Home on the Plains

I needed to get my acting headshots done, since I chopped off ALL my hair. So I took a day trip home to Auburn to have a fun photoshoot with my photographer friend Sherry. Of course I had to bring the Akitas along for the ride! And I have to say...I'm very proud of them. They spent the day running around from location to location , staying when told to stay, and sitting quietly when we were working. We took a few pictures of them too, so they got their 15 minutes of fame :) Their favorite moment I think was at the state park in front of the waterfall. After they got done with their glamour shots, I decided that they definitely deserved a treat so we let them swim. Miho, being the smart one, realized that the rocks were slippery and gingerly stepped her way in, carefully looking at where her feet were going. Harry, he's not the brightest crayon in the box(but we love him anyway!) just trotted right in, and slid and fell into the water. It was hilarious. After our long hours "on set" we went for a walk on Auburn University's campus. We encountered many college students from all walks of life wanting to pet the dogs. Harry and Miho particularly liked the group that was playing some kind of game with a huge inflatable ball...you know the kind you always wanted as a kid in those big cages at Wal-Mart...we all laughed at them chasing the ball around. At the end of the day, we stopped by my parents' house to visit. My mom calls my dogs "the monsters." She's not really a big dog person...
All in all, it was a fun but very tiring day that they all took in stride.






On another note, I had an interesting conversation with a co-worker about dogs in public places. He does NOT agree with people bringing their dogs anywhere. His argument being that you never know when dogs are going to bite somebody, and that I should be careful with bringing my dogs to so many places. Now, I understand and respect that not everybody is a dog person, but if my dog is welcome in a public place, non-dog people should respect my right to bring them as I respect theirs by not forcing my dog on them.
I also disagreed with him on the "you don't know when your dog is going to bite." I beg to differ...completely. I KNOW my dogs. I know what they are capable of, I know their personalities, and I know their limits. I have taken numerous steps to inhibit them to bite, and they are so reluctant to bite anybody that they will ONLY do so under the extreme circumstance...ex) somebody coming at me with a knife...somebody breaking in.
I told this person that the reason I know this is BECAUSE I take them to so many public places, especially when they are young. I'm completely confident in my dogs' temperaments. Socialization in the key to raising a well-trained, gentle, socially accepted dog. I take any and all opportunities to socialize them as much as possible, and look at the results. I have two Akitas who are the first to come greet a stranger, let kids crawl all over them, and accept anybody who approaches them(whether they ask for permission or not).

Definitely not your stereotypical Akita. Great dogs are raised, regardless of what breed they are.

Piedmont Park

I recently "discovered" Piedmont Park. I've always heard about it and finally decided to just go there. For those you unfamiliar with Piedmont, its this HUGE park right smack in downtown Atlanta. As well as being a beautifully put together place, you also run into all kinds of weird or interesting people. Like the random rapper who insisted on walking and rapping at the top of his lungs. Miho didn't quite know what to think of that one....and she ESPECIALLY didn't know what to think of the guy flying his big model plane! She barked at it, and stood up on her hind legs trying to catch it. Harry just kind of stared at it, not quite sure what was going on...


We ran into a wide variety of people. "What kind of dog is that?" "Is that a wolf?!" "Is that a huskey?" I was more than happy to stop and educate people about my wonderful breed, and there were plenty of curious people. But Miho and Harry's favorite by far was a group of kids picnicking with their parents.


