I Saved My Mom's Life

Some many days ago, I saved my mom's life. OK, the story reely starts a longer time ago, even before the last snow time. Mom likes to "teach me tricks." She doesn't understand that I already know how to do everything, even type on this typey thing, but it makes her happy to think she can teach me, so I pretend. Besides, I get treats when I play along.

So she teached me to bring her that thing she holds up to her face and talks with. She calls it the fone. I don't like the box thing it sits on because it makes horrible noises, so I won't get the fone when the noises happen. But when the bigger thing is quiet, I don't mind. First Mom teached me to set my front paws on the wood box that the fone box sits on [Mom note: it's the stereo cabinet]. Like I don't know how to put my front paws on thing! I am laffing on inside. Has Mom not see me stand up with my front paws on the fence top in my yard? She think I'm stupid? I think I get lots of yummy little chewy treats when I "learn" to put my front paws on wood thing! Then she put fone in my mouth and says, "Good Kimi!" and then takes it out and gives me more treats. I let her do this a bunch of times, so I get a bunch of treats, then I do it myself, and Mom is SO happy. I am laffing again! Then she backed away and says "Kimi, bring Mama the fone." I look at her. She says again, "Bring Mama the fone! Good Kimi!" So I do, and I get lots of pets and cuddles. We do this for many days. Lots of treats for me! then she put some boxes and things in front of wood thing, so I can't do fone trick anymore for a while.

But then some days ago she got up from our couch, and walked a few steps, and fell down. This scared me because Mom doesn't fall down. I licked her face and she opened her eyes. She looked confused, and that scared me too. (How do I get treats when she's confused? No, really, I love Mom more than anybody!) I lick her again. She try to move, and it looked like she hurt. She said, "Kimi, good girl, bring Mama the fone!" So I do. I drop it in her hand. She talk into it. Then she said, "Kimi, help Mama to the couch!" So I bent down a little bit so she could put her arm over me, and I helped her to the couch. She was not standing on her feet, though. She had one arm on me and one front paw on the floor, and her knees on the floor. Kimiko worries. After some time Mom talk on the fone again, then soon Aunt Shari comes. She doesn't knock so I don't have to bark for her; that's good because I don't think Mom wanted barks. Aunt Shari gived me a peanut treat (and thank you to readers who told Mom to buy them! they my FAVORITE treat!) and took Mom away. After a long, long LONG time she brought Mom home. Mom smelled really funny; it was a strong smell that made my nose hurt. Mom says it is antisectic, I think [Mom note: antiseptic. Probably from all the alcohol prep wipes for drawing blood, running an IV, and putting sticky things on me to do an EKG].

Aunt Shari put me out and when I came in there was food and water in my bowls and Mom was in bed. Aunt Shari said I was a good girl and maybe saved Mom's life. Mom told me I was the best dog in the world -- then I rooed because she said it wrong -- so she said I was the best AKITA in the world, because I know all Akitas are better than other dogs [Mom note: OK, so she's breedist -- she can't help it...]. I'm happy because Mom is home now, although she had to go away one afternoon after that and came back smelling funny again. [Mom note: IV iron; she could probably scent the additional iron in my blood, although I couldn't]

So I saved my Mom's life. Every big dog should learn to bring fone to their moms. Even some little dogs can probably do it. If I'd known she was going to fall, I would have stood in front of her so she could fall on me and not get all funny colored like her side is now. But she said she wasn't really going to die, it's just ameemeea? [Mom note: anemia... sigh... she can type but she's not the world's best speller. but then, she is an Akita.] But I still think that if I had not brought her the fone, she would have died right then. I was asleep when she falled, but it woke me right up so I could save her.

I've been getting more treats since then, and when she walks in the house I make sure I'm right beside her in case she decides to fall again. I don't want her to be hurt. She's the bestest Mom EVER, especially since she bought more peanut treats.

Bye for now!

