Written September, 2008I’m often asked why my husband and I chose, out of all the dog breeds in the world, such a rare and hard-to-find breed as a Japanese Spitz. The answer is easy - the Japanese Spitz is quite simply the best dog in the world. Ok, so I admit that I may be just a little biased. Our dogs are, after all, our children. But just spend a week with one and see if you don’t agree. Or ask my mother-in-law. She kept Geisha for a week once and fell head over heels in love. She now has her own JS and a standing invitation for any of ours to come over for a play date. We hesitate to leave them over there for any longer than that because we have a hard time getting them back! Both Michael (my husband) and I have had dogs all of our lives. When Michael and I married in 2002, I brought with me my 7 year old black lab, affectionately named “BlackJacks” (he is a black lab, my maiden name was Jacks - you get it . . .).
Anyway, I think anyone who has ever owned a lab can tell you how incredibly sweet, loyal, and eager to please they are. What they may not mention is how messy they are! Seriously, BlackJacks, though I love him almost as much as my husband, is unbelievably messy and an absolute shedding machine!!! Two days without vacuuming and we have tumbleweeds of hair blowing through our living room . . . Clean-up after bathing BlackJacks in our bathtub consists of wiping off loose hairs that were strewn all over the walls and ceiling from his post-bath shimmy. What lab owners also may neglect to mention are the dangers of the dreaded Labrador tail. Many a glass and knick-knack has met its peril due to this treacherous appendage. But even though he is a big Pig-Pen, I love him and can’t imagine our home without him.
So, when BlackJacks had a cancer scare in 2005, it dawned on me that having another dog in the family might not be such a bad idea. Not that another dog could ever take the place of my beloved ninety-pound wrecking ball, but it might ease my grieving process. At this time my husband and I were preparing to start a “human” family and we knew that BlackJacks needed to get used to sharing our affections with something smaller.
Michael, a dog breed expert in his own right, learned of the Japanese Spitz a decade earlier. At that time, it was nearly impossible to locate a breeder in the United States. Nevertheless, he described this breed to me. Incredibly beautiful and with a wonderful nature, they are considered a low-maintenance breed (seriously, dirt will NOT stick to their coats and they almost never have any odor)! They won’t shed as long as you brush them once a week. They are hypo-allergenic (did I mention I also get weekly allergy shots?), and they are even more affectionate than a Labrador. On top of all this, their tails curl over their back so no danger of collateral damage. Oh yes, I was SOLD!
It took a few months of searching for a reputable U.S. breeder, and then another few months waiting for puppies to be born, but on May 22, 2006, I flew to North Carolina to bring home a little girl that, unbeknownst to us, would melt our hearts and rock our world. Our little Geisha Girl was 8 weeks old and ready to meet us for the very first time.
Geisha is currently 2 ½ years old, and even now, one of her favorite things is to fall asleep in my arms while being cradled on her back like a baby. She’s had her moments (I‘ll blog more about that later), but a more sweet-natured dog, you will never meet. OK, that is not exactly true. Let me rephrase - Geisha is probably the second sweetest dog you will ever meet. The sweetest dog is our little Sami.
After having Geisha for a year, we were so in love with Japanese Spitzen that we just HAD to have another one! So, on August 19, a couple of days after our fifth wedding anniversary, Michael and I flew to Swift Creek Kennels, by way of Atlanta, to pick up Sweet Samurai, or “Sami”, as we call him. What a sweetheart! My husband often says that he has never had a dog look at him so adoringly!
One more year later, Sami and Geisha had their first litter. It didn’t take us long to realize how easily we were becoming attached to these angelic little puppies. Michael and I both knew we would have a hard time letting them go at 8 weeks old. And that is how we came to get Ju-Ju (Lady Jujitsu). She was born in Rhode Island exactly one week (to the day) after our litter. She helped us immeasurably as, one-by-one, we watched our baby’s babies go to their new homes.
So, here we are - one big happy family of six!!!
Anyway, I think anyone who has ever owned a lab can tell you how incredibly sweet, loyal, and eager to please they are. What they may not mention is how messy they are! Seriously, BlackJacks, though I love him almost as much as my husband, is unbelievably messy and an absolute shedding machine!!! Two days without vacuuming and we have tumbleweeds of hair blowing through our living room . . . Clean-up after bathing BlackJacks in our bathtub consists of wiping off loose hairs that were strewn all over the walls and ceiling from his post-bath shimmy. What lab owners also may neglect to mention are the dangers of the dreaded Labrador tail. Many a glass and knick-knack has met its peril due to this treacherous appendage. But even though he is a big Pig-Pen, I love him and can’t imagine our home without him.
So, when BlackJacks had a cancer scare in 2005, it dawned on me that having another dog in the family might not be such a bad idea. Not that another dog could ever take the place of my beloved ninety-pound wrecking ball, but it might ease my grieving process. At this time my husband and I were preparing to start a “human” family and we knew that BlackJacks needed to get used to sharing our affections with something smaller.
Michael, a dog breed expert in his own right, learned of the Japanese Spitz a decade earlier. At that time, it was nearly impossible to locate a breeder in the United States. Nevertheless, he described this breed to me. Incredibly beautiful and with a wonderful nature, they are considered a low-maintenance breed (seriously, dirt will NOT stick to their coats and they almost never have any odor)! They won’t shed as long as you brush them once a week. They are hypo-allergenic (did I mention I also get weekly allergy shots?), and they are even more affectionate than a Labrador. On top of all this, their tails curl over their back so no danger of collateral damage. Oh yes, I was SOLD!
It took a few months of searching for a reputable U.S. breeder, and then another few months waiting for puppies to be born, but on May 22, 2006, I flew to North Carolina to bring home a little girl that, unbeknownst to us, would melt our hearts and rock our world. Our little Geisha Girl was 8 weeks old and ready to meet us for the very first time.
Geisha is currently 2 ½ years old, and even now, one of her favorite things is to fall asleep in my arms while being cradled on her back like a baby. She’s had her moments (I‘ll blog more about that later), but a more sweet-natured dog, you will never meet. OK, that is not exactly true. Let me rephrase - Geisha is probably the second sweetest dog you will ever meet. The sweetest dog is our little Sami.
After having Geisha for a year, we were so in love with Japanese Spitzen that we just HAD to have another one! So, on August 19, a couple of days after our fifth wedding anniversary, Michael and I flew to Swift Creek Kennels, by way of Atlanta, to pick up Sweet Samurai, or “Sami”, as we call him. What a sweetheart! My husband often says that he has never had a dog look at him so adoringly!
One more year later, Sami and Geisha had their first litter. It didn’t take us long to realize how easily we were becoming attached to these angelic little puppies. Michael and I both knew we would have a hard time letting them go at 8 weeks old. And that is how we came to get Ju-Ju (Lady Jujitsu). She was born in Rhode Island exactly one week (to the day) after our litter. She helped us immeasurably as, one-by-one, we watched our baby’s babies go to their new homes.
So, here we are - one big happy family of six!!!
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