The Pups
Kobe became part of my life as a puppy in January 2003. I did not plan to get a dog, but decided spontaneously one day to go buy a Shiba Inu. It was the best decision I have ever made; my life would not be the same without him.
Kobe has grown into a moody, independent dog who enjoys long periods of solitary meditation, punctuated by chewing on his toes or waving his butt in the air while barking sharply. His likes include hamburgers, walking around and crying while holding “special” toys in his teeth, rearranging the covers on the bed to best suit his needs, celebrating each poop with a festive dance, and the hairdryer. He dislikes oral hygiene, nail clipping, rain, most table scraps, and crunchy dog treats. When I am home, Kobe often follows me around, to the point of lying outside the bathroom while fishing a paw under the closed door. He holds a special place in my heart, being the first dog I had after roughly 18 years of wishing I could get a dog instead of another bird or lizard. I like to pretend that he will live forever.
Scout (commonly referred to as Scoot or Scooty) joined our family in March 2009, but it feels like he has always been here with us. The same age as Kobe, he spent the first six years of his life bouncing between several owners, until his last owner gave him away for free on Craigslist. We paid $350 for him.
Our guess is that Scout was abused at some point, given the way he cowers and yelps at any sudden moments and the presence of several scars under his fur. If either of us scolds him, he takes it very personally and sits in the corner facing the wall until someone welcomes him back into the fold. Other than a propensity to pee in the house and a fondness for distributing trash around the carpet, Scout is a wonderful dog. He wants very much to please everyone and adores any attention. If you pet him and then stop, he will explode in his attempts to get you to continue. Bobby enjoys this, and will repeatedly pet and stop petting Scoot over and over again.
Scout loves chasing balls around the house, putting on excess weight, losing excessive amounts of fur, and receiving any sort of affection. In exchange for a pat on the head, he will mow your lawn, watch your kids, and bite your inlaws. He does not enjoy trips in the car, and shows his displeasure by vomiting and pooping on the seats and carpeting. Despite his quirks, I love him immensely and cannot understand why anyone would give Scout away. He is a keeper.
Neither of the two dogs understands how to interact with other people or animals without losing their minds. It makes leaving the house somewhat of a challenge.