Napping and Not Playing

Napping is good. I am lucky that Mom naps so much and doesn't expect me to entertain her all the time. I am Akita; we do not fetch. After as long as we've been together [note from Mom: almost 6 years] you would think Mom would get that. But no. She still throws things. I tell her, get it yourself, YOU threw it. But she won't. So it sits wherever it lands. Silly human.

Much as I love naps, there is one thing I do not like. That is when Mom takes a picture of me when I nap. Is NOTHING sacred? My nap time is ALL mine. And no, I do not chase "bunnies" in my sleep. What? Am I a Retriever? NO. I am an Akita. I chase Sunbears in my sleep. And that's hard work. So don't bother me with that camera thing!

Another thing. Apparently no one who reads this told Mom to buy me peanut treats. I have been raising my paw over and over -- which everyone knows, or should know, means I WANT A PEANUT -- but no. I get biscuits. Or those nasty things she calls "cookies." I spit them out. SHE eats cookies, but they taste nothing like what she gives me. (How do I know? I took one, of course. I am, after all, dog.) So please, please humans who read -- tell Mom to BRING ME PEANUTS. They are my favoritests. Although those bacony things are pretty good too. But if I eat more than one, bad things may happen.

When Mom picked me up from camp (I don't know where she was, but she smelled kind of like a child, kind of like another dog, and a lot like Aunt Shari...) she took me home, and I was my very cutestest, so she gave me three of the bacony chewy things [note from Mom: Beggin' Strips, but I don't make her beg. She is, after all, a dignified Akita, mostly...]. They tasted really really good. Then she took me to the groomer. Oh, what a horrible place! They put me in water! I thought I would melt! Then the lady -- who is really really nice, except for putting me in water -- put me on the table and started brushing my beautiful coat. Then my tummy started making noises. Then something very bad happened. I [Note from MOM: I am censoring the rest of this paragraph. You don't need, or want, to know. Let me just say that both Kimiko and I were mortified.]

When I came home I took some of the toys I like -- the kind I chew on, and Mom doesn't throw -- and hid them so that Mom would never, ever find them. I don't play with them. I just chew them. I hope Mom had as much fun wherever she was as I did at camp, playing with the big dogs. Ooh, and the howly things happened outside again some days ago and Mom came under the table with me again [note: civil defense warning for tornado that fell apart before it reached us. Plenty of rain and some small hail, though, and 70 mph winds.] I let her stay because she was scared. Silly Mom. Nothing happened.

I really hid my chew things well. I'm not even quite sure where they are. I'm sure I'll find them though. WOOF for now!
Kimiko the Akita

Noises at Night

The other night Mom made me come inside earlier than I wanted to. She said it would rain. I know rain; it makes me wet. I do not like to be wet, so I went in. Suddenly the ceiling started making loud sounds. Mom said it was just heavy rain. Then a bright light lit up my room and then there was a big bang. I do not like big bangs so I went under the table to my den.

Mom laughed at me and said if you hear the big bang, then you're safe. (Humans lie. Have I said that before? Dogs do not lie.) The banging continued, then the lights inside turned dark. Then there was a big howling noise outside. I don't know what made it; it wasn't a dog. It was a big howl. [note from Mom: it was the civil defense warning; it should have signalled a tornado. There wasn't a tornado, but with the power out, I didn't know that.] Mom went to the stairs that go down to the dark place and called for me to come. I did not go to her. I do not like stairs that go down, and I do not like the dark place. I stayed under my table in my den.

The howling continued, and Mom came and got under the table with me. She said something like if we were going to go we'd go together. I don't know where she thought we'd go in the rain. Humans. I laughed a little at her, too; she called me scared, but there she was in my den! I let her stay in my den. I don't usually, because it is MY place, but she was scared, and she's Mom. So I let her stay until all that outside howling stopped. Then the lights came back on, and Mom went back to the couch.

I just have to say that I am not the chicken in this house. Or at least, I am not the ONLY chicken. So there.

[Note: I have no pictures of my den. So that's a picture of me finding food.]