Two of the kids were bold and excited, they couldn't wait to run up and pet the big fluffy puppies. The youngest one, though, cried and screamed and begged for her mom to pick her up. She was obviously terrified. Her mom told me that she had always been afraid of dogs, and had never come near one. Now, I can't leave this little girl with a fear of dogs now can I?? And there's no better dog that Harry to get a child to overcome their fears! Harry seems to have a knack for seeking out the timid kids and approaching them in a way that is inviting to them. Calie, the scared little girl, had a death grip on her mom's hand as I told her that Harry is very fluffy and really really loves kids. He came up and sat next to me and smiled his Harry smile. That didn't work. So he went to plan B and decided to "talk" to her. Sure enough, his funny Akita talking sounds broke the ice and the little girl was soon laughing at him. After about 10 minutes, she finally got the courage to walk up and slowly reached one hand out to Harry. He stretched his nose out and touched her hand and licked it. She giggled. And then came all the way up to Harry and pet him! Yay!! Harry licked her and leaned on her and just loved and loved on the little girl. She had never even touched a dog. :)
Next we ran into another young girl, who was the opposite of Calie...she was more than happy to pet the two "big wolf-dogs."



Our last adventure of the day, just as we were leaving, we got mobbed by a photography class! They were very taken with the dogs, and laughed at Harry's antics to get them to pet him and then Miho's jealousy of Harry getting all the attention. They took lots of pictures, I'm hoping to get them soon. Of course I'll post them :)

Yeah, its tiring work meeting adoring fans all day.

Introductions

Hello world!!
So, at the request of some friends, I have decided to start a blog about responsible Akita ownership. Consider this my response to BSL, which, is the dumbest thing on the face of the Earth. I was inspired by my trips to the various parks and places with my twoAkitas, with drastically different reactions from people. See, when most people that are familiar with the breed, hear "Akita" they generally run in the other direction. In other words, they judge before they know. I am passionate about this breed, and believe that it is all in the way you raise a potentially aggressive dog, than the breed of dog itself. So I've decided to set out with a purpose...every week, I will (try) to take my dogs on random trips and adventures, and document their meetings with people from all over. I'm starting from scratch, so ANY suggestions of what you'd like to see done just let me know! And as this is geared towards Akitas, it is meant to be a voice for ALL of those so-called "dangerous" breeds, and those that love them. So feel free to pitch in anytime. I am out to join the community of us crazy ones that love these breeds, and hope to educate the general public that these are great dogs, and not the vicious killers that some have made them out to be!
So, without further ado, let me introduce you to the stars of this canine journal, the two most awesome Akitas in the world(well, in my very biased opinion): "Miho" and "Harry." My kennel name is Hollywood, on account that acting is my passion in life. So all of my dogs are named after movies or some sort of entertainment related thing.

Hollywood's One Night Stand
"Miho"
White female, DOB October 24, 2009



This is Miho. Otherwise known as "The White Bitch" by my dog show friends. She is a total diva, and definitely lives up to the "bitch" part. She thinks very highly of herself, and is attached at the hip to me. Nope, she will not listen to you, she will throw a complete fit if you take her away from me and try to tell her to do something. She is my protector, my rock, the female love of my life. She loves watching t.v. for hours, her favorite shows are Family Guy, Metalocalypse, Home Movies and anything involving lions, wolves or bears. Her favorite movies include any and all action movies. She wags her tail when something explodes(eat your heart out, Michael Bay). Her other hobbies include stealing my spot on the bed, rolling over and sticking her paw at you when she doesn't want to do something, guarding the door, barking at butterflies and bossing Harry around.

Day Dream's Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
"Harry"
Fawn male, DOB May 1, 2010



This is Harry. Isn't he just the most handsome guy you've ever seen? :) He is named after a favorite movie of mine, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Harry comes from the character Robert Downey Jr played in the film. If you haven't seen it...you should. Now, Harry is very special. See, he's really a lab trapped in an Akita body. And he's...how do you say it...not the brightest crayon in the box. He is probably the biggest GOOF you will ever meet. Seriously...he is hilarious. He is a constant source of entertainment, whether he's running into doors, failing at jumping onto my bed, or chasing his tail, he's sure to make you laugh. He is quite the talker too...a friend of mine once described his voice as to that of a baby seal dying. His favorite pastimes include talking to Miho, annoying Miho, biting Miho's ear, running up and down the stairs, and standing in front of my space heater. Like he needs extra heat with all that hair...geez!

Anyway, so here are some candids of Miho and Harry...being themselves.