Shiba Inu Rendez Vous

Paula, April, Calvin, and I went to a Shiba Inu meeting in Köping today. Mia and Kesshi came along, as well as Kesshi's sister Saga and her human Lina. There were numerous other Shiba Inus there. One of them was, of course, my brother Jiro, who lives in Köping. All of us had a great time. It is always very nice to meet Jiro and other nice dogs of our breed. There was also a barbecue with hot dogs, which was my favourite event in the whole meeting. There was also a journalist from the local news paper there, taking photographs of some of us dogs. I wish we could do fun stuff like this a bit more often.

Nine Pups

Just like yesterday, I would like to tell you about something that has happened in Norway. At the breeder where Dad comes from, Enerhaugen in the city of Bergen, a Shiba Inu litter of nine pups has been born. None of us at Aangenaam has ever heard of a bigger litter, when it comes to our breed. The Shiba Inu is a breed that is very close to the wild origin of the dog, thus, we normally get litters of about two to four pups. Noone have ever bred our breed to make us get bigger litters. The biggest litter ever in Sweden was eight, and even this was huge, as far as Shiba Inus go. It is not surprising, then, that the litter of nine pups is a matter that we have discussed at length today.

We hope that all pups are well, there is the risk that some pups in a huge litter are weaker and will not fare very well in life, if they survive at all. As far as we know, all pups in this litter are healthy, which make us happy. Dad say, of course, that they could not have had a better breeder to be born at (the rest of us say that other kennels must be just as good, such as Taichung, Aangenaam, and Honto No). We have no doubt the pups are taken very well care of. I will come back with more news when I get any.

Medieval Ships Found in Norway

Dad is always interested in news from his country of birth, Norway. Today, we can read that archaeologists have found nine old ships, well preserved under mud, in Oslo. The ships apparently sank at an old harbour of Oslo that was abandoned in the 1620's. Dad says that these nine ships must be a more interesting sight than the one that has a museum in Stockholm, the war ship Wasa that sank at its first journey. Dad is always able to see advantages of Norway over Sweden.

Good and Bad Dogs

A human child in South Africa was assaulted and dragged along the street by a Pit bull terrier, but a Rottweiler came to rescue the child. The child was saved. There is yet no explanation for the action by the Pit bull, but the police is investigating the case.

In cases like this, it is important to note, not only that another dog saved the child, but also that the vast majority of dogs would never, ever attack a human like this. Pit bulls are notorious for being ferocious, but not every Pit bull would attack a human. No matter what, I have never heard of a dog who would attack a human without cause. It may not be a just cause, but a cause, nevertheless. It would be very interesting to hear what caused this attack. The news story starts with the attack, but what happened before?

Great News

Kesshi is declared healthy by the veterinarian today! Do I need to say more?

Work Schedules

They called from Paula's work about half past nine tonight and asked if she was not supposed to work tonight. According to Paula's own notes, she was not, but according to notes at her work, she was. Be it as it may, she went to work and we will have to do without her tonight. Daniel is at home, as well as every dog, but no night is great without the whole family. I miss Paula all the more, since we all had assumed she would not work tonight. We were not prepared for this. Hopefully, things like this will not happen again.

Murderers Caught in Bergen

A couple of Finnish fellons have been on the run, but have been caught by the police in Bergen. I am glad that they were caught. It is always disturbing if dangerous criminals is lose, and especially so if you find out that they have been on the lose in a city where you know a lot of dogs and humans. Dad was born and raised in Bergen, and he has a lot of family there. We would not want these fellons to be able to do anything dangerous in the home town of Dad's family and friends. Dad says that the capture goes to prove the efficiency of the Norwegian police, and I do not think anybody can argue with that.

Paula's Birthday

Today is Paula's birthday, and we have celebrated her. Paula's parents, grandmother, and Mia and Emil were here. It was great fun to meet them all and Paula had a good time. Paula's father got to take so many apples from our garden that he could carry, and her grandmother got a few apples as well.

