One of the first Akita Blog visitors goes by the nick name ‘Peking Foxie’. She’s is a huge Akita fan and I’ve written about her Akita drawings in a previous post. Let’s see what she’s working on now….

She has just finished a reference sheet for an Akita character named ‘Icefur’. The first one she did was the snow leopard ‘Frostfur’.

The next character will be an arctic fox.

Recognizing, preventing, and handling dog aggression

A dog is an instinctively aggressive creature and the same is true for the Akita. In the wild, aggression came in very handy: dogs needed aggression to hunt, to defend themselves from other creatures, and to defend resources such as food, a place to sleep, and a mate.

Selective breeding over the centuries has minimized and refined this trait significantly, but there’s just no getting around it: dogs are physically capable of inflicting serious harm (just look at those teeth!) because that’s how they’ve survived and evolved. And Mother Nature is pretty wily – it’s hard to counteract the power of instinct!

But that doesn’t mean that we, as dog lovers and owners, are entirely helpless when it comes to handling our dogs. There’s a lot that we can do to prevent aggression from rearing its ugly head in the first place – and even if prevention hasn’t been possible (for whatever reason), there are still steps that we can take to recognize and deal with it efficiently.

Different aggression types

There are several different types of canine aggression. The two most common ones are:

1. Aggression towards strangers
2. Aggression towards family members

You may be wondering why we’re bothering categorizing this stuff: after all, aggression is aggression, and we want to turf it out NOW, not waste time with the details – right?

Well … not quite. These two different types of aggression stem from very different causes, and require different types of treatment.

Aggression towards strangers

What is it?

It’s pretty easy to tell when a dog’s nervy around strange people. He’s jumpy and on the alert: either he can’t sit still and is constantly fidgeting, leaping at the smallest sound, and pacing around barking and whining; or he’s veerrrry still indeed, sitting rock-steady in one place, staring hard at the object of his suspicions (a visitor, the mailman, someone approaching him on the street while he’s tied up outside a store.)

Why does it happen?

There’s one major reason why a dog doesn’t like strange people: he’s never had the chance to get used to them. Remember, your dog relies 100% on you to broaden his horizons for him: without being taken on lots of outings to see the world and realize for himself, through consistent and positive experiences, that the unknown doesn’t necessarily equal bad news for him, how can he realistically be expected to relax in an unfamiliar situation?

What can I do about it?

The process of accustoming your dog to the world and all the strange people (and animals) that it contains is called socialization. This is an incredibly important aspect of your dog’s upbringing: in fact, it’s pretty hard to overemphasize just how important it is. Socializing your dog means exposing him from a young age (generally speaking, as soon as he’s had his vaccinations) to a wide variety of new experiences, new people, and new animals.

How does socialization prevent stranger aggression?

When you socialize your dog, you’re getting him to learn through experience that new sights and sounds are fun, not scary.

It’s not enough to expose an adult dog to a crowd of unfamiliar people and tell him to “Settle down, Roxy, it’s OK” – he has to learn that it’s OK for himself. And he needs to do it from puppyhood for the lesson to sink in.

The more types of people and animals he meets (babies, toddlers, teenagers, old people, men, women, people wearing uniforms, people wearing motorcycle helmets, people carrying umbrellas, etc) in a fun and relaxed context, the more at ease and happy – and safe around strangers - he’ll be in general.

How can I socialize my dog so that he doesn’t develop a fear of strangers?

Socializing your dog is pretty easy to do – it’s more of a general effort than a specific training regimen.

First of all, you should take him to puppy preschool. This is a generic term for a series of easy group-training classes for puppies (often performed at the vet clinic, which has the additional benefit of teaching your dog positive associations with the vet!).

In a puppy preschool class, about ten or so puppy owners get together with a qualified trainer (often there’ll be at least two trainers present – the more there are, the better, since it means you get more one-on-one time with a professional) and start teaching their puppies the basic obedience commands: sit, stay, and so on.

Even though the obedience work is very helpful and is a great way to start your puppy on the road to being a trustworthy adult dog, really the best part of puppy preschool is the play sessions: several times throughout the class, the puppies are encouraged to run around off-leash and play amongst themselves.

