Life is a game of Dungeons and Dragons. We have experiences that create knowledge and we build upon these experiences. Each experience gives us extra bonuses toward different traits of our being, and every now and then we gain a level based upon our ability to stay alive and learn from the experience points that we have accumulated.

Shibas would most likely fall into one of several warrior like classes. For example:

A Hunter: uses Range and Speed to its advantage
A Ninja: Stealth and Accuracy is key here
A Barbarian: Strength and sheer Will Power

I consider myself to be the Ninja while Belle-chan is more the Hunter.

Shiba's use of Dungeons and Dragons experience points is a pure art form. For example:

with every Shiba, there is the Participant's List of how many points you get for being aggressive toward another dog, physically scaring another dog, or winning a fight with another dog. A Shiba's list might look something like this:

Toy Poodle: 50 experience points (seriously, no challenge here)

The Pit Bull behind the Electric Fence: 150 experience points if you get the Pit Bull to the fence, 400 if the Pit Bull crosses the fence, 750 points if the Pit Bull goes back home because everyone is screaming bloody murder, 1000 points if you end up spitting out the Pit Bull's fur after the encounter is complete.

The Really Friendly Happy Go Lucky Labrador That Hangs Out in its Front Yard Playing with the Kids all day: 100 points if you distract him from the children but 200 points if you scare the Labrador so he runs and hides behind the children. 400 points if the Labrador does this when you are on the other side of the street far away because Happy Lab wants nothing to do with Ninja Shiba.

So on a walk, I can conceivably gain the following experience points:

50 points for scaring the Poodle
150 for getting the attention of the Pit Bull and peeing on a nearby tree that he can't reach
400 points because the Lab hides from me every time he sees me (and seriously, I really did not do anything that bad to him).

for a total of 600 experience points just doing a 20 minute walk.

This does not include bonus experience points such as getting dogs inside their homes upset, peeing on the neighbor's expensive shrubberies, stealing another dog's toy out of his yard- the list goes on. Then there are the experience points we gain within the house. For example:

Notifying The People that There is a Spider on the Floor Right There: 100 points
Barking Loudly when The Doorbell Rings to Let The People Know that The Doorbell is Ringing Because They May Not Have Heard It Ring: 100 points
Destroying the Very Expensive Indestructible Toy in Under 3 Minutes that Your Person's Mother Gave The Shiba Because She is Trying to Understand Why Someone Would Want This Breed of Dog: Priceless

So as the reader can see, The Shiba is constantly gaining experience points for skills that are natural to our ancient breed. And with each Shiba having a different class specialty, I gain points specific toward my ninja agility skills for theft of items while Belle-chan gains experience points in her Range Hunting Skills by barking at dogs 1/2 mile or more down the road.

So as one progresses through their day with their Shiba, realize that Our Day is consumed with the need to acquire experience points, and often, this involves considerable creativity on our part since normal standard behaviors give low points. It's just not good enough that Shibas can slip through doors and run outside (that is like 25 points). To gain experience points, you have to slip through Your Person's legs while They are carrying three bags of groceries with an opening that is only one 1/2 inch wide and make it to the end of the block in under 30 seconds with the bag of deli sliced roast beef that you stole on the way out. Those are the Talents that Give Shibas experience points.



I Am Shiba. The Shiba With The Most Experience Points in The End Wins!

I Am Shiba. I Am Mesmorized By The Smell of Beef in the Kitchen.

One of today's Dogster threads was "What I love about my shiba." I thought it was a really wonderful and heartwarming thread. And so, I figured I might as well share what I love about my shibas here.

Loki:
I love his airplane ears. He has the best airplane ears. They flap up and down when greets me.

I love it when he talks. Usually, it’s an expression of his discontent, but I think it’s adorable.

I love how he thinks inanimate animals are real. When we went to Penn State, he thought the Nittany Lion statue was real. He approached it very cautiously. First, he stuck his nose out to sniff it. Then he darted backwards just in case it was dangerous. Repeat a few times. Then he would bark at it and even offer a play bow. But alas, the statue didn’t respond to his play bow.