My Dad is also happy for two Norwegian Olympic gold medals today, in the ladies' handball and men's javelin throw. In addition, there was a Belgian gold medal in the ladies' high jump, which makes Dad happy since he is actually half Belgian, his Dad was born in Belgium. He does not really care that there has been so few Swedish medals in these Olympic Games.

Prepairing

Prepairations are ongoing for Paulas birthday on Saturday. There are rumours saying that Paula and Daniel will go to the cinema and to a restaurant tomorrow night. If so it gives me a couple of more hours to prepairing for the festivities on Saturday.Today I tried cleaning up the floors from all the toys lying around. This was not the easest task with Calvin in my way. He just wanted to play all time.I have also used my skills in surfing on the web to buy Paula a couple of present online. I sure hope that she will like them.

Benefits of Teddy Bears

There are many benefits to having teddy bears. They are cute, soft, and fun to play with. What I had not thought of before, is that they can also be used to house a spy camera to guard your home. In England, a carer for an old lady was caught stealing by a camera hidden in a teddy bear with the lens at one of the eyes of the bear. The carer pleaded guilty and was sentenced to prison. Consequently, justice was done thanks to a teddy bear. Happy news for all of us who like teddy bears, since this is yet another benefit of these plush animals.

Foot Injury

Paula and I went to Mia, Kesshi, and Emil tonight. It is fun to go there, but the imediate reason was not fun at all today. Mia had stepped upon a hard, sharp object and wanted Paula's help to clean the wound. This is consequently a time when Paula's nurse studies come to practical use even beside work. Kesshi knows just how Mia feels, since he has cut a paw open when stepping on glass hidden in the snow some years ago. He still remembers that agony and is protective of his paws.

Sweden's best hope for an olympic medal did not make it today. High jumper Stefan Holm ended up fourth, just short of a medal. I am sorry for him (but not as sorry as I am for Mia).

Another Rainy Day

It seems like there is rain every day now. Thus, the English saying that an ordinary day is "another rainy day" fits very well. It is Monday and Daniel go to work in the day, while Paula works in the night. Meanwhile, as pet dogs, we are on call around the clock.

The Russian author Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who passed away recently, has had a street in central Moscow named for him. He was known as one of the most prominent people to critizise the tyrannical communistic regime that used to rule Russia. It seems fit, then, that the street that gets his name has been known as Great Communist Street up until now.

Rain

I got to come along to the dog show today. Since I am blowing my coat, there was no use in showing me for the American judge. I did get to meet a very nice human called Sandra, though, who may offer a home for one of my future pups. We got along quite well, so I am sure she will take good care of a young Shiba Inu.

It was probably just as well that I was not shown. The Shiba Inus were shown late in the show ring, and while there was a little rain now and then before noon, it was as if the gates of the heavenly reservoir had open up completely once the Shiba Inus were up for our competition. April was shown, and she did not like it at all. Sure, the horrible weather was equal for everyone, but some dogs can take it better than others and April has never been fond of rain. She did not do very well.

Luckily, Paula and Daniel decided not to stay until the finals. Last Saturday in Askersund, they did despite heavy downpour, but that was because April was Best of Breed and thus got to compete in the Group final. We were not obliged to stay for any final today. We often stay anyway out of sheer interest, but in this weather, none of us wanted to.

It was nice to get in to the dry car for the ride home and even better when we got home. Normally, I love going to dog shows, but this was maybe a dog show I could have done without.

They Went Without Me

Paula and April went to a dog show in Norrköping today. I did not get to go along. Sure, I got to sleep for a long time in the morning, but it is always better to go along to a dog show. Dog shows are so much fun. In the afternoon, Paula and April came back, and I have been promised to go along to the dog show in Nyköping tomorrow. This will be fun.

Celestial Japan

The first completely Japan made satellite was launched this Thursday from Kourou in French Guiana. It will broadcast TV and provide other services to Japan and surrounding countries. It is nice that the Land of the Rising Sun can build its own satellites.

