The mother of Sam and Koda is a Shiba Inu that was rescued by a young couple. We don't know the full story of how that came about, but after they had the mom for a week or so, they noticed she was gaining a lot of weight. When they took her to the vet they discovered she would be delivering puppies very soon. Two weeks later she had 6 puppies which is apparently a big litter for a Shiba. This young couple was not in a financial position to afford to care for the mom and her litter, so they listed the puppies for adoption on Nextdoor Neighbor.
My spouse saw the post for the puppies on Nextdoor Neighbor. After reviewing information regarding Shiba Inu's, particularly their typical size (mom was about 25 pounds) we felt this would be manageable and requested a male puppy (Sam). The puppies were born 2/17/26 and we were given videos and pictures as they grew. Right before the puppies were to go to their adopting homes, the family that selected Koda backed out. The couple reached out to us to see if we would like to adopt Koda as well. We said yes!
They are great boys! Both are super smart and train easily. Sam is very calm and inquisitive. He is also very alert to his surroundings, always watching as if he is trying to figure things out. Koda is very energetic and playful. He's a bit of a goofball and unlike Sam doesn't pay as much attention to his surroundings. When he finds a stick to chew on he is totally absorbed.
We have given them a great start in life. They have always had their own crate, feeding and water bowl, and separate vet trips. The boys are in training with Bark Busters. We paid the fee for life long training and this is transferable for a fee.
We are heartbroken to have to rehome our boys but they are simply too large for my spouse to handle. My spouse has multiple sclerosis and is not physically able to manage them. We anticipated their adult weight to be around 35 pounds and they are already 50 plus pounds at eight months old.
Both dogs are beautiful and sweet and will grow into amazing adult pets and companions.