Dog Man

The Woman has gone back to school as her full-time job. She is no longer working full-time for a school but rather is a student herself. Her schooling requires considerable reading that She does at the kitchen table with two Shibas lying close by. A glass of wine, some cheese, and her highlighter, She elegantly addresses her books with class and style.

However, recently, The Woman took a break from the huge textbooks on the couch, desk, and table, and read the book: Dog Man: An Uncommon Life on a Faraway Mountain by Martha Sherrill.

If you have any interest in the ancient breeds, in Japan during WWII and beyond, in transitioning cultures and family values, this is a must read book. The author successfully cements these themes and more as it focuses on the history of the Akita and its post-war development in Japan. One can not examine a breed as proud as the Akita (or the Shiba) without examining The People Who Stand Behind Them. These are not breeds that Society wants to morph into something else, or design into a different dog. Both breeds are cherished for what exactly they represent; their history, their integrity, their individualism, something that so many other breeds lack. And between the Shiba and the Akita, there are four others, each with their own story that needs to be written and cherished. However, this book focuses only on the one- the Akita and how it came to be.

The Japanese have the right idea on how to make the perfect dog. It's Society that just needs to recognize us as that.

If you have a rainy afternoon or a few night time hours, this book should be on top of your list. Outside of the fact that it is exceptional well written, it tells a story of a country rebuilding not only its new self, but addressing tradition- as in what is a dog that stood by a Samurai's side or hunted to feed the family it cherished.

It is the story of Japanese Mountain Dogs.



I Am Shiba. I Was Born To The Mountains and To Smell The Melting Waters of Spring.