Treats for People, Treats for Dogs

Yesterday, or maybe the day before, -- I don't know. Humans count time funny, especially when they sleep a lot. Anyway Mom drove away and came back with plastic sacks of things that smelled good, although they did not smell like the sacks from the dog store. (And I tell her that she must use cotton totes and not leave them hanging by back door, but does she listen to Kimiko? Well, she listens, but sometimes she does not understand. Stupid humans say they know so many languages but they don't know dog.) Anyway, she took some things out of the bag and put them in the really big white box that has cold inside it, and she put some fruit in her fruit bowl. (I do not like fruit. Not at all. Except bananas. Bananas are good.)She put the long box with cans in it on the floor, because there was already one in the cold box. She likes those cans but they get bubbles in my nose, so I let her keep them. She had a bunch of bags of things that I am sure are treats, I can smell it, one smelled cheesy and one smelled chocolatey, and one smelled, hmm, I don't have a word. But good. And a clear thing that had big round treats in it. I thought those might be for me, but no.

Finally she pulled out a box. She said that it had treats for me. She opened the box and gave one to me. It's in that silly shape that humans think look like bones. Humans must be really stupid because Mom has given me real cow bones in the past and they don't look at all like the treats. Anyway, it was good but it was really small. I asked her for another and she said that since they were for medium dogs, and I am a LARGE dog (in CHARGE dog) she could give me another one. So I took it under my big table and ate it (I ate the first one on the couch). They are OK, but they are not as good as the peanut treats from the dog store. I asked her and asked her for the peanut treats, and she held out another from the box. I did not take it. She asks me how I feel. I feel hungry for a PEANUT treat, I say. Hmmm, she hmmms. She does not get it. I must type her a shopping list.

Then Mom sat on the couch -- MY couch -- and had one of the big round treats. I asked her to share with me, but she said it had chocolate in it and chocolate is bad for dog. I think humans lie, even my mom. How can something smell so good and be bad? It must be good. She ate it all. Not a crumb for Kimiko. Then she wiped my face because she said I drool. What does she expect when she eats good treats in front of me and doesn't give me one too? It is so unfair. I keep her company, I protect her when she sleeps, I scare away the bad people who walk by our yard, I protect her from people who try to come in -- I deserve many treats! But she does nothing but sit at this typey thing. And sometimes takes me for walks. Walks are good. But sometimes she brushes me. Brushing is bad. And sometimes she takes me to dog doctor. That is bad place so I pee on it. So there. I am good dog. She buys her typey self lots of bags of treats, and only one box of boring for me. This is not fair!

BTW, Some of my fans ask how I, Dog, can type. I hold pencil in my mouf and hit the letters with it. I am slow, but I type good, don't I? It's really hard to type the BIG letters, but there is a box that MAKES ALL LETTERS BE BIG LIKE THIS. pretty cool, huh?

I go now. I think Mom left a treat on the coffee table. Anything on that table is fair game. She better buy me peanut treats soon. If you read this, please tell my Mom to buy me PEANUT TREAT. No stupid bone. Not the dog cookie things. Blech. OK, I eat them because I like food, but I don't like them as much as PEANUT TREAT. OK, Bye. WOOOF. Kimiko

Weather Wonders

I really don't understand why some days are so nice, and some days are awful. Why is it that some days are nice and cold, and I can rub my face in the snow, and toss it around with my nose (Mom calls it my "snoot." I don't want to know what that means because I think it's not nice; she laughs when she says it. Grrrr.) And ROLL in the snow. Some days snow comes down from the sky, or from down the street, and it lands on my fur and I become all white. I love these days.

Some days water comes down from the sky. Look, I am a dog, I have to go outside. I wouldn't go out when water is coming down if I didn't have to. Sometimes there's no water when Mom puts me out, and then I guess she forgets where I am, and water comes down, and I wait and wait and wait, and get wetter and am sure I'm going to melt, and then she runs out and pretends to care, and says "Poor soggy doggy!" then lets me in and rubs me with a towel. Like THAT makes me feel better.

