Night Shift

Paula is working on the night shift tonight. Daniel is at a lodge meeting in the International Order of Odd Fellows. This means we dogs have a night shift too, watching the house. We are good at it. Nobody needs to worry.

Japanese Top Students Stopped from Studying Swedish

There are Japanese top students who study Swedish. Many of them have come to Sweden to work on their Swedish language skills. These students have done this for twenty years. None of them have posed any problems for Sweden. Now, however, the Swedish authority responsible for issuing visas, Migrationsverket, has decided not to allow these students to come to Sweden. The reasons are unclear. Any reasons must be weird. There are only advantages with Japanese people learning Swedish. Migrationsverket should change its decisions.

Economic Growth in Japan

Japan has a long streak of economic growth. It is the longest stretch in 16 years, and it seems to continue. So far, consumers are still not willing to spend a lot. However, this also shows that there is potentially more growth to come, when consumption rises.

Japan is the home of the Shiba Inu. Most Shibas in the world live in Japan, though we are increasingly popular across the world. It is good for all the Japanese Shibas that the Japanese economy is strong. I believe it will be even stronger. Shibas help, we are constantly aiding our humans, thus helping the economy too. Things are only getting better right now.

Fetching Paula

Apparently, Morran os the dog who come with Daniel, when he fetches Paula at work in the morning, after her night shift. I have always been the one who come along, when Daniel fetches Paula late at night. I hope I still am. I guess there are differences between fetching in the morning and in the night. I believe I would be the best one to come along regardless of the hour, but other dogs need their moments in the lime light as well. There are advantages with staying at home resting as well.

World Cup

Hello, Gertrud here!

Grand Mum Hailey is very happy today. Sweden has qualified for something called the FIFA World Cup in football. We watched the game against Italy. I think it was rather boring. What is the point of watching some men playing with a ball? It must be more fun playing with the ball yourself. I am still happy for Grand Mum and the others, I can sense that this qualification feels important to them. The World Cup is far into the future, in something called summer, which I have yet to experience. The future is exciting.

The Only One

Hello, Gertrud here!

Perhaps there can be only one? One pup staying here, I mean.

My brother Harry left for a new home and family in Upsala last week. The other pups, who had Karen as their mother, left yesterday. The first one left in the morning, he will live not far off here in our hometown. Then the two other left for Helsinki and Stockholm, respectively.

I will stay here, as the only pup of my generation. All of the other dogs are adults. Perhaps there can only be one pup at a time staying on. I am glad it was me.

Victory

Sweden won against Italy yesterday night. There is a second game in Milan, Italy, on Monday.

This is just like at a dog show. You can win the class, but you still have to win the best of bitches. You can win best of bitches, but you still have to win Best of Breed. Then there is best in Group, then Best in Show. You always have higher goals to achieve. I hope the Swedish national football team achieves one step on Monday.

Play Off Game

It is the final chance for Sweden to get to the FIFA football World Cup tonight, and another game soon. Sweden is playing Italy, a formidable foe with four World Cup gold medals to their name. It will be a hard task for Sweden, but we hope for the best. We root for Sweden in front of the TV set. This time, none of us dogs would rather see Italy win, which feels good.

Pups Get OK

Karen's pups of her current litter went to their veterinary check today. They all went through with flying colours. I was more happy about the great results for Polly's pups, but this is just because I am a grandmother of all of Polly's pups. I am happy for Karen's pups too. This is not just for the sake of the pups and Karen, kt also adds to the good name of our breeding. This is also a good thing. Being an Aangenaam dog is a badge of honour.

Meat

There was some fresh moose meat today, but only some of us got any of it. Daniel told me there was not enough to go around. I can understand this. What I do not like, however, is that I did not get any meat. I am the alpha bitch, why am I not guaranteed meat? Well, Daniel told me I usually get tasty stuff, even though there is not enough for everybody. This time, he thought others were worth it. There are few instances when I think there are too many dogs in our pack, but this was one of them. Oh, well, I hope I get the good stuff next time.

Lunch

Paula was away all day. She is back now, but was not around during the day, like we have gotten used to this autumn. Daniel came home at lunch and took us out and gave us lunch. We have had routines like this before, so it was not strange. It is nice eating lunch. Once Paula got home in the evening, we were all happy, however. Everybody is at home now, as they should be. This is relaxing.

Pen Names

When the world gets more and more connected through the Internet, a lot of people want to create an online persona with a somewhat fancy name that stands out in the crowd.

I did this myself at an early age. As soon as I started my blog, as a pup, I called it the Daily Hailey. My official name is Aangenaam Lunar Eclips, but I have always been called Hailey. Adding the word daily said something about the blog, but also gave it a ryhme. I have never considered changing the name of my online persona, it is good as it is. My daughter Karstuhl, who will eventually inherit my blog, has said she will keep the name of the blog. There is a lot of value in a good name. I can understand those who struggle to create a good one. I never had to struggle. fortunately.

