Busy Evening

We are preparing for visitors this evening. I guess Kuro-chan will be happy, one of the visitors is an old friend of him from Japan. I would also like to have lived in Japan, it is a fascinating country and our ancestors are all from Japan, since we are Shibas.

The preparations keep us busy all evening. It is amazing how much there is to pick up and clean, once you put your mind to it, even though you normally think the home is just as tidy and neat as it ever has to be.

Yoghurt

My pups often get to share a bowl of yoghurt late in the evening. They do not finish it, though. When they are done, I come in and finish the bowl. This is just one of many duties I perform for my pups. None of the duties are hard, because I love my pups, but some are more pleasant than others. Finishing the bowl of yoghurt is one of the more pleasant duties. I can recommend yoghurt to most dogs.

Abandoned Dog

In Norway, there are sometimes dog crates that you can borrow outside of shopping malls. Yesterday, somebody abandoned a dog in one of them in Gjovik. The shopping mall closed at nine in the evening, but when the dog barked just after midnight, police was called to the scene and took care of the dog. Nobody knows who abandoned the dog, or why. I cannot think of any reason that would forgive such behaviour.

Who Will We Root For?

Hello, Karstuhl here!

The women's Olympic final in football features Japan versus the USA.

Granny is from the USA, just like uncle Calvin and aunt April. Daddy, on the other hand, is from Japan. Japan is also the home of our breed.

I am not sure whether I will join Granny to root for the USA, or Daddy to root for Japan. I am not the only one who are unsure of this at our place, either. Of course, I will not be really disappointed with either country as gold medal winner, but the thrill of sports is to hope that one of the competitors or teams will win. Thus, it would almost be better if either Japan or the USA would face a quite different country that I have no special feelings for whatsoever.

Well, it is bound to be a nice game to watch, nevertheless.

Pups

It is great having pups. I get extra food. The downside is that I cannot always chose when I will get it. Well, you cannot get it all.

Wrong Name

Hello, Karstuhl here! We had visitors here today. They were nice people. I happened to give their pup, the male, the wrong name yesterday. He is supposed to be called Gonsa. I do not know what this means, but it is a cute name.

Six Weeks

Hello, Karstuhl here! It is now six weeks ago I got another new brother and sister. They are very cute and fun to be with when they are this age. The boy is called Gonzo and the girl Issi. Gonzo's new family Will come to visit him and us tomorrow. It will be interesting to get to know them, so we will know Gonzo gets a Good home. I believe it will be nice.

The Oldest Participant

The oldest competitor in the Olympic Games is from Japan, the 71 year old Hiroshi Hoketsu who participates in dressage. What makes it even more special is that he participated in his first Olympic Games 48 years ago, in Tokyo in 1964. Japanese humans are tough people, just like dogs of Japanese breeds are.

Flying the Flag

The Olympic Games are the current focus for most people these days. National flags of the medalists are flown many times a day. Many of these flags are US flags, because Americans win many medals.

I am, however, much more impressed by other American flags. Recent photographies of the Moon's surface by the Lunar Reconaissance Orbiter show that all but one of the American flags left "flying" by the Apollo landers are still standing. (They are not really flying in the almost non-existant Lunar atmosphere, but made to look like it by a flag pole that also held the upper edge of the flag.) This is despite the harsh temperatures and ultraviolet light on the Lunar surface.

I hope these flags are still standing when humans (and dogs) revisit the landing sites in the future.

Gymnasts

Hello, Peanut here!

We have watched some of the Olympic Games on TV these last days. I was amazed to see the gymnasts, how they could fly, turn midair, hold themselves up with just one stretched arm, and so on. I would never have thought humans could move that way.

The truth is, they cannot, my friend Karstuhl explained. She ought to know, she is two years old, thus much more experienced than I am. Karstuhl told me the gymnasts do not actually do all that they seem to do. It is a combination of threads, invisible to the eye and the camera, that they hang from, and other tricks performed by special effects people behind the scenes. It is like illusionists, who really do not perform magic, Karstuhl said.

Hearing this explanation, I understood. It all makes sense.

Too Young!

A litter of six English Staffordshire Bullterrier pups have been stolen in Olofstorp, near Gothenburg. The pups are just seven weeks old. Pups need to be with their mother until they are at least eight weeks old. These pups need to come back home right away! Their mother was scared and miss her pups.

I hope the news on this will spread, so noone will buy any of these pups from the thief.

Lunar Origin

As long time readers of my blog surely knows, I am interested in the Moon, because my official name is inspired by this celestial body.

Nobody knows for sure how the Moon was created. There is a new theory now, based on computer models, suggesting it was created by a large body hitting early Earth much faster than have previously been thought. I am not sure why this is so interesting, because it has no bearing whatsoever on the everyday life, but I still enjoy reading about it.

Ears

Both pups of my youngest litter have raised their ears now. This is rather early, they are slightly more than five weeks old. The old wisdom says that the earlier a pup raises the ears, the better size the ears will have in adulthood. I would not be surprised. My pups are great in every aspect.

Olympic Games without Dogs

The 2012 Summer Olympic Games starts officially today (though some time consuming tournaments has already started, such as football). The Olympic Games are special in that there are so many sports in the same event. There are, among others, equestrian competitions. Still, there are no dog sports. I would like to see agility in the summer games and dog sleighs in the winter games. This would really be something. Until this happens, I do not care much about the Olympic Games.

Volcano Eruption

The Japanese Sakurajima volcano in the Kagoshima region has erupted. This is not the first time this year, on the contrary, the citizens are getting used to it erupting. It is not likely to be the last, either.

Japan is a fascinating country in so many ways. There are no volcanoes in Sweden, whatsoever. It is not that I miss the volcanic ash coming out of nearby volcanoes, but it would be a little exciting to have some volcano just a little further away. Maybe I am just saying this, because there are none, but so be it. I know many who long for the more exotic things in life, the things that are not here and now. For me, volcanoes are exotic.

Olympic Games

The 2012 summer Olympic Games starts Friday. Some of the competitions started as early as today, though. The Swedish women football team played South Africa, and won 4-1. It was a good game, not just because Sweden won. Sweden plays in the same group as Japan. I hope these two teams will continue in the tournament, hopefully playing the final against each other.

Female Astronaut has Passed Away

The American astronaut Sally Ride has passed away. She was famous not least for being the first American woman in space. The Russians had already had two women in space before Sally Ride got a ride there, but she was the third.

Of course, all the human females in space, as well as human males in space, came after the first female dog in space. The Russian bitch known under the name Laika went into outer space before any human did. Unfortunately, she did not come back. The communist Russians did not bother constructing any re-entry solutions before they let her have her lift-off. Still, the readings the Russians got from Laika was of vital importance for the first human space trips. There you see another example of the selfless sacrifice that dogs do for humans, except in Laika's case, she did not have any choice.

Rest in peace, Sally Ride. I hope you meet Laika in astronaut heaven.

Calvin Won

The winner today is Calvin. He won Best of Breed at the show this Sunday. My pups Polly and Nemo both won Excellent, Nemo with a CK, but no more. I would have wanted them to get better results. I am very happy for Calvin, though. He has had bad luck over many show seasons, lacking his full coat just at the peak of the season. This year, however, it looks like Calvin is the only one of us who has a great coat and generally is at a great shape at the peak of the season. We therefore hope for more victories for him this summer.

Nemo

Having pups of the age of four weeks stops me from going to dog shows. This does not matter so much, when I have older pups who show the world what they are worth. Today, my two year old son Nemo won CAC in Köping. Need I say more?

Cleaning

Hello, Peanut here! We cleaned the house this evening. I like helping out when Daniel sweeps the floor. The only trouble is, he wants to do it himself. He claims he does not need my help. This is sad, I really think I can make a contribution.

Not the Smallest

Hello, Peanut here! It has not always been easy for me, since Hailey got her latest litter of pups. I did think I would be the smallest, cutest dog of the household for some time longer. On the other hand, there are rumours that both of the two pups will move to other families once they are old enough. Then I will be the cutest again. I hope this will happen.

Terrible, Terrible

I must warn you, it is terrible to read about this. Two years ago, animal protection officers just south of Stockholm discovered 191 cats living on a small, urine infested area in the basement of a house. They barely had light in the basement. Of these cats, 174 were in such a bad state they ahd to be put asleep. The woman and her son who lived in the house have now been prosecuted for animal cruelty. They have also been forbidden to have animals in their care. I am glad the two humans get prosecuted. Cruelty to animals in your care should be severely punished. The main question is, however, why did it take two years to prosecute them? Could the prosecutors not be quicker?

