As a general rule, Shibas aren't supposed to be trusted off-leash. A combination of their independent streak and hyperactive prey drive is supposed to make their recall unreliable, and you're "absolutely NEVER" supposed to let them go, lest you wind up with a lost or car-flattened puppy.

But we live in a rather atypical area, where off-leash dog parks are abundant, and Bowdu is a special Shiba in some ways (just as any pet is a special exception, right?). After all, he never enjoyed going outside, on OR off-leash while we were living in Taiwan. How I envied other dog owners who were able to walk their dogs with such slack leads, and how I envied even more those dogs that followed obediently, without a leash. It seemed like such a natural and effortless relationship, like other dogs were born understanding how to ignore the constant threat of traffic and crowds, knowing to stay close to their owner. Contrary to the word 'round these parts, I've seen many a Shiba capable of off-leash restraint -- at least, specifically in Taiwan.

So I was a little nervous the first time we let Bowdu off-leash at Cesar E. Chavez, but... it's hard to describe the pure animal joy that exploded from this pup when he realized that for maybe only the second time in his life, he was free to just run, as hard and as fast as he liked (the first time being that day we decided on a whim to let him run around on the salt field in Utah, since it felt like we were surrounded by a great expanse of nothingness). After my initial anxiety wore off, it became apparent that his sense of freedom didn't necessarily mean he would run as far as possible -- or at least, as far as he cared to run was that distance that still kept R. or me within view. Once or twice he's crested a hill and temporarily lost sight of us, but upon rounding a bend we'd catch him frantically looking left and right, only to bound back in our direction for an eager, lolly-tongued reunion once he found us again.

There are a couple other Shiba owners that go to the smaller, fenced-in dog park in town, and we've chatted about this before. I've encouraged them to give the larger parks a go, but I think they're more by-the-book type of Shiba parents, so they're very skeptical about letting their baby run off all by herself. Then again, their dog is also way more socialized than Bowdu, so of course some good comes out of doing everything as you're supposed to. No, we've never put Bowdu through a formal training regimen. He knows sit, down, shake, give me a kiss, and that's about it. His stay lasts about 30 seconds. His recall sucks and if he doesn't feel like coming, he WON'T come (though I do keep a cache of extra savory treats on me anytime we go to the park, periodically slipping him a bite to remind him that it pays to stick close to me). That's just the kind of bastard he is. But somehow, he always knows whom he's with, and returns accordingly. Even when we're in the middle of acres and acres of open space, he needs not make a distinction between freedom and home.