Since this blog is daily, you are welcome back tomorrow.

New Neighbours?

We have received a letter from the town that says someone has asked for a preliminary building permit just next door to us. There is now public land there, undeveloped, where humans never walk. Daniel has written a long letter to the authorities explaining why he opposes the preliminary building permit. He had a long list of reasons. The most important reason is that there is no zoning law governing this piece of land, bit there will be in a few years. No building permits, not even preliminary permits, should be given before the work is done with the zoning law. We hope Daniel's letter will help. It is better if there are no other people living really close by our yard. We will see what happens.

Visiting Tombs

This evening, Paula and her family visited the graveyards here in Örebro where their deceased relatives are laid to rest. They always do on the first Saturday in November, it is a Swedish tradition.

I paid my respect to the memories of my parents, Mum and Dad. Blessed be their memories. I often miss them both, even though I do have great company of my daughter Karstuhl, her daughter Gertrud, the other dogs around here, and our humans.

There is always a piece of your heart dedicated to the lost loved ones. However, the more loved ones you ve had, the bigger is your heart, meteaphorically speaking. I have loved and lost many times, but I also love many dogs and humans whom I have not lost. This makes me feel good.

Growing Up

Hello, Gertrud here!

My brother Harry moved away from us yesterday, to a family of his own. In a way, this means he is growing up. He is becoming an adult dog with a family of his own.

I will stay here. I will not move. Mum says she never moved, either. This must mean it is possible to grow up, without moving to a new family. Does this mean I am also growing up? I guess it does. In this case, I am glad. Growing up seems to be a good thing, making you more confident and strong. This is good.

Harry

Hello, Karstuhl here!

My son Harry, of this latest litter, has moved tois new family today. They are nice people, but live a way away, in Upsala. I am sure Harry will get a good life with them. Naturally, I miss him, nevertheless.

Gertrud, my daughter, will continue to live with us. I like this. I have always wanted a pup to stay on, like I did myself. Now this happens, with what might very well be my last litter. Better late than never. Gertrud is a kind and terrific daughter.

Therapy Dog

Hello, Karstuhl here!

My brother Nemo has become a therapy dog. One of his humans, Maria, is working with the social services and uses Nemo to treat children who are distressed and who are often affraid of dogs. Nemo is a very kind dog and can help many children with his gentle manners. I am so proud of Nemo. It fits him, helping out children in this way.

It Is Tuesday

I had a talk about which day it is today with Paula. She was a bit confused about which day it was. This is in large part due to her irregular schedule at work and the odd hours she works. I guess part of it may also be the jet lag of changing from Daylight Saving Time to normal time. It is Tuesday today, I told Paula. She knew it was, she just did not feel like it was. I know that feeling, when you know something, but just cannot feel it is so. I am glad I could help.

Brightness at the Morning Walk

We have turned the clocks back to normal time. There is no daylight sacings time any more, not until next spring. This means we have daylight again, when going on the morning walk. The daylight is not saved until later.

I have never understood why humans turn the clocks twice a year. Daylight saving time is nothing for me. I would rather have normal time around the year.

World Champion

Lewis Hamilton secured this year's world championship title in Formula 1, at the Mexico Grand Prix today. Our Affenpinscher friend Morran is happy that he did it in a German car, her breed is from Germany.

Lewis Hamiltons top contender this year was Sebastian Vettel, but he has not secured a second place in the championship yet.

I do not know whether Hamilton or Vettel has any dogs. If either of them has, I would root for him. I may do some research into this until next year.

Historical Events

We watched a documentary on TV tonight about Henry VIII of England and his wives. I have seen documentaries and dramatised movies about this before. I wonder what it is that make Henry VIII so fascinating that there have been so many productions made about him. Is it not more interesting to tell the story of a king or queen that people have not heard about many times before? I would say it is.

Japanese in India

A professor in English in India has travelled across this vast country to record as much as he can about languages spoken there as mother tounges. He recorded up to 780 languages, and this is still a lesser number than some decades ago.

It is amazing how many different languages humans use. Dogs around the world use a common language. On the other hand, our language is far from as complex as human languages.

An interesting fact was that there are some people in India who use Japanese as their language. This was just mentioned in the article. If I would like to know more about this, I guess I have to do some research.

Dog Shelter

Paula and Daniel paid the monthly bills tonight. Paula also paid a gift to a dog shelter in Scania in southern Sweden. This was a good thing to pay, I believe. There are so many dogs, too many dogs, who need aid and need dog shelters. We who are more fortunate need to help them. This must be the most good hearted gift of them all.