Politics

Hello, Karstuhl here! I am considering a future in politics. This is not a common career for dogs, who usually work most of their time as pets. However, having read a story about the cat Stubbs, who has been mayor in a small town in Alaska for about fifteen years, I figured I could perhaps do the same. The question is just what office I will run for. I have to consider that for a while. I promise right now that I would not bother people with political decisions in the same way as most other politicians do.

Flood

We are concerned over the reports on floods and landslides in the southern Japanese island Kyushu. As much rain as will normally fall in a year fell this past weekend. At least 26 humans have been reported dead. How many Shibas or other dogs are dead, we do not know. Evacuation orders have been lifted and cleaning up of the area have started. With these reports in mind, I guess we can stop complaining about the amounts of rain in Sweden this summer.

Climbing

The pups have started to climb out of the litter box. They are very agile. It is a pleasure to take care of them.

Pup's Claws

My pups are growing. So are their claws. Paula cut the claws for the first time today. It went very well. There was just a little bit of protest from the pups, but not more than expected. They would not be Shibas, if they would not make any protest heard at all.

Three Weeks

My pups are now three weeks old. They are almost standing on their back legs, when they make an effort. It is nice to follow their progress, but at the same time, they are now so old that I do not have to watch over them constantly. Not that watching over them is anything but lovely, but it is nice to be able to socialise a little with the other dogs as well. It is good to be a mother of pups.

Long Morning Walk

Hello, Peanut here!

Finally, this morning, I was invited to the long morning walk that Daniel walks with grownup dogs. I have been considered to small up until now, but I proved that I could walk the whole distance. Of course, it is not such a long distance by adult Shiba Inu measurements, but it is a fair distance for a pup like me. Eventually, I will take part in the long weekend walks as well. This is something I am looking forward to.

Plastic

Hello, Peanut here!

Today, I discovered a light weight white form of plastic, which was fun to chew on. I made the living room floor beautiful with the small plastic pieces. Unfortunately, Daniel did not agree with my sense of style, so he swept the floor. Now it is free from plastic again. Well, it was nice while it lasted.

Ferry Tragedy

This is crazy! A dog died today on a ferry from Sweden to the Åland islands. It had been left in a trailer that got too hot. Another dog in the trailer is currently treated for the heat related injuries it sustained and it is unclear whether it is going to make it or not. When will humans learn? This is animal cruelty of the worst kind.

Highly Developed Jaws

In ancient times, ancestors of us dogs developed the ability to hunt in packs, making them more efficient hunters. Their jaws developed and became very strong. Dogs' jaws are still very strong. As human scientists have mapped the canine family tree, they say that the reason we dogs like to eat meat and chew on bones is simply that we have the tools for it. It is nice to have a scientific explanation, even though I do not need it to enjoy chewing on bones. I also urge humans to give their dogs bones to chew on, regardless of what they think about the evolutionary origin of this behaviour. We like it, enough said!

Heat

There is a heat wave in Central and Eastern USA. Reports say many humans have died. I hope the absence of reports on dog deaths mean no dogs have died from the heat, but I seriously doubt it. Why can they not report on the dogs, too?

Aussie Win

Today was yet another Formula 1 race with a name that one of my pups from last year has got, my son Aangenaam Silverstone, a.k.a. Zeus. It was the British Grand Prix.

Auntie Linni was happy for the result, because Aussie Formula 1 driver Mark Webber won the Grand Prix. As I have written before in this blog, Linni's father was from Australia, so she usually hopes for Aussie sportsmen when there are no Swedes competing. I can relate to that, having an American Mum and a Norwegian Dad myself. I was also happy, for Linni's sake.

Staying at Home

This Friday and Saturday, Paula, Daniel, and some of the other dogs went to a dog show. I was out on a walk just before they left, and there the car stood open, with all the usual baggage you bring to a show. I had the urge to jump into the car, but decided against it. No matter how fun it is to go to dog shows, taking care of your pups is much more important.

4th of July

Hello, Peanut here!

One of the things that Hailey and I have in common, is that our mothers are from America. My mother do not care much about Hailey's mother, and vice versa, but they both believe America is the best country there is. They are celebrating this country today.

I am told it is the American national holiday today, because it was on the 4th of July that America declared its independence. This was generations ago, even more so for dogs than for humans, but it is still remembered. The American national holiday celebration is much bigger than the Swedish of the 6th of June, it is more like Swedish Midsummer Eve celebrations.

