Toby the Omocha

トビはおもちゃです。

この物語はトビという犬についてです。５ヶ月前にくれました。彼はとても楽しいです。毎日によく散歩をします。その時にいつも友達に会います。トビから私の生活はよくなりました。SMUG PIX を見てください。

Now that we've had Toby for all of five months, I'm really glad that we finally decided to get a dog after waiting all those years.  Having a dog in Tokyo is indeed different from when we were in Tennessee with a big yard of our own, an invisible fence, and a backdoor we could just open whenever nature called the dog.  Here it's a whole different story, complete with several walks on leash a day, always taking the "doggy bag" along, and strategically planned routes meant to avoid heavy pedestrian traffic which have engendered some awkward poop scooping before I knew any better.  It seems that nature calls Toby at some of the worst moments... while crossing a busy street for example, or in front of the koban (police box).  So far he's avoided my personal nightmare, in front of the elegant coffee shop next door, where well dressed folks sit on the patio enjoying rich coffee, and beautifully crafted desserts.

I knew that having a dog would change my daily routines.  "It's a lot of work", I kept hearing, so that's no surprise.  What I didn't expect, however, was how enjoyable it would be to take those walks.  There's nothing like having to walk the dog to pry me from my computer out into the fresh air and open day.  Even when the weather isn't lovely, getting out for a bit clears the muddles that seem to be pulling me under some days.  This year, planning the summer homeleave trip has been particularly difficult, with much back and forth, based on so many different factors that seem to contradict each other.  No one group of family or friends that we are visiting can appreciate how complex this all is, but they do try.  Soon it will all be decided, and there won't be anything else left to do but try to carry out the complicated one month long multi-state travel plan.  Toby will stay with our friends, Kusacchi, Junko-san, and Indy the dog.  Actually, it will be like a training camp for Toby, and I hope he can learn 1-2, which I've been trying to teach him for five months.  He just ignores me.  But it will be hard for him to ignore Junko-san.  She may look sweet... she is!... but she's tough and totally in charge.  Toby will want to stay on her good side, for sure.   

Yes, Toby does like the ladies.  When we are walking along, we often find ourselves following a couple of ladies.  Toby loves to walk along behind their clicking heals, and if they turn off, he tries to follow, stopping and looking back at me with this very cute question on his face... "but why can't we just follow the girls?".  Martin and I sometimes take Toby for a walk in Roppongi and he gets lots of attention there.  Since you can walk on the street and drink a beer, we'll sometimes share one as we walk.  I'll go into the store to get the beer and when I come out, I'll find that Toby (and Martin) have made some new friends.  This has happened more than once.  Toby is a very attractive personality.

Yet another unexpected benefit is meeting all the other dog people in the neighborhood.  As Toby becomes more accustomed to the leash, and better behaved on the sidewalk, we've ventured further and enjoyed our walks more.  Since he always wants to meet every dog we pass, I often get a chance to talk with the other dog owners, in English or Japanese, and snap a few pictures now and then. 

Being only 3 kilograms in weight, Toby is very easy to carry in his special doggy carrying bag, so we've taken him on the train several times to visit various friends or a park where dogs are welcome.  Here he is with Yoichi-san, Yumiko-san's hubby.  So, what does Omocha mean?  Well, it means "toy".  Not only is he a toy poodle by breed, but Toby is very much like a little stuffed dog that you just want to pick up and hug.  When we're out, just seeing his perky walk often brings a smile to the people he passes.  And if they touch him, they are always suprised at how soft and fluffy he is.  What a little package of fun!　　More Dog Pix on SMUGMUG.

Comments

[Matsui Haruko]

トビーくんは　本当にいやしの人（？）です。１週間に２回、日本語のレッスンでトビーに会うのが楽しみです。我が家にも１歳半の女の子（孫娘）がいますが、やっていることは殆ど子犬状態ですよ。さて、サマーキャンプのあとは、どちらが進化しているでしょう。

[Steffi]

Very nice pictures and your little puppy is so cute!