This is an ideal environment for them to learn good social skills: there’s a whole bunch of unfamiliar dogs present (which teaches them how to interact with strange dogs), there’s a whole bunch of unfamiliar people present (which teaches them that new faces are nothing to be afraid of), and the environment is safe and controlled (there’s at least one certified trainer present to make sure that things don’t get out of hand).

Socialization doesn’t just stop with puppy preschool, though. It’s an ongoing effort throughout the life of your puppy and dog: he needs to be taken to a whole bunch of new places and environments.

Remember not to overwhelm him: start off slow, and build up his tolerance gradually.

Aggression towards family members

There are two common reasons why a dog is aggressive towards members of his own human family:

- He’s trying to defend something he thinks of as his from a perceived threat (you).

This is known as resource guarding, and though it may sound innocuous, there’s actually a lot more going on here than your dog simply trying to keep his kibble to himself.

- He’s not comfortable with the treatment/handling he’s getting from you or other members of the family.

What’s resource guarding?

Resource guarding is pretty common among dogs. The term refers to overly-possessive behavior on behalf of your dog: for instance, snarling at you if you approach him when he’s eating, or giving you “the eye” (a flinty-eyed, direct stare) if you reach your hand out to take a toy away from him.

All dogs can be possessive from time to time – it’s in their natures. Sometimes they’re possessive over things with no conceivable value: inedible trash, balled up pieces of paper or tissue, old socks. More frequently, however, resource-guarding becomes an issue over items with a very real and understandable value: food and toys.

Why does it happen?

It all boils down to the issue of dominance. Let me take a moment to explain this concept: dogs are pack animals. This means that they’re used to a very structured environment: in a dog-pack, each individual animal is ranked in a hierarchy of position and power (or “dominance”) in relation to every other animal. Each animal is aware of the rank of every other animal, which means he knows specifically how to act in any given situation (whether to back down, whether to push the issue, whether to muscle in or not on somebody else’s turf, etc etc).

To your dog, the family environment is no different to the dog-pack environment. Your dog has ranked each member of the family, and has his own perception of where he ranks in that environment as well.

This is where it gets interesting: if your dog perceives himself as higher up on the social totem-pole than other family members, he’s going to get cheeky. If he’s really got an overinflated sense of his own importance, he’ll start to act aggressively.

Why? Because dominance and aggression are the exclusive rights of a superior-ranked animal. No underdog would ever show aggression or act dominantly to a higher-ranked animal (the consequences would be dire, and he knows it!)

Resource guarding is a classic example of dominant behavior: only a higher-ranked dog (a “dominant” dog) would act aggressively in defence of resources.

To put it plainly: if it was clear to your dog that he is not, in fact, the leader of the family, he’d never even dream of trying to prevent you from taking his food or toys – because a lower-ranking dog (him) will always go along with what the higher-ranking dogs (you and your family) say.

So what can I do about it? The best treatment for dominant, aggressive behavior is consistent, frequent obedience work, which will underline your authority over your dog. Just two fifteen-minute sessions a day will make it perfectly clear to your dog that you’re the boss, and that it pays to do what you say.

You can make this fact clear to him by rewarding him (with treats and lavish praise) for obeying a command, and isolating him (putting him in “time-out”, either outside the house or in a room by himself) for misbehaviour.

- If you’re not entirely confident doing this yourself, you may wish to consider enlisting the assistance of a qualified dog-trainer.

- Brush up on your understanding of canine psychology and communication, so that you understand what he’s trying to say – this will help you to nip any dominant behaviors in the bud, and to communicate your own authority more effectively

- Train regularly: keep obedience sessions short and productive (no more than fifteen minutes – maybe two or three of these per day).

Why doesn’t my dog like to be handled?

All dogs have different handling thresholds. Some dogs like lots of cuddles, and are perfectly content to be hugged, kissed, and have arms slung over their shoulders (this is the ultimate “I’m the boss” gesture to a dog, which is why a lot of them won’t tolerate it.) Others – usually the ones not accustomed to a great deal of physical contact from a very young age – aren’t comfortable with too much full-body contact and will get nervy and agitated if someone persists in trying to hug them.

Another common cause of handling-induced aggression is a bad grooming experience: nail-clipping and bathing are the two common culprits.

When you clip a dog’s nails, it’s very easy to “quick” him – that is, cut the blood vessel that runs inside the nail. This is extremely painful to a dog, and is a sure-fire way to cause a long-lasting aversion to those clippers.

Being washed is something that a great many dogs have difficulty dealing with – a lot of owners, when confronted with a wild-eyed, half-washed, upset dog, feel that in order to complete the wash they have to forcibly restrain him. This only adds to the dog’s sense of panic, and reinforces his impression of a wash as something to be avoided at all costs – if necessary, to defend himself from it with a display of teeth and hackles.

Can I “retrain” him to enjoy being handled and groomed?

In a word: yes. It’s a lot easier if you start from a young age – handle your puppy a lot, get him used to being touched and rubbed all over. Young dogs generally enjoy being handled – it’s only older ones who haven’t had a lot of physical contact throughout their lives that sometimes find physical affection difficult to accept.

Practice picking up his paws and touching them with the clipper; practice taking him into the bath (or outside, under the faucet – whatever works for you, but warm water is much more pleasant for a dog than a freezing spray of ice-water!), and augment the process throughout with lots of praise and the occasional small treat.

For an older dog that may already have had several unpleasant handling/grooming experiences, things are a little more difficult. You need to undo the damage already caused by those bad experiences, which you can do by taking things very slowly – with an emphasis on keeping your dog calm.

The instant he starts to show signs of stress, stop immediately and let him relax. Try to make the whole thing into a game: give him lots of praise, pats, and treats.

Take things slowly. Don’t push it too far: if you get nervous, stop.

Dogs show aggression for a reason: they’re warning you to back off, or else! If your dog just can’t seem to accept being groomed, no matter how much practice you put in, it’s best to hand the job over to the professionals.

Your vet will clip his nails for you (make sure you tell him first that he gets aggressive when the clippers come out, so your vet can take the necessary precautions!). As far as washing and brushing goes, the dog-grooming business is a flourishing industry: for a small fee, you can get your dog washed, clipped, brushed, and whatever else you require by experienced professionals (again, make sure you tell them about your dog’s reaction to the experience first!)

For more information on handling aggressive and dominant behaviors, as well as a great deal of detailed information on a host of other common dog behavior problems, check out SitStayFetch.

It’s a complete owner’s guide to owning, rearing, and training your dog, and it deals with all aspects of dog ownership.

To get the inside word on preventing and dealing with problem behaviors like aggression and dominance in your dog, SitStayFetch is well worth a look.

You can at least take advantage of their FREE 6-day mini course in dog training:

YES! I want to claim my free instant access to the SitStayFetch 6 Day Dog Behavior and Training course ($27 value).

Your Name:
Your email Address:
(This is a private and fully protected mailing list. You can unsubscribe at any time).

Having a dog can require some logistic intelligence so now and then. When I used to work close to my home Kensho would just stay in the garden; patiently waiting for my return (which you can read as ’sleeping until my return’) I’ve had him on camera for several hours during my absence so I know for sure.. not a sound, not a whisper. December 2007 things changed as I got a new job and had to travel a lot more. Working long hours doesn’t match with having a dog that’s waiting at home. Quickly a solution was found: Kensho joins me every day to work as we drive to iens.nl in Amsterdam. The first weeks he was tired, since he didn’t take any naps during work hours but now he’s fully accustomed. Today we went for a lunch outside of my office. There are several cafe’s at the ‘Westergasfabriek‘ to choose from and we went to the ‘Westergasterras’. Very nice place and good service. Kensho was personally welcomed by name ‘Hi Kensho‘ and since they now know him by name he didn’t get his water in a plastic bowl but in a real champagne cooler. I’m just so sorry I didn’t bring my camera.

Later that day it got even better for Kensho as iens.nl won the very first cask of ‘Hollandse Nieuwe’ (a fish typically Dutch that is eaten raw and with onions on top) for which we now get a lot of promotion. Everybody at the office could taste these fish and this year these are exceptionally good. When I say everybody at the office, I mean everybody at the office - so including Kensho. He is very picky and has approved these herrings. Oh boy.. he really liked these raw fat fish.

Kensho now probably is the only dog that can say: I drink water from a champagne cooler and the only herring I eat is from the very first fresh herring.

