After a couple of months things grow….. Sammy is no exception. Here is the latest in her world.  This past Saturday was a big day in the life of Sammy. Probably more so for us as it was the first day of removing her from “The Leash.” To be honest, it has to be compared to the first time you would let a child drive your car. I was needless to say a bit less than enthusiastic about the whole deal. You see, ever since she was tiny, Sammy has been what you could call an independent thinker. No matter what you told her to do she would do what the hell she wanted to. On top of that when being scolded she had no problems telling you that you were wrong, not her.

As usual, I am going to drift a bit here. You see in Japan, things like having a dog, a certain kind of car or even a child, by default make you a member of some sort of unannounced exclusive club. Generally, there is the “Mommy club” where new mothers gather at a local park during the day to hang out and generally gossip about how their life’s appear better than everyone else. Then there is the Dog club.

This secret society can even be broken down into breed specific sub-committees. There is the Retriever crowd, the Golden Retriever crowd, the Labrador retriever crowd and the list could go on and on. Many say that Japan is in the middle of a “Doggy Boom” which refers to anything currently popular that everyone strives to be part of get’s a “Boom” attached to the end of it. It is very cultish. Not to mention that there is a whole etiquette involved. You just can’t walk up on another person and their dog, the dogs greet with the standard butt sniffing exercise and you smile and go on your way. No, not here, you have to ask silly questions; “What type of dog is he/she?” “How old is he/she?” and close out with an obligatory “KAWAIIIIIIII” (cute) and a “Domo” for allowing their dog to interact with yours.

So anyhow, we got the call from a friend and his wife inviting us to Yoyogi Park. They have a very smart, energized Miniature Pincher (read in Japan Min-Pin). The plan for the morning was to head to the park and let the dogs play. Sammy, of course had no idea what was going on and really didn’t care. She was on her way to the car and was stoked to get in for a ride.

Swung by, picked up the friends and headed to the park. It was a gorgeous, but scorching day. After a brief walk, we reached out destination which happened to be a huge field with a nice little pond/fountain area. Because somehow we managed to forget the scoobie snacks in the car, I decided to let Sammy have her way. Into the water she went. She really likes the water, but you could expect that of a Labrador.

When we finally reached our destination, the time of truth came. Time to unhook the leash. Keep in mind that there was nothing preventing her from bolting and us never seeing her again. *Clip*….. nothing. I am not even sure if she realized she was off the leash until I took of running. She gave chase and realized that as long as we were within ear-shot, we would let her do what she desired. It was a good day. I am ready to begin phase II, teaching her to swim. She loves the water, but hasn’t gotten to the point where she is confident not touching bottom. Sure this is to be continued.