Deep Sleep

Paula is working night, so she slept during the day. When Daniel came home, we greeted him with the normal, happy barks. Paula did not wake up, however, but kept sleeping. She must have had a very deep sleep. She also told us later, once she was awake, that she had had a wonderful day's sleep. She felt a bit confused at first, when she woke up, bit then she felt fine, because she had had a good, deep sleep. I know the feeling, I have had it once in a while. It is a noce feeling. I am happy for Paula's sake.

Winter Tyres

It was cold outside this morning, around the freezing point. It may get slippery from frost, snow, and ice further on. Daniel changed the tyres on the BMW, so we have got winter tyres on it now. There are winter tyres on the Chrysler already. It is safer this way, now that winter is coming. We are prepared.

Pups Who Fight

Hello, Karstuhl here!

Pups always play with each other. Sometimes, they are a little too wild, so they may hurt each other. As a good mother, I make sure the pups calm down before anything like this happens. My two pups aref ull of energy, but they are friends and well behaved.

Karen's pups are not as well behaved. Karen does not seem to care, at least not enough. If these were my pups, I would have raised them differently, but I cannot interfere with Karen as a mother. She has to have her rules for her pups. I do believe my rules are better, but what mother would not think so? My pups will be the best dogs ever.

Apple Pie

The visitors who were here to see pups today brought an apple pie. Everybody thought it was very tasty. It must have been tasty, because there were no leftovers for me or Calvin, who held the humans company when eating the pie. I would have liked to have some pie, but, alas, I had to do without. It is not like I am starcing, anyway.

US Grand Prix

This weekend, the Formula 1 Championship comes to America. The race is held in Austin, Texas. Mum lived in Texas for a while in her youth, so I watch the qualifications and the race with an extra interest. The USA is a fascinating country.

Blood Pudding

I do not get blood pudding every day, but when I do, it is great.

Readers of my blog may remember that I was diagnosed with having too few blood cells in my veins this summer, The medicine was blood pudding, to boost the iron levels and, thus, the production of blood cells. It was tasty and effective.

I have not eaten bllod pudding every day lately. I got some with my food today, however. It was as tasty as ever. It is great to have such a tasty food that is also this good for your health

Bad

Hello, Karstuhl here!

With my pups, I reside in the bathroom. It is nice to ave a door shut towards the other dogs. I like them, but I do not trust anyone of them with the care of by pups.

Living in the bathroom does not make me take more baths than I usually do. I am not fond of bathing and the excellent coat of Shibas does not need many baths.

There is also another factor to consider, before taking a bath. The Swedish wird for bath is "bad". This gives you a hint that having a bath is a bad thing, doesn't it?

There are often more important things to do than taking a bath, such as eating, drinking, going on walks, resting, sleeping, playing, etc. In short there are good reasons not to take manyaths, not even when living in the bathroom.

Robots

I do not believe much in the benefits of robots. There are some jobs that they can do, however, that nobody else should have to do. At the wrecked nuclear power plant Fukushima in Japan, robots are cleaning up the debris. This is good, it means no living thing have to be affected by the high radiation levels. The Japanese are good at manufacturing advanced technology, like robots. This is advantageous now, when robots are really needed. No dogs or himans need to be affected by the radiation, which is good.

Cutter

Paula has purchased a new hair cutter. She tried it on the Poodles today. They became very fine in no time. As Paula put it: this was the best hair cutter ever, well worth the money.

I am glad Shibas never have to get oir coats trimmed,

Floors

Hello, Karstuhl here!

Daniel cleans the floors more often than usually these days, here in the bathroom where I have my pups, and in the guest room, where Karen and her pups are. The floor in the guest room needs to be cleaned more often. It is no surprise to me, that my pups are doing better than Karen's pups.

Cake

Soon to be humans of one of the current pups here were visiting us today. Paula and Daniel served coffee and cake. I like cake, and I got to taste a little. It was a very good cake. When visits result in me getting to try cake, I am all for it. I would like to jave more visits like this.

Ears

Our Toy Poodle friend Laila always has problems with her ears. She has narrow ear canals and a lot of hair in them. This causes dirt to accumulate, if nothing is done to take the dirt away. In the dirt, bacteria and fungus may thrive, if nothing is done. Laila does not like it, bit Daniel often cleans her ears before we go to bed at night. I am glad Shibas never have problems like this.

Is Dad Back, in a Way?

In the current litter that my daughter Polly has, the male pup looks similar to Dad in this age. I could not tell myself, not having known Dad when he was a pup, but Paula is quite certain, and Daniel agrees. If this pup grows up to be a copy of Dad, I would be very happy. I loved Dad. He always took very good care of me. I will take very good care of Polly's pup, to the extent I can. Life is full of hope right now.

