The 28th Annual Shiba Inu Specialty Show (Part 2)

Hoku and Kai watched the show with us on the grass, occasionally saying hi to the other dogs in the audience, playing with each other and taking short walks in the shady areas to cool off from the sun. Our neighbors were an elderly couple with a sweet little Shiba named Hana to our right and two ladies with an Akita named Kuma to our left. 

Hoku didn’t react much to being back in the show environment though he did seem to enjoy relaxing next to us, snacking on treats and smugly watching the show dogs from the sidelines (now that the pressure was off of him, of course).  

While asking around to see if Hoku and Kai might be able to participate in future shows (and unfortunately, they can’t because they’re neutered), we coincidentally met Marisa Wilson who’s the current president of the Southern California Shiba Inu Club and one of Hoku’s previous owners who had also bred him. We brought Hoku (or Qing, as she had known him) over to say hi and he recognized her right away, dropping his ears and wagging his tail happily. It was really sweet. Marisa mentioned that Hoku had the bear-like features characteristic of her Shibas and that his nickname used to be Frank Sinatra.  

The 28th Annual Shiba Inu Specialty Show (Part 1)

We drove up to attend the 28th Annual Beikoku Shiba Inu Aikokai Specialty Show in Gardena, CA this past Sunday. Hoku won first in his class here back in 2012 with his previous owners so I’ve been really interested in attending the event for some time. This year’s expert from the Nihonken Hozonkai (the Japanese equivalent of the AKC) was Yoshikuni Tanozaki who flew in from Japan to judge the Shibas based on Japanese breed standards.

We found a nice spot on the grass and watched as Shibas from each gender+category stepped inside the ring to be judged. First, the Shiba would stand nice and upright with their leash held straight in the air while the judge walked around them. He would then measure the Shiba’s height with a ruler and examine the inside of their mouth. And finally the handler and dog would sprightly walk in a circle before returning to the judge, who would bow and thank them for participating. 

My favorite part of the show was the competition for Best Puppy. Though all the pups were all 100% certifiably adorable (especially the black and tan puppy who had a smile that could melt the coldest of hearts), the title went to the red Shiba puppy with the red leash. 

A Beautiful View of San Diego Along Harbor Drive

This photoset was taken back in October along Harbor Drive near the San Diego International Airport. It’s a popular place for jogging, dog walking, enjoying views of downtown San Diego and the Coronado bridge, and watching sailboats in the harbor. We’ll often stop by after taking people to the airport, especially if its a weekend and need a moment to unwind.

Hoku has always been fascinated by the rocks here. He always prefers walking over the rocks than on the sidewalk with us. Either he likes the challenge of the rocky terrain or the smells of rotting sea life that got left behind during high tide. Luckily for us, he’s never actually found anything.