Mom has been getting up in the morning to blog a lot. I go in and paw her on the chair so she takes me out for a walk. That has been working pretty well, except today, when I wanted to take another walk. She tried to guess everything I could possibly want. And then said, you want your own dog blog, don't you? Well I think it is a good idea actually, tho I did want another walk.
You will see I am shy around cameras. Akitas have incredible dignity. We were raised that way, in the old days, that's what it was like. We were respectful, conscientious, watched where we were going, careful, etc. Acutely aware dogs, etc. Last night, for example, there was a racoon on the roof. I wanted to go out and chase it, but mom didn't let me out. Previously we had called 911 when that happened a few years ago for the first time, because it sounded like a prowler on the roof, I was up on my hind legs in the living room, mom called the police who came with a flashlight and found a huge racoon up on the roof who hopped to a tree.
As to last night, it is too early for grapes so I don't know why it was up there. I wish I could go investigate but I can't get up on the roof. Everytime mom gets up there I whine because I can't get up there. I like to get up on the highest places. That is why I got up on the picnic table in the winter, to stretch out and get some sun, when the rest of the back yard was a muddy swamp. Now I guess the picnic table is all scratched up and mom has to refinish it. She has been covering it up with a white lace table cloth meanwhile tho. I hope she doesn't ruin my fun so I can never get up there again. I like hopping up there.
You will see in this photo a small toy dog in the background. Nanny (mom's mom) who is really great, and has sent me incredible toys my whole life, and makes me great home made food when she is here, and also rescued me once when I was lost on the hills, she is really great - she got me that once at a garage sale down the street when I was a pup. It is battery operated and squeaks and walks and then sits up like a bear. That is the incredible coincidence of that toy. They all thought it was great because it looks like me sitting up like a bear.
I learned to do that early on, and it is in fact a good thing to do to get attention. People love it. Especially children around the holidays. We go downtown and I wear a bow and bells to be the Christmas Dog and I have to say I really do enjoy it. Especially small children in strollers, they are really cute, I like it when they pat me, it is a significant event for them at a young age to pat a large dog, and I like being a part of helping them to be fearless around large things, which I must be to them.
I used to be 100# , some people were calling me chubby so mom cut down my food portions. Now I am hungry more of the time, but I guess that makes for longer life, which is a good thing. I think life is interesting, and I would like to be around a long time. Mom gives me goji berries and other superfoods to stay young. I think that is a good thing too, I like being active and frisky. I eat organic and semi-raw, like mom. I eat greens powder and kelp powder about every other day, and fruit and berries often, grated carrots and chopped spinach and parsley is nice too. I used to eat Paul Newman's organic dog food til mom asked if the chickens were caged and they were. That ended that. She only gets eggs now if the chickens are not only cage free - but are actually allowed outside.
That was a recent education for her at Rainbow Foods in SF where they have a big chart on the egg case that is really informative. They don't even sell any eggs that are from caged hens, which is good. But even "cage free" does not mean they are outside. That is a trick used to sell eggs, we found out. They need to be "free range" to let the chickens outside in the sunlight. There are just a couple brands there that let the chickens outside. I would not want to stay inside my whole life. So I haven't been eating eggs much anymore since then. I used to like them. Mom would boil them for me, then peel them. I like to carry them to a private place and eat the center first licking it away slowly til it is all gone, then eat the outside. It is fun. Once she got me natural duck eggs from the organic store, they were really good.
Lately she has been getting fresh whole salmon heads and scraps from the natural fish stores and making fish stew for me, picking off all the bones. I know it is time consuming for her, but she considers such things a meditation and so enjoys it, and it is $20+ salmon for free, the markets give it to her, it is really delish and there is still a lot of meat on it. Then she puts the bones in the compost pile. She used to put in the outside compost pile til I dug it up one day. So now she puts it in the inclosed compost pile so I can't get it anymore. She is totally getting into compost. Now I think she is getting the idea why I love to dig. Not that much anymore, just after moles when I can find them. I got 4 this year so far, mom buried them in the open space next door. I have not been able to get the gopher. It is not worth it to me to dig too much because then I have to get my paws washed, or lick them a whole lot to get them clean. So I am particular about when I dig or not. She usually doesn't let me dig my bones now, she tells me to eat them not dig them because she was getting annoyed that they were $2/# and she was finding them under bushes half eaten. I can understand that. So I am mostly trying to finish them these days, plus she is getting them smaller.
You will soon see the video of the small dog toy and me. I am looking a little nonplussed about the whole thing, and ignoring it somewhat. I have never played with this toy, but I know the people like it. She is going to use this as an opportunity to do her first posting on you tube. This is actually her first video. She had to read the instruction book afterwards to figure it out. It is shaky, but ok, a good start for her. I like to encourage her, after all, the better things are for her, the better all around, right?
