A small chewed up green dinosaur

Mom came into the living room first thing this morning and said: "One of the good things about having a dog, is coming into the living room first thing in the morning and seeing a small chewed up green dinosaur in the middle of the floor." She did not expect this and found it amusing. It was a photogenic moment, she went and got her camera to capture the moment. Though she did not say any of this aloud, I heard her whole conversation about this, as I can sometimes, generally, or often, read her mind, depending.

She gets up earlier while I like to stay in my cave awhile and sleep in more. She went in the living room to do her morning yoga practice where there is just normally a large expanse of white carpet, a fountain waterfall that I cannot drink out of, furniture I do not use, my toy bin under a table, and a fireplace where she lights a candle and does a morning meditation. And that's where she found the toy I left out.

My meditation is sleeping in. I love to sleep in. I also like to leave toys out in the middle of the floor, and roll on them sometimes. I never put a toy back, tho she puts everything back. She shoves all the toys back under the table, I sniff around and pull out one as the mood happens. I think putting things away is just a people thing. I do sometimes bury a bone but that is just because I don't want to eat it now, I am not really putting it away.

I like to leave unexpected things in the middle of the floor just to surprise her, and to let her know that I know how to surprise her! I learned this as a puppy. Once, a few years ago, at this house, there was a very tiny china bowl on one of her many shrines throughout the house, but this one was down low where I could get to it, and in the living room too, which is good. I had eyed it for sometime, waiting for the right moment. After about a year, I did it. It was only about an inch high, and delicate, I took it carefully in my mouth and dropped it in the middle of the floor and left it there. She couldn't believe it when she came into the living room and saw it there. She thought it had been magically transported at first, silly thought! Finally, she figured out that I had done it. She was amazed, and really glad that it wasn't broken.

I have a very delicate mouth, she likes to tell people that I can pick a pea out of a bowl of food. That is true, because I do not like peas. She doesn't know why. I don't know why either, to tell you the truth. It has something to do with that shape. It does not seem natural for me as a dog to eat that shape, unless it is a grape, of course, and I go in and out of eating those.

Soon it will be grape season again. She will try to get me to eat some again, as she always does every year around this time. When I was a puppy, I did more because, well, I was young then and curious and it was something to do to wile away the time, pick the grapes off the stem. Now I'd rather nap or relax, save energy.

Today I start blogging

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?

The world from a dog's perspective

This was going to be entitled Activism from a dog's perspective, til mom, who is channeling me, realized that most of what I do is RELAX-ism, not Activism. Which is very important. Bottom line, I think that humans would be much better off if they relaxed more, just relaxed and hung out, and gazed at nothing in particular really, everything actually, just a soft focus you could say, and smelled the breeze. There is so much in a breeze, and listening to it too, there is a lot to hear.

Mom and I are alike in that way. When she was a child she loved to lie under trees and watch the leaves move against the sky and listen to the breeze. She still does. She likes to sleep on the floor, like me, so we are getting on the same wavelength more. She has tried beds but they don't really work for her, so she keeps ending up on the floor. It's a way we connect. Simple living is key, she is trying to do that more, and succeeding I think. The more one loves nature, the more one is happy with simpler living, and that is good for the overall planet, polar bears, ice caps, etc - she tells me about them. I agree, keep the ice caps where they are. I like the cold. I wish I could go up there, I would love to visit an all ice world. I would like to fly in a plane someday, just so they give me water, etc, and it is not too bumpy or long, I would like to end up in a new place to visit.

Basically, life is mostly 2 things. Relaxing or exploring. Because you are either enjoying what already is, or you are out finding new things to enjoy. What else is there, really? Mom is very with me on this one. I wish I could go out with her to explore more. For example, just this weekend she went up north to Sebastopol to go antiquing to look for something special. I know she wanted to take me but it was too hot in the car. I love smelling new places, that is the best part, looking and listening are nice too, but smelling is the most intense. She usually at least brings me back something to eat from these places.

