Hetzer

I'm getting heart palpitations in excitement!

Why not try to enter your requirements into one of the online breed selector resources? For example: Puppy Finder Breed Selector You might be able to make some kind of short list and do research from there by asking owners about their experiences specifically in their breed's subforum.

Happy 4th Birthday Diva! A baby photo from the archives.

I think the author is excellent, and I remember watching his TV show "Good Dog" which was informative too. The point is that Stanley Coren really gets into the science and psychology of dogs and their relationship with humans. I just read some excerpts on his website www.stanleycoren.com and its given me an appetite to read more.

It's impossible to watch Hachi without falling in love with Akitas and activating the tear ducts (regardless of the gender of the viewer). And I agree that Hachi is better than Marley and me. Richard Gere does such a superb job, and one gets the feeling this was a real labour of love for him and a genuine tribute to the real Hachi of Japanese fame.

It's a real tear jerker for the dog lover, that's for sure. The affection of Hachi and his master was very well captured, and really engages the audience.

I really like the Japanese movie too, and compared to many if not most Hollywood remakes, the original offers an extra dimension of authenticity. None-the-less, as many people in English speaking countries seem to have an aversion to subtitles its nice to have a re-make that attempts to capture the essential elements and emotional impact of the story.

I hope the schadenfreude regarding the suspension does not Tarnish Yogi's brilliant and deserved success.

Very interesting reading and research. I found this article in the Daily Telegraph which echoes the above and discusses how the Australia Dingo could be the most similar dog to those initial ancient dogs.

That link you posted is not inserted correctly - it should be http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvwAeuBDEiQ And yep that's a jiggy lil' pooch!

Hi gang, I just watched some youtube video of Yogi's best in show and group wins at crufts. What a good boy!!! DFS Crufts 2010 Best in Show Winner DFS Crufts 2010 Gundog Group Winner

Kimmi is very proud of her Uncle in the UK! Two links worth have a peek at: BBC Report of Yogi's win: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8567343.stm There's a chat about a streaker interrupting the show in the "in the news" discussion forum worth a look a laugh.

I'm taking this affront personally as there was a Hungarian Vizsla competing there at the time - Yogi - and he's the Uncle of my pet Kimmi!! I mean, family is family, right?! Thankfully the human's fat gut didn't prevent Yogi from taking out the group and best in show!! PS - if one was to streak, would one not spend a bit more time in the gym? Perhaps a few less pork pies? hmm??

Shibas look like they'd have tons of personality! :D I was fascinated to read that "Recent DNA analysis confirms that this is one of the oldest dog breeds, dating back to the 3rd century BC". Wow!

Oh i am so putting that on my christmas list.. Excellent! I'm going to put this book into somebody's stocking for sure.

I work with a Japanese lady, and she is very familiar with the story of Hachi. I gave her a copy of the movie and she is thrilled because she missed it when it was released in Japan originally. She told me that Hachi's voice was recorded by a reporter, so maybe somewhere on the internet we can hear him talk. How interesting! She said that Hachi's statue is quite a shrine that dog lovers like to have their picture taken next to. If I am ever in Japan, I'll be sure to do the same.

I gave Kimmi some prawn yesterday and she really loved it, but I didn't give her any sharp bits.

The Movie is posted on youtube in 6 parts but unfortunately they don't have English subtitles. But there is a nice scene compilation set to nice music which conveys the feel of the film - The 2009 American re-make of the movie (starring Richard Gere) seems to be more of an "inspired by" scenario rather than the true story presented in the 1987 Japanese Movie. Might be worth a look since it hits a similar emotional chord.

Hello everyone, Recently I was researching movies with a dog theme and I found a real gem. The movie was Hachiko, and told the true story of an Akita's devotion to his master, a university professor is 1920's Tokyo. From puppyhood, Hachi would accompany his master to the train station, and await his return of an evening there at a specific time. The touching part was that even after the professors passing away from a heart attack, Hachi would continue the routine of waiting for him at the train station - and this vigil would last for ten years. He would even escape from new owners to continue the wait. The movie was a real tear jerker, and conveyed the connection a human can have with a canine. The fluffy and expressive face of the Akita was very endearing. Hachi would gain national recognition in newspaper articles, and his enduring faithfulness to his master's memory would be hailed as a national symbol. I saw the original 1987 Japanese version of the movie, specifically Hachiko Monogatari, and although there is apparently an english-language remake, I think this is the one to check out. Highly recommended. There's a good Wikipedia entry about Hachi which is definitely worth a read. Best Regards, Hetzer

Hooray for dogs-a-leaping! :D

This was taken yesterday at the dog beach, as Kimmi and I emerged from a rather envigorating swim. What a great day!

Hi Viszla01 I think Piri's biscuit trick is great! An brilliantly captured for the record.

Sometimes my Kimmi "acquires" an apple from the cardboard crate where they reside in bulk. She chews them a bit as a snack, and rolls it around as a toy too - I remove it before she get to the core so does not ingest the pips. She loves all kind of fruit actually... she even picked a lemon and a lime off the tree and kinda chewed them - and that gave a citrusey fresh zing to her breath!

My thinking is along the lines of Kavik. Generally I am pro socialization, and I think its important for dogs to boost their inter-doggie communication skills. However, I read the article http://leerburg.com/pdf/dogparks.pdf where the concept that dog parks are NOT a good idea is discussed - primarily due to dogs attempting to establish pack pecking order and "regular" dogs perceiving new dogs as intruders rather than playmates. It gave me a new perspective about the importance of being there for your dog in the capacity of protector/pack leader and not just start chatting with other humans and leave the dog to its own devices. Although I still take my dog to dog parks and encourage her to mix and play, I am vigilant at all times to ensure her socialization is not compromised with a bad experience like being ganged up on. I don't assume anything about the temperament of other dogs.