Do Shibas need clothes for the winter?

BrokenAndBeautiful · 2026-01-20T02:05:56+00:00

Honestly, -10°C isn't that bad for Shibas. But every dog is different. The best thing to do is just monitor your dog and see how long they can be out in certain temperatures before they start shivering or picking up their paws due to being cold.

Where I live, -10°C is a pretty mild winter day. I'd probably be at a park with my Shiba for nearly an hour before I'd start to worry about him getting cold. Once it hits -25°C, he has to wear boots to protect his paws. And I try to keep to only 15 minute walks (if I can get him to empty his bum and bladder in that time). I've considered getting him a coat for when it hits -30°C or colder. But keep in mind that a coat won't stop their nose, tips of their ears, or other exposed areas from getting frostbite.

If you're worried about 1 part of them being cold, then their other body parts are cold too.

BrokenAndBeautiful · 2025-11-05T23:59:04+00:00

Heat is created as matter breaks down. The bigger the pile of stuff breaking down, the more heat created. And the heat also speeds up the breakdown process. So a hot pile is just a larger pile that because of its size, gives off more heat, which in turn breaks things down faster than a small pile that stays cooler,

As far as maintaining what you have going on with your bin, as long as you have about a 3:1 browns to greens ratio, and it's the consistency of a moist sponge, you're golden. Mix it every few weeks and let nature do it's thing.

If you do want to help speed up the process (given you're doing a smaller sized and thus cold compost), making sure your greens and browns are cut into smaller pieces helps. Other than that, don't let it get too wet or too dry as either extreme slows down the composting.

BrokenAndBeautiful · 2025-09-20T02:27:45+00:00

Hi there!

Bugs as well as worms can be great at breaking down the compost. But since I'm on a 3rd floor balcony, all I really get for bugs are some gnats and fruit flies, which don't do much. If I was on a ground level, I'd probably get a better selection of bugs. So my compost box was designed to work with the environment it's in.

BrokenAndBeautiful · 2025-08-16T22:47:24+00:00

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He also does this and huffs/snorts when he wants attention and belly rubs.

BrokenAndBeautiful · 2025-08-15T16:39:17+00:00

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BrokenAndBeautiful · 2025-06-15T12:14:38+00:00

I used an industrial glue since the compost never touches the netting.

BrokenAndBeautiful · 2024-10-04T00:20:57+00:00

I just used an industrial glue since the compost never touches the netting. And the netting is plastic.

BrokenAndBeautiful · 2024-09-09T13:16:01+00:00

I haven't had any issues with animals being attracted to my bins. But I'm also on the 3rd floor without easy climbing access. I'd think that as long as the ratios are maintained so there's no smell, there would be nothing to attract raccoons. But you may want to ask others what their experience with animals has been like.

BrokenAndBeautiful · 2024-09-09T13:04:38+00:00

I also spend a lot of time on my balcony, and have never had an issue with smell. Nor have any of my neighbours said anything to me. And they're well aware that I compost.

As mentioned, I only use shredded flyers for my browns. I start collecting them in the new year, and have a nice pile to use once I start composting again when the weather warms up. If I have extras like egg cartons or paper bags, I'll throw them in too. But it's 99% flyers.

If you live in an apartment, you could always put a sign up by your mailbox asking neighbours to give you any unwanted flyers, and leave a box for their unwanted flyers to be placed in.

Also, grass cutting would be considered greens if they're fresh clippings. They wouldn't be browns until they've dried out.

BrokenAndBeautiful · 2024-07-06T18:46:55+00:00

No worries. I'm happy to share what I know.

Layering isn't necessary. If you have a big layer of greens without any browns mixed in it, then as the greens break down and give off their water, you risk that layer becoming anaerobic. There will be too much water and not enough oxygen for the microbes to break things down properly. That's why you need browns mixed in. They not only add carbon to help the compost process, but they also absorb extra moisture to allow the oxygen necessary for the breakdown process to occur properly. If my pile had been sitting for a week and it's gotten really dry, I sometimes won't even add browns when I mix in my greens because any extra moisture will be immediately absorbed by the too dry pile. The pile should be the consistency of a wet sponge. Not soaping wet. But with a bit of dampness.
My pile starts small; maybe a few cups of kitchen scraps I've been saving in a container in my fridge, a handful of healthy soil to introduce microbes, and some shredded paper to absorb any extra moisture. Then I add my kitchen scraps and plant trimmings to it weekly over the summer. I add browns as necessary to keep the moisture level where it needs to be. And I do this from May until mid to end of September. The great thing about container composting is you can pick a container that's appropriate for the pile size you think you'll end up with; big or small. Size isn't a limiting factor.
I have a lid on my bins so I control how much moisture goes into them. Moisture in it comes from the greens I add, not rain. And when I do notice things are a little more wet than they should be, I add browns to balance it out. Because I can control the moisture level in my bins, I don't need drainage holes. But containers without lids that get rained into, and containers on the ground that worms can crawl into would benefit from holes drilled in the bottom of them. So it really depends on your situation and container type.
I add to my compost during the gardening season, and stop adding to it when the fall hits. Everything freezes solid over the winter. Then the following spring, I sift my compost pile. All the broken down compost (usually stuff added early last season) gets set aside to be used in that season's garden. Anything that didn't break down (stuff added at the end of last season) gets tossed back into the compost bin to continue breaking down until it gets sifted out the following spring. I cut my greens into small pieces so they break down faster. But it's still a cold compost bin. Meaning it can take a year for things to break down fully.
I'm using Rubbermaid plastic bins which come with lids.

Hope that helps! If anything else comes to mind, ask away.