Other days there is no snow and no water. Some of them are cool, and sometimes it's hard to see the sun, and I like those days. Even if you can see the sun I get a lot of shade from the big trees by the street, and I like being outside. I can bark at people I don't know and let them know that Kimiko the Akita is watching them, so they better behave or I might BITE them (if I could figure out how to get out of my fence. But I feel safer in my fence; only Mom knows how to get in. And Caryn who walks me; Caryn knows too. And Caryn's Mom. But that's all.)

But some days there is sun and no clouds and it is HOT. I do not like being hot. I am an Akita and Akitas are SNOW DOGS. We are not hot weather dogs like Chihuahuas who come from Mexico. I think. Anyway, Akitas don't like hot. We like cool. Mom has this thing that makes cool air come up from the floor in the kitchen on hot days. It comes up from some other places too, but the kitchen is best because I can lay all over the floor and be cool. (Note from Mom: she means "lie." Dogs have trouble with "lay" and "lie." And she really does lie ALL OVER the kitchen floor; it's small, and she's large.) And if Mom keeps my water bowl full, it gets nice and cool too, and I can have big drinks and make water go ALL over the floor. Then Mom has to find those papery things. I laugh, but I do it quietly so she doesn't know.

I don't understand why Mom can't make the all the days be nice and cool, or have snow and no water from the sky. She brings food. She makes it be dark at bedtime. Why can't she make it cool outside, like she can inside? Maybe she likes it hot. But when it's hot, she stays inside. I love to walk, but not when water is falling and not when it's hot. And not when the air hits me hard and fluffles my coat. Blech. GRRRR.

If you read this and you know my Mom, tell her I want more cold days, please.

WOOF!

Walking With Mom

I love walks. Walks are really, really good. Almost as good as treats. Usually my friend Caryn comes and takes me for long walks. Caryn walks good. She walks FAST like Akitas do. Sometimes she brings her friend Nicole and we all walk fast. Sometimes Nicole brings her Akita friend Nikita (stupid stupid name; they call her "Kita." Why bother with name if you just call her dog?!). Then we all four walk really fast. Nicole and Kita know that I am boss and I always lead. They're smart.

Sometimes Caryn's Mom comes with Caryn. She walks pretty fast, and she cleans up after me (I don't know why; it's not in my yard, but she does). Sometimes just Caryn's Mom comes. That's nice; she likes me and I make her feel safe. And she knows that I am ALWAYS in front. But sometimes she brings Caryn's Dad. I know that Caryn and Caryn's Mom love him, but he is a big men, and I don't think I like that. But I lick his fingers anyway, and he knows that Caryn's Mom MUST hold my leash, and I must be FIRST.

Yesterday -- no, the day before -- I don't know, dog doesn't keep days -- Caryn's Mom came to take me on walk. Mom helped her get my walking clothes on, then asked if she could come too. I sighed. Mom is SLOW. Mom wants me to walk BESIDE her. Mom doesn't understand. So we all went. Caryn's Mom held my leash at first and I was in front where I belong. We went up the big hill. Pretty soon Mom was slowing down and panting, so Caryn's Mom slowed down too. (Caryn's Mom is nice.) They talked while I tried to walk faster. They wouldn't. Then Caryn's Mom gave my Mom my leash. So I started walking faster because Mom isn't good at holding my leash. She tried to pull me back but I showed her who was boss. We walked VERY fast for a while, but then I got tired. And Mom said I need to walk more because I am getting FAT. ME? FAT? I am not the fat one who hardly ever walks!

But if Mom is going to walk with me she must learn my rules. I am LARGE and IN CHARGE. I walk FAST. And I am always, always, the lead dog. So there.

WOOF!