Meanwhile, Japan beat China in its quarter final in the Olympic ladies' football tournament, making up for the sadness that Dad and I felt when Norway and Sweden lost theirs. The USA is also in the semi finals, playing Japan there. I am half American, but as a Shiba Inu I always hope for Japan too, so I am not quite sure what team to hope for in this semi final. Mum and April, wholly American, hope for the USA.

Poor Linni!

I have watched over auntie Linni today. She went under anesthesia for removing a big red lump on her belly. Luckily the lump turned out to be a purulence. The veterinarian flushed the pus away. Now Linni has to be on antibiotics for 10 days. Both ointment and tablets.

Good stuff does come with the bad. This mean that she will recieve a meatball every morning and night with the medicine in it. Paula and Dan are such nice dog people so they will give us each a meatball so non of us dogs feels left over. I will soon drive to the drugstore to fetch Linnis medicine. After that we will go to the supermarket to buy some meatballs.

A good thing that happened today was that the US olympic team in basket stays unbeaten and that James Blake eliminated Roger Federer from Olymic tennis. Yeah!

http://en.beijing2008.cn/

Bad Economy Hit Dogs

The world's economy is slowing down, interest rates are rising, and apparently, this makes people abandon their best friends - their dogs. This is at least true in Australia. We are disturbed by these news, especially Auntie Linni, whose father was from there, so she's got relatives there. How can you abandon a dog for economical reasons? There must be other expenses to drop first. If you have to abandon your dog, you should not have had a dog in the first place. The world is a cruel place, sometimes.

Equestrian

We watched a show jumping final in the olympic equestrian competitions. I, as half American, had hoped for the US rider who got the silver medals. Still, it was a nice story that the winner was an amateur who beat all of the professionals. He is a dentist from Germany, riding in his spare time. This is great.

While I like watching equestrian, I cannot help wondering if the dog sport agility would not suit equally well in the Olympic Games. Like in show jumping with horses, there is a human guiding the dog, though the human runs beside the dog, which makes it somewhat more of a sport for the human as well. Maybe we will see agility in the Olympic Games in the future, it is said that this sport is increasingly popular throughout the world. However, I believe this will have to be in the far future.

Americans Sure Can Swim

The USA swam for gold, and they made it. The US male olympic swimming team were close to getting the silver medals in the 4 x 100 metres relay finale today, but beat the French team to the gold in the last 50 metres.

"Never rule out Americans", as my American Mum said.

Through my Mum, I am half American myself. Sweden got in as the fifth team, which is not bad, but in the Olympic Games, the medals are what really counts. As I am half American, I can celebrate the gold as well. This feels great.

Scene stealer

I'm having a nice day off today. In the evening I will go to my friend Kesshi and show him my ribbons. He loves the fame which come with the fact to have two champion girls as close friends. April has made some hints that she wants to come with us. Well that could work, as long as she is not trying to steel the attention from me. She can be such a scene stealer. Just look at the picture above. Paula had arrange for me to take a picture with my newly won ribbons. Guess who came jumping up in the sofa and wanted to be in it? I'll rest my case....

Well, Today I Managed to Finish It

It was a rainy day at the dog show in Askersund today, but our results were great.

I have kept my fans on hold for a long time, denying them the joy of seeing me as the champion everyone have always said that I had the potential to be. This has to end sometime. I decided that today's show on our home turf in Askersund, organized by our own regional kennel club, was the perfect place to finish the championship. Consequently, I did everything I could to win the open class. I did win and was second in Best of Bitches, gaining the final certificate that I needed. I also hired a pro-handler for my mission. Ms Sofie Lönn (also a close friend to Paula) made me strutt my stuff just that extra much which made me a champion. Way to go Sofie and thank you for your kind help and super delicious bait.

The only bitch who beat me was April. April is my dear friend, she is already a champion so I got the certificate anyway. April went on to win Best of Breed, yeah!

A nice thing is that I won the final certificate judged by Mr. David Hull from South Africa, when my kennel name is originally a word in Africaans, a language from South Africa.