DOGSTOCK is a four day music and camping celebration of the dogs in the coming Memorial Day Weekend (22-25 May 2008). This is a yearly, multi-faceted, pet-friendly, all ages event designed to:

• Raise community awareness of crucial animal welfare issues.

• Highlight the availability of healthy animals looking for good homes.

• Raise much needed funds for the Akita dogs of the only licensed shelter in Osage County: the Akita Adoption and Rescue Foundation (AARF).

DOGSTOCK has become an exciting community event each festival. Dog lovers are invited to bring their lucky dog to the festival, though a few rules apply: all pets must be spayed/neutered, a pets must have a current vaccination record and, all children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

The Akita Adoption and Rescue Foundation specializes in special needs dogs and older dogs. They have many stories to tell about rewarding relationships that have developed from their good work. Here’s one that will certainly convince you to give a rescued Akita a second life:

An elderly Akita, Jake, was adopted by a family with a seriously epileptic child. Akita’s are very good observers and intelligent thinkers. The Akita started predicting the seizures and would then get help! Before Jake succumbed to old age, he had ‘cured’ the boy of his seizures.

Other stories include folks who adopted a dog one day and the next were protected from intruders.

Dogs give us unconditional love and when we allow 8 to 10 million to be killed yearly just because they were inconvenient, that is unforgivable!

Let’s all help create a better world for dogs and ourselves and hope that DOGSTOCK will become a major source of fund raising.

Details for visitors

DOGSTOCK’08, a celebration of and benefit for the dogs with music and camping memorial day weekend, may 22-25 at the AARF humane sanctuary and campground 6206 E. 317TH St. Melvern, KS 66510 (just 5 miles east of Melvern, Kansas).

A $40 donation at gate covers camping and entertainment for all four days and nights.

Sidenote

The event is NOT canceled though the man in charge of the fund raising, Randy Long (52), is in jail. He is now accused of writing numerous bad checks to people who provided services for the event such as bands, crews and vendors, according to a press release from the Osage County Sheriff’s Office.

Please don’t forget to vote for Akita Kensho at the Canon photo contest.

Remember this is the picture that was sent in by semi-professional photographer T-Nell in the category Light & Animals:

Just follow these simple steps and I’ll give you Karma points!

1. Visit the Canon contest website and sign up as a new user.
2. Check you mail account to find and click the activation link.
3. Go to Kensho’s picture and vote.

Yes, this blog title is a joke but there is a little truth to it .

In a travel magazine I read that 4 star rated hotel ‘Cortisen am Wolfgangsee‘ in Austria is NOT allowing children below the age of 12. Reason for this is that the owner thinks children cause annoyance. He said the children were always badly behaved and invariably more trouble than they were worth. Because of this he believes he was missing out on hotel reservations.

See an excerpt of their marketing message:

You may be wondering why I’m posting this on Akita Blog. Well… the reason is that in this hotel - whilst children are banned - DOGS ARE WELCOME ! The hotel owner believes dogs are better trained than little children. If yours isn’t than get some advice and help on dog training.

It seems that since this upmarket Austrian resort has slapped a ban on young children, the hotel reservations have increased dramatically. So whether or not you agree, it’s good for the business apparently.

Before you go, make sure your dog hasn’t any flees or other parasites or the hotel owner may change his mind . Prevention is key! Also, when you go for a brisk walk in the beautiful surroundings of the hotel, you want to make sure your dog is protected against ticks as these spread awful diseases.

You can order preventatives such as Frontline, K9 advantix and Capstar easily online (click on the banner below):

Most Akita dogs aren’t that keen on getting wet. Perhaps it has to do with their dense coat. One time Kensho fell in a pond by accident and it took nearly 24 hours for him to dry.

But Kensho does like to get in the water up to knee height (like we do when it’s cold or forgot our swimming suit). He likes to run with his mouth open, gulping the water and he’s drinking just for fun (like we do when we go out; the ‘drinking for fun’ part I mean ).

It’s a perfect way to get the dirt of his coat from digging that big hole earlier today.

Akita’s are very photogenic because of the contrast rich colors they have. It’s so much more difficult to take a good picture of a dark dog.

But Akita’s aren’t photogenic just because of their colors … it’s their smile! See for yourself. The Akita character ‘Riku’ in the Japanese anime novel ‘Kino’s journey: the Beautiful World’ always smiles. Does your Akita have a beautiful smile too?