Mom's a Grouch

So, yesterday Mom didn't get up until wayyyyyy after breakfast time. I was starving, and I needed to go OUT. But I am good dog, so I didn't wake her up and I didn't do bad things. Then she gave me boring food even though I know there is pizza in the fridge. (Yep, Mom was BAD on Friday night, and got herself a pizza. I had some because I knocked the box off the stove with my nose. That'll teach her a lesson.)

Then she didn't take me for a walk even though the sun was nice and it was hot. OK, hot for me, but probly nice for Mom. Nope, I just sat in the melting snow pile in the back yard while Mom sat in front of this type-y thing and clicked. (Yes, I could hear, all the way from outside; I'm a DOG, I have good, if selective, hearing) [Note from Mom: I have five articles to write THIS WEEKEND. Time for walks? Not this weekend. Let's hope it's still nice tomorrow.] And she went up and down the stairs lots of times. [Mom note: Laundry. I had lots. I don't have a natural fur coat, so I must wash clothes from time to time.]

Finally it was dinner time, and Mom didn't let me in until AFTER she ate leftover pizza. I got the pizza bones [crusts] and got to lick the plate, but that's not like she's sharing. Then more boring dog food. It's OK. I think buffalos and deers must taste pretty good before they get turned into kibble. I've never seen a buffalo. [apparently she has a short memory; she has said this before. Mom]

But this morning, oh this morning! Mom baked something in the BIG white box with the stove on top (she didn't mix it up in a bowl first so it wasn't as good as the usual things that come out from there) and then put frostings on them. She took TWO on a plate with a cup of that icky stuff she drinks in the morning, and went to sit on the couch. I went to sit beside her. She said "Shoo!" (like that's gonna work. What am I, a bug? No, I am DOG!) and when she had a bite of one of the round things from her plate and held the rest of it in her hand, I took it and ran to my den under the table. Ha! She didn't even want it back. (Funny, because she lets me lick her hands and face. Why won't she eat food if my tongue touches it?)[ick. Mom] Then she finished the second one except for the last bite, because I eat fast and I got that too. She was mad. I told her we could share another, but she said our arteries were already clogging. I don't know what that means but it sounds bad. But the round frosted things were really good.

OK, Mom wants the type-y thing back. See you later!
WOOF! and ROOOooooo.
Kimiko

Barking. And Hats.

I'd start this with a whine if I knew how to spell one. Dogs can't talk human talk. That should be obvious. When some idiot human thinks that her dog is saying "Mama" that's just dog words that sound like human words to her. Duh. Mom would tell you things about vocal cores (?), palette (?) shapes, tongues, and stuff, but what it comes down to is that dogs speak dogs, and humans speak human. And we understand a lot more human speak than YOU do dog speak.

Mom gets some of my language because she's linguist (what that means is she understands a lot of people speech, but also that she gets communication - bit word but I know it). She knows that the RooOooOoo is me telling her that I'm really glad to see her but what I really want is a treat, right now. And sometimes it means, "OK, I'll do what you want, but I'm not happy about it" but that's a different tone, and she recognizes that too. She knows that I have a speech for people I know and love, one for people I don't know but that aren't getting too close, and one for strangers who are getting much too close for me to be happy about it. She calls it the "stranger danger" bark, and that is pretty much what it is. I am warning her. I also have a play growl and a growl for bad people that I only had to use once. (You think we can't tell who bad people are? We're lots smarter about it than you are. If your dog doesn't like your boyfriend or girlfriend, you should think twice before getting involved with that person! Remember, we love you!)

But sometimes dogs bark just because we feel like it. When the moon comes up, we like to howl. That doesn't mean we're lonely or unhappy; it's left over from when we were wolves, and we're telling all the dogs who can hear exactly where we are and that we'd like to get together. But we all have fences and things so we can't get together now. And sometimes during the day we just want to bark. Mom will come out and tell me to be quiet, but I don't tell her to be quiet when she walks around making that awful howl she calls singing. Ouch. But I love her, so I let it go. But humans, try to understand that sometimes your dog just needs a good bark, to get it out of her system.

