Cooling off at the beach

Are those dogs in there? What are we waiting for? Let's get 'em.

It was two weeks ago when we went to our third Shiba Inu meet up which was held on a dog beach and conveniently near my place. This was the first time that we're going to a dog beach, and it would be interesting how Chloe will handle big bodies of water seeing how she hates taking a bath.

Beach photos with her 'airplane ears'

It's not very noticeable because she's facing me, but the first photo shows her airplane ears with smiles. Chloe is enjoying our trip because she doesn't smile that often. She often have that fierce look on her face like she's up to no good.

It's a shiba meet up, so we met some shibas again that day, including Winnie from A Winnie Day whose humom being responsible for organizing the meet up. Some interesting Shibas showed up too whose names i didn't remember again including the black and tan shiba with a red head.

It's Yumi from INU+NYANKOS. She's owned by Aya, one of the the readers of this blog. I wish Chloe dug something at the beach like Yumi did.

I love how big those shiba tails are. Wait, that cream shiba and Chloe have the same collar!

Laying down with the humans, it was nice of them to share some water to Chloe.

*Yawn* I'm tired, let's go home already.

So, how did Chloe took the beach? She was really afraid of the waves at first, like all the shibas around. She needed some forcing to get to the water, I think she enjoyed the water when she got used to it, but that's as far as she goes. It would be kind of interesting if she could swim though.

Introducing the breed "Shiba Inu"

Designated as a "National treasure" in Japan, the Shiba Inu is one of six breeds in the same family of dogs native to Japan. No one knows precisely why the term Shiba was used to name these dogs. However, there are common theories that are presented: The symbol for Shiba in Japanese writing  has multiple meanings. One meaning if for a type of wild shrub frequently translated as brushwood, either because the dogs were used to hunt in wild shrubs, or because the most common color of the Shiba Inu is a red color similar to that of the shrubs. Also, in an old Japanese dialect, it also means small, maybe in reference to its small size. The term "inu" simply means dog in Japanese. Therefore, the Shiba Inu is frequently translated as "Little Brushwood Dog."  (And don't call it Shiba inu dog cause it will literally mean "shiba dog dog)

 In Japan, they often use three words to describe the Shiba's overall essence:

• "Kan-i" embodies the confidence of a dog that knows her own worth. Defined as a boldness of spirit with alertness and a keen sense of awareness that allows them to distinguish friend from foe. The confident Shiba stands her ground ready to protect herself and her family when the need arises.
• "Ryosei" means good-natured. The shiba is loyal, faithful, obedient, respectful of her owners and obeys commands when given.
• "Soboku" literally means country-girl beauty. What you see is what you get. The Shiba is beautiful in a manner that is natural, simple, yet elegant, unsophisticated, yet poised. The "girl next door" of the dog world.

 According to the AKC (American Kennel Club), the Temperament of the Shiba Inu is:

"A spirited boldness, a good nature, and an unaffected forthrightness, which together yield dignity and natural beauty. The Shiba has an independent nature and can be reserved toward strangers but is loyal and affectionate to those who earn his respect. They can be aggressive toward other dogs, the Shiba is always under the control of his handler."

What else can I say? It's the perfect companion for me.

Here are some pictures of the breed I fell in love with: