.

The next step is probably getting him night vision goggles so he can watch his primetime tv shows =)

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 Niko's new bed (2nd one)

The lil pumpkin

Hiking adventure