I have a bark word for one other thing: humans in hats. I don't care what kind of hat it is, I don't like them. So I tell them that I don't like them. Even if it's a hood from a jacket that they pull up, I don't like it. And I don't trust them. (that's another lesson you humans could learn: never trust another human who is wearing a hat!). Hats are bad. I don't know how I know this, I just do. bad. Bad hats. Sometimes Mom gets silly and puts on a hat in the house. I bark at her until she takes it off. Sometimes it's cold and she puts on that dumb hat she made for herself, and gets ready to go outside. I stand in front of the door and bark until she takes the stupid thing off. It is bad! Bad, bad hat! And if she wears it outside something bad will happen. Again, I don't know how I know this, but I do. Hats are bad, and bad things will happen if you wear them! So don't wear hats! And don't trust people who do.

I'm going to take a nap now. This took a lot out of me. Listen to Kimiko; I am smarter than you think!

More About Music and Food

I know I've said how good food is -- but it really is. Now here are two things. Aunt Shari says that there's a really good kind of food for me that comes in little cans. Mom says it would take 10 of those cans for each meal, and that costs too much. You know, I've seen her bring her food home from the human food store, and she never says anything SHE likes costs too much. Does that seem fair?

Here's another thing. When I was a puppy my Mom said I had a problem with my puppy food because it had corns in it. She had to look and look to find a food with no corns. (I don't know what those are, but Caryn gave me popcorns once and they were very tasty, but my behind made noises afterwards. Is that why corns are bad?)Anyway Mom found a food with no corns, but when I was 1 year old she got me a new food with no corns. About a year ago she started adding another food to it. These are dry crunchy foods and that's good because I like to crunch. I can even crunch up bones with my big white teeth. But why does she mix two foods? She says the new food has buffalo and deer in it. I've seen deer and I don't think they would fit into the bags she brings home. I don't know what a buffalo is but Mom says they're bigger than deer. The new food tastes good though, so I guess it's OK. It's just that she never seems to mix things together that she eats, and she puts her food in the white box that makes it hot. My food is always cold. Not really cold, but not hot. Does that seem fair?

Mom says that before I was born she had an Akita named Kato. I know she did because I can smell Kato in this house, even though Mom can't anymore. It's very faint, but I know she was here. I have some of her toys, too. Anyway, Mom said Kato watched the television box and had a favorite show. I don't much like television, especially when it's stupid humans talking, but I do like it when there are things moving really fast. Mostly during the day Mom makes it so music comes out. It's OK, just different humans howling things. But one day I heard the most awesome howling I ever heard coming out. I ran to the TV and looked, but there was no good picture, just this wonderful howling. I sat and listened until it stopped and different howling started. The box started playing the wonderful howling bunches of times every day, and when I ran to the TV to see, Mom finally came too. She said that the howling was Los Lonely Boys. They didn't sound like a lonely howl, though; it sounded like a happy howl. Finally Mom brought home one of those round flat things that she puts in the black box sometimes; it makes howling when she doesn't have the TV howling on. And there was a long time of Los Lonely Boys howling! Their same howl, but different ways, for almost an hour. Or more. Or less. I can't tell time. I laid down on the floor with my head right in the middle of the two boxes the sound comes out of, and listened to them howl. Oh, it is so wonderful! Mom should play it every day, but she doesn't love them like I do. Then I heard them on the TV box with a howl that isn't on the long round flat thing. I told Mom I wanted that howl too, but she says it's a CD and most dogs don't get any CDs at all so I'm lucky to have one. She has piles and piles of them, I think she should get me another one. If you think so too, please tell Mom to get me more of Los Lonely Boys! She says she "doesn't like them that much" but I do, and this is my house too, right? I want more howls! Doesn't that sound fair? More howls for Kimiko!

A Little About Love

Yesterday -- or maybe the day before -- I don't remember, let me start over. OK. One night Mom went to bed early; I could tell she was sad, even though she kissed me good night like always and told me what a good dog I am. I usually go to bed on the couch when she does, then later I sneak into her room and sleep at the foot of her bed, just in case she needs me. The morning after she went to bed sad, I jumped up when she got up and when she came around the bed I wagged my tail and swung my head at her, and when she bent down to pet me I licked her face and hands and rubbed my head and neck all over her while I wagged my tail. She had a big smile when we went to the kitchen for breakfast.

Sometimes humans say that dogs are best friends. Here's a secret: we love you. If you are sad or lonely, find a dog. Dogs love you more than any human can, because we don't want anything from you. Sure, we like cookies and food and naps, but if you don't give us treats we love you anyway. We don't care if you think you're fat or if your hair sticks out. We don't care what your clothes look like or if you took a bath today (sometimes we like it better if you didn't, but that'a different secret). All we want is to be with you as much as we can. If you have to be gone, that's OK, we'll wait. We'll wait as long as it takes. And we are SO happy when you come back! We're happier than any human could be, except maybe a baby, but babies want more things and need a lot more (we'd help more with them but you need thumbs to change diapers. Leave the diaper off and we'd clean up!)

When I was really really little, Mom said that she loved me, and that she would never ever leave me alone. She might have to be gone a few days, and I'd go to camp (I LOVE dog camp! But that's another story), but she'd always come and get me, and she always does. Sometimes when she looks sad I push my face at her to remind her of her promise, and she sees how much I love her and she's happy again. It's easy to love humans because most of them are good, especially when they have dogs, and they take care of bad humans the same way that a wolf pack takes care of a bad wolf. Only with less teeth showing. Even when Mom takes a chew bone away or yells at me, I love her. Even when she's not here I love her.

So humans, remember: dogs love you. We really do.

Eating is Good

Now that Swedish people have confirmed my theory that everyone should take naps (they proved that humans are smarter after a nap -- now that's a good reason for humans, right? I think everyone is nicer after a nap, and that's an even better reason), I am theorizing that everyone should eat on a regular schedule.

You see, your stomach isn't smart. At least mine isn't. It doesn't know what time it is. But I do. I always know when it's breakfast time and when it's dinner time. Unfortunately my mom thinks these times are somewhat flexible. This is very bad. If my stomach doesn't get its meal when it is meal time, then me and my stomach are not happy. (Mom just muttered something about fatulence, or something, but I'm sure it had nothing to do with me.)

Mom doesn't always get up at the same time, so I don't get my breakfast at the same time. This is bad. I know it's breakfast time, and I tell my stomach, and then my stomach starts feeling empty. I suppose I could wake her up, but she looks so cute when she sleeps; drool comes out of her mouth, and her behind makes noises. I laugh, on the inside. So I usually let her sleep. Then she tells me I'm a good girl and gives me a cookie before breakfast. This is good. Dog cookies are very good. Not as good as human cookies, but still very good.

Mom eats lunch, but says that I don't. She's wrong. I eat part of her lunch, and I look at her sadly and drool a little, and she gives me more dog cookies. This is a very good thing. I don't share her fruit though. Ick. Then sometimes Mom forgets about dinner. I don't know how a reasonably smart human can forget about food, especially a human as round and slow as Mom, but she gets on this computer-typey thing, and she forgets. So I put my head on her foot and sigh if I'm inside, or if I'm outside, I bark and bark until she lets me in. She says I shouldn't bark so much but seriously, how is she going to know I want to come in if I don't bark? It's not like she gave me a bell or something. So I can usually get my point across. I like my food, but I like hers better, most days. She lets me lick the bowl or plate sometimes, but not often enough. Then I stare at the cookie jar until she gives me a cookie. Cookies are good. She doesn't realize how good I am at making her give me cookies.

So this is Kimiko, signing off. I'm going to make Mom give me a cookie now. Betch I can do it, too. Wonder if I can make her take me to the dog park tomorrow?

Naps

Naps are good. I like to nap. Sometimes I nap in my den under Mom's worktable (I keep my bones and a toy or two down there; I too old to play with toys, but I like to have them at nap-time), sometimes I nap on the couch (SO comfy... and it's all mine! mostly...), and sometimes on the rug at the foot of Mom's bed, but only if she's sleeping before I come in, so she won't know I'm there. Mom naps too, and she's always better and happier after she naps. I think everybody should take naps. Naps are good! Humans would be happier if they had a nap every day. They make the little humans have naps, but they don't take them. This seems quite foolish to me. If naps are good for little humans, why not for big humans too? Mom says that in hot countries everybody takes a nap after lunch, and they close all the businesses (I asked what those are, and she said, like the dogfood store. I guess there are hot dogs in hot countries...). We should all live like the hot people and have a nice nap after lunch. And maybe after breakfast. And after dinner wouldn't hurt either. Or in the middle of the afternoon when there's nothing to bark at. That's my idea today, anyway. So think about me snoozing, and take a happy nap! ROOOO!
Kimiko

Saturday!

It's Saturday but we're not going to the dog park. Mom says it's too cold. I have an ear infection and she puts nasty slimy stuff in my ears. I don't like it, but then she gives me a treat after that so it's not so bad. Mom says her ear has an infection too but she doesn't have drops, she swallows things. That's not fair.

My neighbor dog is named Lennon. I just found that out. Mom says he's named for a famous musician. The only music I like is Los Lonely Boys -- I made Mom buy me one of their CDs, so when she plays it I can lie on the rug in between the speakers and listen to them sing and play. I love them. I want another CD but Mom says most dogs don't have any so I'm lucky. Oh, and Lennon's mom says that when he's bigger he can come and play with me in my yard! We sort of play together now. He's on a long leash thing, and when I'm in my yard and I run he runs along on his side of the fence, but he can't go as far as he wants because of the leash thing. I'm glad I have a fence and not a leash thing. Leashes are good for walking but not good if they make you stop.

I have to go bark now. This is for moms... and dads too, I guess. I like Lennon's dad but I don't like his friend; the friend wears a hat and I HATE hats. hate them hate them. I won't let mom out of the house if she tries to put one on her head. Silly humans.

I Has a BLOG!

Hello Net Pets! My aunt Nancy gave good book at Christmas, about how good Christmas is, by dog named Trixie. I told Mom if Trixie can write book, why not me? Mom says because Trixie's dad is famous author and she's not famous. She's famous to me, she's the only Mom I has! I live in little house with just Mom. When I came here I was puppy and there was a little white dog named Spike. I was as big as he was, and I got bigger. I loved Spike. Then another little white dog came. I didn't like her so much but she was OK. Then Spike's heart got too big and he went away; Mom was very sad but she says we'll see him again in a long time. I don't really know time, but when Mom is away from me is always a long time. Then the other little white dog went away too and Mom says she is Spike. I kind of miss them but now Mom gives me all her love and I like that. I am a big Akita. Mom says Akitas come from Japan but I come from Montana (but I don't wear a bandana. Not wear clothes -- silly on big dogs!). I don't remember Montana, just remember home. My favorite things are treats shaped like peanut. Mom says "Anybody want a peanut?" and I raise my paw and she gives me one and laughs like a crazy person. Sometimes I think all humans are a little crazy. I love bones too. I don't like fetch so much. I like to chase the ball, but then I think Mom should chase me to get it back before she throws it again. She doesn't like that game. I don't know why. Sometimes we play tag. On nice days we go to the dog park and I make lots of friends. I have lots of hair, two whole coats of hair, so I love love love winter. I love snow. It doesn't stick on me like on little white dogs. I love to run, I run and run and run at the dog park. Next door is a new dog. He looks kind of like me, with a tail curved over his back, but he's all white. Mom says he's a Sammy or something like that. I hope when he gets a little bigger he can come in my yard and play with me. I wish my yard was bigger. I tired of writing now so I go outside in the SNOW!! ROO ROO ROOO! (that's how Akitas say woof). Bye!