Kazu at Eleven Months

Kazu gets to move about with mom Kirin. I was handling Jimmu at this time taking the image with a mobile phone camera.

It was a Tuesday afternoon (2008.03.03), just back from a hospital visit. Myself, not feeling that well either. It has been a while since their last trip out of the house.

Light and relatively heavy rains have been a common occurrence at that period of time, tempting frogs to come out of hiding. Their presence disturbs Kirin, who in turn worries me as she attempts to give them a chase.

Since the past few weeks have been on the drier side, it has been possible to get Kazu out of the house more often. It somehow seems to have made her a bit more tolerant of strangers who pass by. She acquired the bad habit of barking too often at strangers much like other dogs do. Jimmu already outgrew that habit.

A few weeks after this photo was taken, Kazuko shocked us when she bit the cyclone wire fence and shook it after I took Jimmu out of the house. We witnessed this spectacle since we leave the garage gate open when we take them out for a walk. I rushed back to her and quickly attached a leash to the harness that I fitted her with earlier. I took her out for a walk together with Jimmu.

Worried that they might pull hard enough to make me stumble, I proceeded to walk them slowly, cautiously. I can still remember all too clearly how Kirin and Jimmu dragged me across our street last year, chasing after a cat or dog. I don’t remember that part. Anyway, I stopped taking the guys out for a walk simultaneously since.

Kazuko has been taken out for a walk first before Kirin or Jimmu. At least with the first batch that we can handle since her fence-tugging demonstration. I was not sure if that was impatience, just wanting to be with the pack, or envy.

Koji Returns for a Visit

Teng tells us that Koji, at eight months old, is seventy-five pounds (75 lbs.). Their visit last 28 December 2007 (Tita’s 89th birthday) was a welcome surprise for us. I estimated him to be slightly heavier than Kazuko at that time (Kazu was 65 lbs. then). Around seventy, but not ten pounds heavier!

Koji greeted us with great enthusiasm - tail wagging, taking our hands to his mouth, jumping to reach our faces, and leaning. He did not show any discomfort from the long trip he just had (They came from Taguig.).

Unlike everyone else, Jimmu was not pleased with Koji’s presence. He barked and growled at Koji for a long while, pausing only to catch a breath.

Kirin and Kazuko seemed to have indicated a willingness to play, wagging their tails even if they growled at times (Probably just to appease Jimmu.). I put Kazu on a leash and took her out of the garage that was separated from the main entrance are by a cyclone wire fence. She was initially there with Jimmu and Kirin as a precaution. Not everyone is exactly thrilled with the sight of large approaching dogs. It is time for a game if you love them, an assault if you don’t.

Koji immediately approached Kazu and started playing. Some time after pawing and mouthing, Koji started to hump. Whether it was an assertion of dominance or just plain instinct, Kazu was not pleased and started growling. Koji did not seem to mind and still kept quiet.

The visit clearly showed that Koji’s temperament is very close to Kirin’s. Koji did not release a bark during the entire visit that lasted hours.






Koji with “yaya”.