The downside in America is the fireworks. We have most of them in Sweden on New Years Night, our summer nights being too bright with light. Many dogs and wildlife are afraid of fireworks. I guess I am not afraid of them. To me, it just seems like an awful waste of money to buy expensive fireworks just to hear some explosions and see some colours in the sky for a few seconds. If you want to enjoy sounds, try a squeeky toy instead.

We will have hamburgers later tonight. It is fitting this day, because it is a national dish of America. I love hamburgers. If the Americans invented the hamburger, this is enough reason for me to celebrate!

More Pictures

Here are some more pictures of my latest litter:

Needless to say, I am very proud of them.

Picture of My Latest Litter

For all of you who have waited to see pictures of the two pups I gave birth to Friday the week before last, here they are:

Soon

Paula and Daniel were unsure what to do tonight, when the European Championship in football is over and no games are aired on TV. They need not worry, though, there will be more games soon. The World Cup starts in just two years.

Half a Year

Half of 2012 has passed. It feels like it has gone by quickly. Humans sometimes say they feel like time flies with an increasingly higher speed as you grow older. I guess they are right. I just do not know why this is so.

Worthy Winners

Spain won the European Championship in football tonight. They were worthy winners. There were many good teams in the tournament, but eventually, one needs to finish first. This time it was Spain. Congratulations to all of you who hoped for a Spanish victory!

Swedish Gold Medal

There is not just an ongoing European championship in football, but also in athletics. This is in Helsinki, Finland. All of a sudden this evening, a Swede won the women's 400 metres final. This was the young Moa Hjelmer, whom nobody seem to have predicted would win. Normally, I believe the surprises reported from championships are that Swedes are not as good as the reporters would have hoped. This surprise was the other way around. I enjoyed that!

Italy and Spain

Two Mediterranean countries will play the final game of this year's European Championship in football: Spain and Italy. Spain beat Portugal in the semi final yesterday, and Italy beat Germany today. We believe that Italy has played better football than Spain. Football is, however, a sport where it is far from easy to predict the results of future games. It will be an exciting game this Sunday.

Rain, Rain, Rain

June of this year in our home town has seen more rain than any other June for many years. While rain is typical Swedish summer weather, this much rain is no fun. We would like to have warmer, sunnier days, when we can lie in the sun in our garden. Those days, living is easy. So far, we have not had any day like that this June. Hopefully, it will be better in July.

Summer TV

Two classical summer TV events started this Tuesday. One is "Allsång på Skansen", a live show from Stockholm with songs and performances, which I do not care that much about. The other is the british TV series Midsomer Murders. I guess Midsomer Murders is aired in the summers in Sweden mainly because the name of the fictious county Midsomer sounds like our holiday midsummer. It is often a nice show, but today's story was a bit cheap. Still, it is nice that the summer TV has begun.

Not Doing Anything

Hello, Karstuhl here!

Today I'm not doing anything. Neither are anybody else in our household. Vacation is a great thing, especially when it is heavy rain and you just want to stay indoors, sleeping, all day. It is almost like you start to like the rain - almost.

Valencia

The European Grand Prix in Formula 1 took place in Valencia today. This is one of three races that have a special place in my heart, because the pups of the litter I had last year were named from Formula 1 tracks, Valencia being one of them. My dear daughter Anzu, who lives in Bergen, Norway, is formally known as Aangenaam Valencia.

This year's GP was an exciting one, with a lot of overtaking. One would have thought that Sebastian Vettel would win from pole position, as he often does, but he had to retire with mechanical problem. Instead, the Spanish Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso won on his home turf. Finnish driver Kimi Räikkönen finished second. I do not know that much about Formula 1, but Daniel likes these two drivers, so he was happy. I guess a lot of Spaniards are, too. They are through to the semi finals in the European Championship in football and their countryman Alonso leads this year's Formula 1 World Championship. Perhaps this can divert some of their attention from the sad state of the Spanish economy.

Midsummer

Hello, Karstuhl here!

We did celebrate midsummer today. Paula and Daniel were at home most of the day. In the early evening, they put some meat on the grill. All of us dogs got some extra nice food. I would like more days to be like today.

Summer Solstice and Midsummer

Hello, Karstuhl here!

It was summer solstice yesterday and the shortest night of the year last night. We celebrate midsummer eve in Sweden tomorrow. I wondered why we do not celebrate midsummer at the summer solstice.

Grandmum Sunni said it is unnecessary to celebrate midsummer at all, they never do it in the USA, where she comes from. Daddy told me they never celebrate it in Japan either, where he and the Shiba Inu breed come from.