As I am now a champion, Paula and Daniel will not have to worry that I have started to blow my coat now. When I get my first litter of pups, which we have planned for late this year, my championship title will be seen in the official pedigrees of my pups. These were also things I considered, when I made my plans to win my championship today.

Dogs Benefit Humans in Many Ways

What I say in my headline today is actually superfluous. Of course, dogs benefit humans in so many ways, it should be unnecessary to say so. On the other hand, here is another benefit to humanity: a genetic fault in dachshunds may explain a certain kind of blindness in humans. These blindnesses are similar, as would probably be the genes causing it. This only goes to prove, yet again, that the benefits that humans get of dogs are countless.

Irony

It is ironic that the Italian top car designer Andrea Pininfarina was killed in a car accident, hit by a car while riding a scooter.

It is also ironic that the Spanish slugs, that constantly invade our property, are killed by us. This is ironic, because in Sweden these slugs also go by the name "murder slug", and we are killing them. I am not sure why they are called murder slugs; one explanation would be that they eat everything green that they come across, another would be that they eat each other. I would like it better if they only ate each other. Be that as it may, we kill these slugs by putting them in our feces container in the dog yard, which is air tight. They die from suffocation and then we throw the contents in the garbage. This may not sound like a nice way of killing the slugs, but it is effective, and after all, they are the unwanted trespassers.

Yawning

Scientists in Britain have found that dogs can catch a human's yawn and respond by yawning themselves, just like humans can do when another human yawns. As if we did not know.

Meanwhile, scientists in South Korea claim to have successfully completed the world's first commercial cloning of a pet dog. As if anybody would need it.

The Perfect Storm

It is not so fun weather outside now. I believe Daniel has it more worse than we have. The west coast has full storm and bad weather.

I will take the car to Kesshi tonight. Rumour has it that Emil and Mia will serve owen baked pancake with bacon. It is definitly worth the drive over too see if it's true.

Grooming

Daniel has left our house now. It feels a bit sad but at least I know he is in good hands at the family summer house.

Meanwhile, I'm taking care of Paula. We have fun making dinner for her and us and playing. the highlight of tonight will be tasting the scampi & gorgonzola pasta sauce. Im a bit eager to do that so I will write more tomorrow.

Paula will go to the hair dresser tomorrow. It is more expensive than to groom us shibas. Paula has had some highlights in her hair this summer but now she wants to colouring the entire hair dark brown. I'm already satisfied with my colours so I don't see the point in paying money to dye the hair. Most important, it is forbidded by the Swedish KC to even do so in a dog. A good thing!

Meanwhile, in Japan

There was a partial solar eclipse over Sweden yesterday. I never care much, I am more interested in the lunar eclipse in half a month. Small wonder, since my name is Lunar Eclips.

Meanwhile, in Japan, interesting things happen. - Prime Minister Yasuo Fusuda has reshuffled his cabinet, creating something new for himself instead of the list of ministers that he basicly inherited from his predecessor Shinzo Abe. We will have to see if this raises his and his party's low popularity among the voters. - Tuna fishermen has decided to suspend fishing of tuna, for periods of a total of two months in the coming two years. The aim is to take a first step to restore the dwindling stock of tuna in the seas. It will not be enough in itself, but the Japanese fishermen will try to co-ordinate the operation with similar fishermen organizations in China, Taiwan, and South Korea. I hope they succeed, tuna is tasty, so we would want the stock of it to live on in the future.

Friday

As the week has gone by, it has become less hard to get up early to come along with Daniel on the early morning walks. Today, it hardly bothered me at all. It is Saturday tomorrow, and he will get up early again to get out with us before Paula comes home from work in the early morning. On Sunday, however, Daniel will go away for a couple of days to visit his parents in their summer house. We will not get the same early morning walks these days. Will it be equally hard to adjust, when Daniel comes back, as it was early this week after his long vacation? I hope not. However, Daniel and Paula are nice and when I do protest a lot I can, on occasion, skip an early morning walk. We will have to see what happens.