And finally some pictures which I took today…

Would you want to have a picture like this one of YOUR dog?

You’d have to make your dog laugh first. If that’s not in his nature then here’s a great help:

Police are searching for a beautiful and very much loved Japanese Akita dog which went missing from outside Widnes indoor market (Cheshire, UK) on April, 30th.

The Akita owner, Alan Killen, 69, said he had tied his dog to a post outside the market at 12 noon while he went inside for two minutes. However, after returning to pick the dog up it was nowhere to be found.

This is every dog owner’s nightmare!

Mr Killen said: “I think he’s been stolen because they’re quite valuable. I can’t believe he’s gone. I lost my wife in November and Ben is really special to me. Everyone in the market loves him too.”

You don’t see an Akita every day and they are very beautiful and charismatic. My daily experience when I walk Kensho is to hear multiple people saying: “What a beautiful dog”. I can imagine some people wanting to steal these kind of dogs.

The missing Akita’s name is ‘Ben’. He’s micro chipped and is 8 years old. His coat is white chested and black brindle. He has a white tip on his tale and four white marks on his paws that look like socks.

Mr Killen asks for anyone with information to contact him on 0151 228 6339.

My Akita Kensho has his passions. If I had to deduct his priorities from his behavior I would say this is his top 3:

1. Play with bitches, preferably when they are in heat
2. Digging
3. Tracking and hunting

In a dog whisperer workshop I have learned to never ever take away the passion of a dog. You’ll risk ending up with a lethargic animal, unworthy of a dog, without a fire burning inside. So find the passion of your dog, no matter how deep you’ll have to dig, and give him the chance to enjoy that passion (within bounderies ofcourse).

Kensho just loves to dig massive holes.

Until he just disappears…

This is one happy Akita !!!

As of today I have moved ‘digging’ from number 2 to number 1 in the Akita Passion Ranking. A bitch approached Kensho in a playful manner. He just looked up for a split second, slightly worried he was going to have to share his hole. As he ignored her, she moved on and Kensho went back to his important work.

Usually Kensho is pretty good at the ‘letting go’ thing. It’s a Buddhist skill to not get attached to belongings etc. Attachment is where the suffering starts. But today, Kensho wasn’t in a Zen state of mind. He was so preoccupied with ‘his’ hole that he didn’t want to leave. He made it perfectly clear he was determined to get to the other side… or back to Japan or something like that . Finally I had to practically drag him away to get back home. All good things come to an end.
As the Zen Buddhists say: ‘Everything changes’. The doctrine of impermanence says that everything is constantly changing. Impermanence can lead to suffering as one fails to accept the continuously changing nature of the world. This means that as one tries to relive an event or strives to keep things the same, suffering is caused by the discrepancy between impermanence and desire for permanence. As one strives for nirvana, it is essential to accept the impermanent nature of things.

His name is Kicker. He will grow up to kick the person’s ass that threw him in the trash.

T-Nell, a semi professional photographer, she also happens to by my aunt , has chosen a picture of Kensho to participate in a photo contest. This contest is held by Canon and you can vote as per May, 5th 2008. Please visit the photo contest website and help to get this picture of Kensho high up in the rankings! . Just use the button in the lower right corner on this page.
This first picture is submitted in the category Animals & Light, because the sun is so beautiful when it highlights the red pigments in Kensho’s coat.

Another candidate picture could have been this one:

Please don’t forget to go and vote for Kensho on May 5th.

Just follow these simple steps and I’ll give you Karma points!

1. Visit the Canon contest website and sign up as a new user.
2. Check you mail account to find and click the activation link.
3. Go to Kensho’s picture and vote.

So many Akita items for sale on eBay. I had no clue!
Everything from Akita statues, T-shirts, calendars, warning signs, Akita books to Christmas ornaments and Akita solar lanterns to light up your garden in the dark the Akita way. It’s amazing!

These two items that I’ve listed are nearly due.

Click on the bottom link to find all current Akita gifts and merchandise on eBay.

For more Akita branded items visit my Akita Gifts page.