Mommy, on the other hand, who was born in Sweden, had something to say on the subject. She told me midsummer is celebrated on the weekend closest to the 24th of June, which is when the Christian Church celebrate John the Baptist. This celebration is exactly half a year prior to (and after) Christmas Eve. The summer solstice is earlier than the 24th, but the winter solstice is also earlier than Christmas Eve, by the same amount of time. Thus, this is all due to human political decisions, one way or the other. Humans are curious, sometimes.

Wolves and Baths

Hello, Karstuhl here!

I heard a researcher say on the radio today that there are about ten human children who dies form drowning each year, in lakes, swimming pools, etc. We have just had the first human casualty because of wolves since the 1830s in Sweden, which have caused people to call for the extermination of all the wolves in this country. I wonder when they will call for the ban on all swimmingpools?

Late Night

Please come back tomorrow...

Not a Good Day for Spain

Sweden is out of the Euro 2012, so we have to hope for other teams. Peanut hoped for the Netherlands, but they went out yesterday. Paula's second favourite (next to Sweden) is Spain, and they made it to the quarter finals today. The Spanish team did not play well, however. They did win by 1-0, but the goal was scored in the final minutes when the opponent Croatia was doing everything to score themselves and had switched defenders for forwards. If Spain plays like this, there must be high odds on them defending their gold medals from the last European Championship four years ago. I rather believe Germany will win, or perhaps England.

Portugal

Hello, Peanut here again.

So, Portugal made it through to the quarter finals alongside Germany. Neither the Netherlands nor Denmark made it. I am sad.

Then, after the game, Sunni said once again she did not care, because she does not care about football. Did I not tell you so?

The Netherlands!

Hello, Peanut here!

I hope for the Netherlands tonight, home of my brother Botan.

There is a small hope for the Netherlands to make it to the quarter finals in the Euro 2012 football championship. This is if they win against Portugal, Germany wins against Denmark, and the Netherlands get the best difference between goals scored themselves and by their opponents. It is a long shot, but it is possible.

Not everyone at our home hope for the Netherlands, though. There are those who would rather see Denmark in the quarter finals. Sunni says she hopes for Denmark because it is a neighbour of Sweden and the first European country she was in (and peed in). I do believe, though, that she rather hopes for Denmark because my mother April and I root for the Netherlands. Sunni has never liked my mother, thus, she does not like me. She usually do not care for football, but does tonight. Well, all the more fun, then, if the Netherlands make it.

Human Killed by Wolves

For the first time in centuries, a human has been killed by wolves in Sweden. The killed human was one of the caretakers of the wolves at the zoo Kolmården in the southeastern part of Sweden.

Nobody knows why the wolves killed their caretaker. She was alone with them, so there are no witnesses. This is something that was according to protocol, but which I believe was foolish. Wolves belong to the same species as dogs do, but wolves do not have the interited friendship with humans that dogs have.

So far, the zoo has decided not to kill the wolves who might have killed the human. They are not even sure how many of the wolves took part in the killing. I think it is wise to try to establish what happened, before taking any action against the wolves. They, too, deserve a fair trial.

Glad I Did Not Go

For once, today, I was happy I did not go to a dog show. Daniel went to an outdoor dog show this morning to work as a ring steward, but there was heavy rain for many hours. I would not have wanted to be there, in the showring, in the heavy downpour that hit him. Dog shows are usually nice, but there are limits.

Out of the Championship

Sweden lost its second game in the Euro 2012 football championship tonight. With two lost games, while the other three teams in the group have at least one victory each, there is no chance for Sweden to become one of the two best who go on to the quarter finals. Sweden was thus the second team to lose out, after Ireland. The most disappointing thing was that Sweden played well and led by 2-1, but finally lost by 3-2, nevertheless. The Swedes played much better than in the game where they lost to Ukraine, but it was not enough.

I have to consider carefully which teams to root for now.

Blogging

Hello, Peanut here!

Hailey had no interest in blogging, so she asked Polly or me to do it today. Polly also had no interest in blogging. If they do not know what to write, how do they expect me to do it? Well, it will not be longer than this.

Fumi

Paula and Daniel visited my daughter Fumi and her family this evening. She has a great life in another part of our town. It is good to know that she is fine.

Tokyo Is Expensive

The Japanese currency, Yen, is rising realtive to the US Dollar. Tokyo is now rated as the most expensive city to live in for foreign staff. As a Shiba Inu, I would love to see the capital in the country of my ancestors, but perhaps not if it is too expensive. There must be other parts of Japan which are not quite as expensive to visit.