Furry feet

Mom really likes my paws. I get a little embarrassed about the whole thing. At first I didn't like it when she held my paws, but now I'm used to it and kind of like it actually. She massages between the paws when she washes them, I have to admit it does feel good. She says it's reflexology and it will help me live a long time. She does talk about that a lot. She wants me to live to be the healthiest, happiest, longest lived Akita in the history of the world, she tells me that all the time.

I hear other dog caregivers cut the fur from around the pads on the bottom. Mom did that once and didn't like it, because she said the fur protects the pads and keeps them soft, and she likes them soft. Other dogs get really tough and scaly pads, and I guess it is rare that mine are protected like that. I prefer softer pads myself, it is easier to lick them, and it isn't all rough on my tongue. She does cut out the fur if a mat gets stuck there. I try to chew them out but it is hard to reach so she does it for me. That is a helpful thing.

I do not like it when she cuts my toenails, and I struggle, but less and less. It only hurt a couple of times by accident, she is careful and it really doesn't hurt, I just don't like it. But, by now I realize it has to be done, so I make the best of it. At least I get a biscuit afterwards.

The paws remind her of horses with feathered fur too. When she was little, she saw them at the country fairs. When you are little, looking thru the slats of the fence in the stalls full of hay, those horses look huge, and the furry feet are the closest thing you see. She was entralled by those feet. So I guess mine remind her of them. She would like to get a horse, a small horse, and keep it in the yard, and not have to mow the grass ever again. But she is afraid it might kick me. I think we'd get along, but it's true, I would not want to be kicked by a horse, and how do you prevent such a thing? It is probably on her list of things to research.


I think I would enjoy the company of another species. When there was a bird in the house, we used to watch each other. It was really unusual to see one close up like that. And once there was a cat, but not for long. Mom was concerned I might chase it. Also, recently, some fish moved into the house. I stood up on my hind legs to get a closer look, they are in an aquarium in mom's office. I know she'd like a fish pond in the back yard too but doesn't want to cut into my room to run around, which is nice. I know she wants to get a place in the country with a huge yard, fenced, so I can REALLY run. I do hope that happens soon, that will be great. She tells me she wants that to happen someday, so I hope so, she is good at getting things she decides she wants.

Dinner time and peach season

Well today mom is making me a nice homemade meal of canned tuna, a new discovery that Costco carries a large size can at a reasonable price, so this gives me a break from sardines. Mixed with fresh chopped peach, parsley and red carrots from the farmer's market. She has been sneaking peaches in most the the time now while they are in season. They are yummy, and do actually go nicely with the fish. She sprinkles greens powder on it and kelp powder too. She doesn't give me tuna much because of the heavy metals, unfortunately. But everynow and then it is a nice change of pace. Ever since she read that wolves are omnivorous and eat fruits and greens out in the wild, honey occasionally, she tries to diversify my diet. She doesn't feed me at regular times either. She says, out in the wild, animals don't have regular eating times. She doesn't either. So neither do it. She says it keeps me on my toes. It is true, I do actually jump up and down and am very frisky when it is meal time, I jump straight up in the air. She really gets a kick out of that. I know that will be appearing on a you tube video soon too once she gets the hang of working that camera.

Other animals with furry feet!

Mom went to the county fair and brought back these pictures. Of course she loved the Clydesdale horses, whose feet reminded her of mine. Similar color feathers and all. But then, speaking of feathers, she saw some amazing birds with furry feet - in fact the whole bird is an unbelieveable fluffy ball with fluffy feet!

She was enthralled with them, and some great adorable rabbits too. I know she has thought of getting a rabbit to keep me company. I'm ok on my own. I'm used to it by now, and find ways to amuse myself, and really love naps. I'm a nap queen.

Here I am in a relaxing moment in a spot of shade out under the apple tree, sniffing the breeze, gazing and musing, one of my favorite pastimes, that I recommend people do more too!
Actually mom loves doing these things too, it is one of the reasons we are so compatible.