Happy Birthday, Little Man!

November 10, 2014

Today, my little man is two years old.

Rigby the Shiba Inu Puppy in Grass / helllorigby!

Today, I get to be that weirdo dog mom who writes a happy birthday letter to someone who will never even be able to understand it, let alone read it. To him, I am the provider of food. The person who takes him out to his proverbial toilet, who harasses him when I’m convinced he’s got something wrong with his insert body part here. The one who comforted him when he got attacked by another dog and screamed bloody murder for a good minute, and then rushed him to the vet the next day because I was convinced his wounds were infected already. (They weren’t. Pretty sure it can’t even happen that fast.) The one who tortured him by removing his manhood, and the one who he accidentally bit when he was choking on a too-large-for-him-trachea. My bad.

Rigby the Shiba Inu Baby Puppy with Toys Sleeping / hellorigby!

But whatever, it is what it is. This little dog was born two years ago. We didn’t know him then. When he was born, he wasn’t for sale. It wasn’t until he was about 12 weeks old that his breeder realized that she couldn’t keep him. Not because of anything he did, but because in the dog show world, having snaggly little teeth  (or you know, an underbite for those of you who aren’t into the cutesy) is a major fault. Poor little bug, but good for us.

Rigby the Shiba Inu on Couch / hellorigby!

Now, if you can remember this far back in my blog “career” you may remember me writing about how hard dog ownership is. It has not been an easy road. I remember the first time he growled at me. I was legitimately concerned. Then, he Shiba screamed at us and I thought the girl from the Exorcist (you know, pea soup and all) was going to come out of him. Seriously, it was frightening. Those are the times Dave and I looked at each other and wondered what on earth we had done. What a mistake, we thought.

Rigby the Shiba Inu Sleeping on Couch / hellorigby!

But then he grew up. He stopped stealing our socks and chewing on our fingers (though if you put them in his mouth, he’s bound to chew them still. He is who he is.) He stopped being the tiny (but adorable) brat, and now is still a brat, just larger. Just kidding. Kind of.

Rigby the Shiba Inu in Shadows / hellorigby!

Really though, I wouldn’t trade him for the world. Even if he does have snaggle teeth. Happy Birthday, Rigby! Your crazy dog mom loves you.

59 Comments

59 thoughts on “Happy Birthday, Little Man!”

  5. Catherine R.

    Happy Birthday sweet Rigby! I hope it is filled with snuggles, treats, great walks, belly rubs and everything else you love! You are a good boy! Be sweet for your mommy and daddy!

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  6. Olya

    Happy Birthday, Rigby! I remember thinking we weren’t going to make it through the crazy puppy days with Skyler too… His puppy photos are adorable. :)

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  11. Sarah

    Awww! Happy Birthday, Rigby! My youngest dog turns a year old on Saturday. She was born just 6 days after I got married, but we didn’t know about her until two months later. It’s so funny to think about her entering the world when we were coming home from our honeymoon. And now I can’t imagine life without her!

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  12. V

    Happy Birthday Rigs! Still my #2 favorite dog in the world. What a sweetheart. He’s like the teddybear version of Tuna Melts my Heart.

    I totally understand the frustration and highs and lows of dog ownership. We too really struggled in the early days with Chewie. No one told us how high maintenance German Shepherds can be when they are young. But as soon as she reached 18 months she really started to mellow. She gets more relaxed every year. Love that.

    V
    Life+1

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    1. Jenn Post author

      Haha! Totally is. He’s probably a bigger jerk than Tuna too ;)

      I had read all about Rigby’s breed, and I thought “Oh, it’s like the Jenn version of a dog!” But still, nothing anyone can say quite prepares you for reality!

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    1. Jenn Post author

      Yep, he’s a Shiba Inu! They are an interesting breed… and not for the faint of heart! Feel free to email me if you want some “insider” advice, haha ;)

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  15. Lauren

    I feel the same way about Mochi! When we got him, I actually cried the first time I left him because the neighbors said he barked for 7 hours straight. I thought I was in over my head and I had no idea what I was doing. But each day that passed, he got less bratty. Less barky. A way better dog. Now 5 years later, he is a perfect gentleman and the best dog I could have never asked for.

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    1. Jenn Post author

      Puppies are so rough! Our neighbors have 2 right now and they put them outside and they just bark, whine, and cry all day. So glad Mochi grew out of that – I think most dogs do, but until they do it can be so hard!

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