Never Quite Happy

I believe there is a natural law saying you can never be happier than a certain degree. I think I had a good day today, but then Ukraine beat Sweden in the European Championship in football. Oh, well, give me any Ukranian Shiba Inus and an impartial show judge, and I will show you that Swedes do win over Ukranians. ;-)

hello, peanut here again.

hannes will leave for his new family tomorrow. this will make me the only pup left here at home. it will not be as fun anymore, but i think i will manage. i wish hannes all the best, as i have done with botan, tsuki, and chiko already. we might very well meet again on dog shows or the like.

Loss

hello, peanut here,

i got a text message from my brother botan in the netherlands. he was as upset as his dutch family over the danish victory in the european championship against the netherlands tonight. born in sweden, botan will always be a fan of sweden, but in a game between his new homeland and another country, he favours the netherlands. so do i, as a homage to him. we hope that the dutch will rise again and beat the other teams of the group to advance to the quarter finals.

Euro 2012

The UEFA European Championship in football started today. It is fun to follow the games. I just wish there would be at least a fraction of that air time on TV devoted to live coverage of dog shows.

City Fair

There was this annual fair in the centre of our city today. Paula and Daniel went there with Mia. Apparently, a lot of people were there, and a few dogs as well. I saw no point in going. If I am to be on a crowded place, it better be a dog show.

D Day

Today it is sixtyeight years since American, British, and Canadian troops invaded Nazi-occupied Normandy. This is the greatest amphibious military operation ever in history. It was a vital step in liberating Western Europe from the Nazis and saving it from the Communists. It is worth celebrating.

Meanwhile, in Sweden, we celebrate our national holiday, which has a much less glorious history. I believe it is better to join Mum, April, and Calvin (who are from the USA) in celebrating D Day.

Venus Passage

The planet Venus will be seen crossing the Sun tomorrow morning, as seen from the surface of Earth. This is a very rare event. I do not care much, nevertheless. I am Aangenaam Lunar Eclips, I care about lunar eclipses, but why would I care about a similar event with Venus that is not even visible unless you use special gear to protect your eyes? I will not get up early tomorrow morning to try to see it.

Statistics

Blogger, my blog provider, got some new features a couple of weeks ago. One is a frame showing statistics on how many readers my blog has had each of the last days. This is a little fun, but also a little disturbing. I have realized that I, sometimes, think too much about the statistics, in the lines of: "how can I write this blog to get more readers". There is nothing wrong with getting more readers, but I have never before written this blog just to maximize the number of readers. I worry that this might change me, as a writer, and I am not comfortable with that thought. I like the way I have been writing my blog from the start. I guess I must stop thinking so much about the statistics, but it is easier said than done. I am working on the problem, though. If you, as my reader, notice any change in my style as a blog writer, do not hesitate to tell me, I would like to know!

Polly Poppins

hello, polly here.

two of the pups will move to their new families tomorrow, as this is the day they turn eight weeks old. i have enjoyed playing with them and raising them. this has gone so far that the other dogs have started to call me polly poppins, after the famous childrens book nanny mary poppins. i am proud over this nick name. in many ways, though, i believe i raise pups better than mary poppins could ever do. i guess it is also great training until i get pups of my own.

Trouble with thé Computer

our computer is not functioning properly. we believe it is filled with too much data. meanwhile, i have to make do with writing blog entries by mobile phone. it is all right, but the touch screens could be better suited for dog paws.

Party

Paula was away at a party tonight. We dogs did not care. For us, every night at home is like a party, if we wish it to be.

Many Birthdays

Mum turns thirteen years old today. This is an awe inspiring age, yet not really old for a Shiba Inu. In our line, there are many old ladies.

My third litter, of Zeus, Fumi, and Anzu, turns one year old today. This is an exciting young age.

Congratulations to all four of you!

Summer

Hello, Peanut here!

The older dogs say it is summer now. This is supposed to be a period when the weather is generally warm, as opposed to winter, when it is much colder. I guess I have to live for a little longer before I really know what they mean.

What We Dogs Can Do

A stray dog in China who got some food from a participant in a bicycle race, then decided to run along the race. He completed the 1 700 km long race running alongside the cyclists, one of whom now wants to adopt him. After such a feat, he well deserves to be adopted by a human.

There is a short video of this heroic dog on BBC's homepage.

Is it not amazing what we dogs can do?

