Walks Are Important...

I was walking Pepper this morning and it dawned on me how important walks are for dogs. Usually, we just take her to a nearby dog park and let her have her fun. But we haven't really had much time this past week, and it really shows. When she's at home and we don't have time to take her anywhere, it is very obvious to me that she is unhappy. She mopes around the house whining and staring at me until she falls asleep. And she had been sleeping a LOT. So I thought "Well, why not get up a little earlier and walk her for half an hour before work?" And so began our routine. The funny thing is that she knew it was going to be a routine from day one... and now expects it.

At first, I didn't know why she liked walking so much, but I figured that since she was an escape artist anyway, she might as well learn about her surroundings so she doesn't get lost. However, when I took her out, she led me wherever she wanted to go... I had little say in the matter. So, walks are important because it allows you to leash-train your dog. It allows you to control where you want your dog to go. We walked for almost an hour around our neighborhood, with Pepper's nose at every mailbox and tall patch of grass. I thought it was okay because I found out from Cesar Milan (the "Dog Whisperer") that letting your dog concentrate on smelling stuff helps use up its energy. And I needed her to use up as much energy as she could before I went to work. So I let her sniff whatever she liked - as long as she stays within the boundaries of her leash, of course.

While walking, I noticed that Pepper liked to mark things: stop signs, mailboxes, grass, etc. And she does the grass-kicking thing afterwards, too, but she kicks in a circle and usually misses the spot she marked. IT'S HILARIOUS! And the only way to describe the look on her face while she's kicking is pure joy! She smiles and her tongue falls to the side and she just looks so happy! It's the main reason why I like taking her for walks.

And when we get back, she eats, which is great because we have a hard time getting her to eat her food. Afterwards, even before I can get ready for work, she starts to fall asleep. And as I pull out of the driveway, I can see her laying down in the yard, sleeping. Aren't they all so cute when they're sleeping?


All in all, walking your dog for at least an hour a day (or running for half an hour) can affect several things: it allows for better behavior, more use of energy outside (so that it isn't used for tearing up stuff inside), and a better appetite, among other things. I saw results from day one!

Shiba Inu or Siberian Husky

I wanted to rescue a dog or adopt one from the local shelter, but William was against it. He wanted to know for sure what his dog was so that he could know what to expect behavior-wise. I couldn't blame him... a small part of me wanted to know, too. Don't get me wrong; I REALLY wanted to adopt one from the shelter... but at the same time I wanted to make sure that I could be as prepared as I possibly could, for the sake of the dog and for myself, and that meant knowing what your dog was so that you'd know what to expect.

So, after a LOT of researching and arguing, William and I narrowed it down to two breeds: William wanted a Siberian Husky and I wanted a Shiba Inu. Even a pet compatibility test put Shiba Inu in our top 3... but he really wanted a husky. Why? They were smart dogs and they were pretty. Living in South Carolina, though, I knew that would not be in the best interest for the dog, and so was dead-set on getting a Shiba. Be that as it may, I occasionally kept an eye out for Huskies, just to give him a glimmer of hope.

We looked EVERYWHERE... shelters, pet stores, newspapers and websites... until finally, we found a semi-local breeder who had just had a litter of --you guessed it!-- Shiba Inu/ Siberian Husky puppies!

The Decision

I'd been wrapping my brain around the idea of getting a pet, and when my sister beat me to it, that sealed the deal. She adopted a puppy, a black hound mix, from the local shelter and named her Bella. From the very beginning, Bella was very shy and cautious, and thus required a lot of time and devotion. While everyone took turns caring for her, I quickly realized the strength of the love and companionship that a dog brought to the family. I figured, "why spoil my sister's dog when I can get my own?"...

At that time, we were all in our final year of college, and were graduating soon. William (my boyfriend) and I would soon have to spend our time searching for jobs. If we wanted to get a dog, the time was now. With our flexible class schedules, we could use what time we had to train it and love it and teach it tricks... but what kind of dog would we get? One from a shelter? A breeder? And so the search began...