Sandwich

Daniel was in Stockholm in the line of duty today. When going there, he usually buys Paula a sandwich from her facourite sandwich maker. He bought two today. Unfortunately, Javier got hold of one and stole a little piece of it. I guess this was not such a big deal for Paula after all, she was mostly mad at Daniel for calling out to Javier, telling him to stop. Well, most of the sandwiches were saved, anyway, so I understand. Yelling is not nice,

No Fear of the Rain

Hello, Karstuhl here!

My pups have been outdoors in the rain for the first time. They do not fear it. They do not even think it is that uncomfortable. I am not sure whether I should be proud of their fearless behaviour towards the rain, which is Shiba like regardless of the danger or inconvenience you face, or concerned that they do not care about the rain and getting wet, which is not really Shiba like. A true Shiba never fears the weather, but will avoid uncomfortable weather such as rain whenever it is possible. I have mixed feelings about this. Regardless of this dilemma, though, I love the pups very much.

Fashion's Waste of the Environment

Hello, Karstuhl here!

The human fashion industry generated a lot of money. Humans buy a lot of clothes, not using them very much. This makes the fashion industry one of the industries causing the most negative impact on the environment. The reason is that so many clothes are manufactured and transported over the world.

Dogs have very little guilt in this. There are just a few dogs who ever wear clothes, and this is in the wintertime when going outdoors. Most of us make do with our coats.

Humans, of course, do not have natural coats. Thus, they must wear clothes in temperate and colder clomates to stay warm, and in sunny climates to protect their skin. Still, I believe they could make do with fewer clothes. If they had clothes of the quality of Shiba coats, these would not need to be washed or changed as often as humans usually wash and change clothes. This would help the environment and would save money for many humans.

I guess it would be hard to start such a fashion, though, there are so many humans who like to change clothes often. On the other paw, I believe humans change clothes often, because they do not have clothes nearly as good as Shiba coats. They are probably a little envious. I can bear that.

Community Economy

Daniel was at a long meeting tonight. He is a member of the city council, and they discussed the budget their political party would suggest for the city. It seems really boring. I am not even sure I want to write anything more about it. It was just a little annoying it took longer for him to get home than it usually does. I am glad not all night meetings are this long.

World Cup Qualifiers

It looks like Sweden will be second in its World Cup qualifiers group, after France. This means France will be directly qualified, and Sweden will probably be one of the eight best second teams who will face off on play off games.

I hope Sweden will succeed in the play off games. The World Cup is exciting, but I want all my favourite teams to participate. These are primarily Sweden and Japan. Then there are Norway, the USA, and Belgium, all of which are countries where dogs in my pedigree come from. Unfortunately, Norway is out of the competition. Belgium and the USA will probably qualify, however. Thus, I hope for Sweden, Japan, Belgium, and the USA.

Japanese Grand Prix

The Japanese Grand Prix in Formula 1 is driven this weekend. I enjoy watching this Grand Prix even more than others, because I like seeing views from Japan, the home country of our dog breed.

The race is on tomorrow morning, Swedish time. We just have to get up early on a Sunday morning to watchit, then.

Friday

It is Friday. Great!

You may think that a pet dog like me, who is at home all week, does not care that it is Friday and weekend. You could not be more wrong. At the weekend, the humans working office hours, like Daniel does, are at home. Dogs always likes it better when our humans are at home. Thus, the weekend is great.

Driving Paula

There have been plenty of times when I have come along with Daniel and fetched Paula in the centre of town late at night.  This night, Daniel and I did the opposite: we gave Paula a ride down to the centre. She was going there to work on the night shift at the hospital. I think my participation was appreciated. This feels good, it is always nice to make someone else happier.

Boycotting Cinnamon Bun Day

We did not eat any cinnamon buns today, even though it is Cinnamon Bun Day on the fourth of October. This is just as well. Late Auntie Linni were always annoyed that Cinnamon Bun Day was on her birthday, because she had a cinnamon bun tail, too curled to be excellent according to the Shiba breed standard. In honour of Auntie Linni, we boycott Cinnamon Bun Day and do not eat cinnamon buns.

Italian Songs

Paula likes Italian Eurovision songs. I understand they are often nice, and the language is beautiful. She plays a lot of these songs tonight. I prefer Italian food. Spaghetti Bolognese is great. We all have different preferences.

Cold Rain

The rain is colder this time of the year. I still like it, as long as I am indoors and just have to listen to it. The sound is rather soothing.

Dutch Victory

The Dutch Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen took his first Grand Prix victory today, in Malaysia's Grand Prix. It is fun when relatively new drivers step forward and win races. No sport is fun, if there are always the same winners in every competition.

I guess April's son Botan, who lives in the Netherlands,is more happy than the rest of usAangenaam dogs.

Celebration

Paula's sister with family and Paula's parents came by this afternoon. They spent some time here, then  they, Paula, and Daniel left. Paula and Daniel came back in the evening. They ad a late, special celebration for Paula and her fortieth birthday. Paula told me it was a very nice evening. I am glad she enjoyed it. For me, it was a calm evening that I also enjoyed.

Friday Fun?

Neigher Paula nor Daniel felt well this evening. They both had a cold. They coughed and sneezed.

On Friday nights, you want to hve fun. It is the start of the weekend. It is, however, not that fun, when both your humans are feeling low and cold. We dohelp up their spirits, however, Dogs are great at that.

New Family

A couple of humans were here visiting us tonight. They will become the new family of one of the current pups, probably one of Karen's pups. I studied them thoroughly and came to the conclusion they are nice people. The pup who will get them as his new family will get a good life. This feels good.

It is great when people interested in becoming the new family for a pup come here, so we can get to know them. It is not just about Paula and Daniel getting to know them, the way they act towards dogs is something that the dogs here can, quite naturally, be better judges of. We were today. These humans passed.

Meeting the Grandpups

I met my grandpups of Polly's most recent litter for the first time today. It was not that interesting. Having pups of my own was fun and very rewarding, but I have been there, done that. Polly's pups are very cute, but in a rather boring age. It will be more fun in a few weeks, when they have started to play for real and go outdoors. Until that time, I am fine with just seeing them for a little while, letting Polly do the work. This is a perk of being a grandmother.

Archaeology

There was a documentary on archaeology on TV tonight. Most of it was about human remains, some about horse remains. There was not a single word on dog remains. The excavations must have been made from very poor societies. If a society does not have dogs, it must be a poor society. Dogs are an essential part of human civilisation.

There Is a War Already

North Korea accuses the USA of declaring war against them.

This is silly. North Korea and the USA are already at war with each other. They have been since 1950. There was a cease fire in 1953, but no peace treaty has ever been negotiated, much less signed.

You cannot really declare war on a state which you are already at war with, can you?

It is said that Andorra did not show up at Versailles in 1919 and never signed the peace treaty with Germany after the First World War, so when Andorra followed France and declared war in 1939, they found thenselves fighting two world wars simultaneously. This ended with a separate peace treaty in 1939 with regard to the First World War, while the Second World War was allowed to continue. This is an exception to the rule. The USA and North Korea should both know that there is, actually, a state of war between them. The question is rather who might break the cease fire first. I hope none of them do.

Upcoming Event

The political party that Daniel is a member of will hold a national event here in Örebro later this autumn. Daniel spent part of this day reading documents about suggested policies for the party, suggestions that is up for decisions at this event. Daniel will not take part in the event, but he will be at a meeting before the event where he will discuss the ideas. I still think it is a little waste of time, if Daniel will not be there coting for or against anything, but he thinks it is interesting. We all have our own hobbies, I guess.

Saturday

We have had a cool Saturday today, generally taking it easy. Both Paula and Daniel have stayed at home most of the day (though Daniel took a detour to the grocery store). I like days like his, days when we can just take it easy. It is among the best of days. If we go to a dog show, it is better, but cool days are second best. I hope for more days like this.

Washing Machine

Hello, Karstuhl here!

When I have small puppies, like I have now, I spend my days with them in the bathroom. This is where we have the litter box. I am quite fond of the bathroom. The downside is that the washing machine is here. I dislike the sound of the washing machine, when clothes and other things are washed in it. I wish Paula and Daniel would wait until the puppies are old enough before washing, but I cannot expect them to actually do this. I guess I have to endure this noise, then. It is not nice, bit I can manage. My puppies help me through this, they are so cute.

Karen's Pups

I guess I should mention that Karen has had a litter of pups, parallel to my daughter Polly. Karen's pups were born on Saturday evening. They are cute, like all Shiba pups. As a grandmother, however, I believe Polly's pups are a little cuter.

Karen got three sons, no daughter, in this litter. There are already plans for their future, we have a number of different families who are eager to get a Shiba from here. We have a good reputation. Karen and her pups will benefit from this. I think they will add to it, as well, which is good.

Shiba pups are the greatest, but they are not for everyone. You have to know enough about us and be prepared to treat us with the dignity we deserve. If you do, you will get a faithful companion for eternity. This is great, isn't it?

Vulnerable, but not Endangered

The snow leopard is not at such a high risk of extinction any longer. It is no longer an endangered species, but it is deemed vulnerable. This is not bad, although more work has to be done. The great carnivores are important in the ecology, they need to be preserved. I hope they will survive.