If it’s not an Akita, it’s just a dog….. It sounds like a funny statement for on a Akita lover’s T-shirt, but in reality an Akita is of course “just a dog”. There is no special Akita training required, but you DO NEED a good dog training and knowledge of natural dog behavior to raise a good tempered Akita.

Do you have an Akita or are you thinking about getting one? Then continue reading.

The basis is communication!!

A good dog training method will teach YOU how to understand your dog’s language and how you can communicate in such a way that HE will understand YOU.

Almost every day I see people that just keep on repeating commands or even worse… raise their voice and repeat the command over and over again. But if their dog simply hasn’t learned the command this approach is never going to work. It will only frustrate both parties.

The key ingredient is to learn how you can get your dog to learn new things. And this may surprise you: repetition is NOT key!!! Especially with an Akita, and in this respect they do differ from other dog breeds.

Akita’s can be quite stubborn. It can seem they get personally offended when you ask them to do things ten times in a row, when they have perfectly demonstrated the first two times that they understand the command and are willing to obey you. So just don’t push it! Would you repeatedly do the same stupid thing? Like sit - go - fetch - sit - lay down - sit … come on. Give the Akita brain some credit and respect .

Get into that doggy brain and learn how to motivate your Akita into learning new things. That way it is much more fun for him and much more fun for you. Double fun !!!

Continue reading this post…

Today we drove all the way to Holten. A small town in the Netherlands with beautiful surroundings. But it wasn’t for the lovely weather this day, the heathery hills or the green trees that we went on this trip. It was to meet Kensho’s family again. Just like last year we had planned a true Akita family reunion. Last year Kensho’s father, Musuko, was present but unfortunately he died a couple of days after the party from gastric ulcer (nobody had noticed a sign before it was too late… so typical Akita).

This year not all Kensho’s siblings were present. We met his brother Daigo, his sister Musume and his mother Tamami. Also Akita’s from other combinations than Tamami XX Musuko were shown. Like half brothers and -sisters.

Some people actually manage to have more than one Akita ;-). For the ones without any, this was a very convenient situation. One Akita per person and this way the two kids that joined our walk through the forest could also walk ‘their’ doggie and get first-hand experience with the Akita breed

I’m still awaiting the group photo with me and Kensho on it. Until then…. just another picture I took during the walk.

So many Akita’s, so many shapes and forms. It’s one breed but each dog has it’s own personality . Kensho for sure had a lot of fun. He likes jumping trees, fences and even jumps when there’s barely anything to see. He’s just a very energetic, playful and joyful Akita.Some Akita’s can be very laid back and relaxed. Kensho can be too, but outside and especially when he’s in a group he will always be alert. He was barking when a cigarette was smoking between the leaves on the ground (not a bad thing to do, right?). He was giving high sounds (like a light panic) when part of the group was split off (due to a different walking pace) or when a child was behind (just because she wanted to stay behind to pee behind a tree). Kensho’s just doesn’t miss out on anything. Not a surprise he was still tired up until the next morning. He always joins me when I go to the office but the next day (a Monday) he was cranky and just wanted to be left alone…sleeping.. behind my desk.

Today Kensho and I went to the ‘Nedereindse plas’ for a rather windy walk. The weather seemed nice but due to the wind it was very cold, just we just walked at a higher pace to compensate for that .

This water was very dirty and Kensho had four black feet when he got out. He’s not bothered about that and I’m not either anymore. I now know that it’s just a matter of time. Sometimes Kensho is muddy after a walk but by the time we get home the dirt has just fallen off and he’s just his red and white bright self again. How wonderful!

It’s not all nature here

The World By Kensho

	Akita’s are very clean dogs. Kensho has a daily routine and is washing and licking his coat more often than my cat does! He evens washes Tommie, the cat, whenever he gets a chance !!
And then… he just goes relaxing in the sun until it’s time for our next walk. What a life!

Today we went for the weekend to my brother. He has his own company ‘CHOCLOC. Building and Event Support’ and he rents an art studio with his girlfriend who also owns a design company ‘FABSTRACT’ . So whenever you need a good designer, whether it’s for a new business concept, a dress, furniture (and you know what they say about Dutch Design, right ) or to provide a great light show for a band or TV show…. just go and Google them .