I love how he’s a great guard dog. It all begins with, “Huff. Huff. Huff,” which soon escalates to, “Bark. Bark. Bark.” And lastly, if it’s really serious, he’ll start howling, “Aroo! Aroo! Aroo!”

Jujube:
I love it when she grabs a toy before she greets me. Her ears flap, her tail wags, and her mouth clamps down on the nearest toy.

I love how she always stays close to me. She follows me around and keeps me company.

I love how easy she is and how I never have to worry about her being aggressive.

I love how her good nature has changed my overall impression of shibas.

I love how she is fearless and determined. If she has set out to kill a fly, it will die. Her prey drive is extrodinary.

I love how quick and predictable she is in going to the bathroom in our yard. She always goes in the same spot. And it's almost always the first thing she does when she goes into the yard. No dilly dallying for her.

Shiba Inu Tops List of Dogs for Ryan

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Eleven Reasons to Get a Shiba.

1. You will get plenty of exercise chasing your dog through the neighborhood.

2. You will save money on landscaping because the Shiba will do it for you.

3. You will get lots of attention from the public because everyone thinks that your dog is a mutt, a husky, an Akita, or a Corgi.

4. They are easy to housebreak, but often refuse to eliminate in their own territory, resulting in walks a mile away from home before they decide its okay to "deposit" here.

5. You need to know your place in society. The Shiba will teach you that it is to serve him, not vice versa.

6. The Shiba will question everything that you do. Like, why did you throw that perfectly good ball away? No, I will not go get it. You threw it. You get it.

7. You will learn that variety is important to your diet. This means that the dog food you fed yesterday is not adequate for today. If you think that you can wait it out, be prepared that your Shiba can wait longer.

8. Shibas believe that they are rulers supreme. After all, they are a National Treasure of Japan. Hence all dogs need to bow in their presence. That includes Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans, German Shepherds and that poor innocent happy Labrador that lives down the street. They may not start the fight, but they will finish it.

9. Shibas are hunters, and hunt they do. Its deeply bred into their blood. Squirrels, chipmunks, birds, the neighbor's cat; nothing is off limits.

10. Shibas shed more fur than most dog breeds combined. No one will doubt that you own a dog when you come to work wearing your Shiba's fur.

11. Shiba owners are a very proud people of their breed. If you disappoint us by any perceived maltreatment of our favorite dog, we will mail you all the fur that our dogs have shed between your Idol showings, just to prove that we will be keeping our eyes on you.

Well, it's been a bit of a hectic week for our first foster boy. We've tried out a few names for him - "Buddy", "Gen" (short for Genki), "Koji" and "Pup One", however none of them were ever responded to. Either he hated all of these names, or he just doesn't care about what we have to say to him! (lol)

Although he looks a lot like a Shiba and he definitely part Shiba, I think he may be part Miniature Pinscher. He is incredibly agile, with lots of spring in his step and is FAST!

Yesterday I took him to a nearby animal clinic for his round of shots. Since we weren't sure if he had his puppy shots, we went for the round of puppy shots and also included rabies. Much like a Shiba, he had the most incredible Shiba scream that embarrassed the S.H.I.T. out of me because he carried on for 2 whole minutes and wouldn't stop screaming even after I set him down. Like a drama queen, he laid there on the ground like we had chopped off his legs... RARRRHHOOOOOOO, RARHOOOOOOO, RARHHHOOOOOOO, RARHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! The vet was nervous by this point and had asked if he was ok.... I had to console her by telling her that this was a Shiba breed thing and not to worry - he was fine, but just wanted to tell the world that he didn't like this experience AT ALL!

The rest of the drama for the week has been good drama. We met a few families - but we think we've found the right home for little foster boy. We're keeping our fingers and paws crossed that it all works out and that by Saturday, he'll be in his new forever home.