Grandpups

Humans talk about their grandchildren, who are children of their children. For us dogs, it is grandpups. I have not heard or seen this word anywhere, but I am sure it must exist. If a dog has had pups, who have become adult dogs and have pups, these pups are grandpups. It is a splendid word, telling you how grand the pups are. My daughter Karstuhl has newborn pups again now, these are my grandpups. So far, they are too young, but I cannot wait to meet them. It will be great.

Gertrud

Hello, Karstuhl here!

My most recently born daughter will be called Gertrud. This is a fine name. It is a Medieval name, meaning spear and force. Saint Gertrud is the patron saint of travellers.

My daughter Gertrud will stay with us, our family will be her family. This is great. I have longed for having a puppy who stays with us.

She can also be called Gerstuhl.

Sleep

Hello, Orange here!

We had one of these great days of rest. Paula worked night between Saturday and Sunday, then she came home to sleep. We kept her company in bed, and slept when she slept. There are times when life as a companion dog is pretty nice.

More About the Pups

Hello, Karstuhl here!

My pups of the latest litter are doing great. They are a week and a half old now and really cute. It is a boy and a girl.

As is the case with most of the very best Shibas, they are black and tan. If you do not believe me that black and tan comes with being one of the best Shibas, ask Mommy. You could also have asked Daddy or my maternal Grandfather, as long as they were around. Of course, all Shibas are great dogs. We are, after all, the very best of breeds. However, black and tan Shibas are the best of the best.

So far, the pups are blind and dead, but this will not last for long. They will open up their eyes and start exploring the world in just a couple of days. This will be nice.

Twelve Years Old

It is my birthday today. I turn twelve. We celebrated this evening. A lot of things have happened during these twelve years.

Some would say I have passed my peak, that I am old enough that I am on a downward slope now. I know I will not see another twelve years in this life, but I still believe I am on top of my peak. I believe I have been at the peak for a long time. For me, it is an elongated peak, like the top of a long ridge, rather than the tip of a mountain. I can still see this elongated peak continuing way into my future. This feels nice.

I wish to send congratulations to my brothers Jiro and Kiko as well!

Nice Looking People

Paula and Daniel had this strange debate about nice looking people. Humans claim looks are important, when chosing a mate, I have never understood this. For dogs, the smell is most impotant. You can smell if you are in heat and if the male in your vicinity would be a good father of pups or not. Why would you need looks. The smell is so much more decisive. I guess humans go by looks, because they lack the sense of smell that dogs have. It is just that the smell tells you so mich more than the looks do. If you can smell him and find he is good, he is. Kenny was my love, I could smell it.

Tagliatelle

Pasta is always good. We had some tagliatelle tonight, the elongated, flat kind of pasta. Paula made an easily made but tasty sauce. I got a rather huge part of it. Calvin got more than I did, but he is a nice guy and can deserve this once in a while. It was a good evening.

Doughnuts Instead of Flowers

A bride in Australia surprised the wedding party by having bouquets of doughnuts instead of flowers. Everyone was pleasantly surprised, as far as the story goes. I understand them. I would also much rather have doughnuts than flowers, anywhere, in any capacity. Dogs do not have wedding parties, but if I had, this is the kind of bridal bouquet I would want.

The Noise

We figured out what it was that went boom in the night. It was most certainly the sound of Swedish artillery at the military training field at Villingsberg. The sound came from that direction and the army is involved in a big excercise for the moment.

The sound of Swedish artillery is a good sound. It is the sound of our army preparing to defend our land, if necessary. We hope it will never be necessary, but the army is there to prevent the necessity as well as responding to the necessity, if necessary.

We cannot hear any explosions tonight.

Distant Explosions?

Things went "boom" in the distance this afrernoon. None of us knew what it was about. It was far enough away, that I and the other dogs did not react by barking at it. Paula and Daniel did discuss possible origins of the sound, though. Daniel though somebody was causing explosions in projects to build something. Paula was not so sure. I was not either, humans usually do not work on building sites on Sundays. Whatever the origin of the sound was, it was not causing us any harm, however. I guess we really do not need to know what it is, then.

Rain

We have had quite a lot of rain over the last couple of weeks. This is good for the amount of water in our well. It is raining again this evening. As long as you are indoors, and can just listen to the sound of the rain falling on the roof, it is really rather cozy to have rainy weather. I like it.

Anniversary

Paula and Daniel celebrated their anniversary as married today. I do not really see the point. I like it that they live together, and have us dogs, but living together with just one partner like this is not the dog way of doing things. I loved Kenny above any other male dog, but he was not my one and only. Dogs generally do not have any one and only. I guess there are just some differences between us and humans that I cannot quite comprehend. Nevertheless, Paula and Daniel are happy, so I congratulate them!

Good Food

Hello, Karstuhl here!

One of the fringe benefits of having puppies is the extra food you get.