Mother's Day

Today is Mother's Day in Sweden. I have congratulated my mother, though she always believes I am to late. In America, where she comes from, Mother's Day is the second Sunday in May, not the last Sunday. Mum claims this is the real Mother's Day, since the modern Mother's Day celebration comes from America. I still believe that when you live in Sweden, you should celebrate the Swedish Mother's Day.

My daughter Polly congratulated me. We also went over to Paula's mother, who was celebrated by her daughters. Daniel's mother got a Mother's Day gift yesterday, as Daniel and Paula met her at Daniel's brother's place.

Sweden Won

Sweden won the Eurovision Song Contest this year. Apparently, Sweden has done so four times before, but this is the first victory that I have experienced. It is fun.

The result was in when the clock was past midnight, this is why I did no blog entry for Saturday.

Dad's country of birth, which is also my daughter Anzu's home country, Norway, did not do well. They came in last. On the other hand, they won just a couple of years ago.

Congratulations

Last weekend, my dear Toy Poodle friend Smash JP Victorious Love "Laila" became Swedish Show Champion. Congratulations!

Japan not Radiant

There are good news about Japan in a new report from the World Health Organisation, WHO. According to the report, radiation levels in most of the country are below the levels that are likely to cause cancer, one year after the terrible nuclear accident in Fukushima. Two areas near the power plant has relatively high levels of radiation, but that is about it. Levels outside of Japan are below levels deemed as "very small".

One will have to see, a couple of dog generations on, if the rate of cancers have increased in Japan. This report suggest it should not be so. This is indeed good news for all the dogs and humans living in Japan.

40

We have been up until late tonight, celebrating Daniel's 40th birthday. It is worth celebrating.

Baptised

The youngest Swedish princess, Estelle, was baptised today. We wish her all the luck in life.

Dogs are never baptised. I have never before wondered why. Somehow, I guess we do not need to.

Dieting During Pregnancy

I read this rather startling story about scientists who had reviewed a lot of findings and found out there is no harm for either a pregnant woman or the child she carries, if she goes on a diet. Of course, it could not be any diet, but still, some diets were good.

I wonder if the same thing applies for bitches expecting pups. I hope not. Getting extra food sure is one of the big perks of expecting pups.

Shorter Lawn

Hello, Peanut here!

When we got out in the garden this afternoon, the grass was much shorter than it was this morning. I was told by the older dogs that this is because Daniel does something called mowing, when he cuts the grass shorter. There is one big advantage with this: there are fewer ticks. It is also easier to run on a shorter lawn, and to find toys. I like the shorter lawn.

Good Odds for the Eurovision Song Contest

Swedish journalists almost always report that the Swedish song which will participate in the Eurovision Song Contest is a favourite. It feels like they do it every year, so I have stopped believing in it. Now, however, the BBC reports that bookmakers give Sweden's song the best odds of all. The bookmakers base their odds on what people will bet on, and the people are the ones who call and vote in the song contest. I now believe there is a good chance that Sweden may win this year.

Life Is Unfair

Hello, Peanut here!

Daniel was playing with the broom on the living room floor today, but when I wanted to join the fun, he told me not to. Later in the day, Daniel was digging in the garden. When I tried to join that fun, he also told me not to. Why can he play with the broom and dig in the garden, when I cannot? I may be just a little pup, but I start to realize life is not always fair.

Senkaku Islands

Japan is being nice to its mainland neighbour China. It has agreed to talks over the Senkaku Islands and surrounding seas, islands which are part of Japan and fully controlled by Japan. There are natural resources on these islands and in the sea. I do not really understand why you would have these talks, except for being polite. Politeness is nice, but can still not be the only reason to talk. I guess there is more to this story than I can see.

Smaller Pups

Hello, Peanut here!

I have met pups who are smaller than I am. This was an interesting experience. A couple of weeks ago, I was also that small. Still, I believe there are things about life that I can teach these pups.

I was told by the older dogs that it is not common to meet other pups at my age. In this case, however, the younger litter of pups are also bred by us. Thus, it is only natural for me to meet them. I like that.

Missing Paula

Paula is away on a business trip. We miss her. Daniel is at home, but it is not the same thing if not both our humans is here. Paula will be back tomorrow, though.

Summer Santas

Hello, Karstuhl here!

Paula had bought something interesting: a common Swedish Christmas candy in the form of small Santa Clauses, but with summer taste. It was a summer twist of this candy. Santa Claus was on the bag, wearing sunglasses on a summer day. Quite funny, I think.

