January 2010
33 posts
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He's Not a Girl!!
He might not be the biggest dog on the block, but I’m getting tired of defending Kenji’s masculinity to strangers. Man up, boy!
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There's Poop Flying Everywhere!
I’m a good boy. When Kenji poops, no matter the volume or viscosity, I pick it up.
I’ve tried several different doggie waste bags, and have settled on the plastic bags you get from the supermarket. The price is right, the size is perfect, and they’re easy to find. The only shortcoming is the occasional hole. But that’s to be expected. Every time Kenji finishes up, I...
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The Grass Is Always Greener...
I didn’t sleep well last night. There was the 2am car that drove by at around 100mph. And then there was an antsy dog. Scratching. Shifting. Sniffing.
Since we were on the move this morning, Kenji spent a bit of time in his crate. Every time we put him in, we were met with crying, screaming and shouting. I even heard him outside when I pulled up to the house.
I knew something was...
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Have Stick Will Travel
I don’t want to put a muzzle on Kenji, but I will if he continues to challenge me. Somewhere along the line, around three weeks ago, the Red Prince picked up a stick during one of our walks. After several “GIVE!” commands, I ripped it from his mouth and tossed it aside. ENTER NEW GAME: TRY TO PRY THIS STICK FROM MY MOUTH After falling into the trap several times, I caught on...
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Seeing Stars Thanks to Kenji
I’m seeing stars. A lot of them. Thanks to my nightly walks with Kenji, and the seasonal effects of the tilt of the earth’s axis, I’m out in the dark a lot more then I was pre-Shiba Inu. This has caused me to reacquaint myself with the stars, constellations, galaxies and nebulae that I had apparently turned my back on for quite some time. It’s like a planeterium...
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Listen closely. There’s a high-pitched...
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Shiba Inu Puppy Cam Returns...Cuter Than Ever!
Kika became the world’s most famous Shiba Inu back in 2008 when 3 million folks tuned in to watch her care for her puppies. Well, she’s back. Fresh off the birth of five new pups, Kika has broken the 17,000,000 view mark on Ustream.tv. You can tune in here. Kenji is jealous, yet secretly happy. See, he only aspires for wealth, not fame. He’s a dog after my own heart. Shibas...
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Table for One
After several months of racing home during my lunch hour to feed Kenji, I’ve decided I simply can’t do it anymore - at least not everyday. With a 60-minute lunch break, and a 20-minute ride home, I only have 20 minutes to walk Kenji and feed myself. With perfect planning and favorable traffic conditions, I can get it done, but it’s always a major rush. In fact, I’ve...
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Thinking of Getting a Shiba Inu?
There are a lot of articles that talk about the Shiba Inu’s unique temperament and personality. And I can vouch that most of them accurately depict the breed’s nature. But if you’re in the market for a Shiba, here are a few observations from my four months with Mr. K. CLEANLINESS IS GODLINESS. When I read that Shiba Inus are clean, I figured it’s a dog, how clean can it be. But let...
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A Guilty Monday
I was tired last night. Really tired. So tired in fact, that I decided to lay down at 9pm. That means Kenji was forced to forfeit his 11pm bladder drain. And a change in my routine, means a change in Kenji’s routine, which inevitably leads to another change in my routine. Mr. K woke me at 3am, because to him, it probably felt like 6am. That’s fine. But what I feel bad about is...
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Obedience (Yawn) Class
Obedience class went as I expected. The teacher handed out a booklet on what we will cover over the next six weeks, and then read directly from it. It should be more excited when the dogs are present next week. That was the big sell for me. The fact that Kenji will have the opportunity to interact with other dogs. The teacher said that each group has a bully and each has a submissive scaredy...
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Dreading Class
Tonight is the first puppy obedience class. The part that I’m not looking forward to is that it is sans Kenji. It’s a “human”-only affair…and you know how those usually turn out!
Hopefully my $200 will get me more than recycled Dog Whisperer info.
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annoying (non)conversation
Kenji: (Jumping up and down)
Me: Kenji! Relax!
Kenji: (Paws in the air. Excited that a stranger is approaching.)
Me: Kenji! Relax!
Stranger: Relax!
Excuse me Mister Stranger, I have it under control. Commands from the peanut gallery are not necessary!
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Coming From Both Ends
We made it around the block and I almost had a stroke; Kenji was being a good boy! For the first time in weeks he was trotting along beside me. There were no escape attempts, no kill attempts and no let-me-chew-foreign-object attempts.
And then he threw his guts up.
Over the course of half a block, Kenji returned his breakfast - all of it. There has been no change in his diet and I...
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Kenji the Joy Machine
Kenji is a Joy Machine. He brings it out of everyone. Strangers, friends and family; the latter camp being the most fulfilling to witness. The Kenji Cost of Ownership Calculator now stands at around $3,000. That puts Mr. K at an expense of $28 a day. Not too shabby for unrequited love. And assuming Kenji lives a long and relatively healthy life, that number should drop considerably over the...
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My First Shiba Gets His First Grooming
My wife kept asking me to make the grooming appointment. And I kept refusing. Call me sexist, but I think that kind of thing is better off being handled by her. Unless of course she wants to trade. I’d happily let her deal with the plumber, the accountant and the car repair man. In any event, she finally made the call and we’re dropping Mr. K off at 9am tomorrow morning. ...
