Aargh! Shibas!

I’m trying to take more walks with the dogs to get both them and me in shape for the trip, and it’d been several days, so out we went this morning. Drove to a spot that usually guarantees a walk uninterrupted by encounters with other people or dogs (my dogs are not well trained–Cesar would be ashamed of me).

But unexpectadly, a normally unused road that we needed to cross was carrying a fair amount of traffic. Our timing was pretty good–no cars in sight when we got to it–and so I figured I could hustle the dogs across and all would be well.

But no! The Shiba boy heard cars! Cars mean people! And people were put on this earth to admire and pet him!

I couldn’t persuade him to leave the road–neither enticement (“C’mon, sweetie.” “Treats! Treats!”) nor threats yelling firmness (“COME! NOW!) affected him in the slightest. He just looked at me with that lovely alert Shiba smile and said “What are you on about?” (I’m sure that’s what he said–you could almost hear it.)

But physical force still works–I put him on leash and dragged him away.

Shibas: Think smile. Think irrepressible. Think stubborn. Think “mind of their own”.

Me: Think lazy. Think not well-disciplined. Think lousy trainer.

Bad combination.