Taking care of your small puppies is, in it self, the best reward there is. They are so cute. Beside this, there are fringe benefits. One is the extra food.

Today, I got smörgåstårta during the day and a hamburger with chips in the evening. I really enjoyed both dishes. This was great.

Puppies

Hello, Karstuhl here!

My pups were born tonight. It is one boy and one girl. They are among the best puppies ever. The only other puppies this great are my former puppies – and myself, when I was a puppy.

Darker Outside

It is getting darker outside. We had the lights on outside, when we went out for the final time tonight. It gives you an additional feeling of autumn. Even though it was relatively warm and almost no rain today, darkness tells us it is autumn. The full Moon rose above the treetops, this was a nice thing to behold.

Cold

Paula is having a cold and a fever. The fever is a reaction to the cold, making her warm. She sleeps to get rid of the cold. We help her, by lying close by, sharing our body heat with her. This is a good way of helping someone with a cold getting better. We all hope the cold will disappear soon.

Giving Paula a Ride Home

Paula worked the night between Saturday and Sunday. Daniel went to pick her up by car, giving her a ride home, and I got to come along. Our humans usually bring one of us dogs as often as they are able to, we are a great support in anything they do. Picking Paula up went very smoothly, I guess my presence was a help. I hope I can come along more times. I am experienced at picking Paula up.

World Beard Day

The first Saturday in September has been named the World Beard Day. It is a day in honour of the beard and bearded individuals, in a humourous way.

We honour the day by paying special attention to our Affenpinscher friend Morran, who has got a beard. Schnauzers and other bearded dogs should also get special treatment this day, we believe.

I am not certain if the humans who started World Beard Day considered paying special attention to bearded dog breeds. We do, nevertheless.

Autumn

Hello, Karstuhl here!

It is. September, and the almanack says it is autumn. The weather is just like yesterday. Humans and their wish to control everything. The almanack is one such way. It is funny..

The great thing about the almanack is that the humans keep track of birthdays etc. Celebrations are always great.

A Nice Trend Is Broken

Ever since 1993, Sweden had managed not to let in any goals in football, when playing Bulgaria. The teams have met many times, bit Sweden has always won without letting the Bulgarians make any goal. In the World Cup qualifier tonight, this nice trend was broken. Bulgaria scored 1-0 against Sweden in the beginning of the game. I am sad they did. I like nice trends.

Sausages

We got sausages for dinner today. It was very tasty. Meat is better, but sausage is a close second. Meat is a main ingredient in sausages, of course.

Oil

The car needed oil today, so Daniel got some. I do not really know what it is for, but it makes the engine going, anyway, along with the petrol. This is good enough for me. I keep going on meat and water, I think this is easier.

Thorax Intensive Care Unit

It is a bit strange, that you are sometimes interested in reading about something you are very familiar with and know a lot about. Tonight, Paula said she was going to read about the thorax intensive care unit. This is the unit at the hospital where she is working. Thus, she knows about it. Still, she reads about it. I guess it is like when I read anout dog shows, despite being a dog show professional, or read about dog behaviour, despite being a dog myself. It is odd, I admit that. I guess it is common, nevertheless.

Future Family for a Puppy

Puppies will soon be born here. both Karstuhl and Karen are expecting pups. We received visitors today, a human family who is interested in becoming the new family of one of these puppies. They were very friendly, interested, and informed for not yet having dogs. These are the kind of humans with whom you want puppies to move in to.

An interesting thing was that this family did not have a car. Most dog families have cars. They told us, however, that they live within walking distance to one of the biggest veterinary clinics in Sweden. Not having a car will, thus, never jeopardise the safety of the puppy. This is good.

If more humans were like these, more puppies would be needed.

The Lawn

In the dry summer that we have had, the lawn has not grown as much as it usually does, The positive side of this is that Daniel dåhas not had to mow the lawn as often as he usually does. Over the last couple of weeks, we have had rain, however, and the growth of the grass has increased very mich. Daniel had to mow the lawn today. It looks better when it is newly mowed. The best thing is, however, that it gives less opportunities for ticks to get onto us dogs. The lawn is mowed now. This is good.

Towards Autumn

The nights are getting longer and darker. Autumn will soon be here. It is getting more damp outside and a little more chilly. There are fewer bugs around. I rather like autumn, apart from the dark mornings that will come. Autumns are cool, autumns are nice. I hope there will be a lot of rain, our well would need it,

Qualified

The small Swedish football club Östersund, from a small town up north, has qualified for the Europe League.

This was very unexpected, a pleasant surprise for all of us from Sweden who have hoped, but have not really believed. It is always nice when Swedish clubs come far in the international club leagues. I believe so about every Swedish team. Daniel does not agree, when it comes to a few teams which he does not like, such as AIK. I still believe it is good r Swedish football. It is even better when the Swedish team is an underdog, like Östersund.

We wish Östersund all the luck in the League. The team will need it.

Happy, Happy Birthday!

It is the birthday of the best human I know: Paula.

Paula has been with me for all my life. She is my idol, my heroine, my human love. Today, she turns forty. She will continue living when I am gone, humans live longer than dogs. I will be with her as long as I can.

Happy birthday, Paula!

Preparations

It is Paula's birthday tomorrow. We have prepared the celebrations today. More preparations will be made tomorrow, but now it is time to rest. The present is ready.

Solar Eclipse

There has been a Solar Eclipse, visible from North America.

I believe Lunar Eclipses are much more important.

Candy

Sunday is always a holiday. Daniel had bought some candy and ice cream, fitting for a Sunday evening. We also continued celebrating a little from the dog show successes yesterday.

There are always some things worth celebrating. Sometimes, you have to think for a while, before you think of a reason to celebrate. With our show successes yeaterday, we did not need to ponder what to celebrate.

Good Results

We actually planned to go to Eskilstuna and the dog show today, to give my granddaughter Soya a chance to get her final CAC and becoming Swedish show champion, alternatively giving Karen a chance to get her first CAC. Soya have injuried her paw, however, and passed, because she would just limp in the show ring. Karen is expecting pups and should not go into the show ring for the sake of her pups.

I was entered in veterans' class, because we would go to Eskilstuna anyway. So was Gunde (a.k.a. Cookie). When Soya and Karen had to stay at home, however, Gunde and I had to defend the colours of Aangenaam. We did it properly. Gunde won best of breed, and I was Best of Opposite Sex. There were other excellent Shibas at the show, but we beat them.

Gunde was not placed in the Veterans' final or the Spitz breeds' final, but he did a great job, nevertheless. We are very satisfied with the results today.

Show Tomorrow

We are foing to a dog show tomorrow. I will participate in veterans' class. It was a while since there was a show where I participated, Going into the show ring has always been among the favourite things I know. It will be so much fun. Stay tuned for results!

Terrorist Attack in Barcelona

A van has been driven into people in central Barcelona, Spain. Police is treating it as a terrorist attack.

Our thoughts go to the victims and their families, including dogs.

It is terrible that things like this can happen. Humans can be so cruel. I wish the war on terror will be won soon.

A New Flower

Scientists have discovered a new flower on the Shetland Islands, which are part of Scotland. It is not just that the flower has been described by scientists for the first time, it really is a new flower. The original species was introduced in Shetland from overseas about two hundred years ago. Since then, a mutation has caused this flower to become bigger than its ancestors. It is, thus, a new flower. Compared to the time span of floral evolution on Earth, this flower has just appeared. It is younger than many dog breeds. This is fascinating.

More Pups

Karen went to the veterinarian today for an ultra sound examination. It turned out she is expecting at least three pups. Just like last autumn, we will have two litters of Shiba pups here. Polly's pups will likely be born before Karen's pups. Polly is my daughter, so I am sure her pups will be the sweetest.

Soon There Will Be Pups

Hello, Karstuhl here!

Paula said today, she believes I will get at least four pups. She said my tummy is that big.

I know what I think, but I will keep this to myself until the pups are born. There are not many weeks left now. I am looking forward to seeing the pups.

Cucumber

Calvin got some slices of cucumber today, but he did not want them. The offer passed to me. I accepted with a wagging tail. Cucumber may be a vegetable, and vegetables are generally neither very tasty, nor very healthy, for carnivores like us dogs. I do like cucumbers, however. I cannot quite describe why cucumbers are tasty. Taste is hard to describe in words, I believe. It is sufficient to say I like cucumbers. Calvin may think I am a little crazy because of this, but that is his problem, I know I am perfectly sane. We all have our personal preferences, when it comes to taste.

No Home Dog Show

Our own regional kennel club, Örebro läns kennelklubb, has its annual dog show in Askersund this weekend. None of us are shown there this year. This is a shame. It is so fun to go to dog shows and there is a point in going to the show of your own regional club. We will have to come back next year instead. This year, Daniel goes by himself, working as a ring steward. He is having fun.

Athletics

The World Championships in athletics is on in London. There are a few Swedes making an impact, one of them got a silver medal. The Americans are doing great. I root for Americans as well, since Mum was from America and I am thus half American. I can also root for athletes from Japan, Norway and Belgium. It is nice being able to trace your roots to many different countries, when international competitions are on.

Chicken

Apparently, cooked chicken is not healthy for dogs. If we swallow cooked bones of poultry or pork, it might split inside us and cut us up. I still do not see why we cannot have more chicken filet, now that Paula and Daniel had chicken for dinner. Life is full of small disappointments.