All right, let’s get back to Akita business…

Kensho was playing peek-a-boo with me

We spend the weekend in the art studio just fooling around and having fun. We even took Kensho to a concert but we didn’t stay for too long (Kensho didn’t like the music ).

I brought a present for my brother’s birthday. Whenever Kensho sees any object that is wrapped in gift paper his eyes grow about three times larger and become real shiny. This Akita just loves to help and unwrap presents. Perhaps, you would not expect this of such a large dog but Kensho is very - and I mean very - gentle.

It has been like since since his very first Christmas. His first present happened to be a new toy for him. Since that moment he’s been keen on anything wrapped in colorful paper.

Kensho likes the smell of beer, though he acts weird when he gets a little sip of it. My brother has found a method to let Kensho enjoy the taste of it without him drinking too much.

Looks like Kensho feels just a little bit guilty (have a close look at his eyes and how he turns away), haha

The title of this book grabbed me right away. Who hasn’t wished that their dog could talk at some point?

The book starts out with an introduction, followed by the history and evolution of the dog as a domesticated pet. Canine intelligence and trainability are discussed, as are the various breeds and how they rank in these topics according to top canine experts. The ‘Starting a Family’ section tells it all in photographs: how mates are selected, the mating sequence, pregnancy, delivery and birth, and finally how puppies develop and view the world as they grow.

The following sections, ‘What Dogs Do’, ‘Being A Dog’ and ‘Living With Us’ cover a variety of topics that will interest dog owners. Learn about:

• Social order - more complicated than simply top dog and everyone else
• The differences between male and female behavior and the effects of neutering on behavior
• Territory - marking it and defending it
• Seeking attention, happiness, excitement and boredom behaviors
• Meeting humans and other animals
• Normal dog behaviors associated with eating, chewing on things, vision, voice, sense of smell
• And many more topics!

Do you insist on trying things the other way around?
Be my guest… I have found just the book for you!

Ah…. I just discovered this third option: Get a translation device …

This BOW lingual device was developed by a Japanese scientist and it translates dog emotions.

You need to enter your dog’s breed and gender (it is pre-programmed for over 80 breeds). Bow-Lingual even includes a special set-up for mixed-breeds. Everything you need to interpret your dog’s bark is in the box.

Bow-Lingual divides barks into six categories of emotion: happy, sad, frustrated, on-guard/territorial, assertive/showing-off and needy. The wireless microphone attaches to your dog’s collar, and sends the message to the handheld receiver unit where the bark is analyzed. There is even a ‘Home Alone’ mode that lets owners see if their dog has been barking and how he was feeling when they were away. The Bow-Lingual records all barks over a 12 hour period!

A short cartoon clip about the life of the famous Japanese dog Hachiko, who returned to Shibuya Station in Tokyo for nine years after the death of his master.

In this cartoon Hachiko has one drop down ear just like Hachiko had in real life.

Hachiko in the Japanese cartoon

The real Hachiko

From the 1987 film “Hachiko Monogatari” (aka Hachi-ko). Wonderful movie that tells the true story of an Akita’s devotion to his master.

You’ve got to see this! So beautiful, and yet… so sad.

Chu-ken Hachiko (lit. the faithful dog Hachiko) was born in Akita in 1923 and was first brought to Tokyo in 1924. He and his owner, Mr. Eisaburo Uyeno, were inseparable friends right from the start. Each day ‘Hachi’ would accompany Eisaburo, a professor at the Imperial University, to the train station when he left for work. Upon returning, the professor would find the dog patiently waiting, tail wagging. This happy routine continued until one fateful day in 1925, when the professor was taken ill on the job and unfortunately died before he could return home.

Despite the fact that Hachiko was less than two years old at the time, the bond between dog and owner was strong. Hachiko continued to wait each day at Shibuya station for a friend who was never coming back. At times, he wouldn’t return home for days at a stretch.

The Akita became a familiar sight to commuters as he kept his vigil for over ten years. On March 8, 1935, Hachiko finally went to meet his master. He died on the very same spot he last saw his friend alive.

Hachiko symbolizes so many different things to different people… innocence, fear, hope, joy, loss and loneliness.
Thanks for watching!

At the moment Hollywood is producing a remake of the original. Starring Richard Gere as the professor.

Back to the original…
A happy ending as Hachiko and Eisaburo reunite in the afterlife.