Dog Days

Summer's dog days of may be over but in Azabu every day is dog day! There are so many dogs in this neighborhood! Labs, Goldens, Shibas, Dachshunds (long as well as short hair varieties), poodles and every type of "tea cup" pooch known to humankind. You name it ... we got it.

When we went to the ward office to register our dog, Pippi, we received a pamphlet about the proper way to walk one's dog. Here are some of the choice tidbits we gleaned. If you encounter another dog, always ask the owner first if it OK for your dog to "say hello" (let's practice .... "Ii desu ka?" "Hai, ii desu" or "Dame desu" -- both are plausible responses), always keep your dog on its leash (the equivalent of holding hands) and ALWAYS carry "etiquette water" to splash down any unsightly puddles. After all, the city is not the dog's toilet!

I have had the pleasure of strolling around town with new born babies and my puppy. Passersby barely bat an eye at a human baby. But a baby dog? Irresistible! When Pippi was little, well-heeled ladies often stooped down to give her a little pat and happily let her lick the make up right off their faces.

Eve and I spotted this little Chihuahua outside one of our neighborhood supermarkets. Isn't he/she a looker?