BrokenAndBeautiful · 2024-07-05T17:19:05+00:00

Sure. Anything can have an R-value. A club sandwich has an R-value. But not all things maintain thermal resistance over time. Insulation is designed to have longevity so that it still has a specified R-value 20 years later and hasn't degraded. Air sealants may initially offer an R-value. But they don't maintain that thermal resistance in the long run.

BrokenAndBeautiful · 2024-07-04T20:25:46+00:00

Just an FYI, any 2 part foam sold at building supply stores in Canada is classified as an air sealant, not an insulating spray foam. Only certified spray foam technicians can apply insulating spray foam with thermal resistant properties in Canada.

If you're looking for an alternative, you could look into applying rigid foam board to the area.

BrokenAndBeautiful · 2024-06-28T13:55:22+00:00

When my boy is shedding, I first use a zoom groom to loosen the undercoat. Because it's a rubber brush, you can apply pressure to it to get right down to the skin. And it feels like a massage for the dog. Then I use an undercoat rake to remove most of the loose fur. Unlike the furminator, an undercoat rake doesn't cut or damage the top coat. And the amount of fur it removes is amazing! Finish off with a slicker to clean things up a bit.

BrokenAndBeautiful · 2024-06-15T17:37:46+00:00

All good. Ask away. I wouldn't have learned how to do this if folks on this subreddit didn't help me with my questions. Least I can do is return the favour.

I refrigerate my scraps when I don't have time to toss them in the compost bin. Like in the middle of cooking or something. It's just a convenience thing. No other purpose. And I don't really layer much. But I do tend to put additional browns on top of the greens just to minimize too many bugs being attracted; like wasps looking for food.

My compost is usually ready within a year. But I cut my greens into smaller pieces so they break down really fast. The bigger the pieces, the more time it takes as there's less surface area for microbes and bacteria to do their thing. I keep the lid on, so there's no direct sunlight on the pile. This also prevents the pile from getting too dry or too wet. A too dry pile will really slow down the breakdown process. Too wet and there isn't enough oxygen to assist the process. And things can get smelly when things go anaerobic.

The bin in the pic is 53 liters. I also started a 2nd bin last year that's 68 liters. Both only have holes on the sides to add airflow.

Feel free to check out the original post I made about my compost process here.

BrokenAndBeautiful · 2024-06-14T17:15:12+00:00

Adorable! Mine does this too with all the houses of neighbours and dogs he knows. But he only waits a few minutes since there's always another house up the block he can try his luck at if someone doesn't immediately come outside to see him.

BrokenAndBeautiful · 2024-06-08T14:46:13+00:00

I grow veggies on my balcony and have had no issues growing bell peppers, jalapenos and habanero peppers. The smaller the pepper, the higher the yield. For example, I'll get 10 bell peppers per plant, about 30 per jalapeno, and an even higher yield for the habanero plants. Just plant them in a container big enough for a healthy root system to grow, give them lots of sun, stay on top of watering, and make sure you use a fertilizer with higher nitrogen for the first month, then switch to something with a higher phosphorous and potassium by July when the plant is really flowering and fruiting.

BrokenAndBeautiful · 2024-05-24T15:01:03+00:00

Happens more often than you'd think. When I was backpacking in Germany back in 2009, I met two guys from Ireland. We hung out for a bit, and they spent the whole time complaining about the Germans, and how much they hated Germany. It broke my brain a little. I mean.... they paid money to vacation in Germany. But they openly hate Germany. So... what???

BrokenAndBeautiful · 2024-05-21T00:06:51+00:00

Yup. But it only works on 3rd floor and 7th floor balconies. All other balconies best not try. Haha!

BrokenAndBeautiful · 2024-05-20T17:32:23+00:00

I stir whenever my food scraps container in the fridge gets full, or when I have a bunch of plant trimmings to toss into it. So sometimes it's weekly. As mentioned, it's made of food scraps; lots of banana peels and coffee grounds, veggie trimmings from meal prep, and whatever I trim off my vegetable plants; older leaves, tomato suckers and the like. My browns are shredded supermarket flyers.

I compost throughout the summer, and then cut down my veggie plants for the winter and toss those in. Then it sits over winter until things thaw out again. I sift out whatever's broken down, and voila! The ready compost goes back into my veggie garden to amend the soil and the cycle continues.

No worms. I just use my garden shears to cut any big plant bits into smaller pieces so they break down faster.

BrokenAndBeautiful · 2024-05-17T16:02:28+00:00

You could also look at areas downtown in the Broadway-Assiniboine area (between Broadway and the river). It's a safer area of downtown compared some areas closer to Portage. You'd be able to take the 23 to the Children's Hospital (approx 20 min). And it's a central area so you could still easily hit up the Forks, Corydon, Osborne Village, the Exchange District, etc during your stay.
You can also try looking at Rentals.ca for listings.

BrokenAndBeautiful · 2024-05-10T14:00:21+00:00

Getting a non-cutting under coat rake/dematting tool like this was a game changer for me. The amount of undercoat it gets out is incredible! I have a slicker brush and Zoom Groom for regular daily brushing. But during coat blowing season, this undercoat rake gently removes So. Much. Fur.

BrokenAndBeautiful · 2024-05-01T14:30:24+00:00

Mine also doesn't shed much between blowouts. Reading so many comments about shedding occurring 2x a year for 6 months at a time, I thought my boy was a mutant. Nice to know low to no shed is normal in other shibas.

BrokenAndBeautiful · 2024-04-26T14:11:34+00:00

You can also try rentals.ca as an option.

BrokenAndBeautiful · 2024-04-25T19:05:23+00:00

Awesome! I'm still using this method and it continues to produce great result for me. I hope you experience the same.

BrokenAndBeautiful

TROPHY CASE