Airport

Hello, Peanut here again!

My brother Botan left us today for his new home in the Netherlands. Auntie Linni and I accompanied Paula, Daniel, and him to the airport. It was a new experience to see a huge structure like the airport terminal, but nothing to be affraid of. We have heard from Botan, he has met his new family and is doing quite well. I miss him already!

Eight Weeks Old

Hello, Peanut here!

My brother Botan and I are eight weeks old today. We are told that this means we are old enough to move to new families. Botan will move tomorrow. I will miss him, even though I have made friends with other dogs here. There is something special with a dog who is just your own age and size, especially for us pups.

I wish Botan the best of luck with his new family!

Reading Dogs' Minds

A couple of American scientists have started experiments with brain scanners to figure out what dogs are thinking of. I think they could just ask humans who live with dogs. We do know each other well, dogs and humans, do we not?

Rain

It is well that it is not snow, this far into the year. Still, the almost constant rain today was not nice. It did not make the day bright. I hope for a sunnier day tomorrow, then I might be inspired to write something more than this.

Good Food

Hello, Karstuhl here!

The pups are lucky. They get better food than us adult dogs. The pups get a special mix of meat, while the rest of us get ordinary pills. There is nothing wrong with our food, but I believe the food the pups get is tastier. I used to be the youngest. There are advantages of not being the youngest anymore, but it is obvious the food is not one of these advantages. Well, you cannot be lucky all the time.

There's No Place Like Home

I enjoyed this last weekend, not only because I won a lot in Denmark. It is always fun to go places and to meet new friends, two legged as well as four legged. Still, it felt good to come home today. There simply is no place like home, with the rest of the pack - my dear daughter, Mum, and all the rest. It is time for some rest now.

Another Good Result

I was Best of Opposite Sex today as well.

The Best of Breed winner today was not Kokuhou, but another fine male. I would rather have lost against Kokuhou today as well, since he is one of my pack, but the winner was a worthy one.

Black and Tan Victory

It was a great day in Roskilde, Denmark, today. Kokuhou was Best of Breed and I was Best of Opposite Sex. Both of us became Danish Show Champions, to add to his Japanese and Swedish Championships and my Swedish and Finnish Championships. It also meant that I became Nordic and International Champion.

The only thing that would have been better than this result, would have been that I won the Best of Breed title. For one thing, the red centre of the ribbons make the red and yellow Best of Breed ribbon better looking than the green and white Best of Opposite Sex ribbon. The main thing, though, is that as a true competitor, I always want to win, even aganist dear friends like Kokuhou. I also always want the chance to walk into the Best in Group final. Well, you cannot have it all. I am far from disappointed with today's result.

A Little Annoyed

I am a little bit annoyed at my blog provider. So, it was a late night this Friday. We drove almost all day and then met some new and old acquaintances. The simple fact that I did not post my daily blog post until 0:00 on Saturday should not make it a Saturday blog post. It was meant to be a Friday blog post. This goes against the idea of a daily blog.

Oh well, maybe I should blame myself, too. I could have published a draft a couple of minutes earlier, then just update it. Nevertheless, I am annoyed.

Finally, a Show!

Finally, I am going to a dog show again to be shown. Paula, Kokuhou, and I are going to a show in Roskilde in Denmark.

We hope that both Kokuhou and I will add a Danish show championship to our other champion titles. It is possible that I will be Nordic and International champion as well.

The main thing is, though, that I am going to the show. It is so much fun to be shown at a dog show. I love the whole setting and everything around it, and I love to show myself to the crowd. The result is not quite as important, even though it bears a considerable weight, too.

I will let you know what happens.

Birthdays

Paula's sister Mia celebrates her birthday today. We sent Paula and Daniel to congratulate her from the whole family.

Our Pharao hound friend Primus would also have had his birthday today, but he is no longer with us. We think of all the good memories we have of him.

Game of Thrones

April's pups of the latest litter are named after the TV show Game of Thrones. The second season starts today on Swedish TV. It is really something.

Senna

It was exactly 18 years ago today that three times Formula 1 world champion Ayrton Senna died on the race track. We saw a documentary about him on TV this evening. It was an interesting documentary. Since his death, safety has been much improved, and there has been no deaths in Formula 1. We hope there never will be, either, though it will continue to be a sport where serious accidents will happen.

It is nice to know dog races are not as stricken by accidents as motor races are.