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Keeping her newborn puppies safe from the cold
From sheltering in a hole in a tree to finding new homes – how we helped Fern and her resilient puppies turn over a new leaf.
Fern the two-year-old Shiba Inu was seen wandering around her local area, and seemed to be a stray. Despite their best efforts, local residents couldn’t catch her. Until someone spotted her little fox-like face poking out from a tree, and they knew it must be where she was hiding.
But it wasn’t just Fern they found sheltering in the hole beneath the tree – she was taking care of a litter of five tiny puppies.
Terrified and underweight
Fern and her puppies were brought to Woodgreen for an emergency health check, but Fern was terrified.
Our veterinary team managed to gently encourage her into our vet clinic, only for her to scamper under a table and refuse to come out.
Worryingly, Fern was also very underweight. We suspected she had been foraging to keep herself and her puppies fed. We started to feed her a highly nutritious diet to get her back on her paws again.
We were relieved to find that the puppies were in remarkably good condition. Inspired by their discovery, we named them Ash, Chestnut, Blossom, Acorn and Maple.
For early socialisation and 24/7 care, Fern and her puppies were moved into a foster home with Ciara, a member of our behaviour team. The puppies adjusted quickly, getting used to household sights and sounds.
“Given their outdoor start, it’s been lovely to see how resilient and curious they are,” Ciara said. “They’re finding their feet beautifully.”
Planting the seeds of success
But while her puppies were flourishing, Fern was withdrawn and nervous. We suspected she may never have lived in a house before, and she seemed scared of new people.
Thankfully, Fern was in very safe hands with Ciara. “We never forced her to interact or put her into situations she wasn’t comfortable with,” she explained.
Ciara’s resident dog, Fable, also did his part to help. “Nervous dogs often learn more readily from another dog than from people, especially everyday skills like walking on a lead, settling in the home, and interacting with people.”
Over time, Fern started to come out of her shell. She began to feel safe around people, even choosing to relax next to visitors on the sofa.
With Fern’s confidence blossoming and the puppies growing bigger every day, it was time for all six of them to find homes of their own.
As Shiba Inus can have very specific breed traits and needs, we worked closely with a Shiba Inu rescue to find new families who were already experienced with the breed – and prepared for these adorable puppies to grow into adult dogs!
We were delighted that Fern was able to be rehomed with one of her puppies, Blossom. Chestnut, Acorn, and Maple also landed on their paws with experienced and dedicated families. Ash, now called Ebi, joined another Shibu Inu called Luna in his new home.
Fern and her puppies in their new homes
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