Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland has the most boring dog run I've ever seen in the Bay Area, but the surrounding forest area? Amazing. Just the kind of natural boost I needed to plug through some more work on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Bowdu obviously enjoyed it too. He got to bring home a lovely eucalyptus perfume on his back. I'm so glad he didn't scent roll in bird shit or dead squirrel.

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.

Schemer by day, thief at night. One reason I would be so uneasy about leaving Bowdu with anybody but the most experienced of dog handlers is that he has a terribly bratty habit of stealing stupid, insignificant things. Sure, there's something to be said for dog-proofing your house, but a hair tie, a Sharpie, an empty Fruit Roll-Up wrapper or even a chunk of scrap wood discarded from a closet renovation project are all fair game in his mind. He'll slink off into the bedroom or the yard with his pilfered possession, just waiting to be discovered. When we eventually notice that the dog has been too quiet for too long and go to check on him, he'll be crouched low over his new thing, just daring us to retrieve it from between his paws or under his muzzle with flattened ears and a barely audible growl.

He's actually much better about relinquishing items now, but I've still gotta move reeeeal slooow, giving him space to think about what is more precious to him -- his stupid new thing, or my good will. As soon as the item is removed from his touch, you can almost hear a *pop* as the Selfish Devil Bowdu is exorcized from the room, and the Loving Angel Bowdu flutters back to inhabit his proper self.

Anyway, I wanted to post these pictures since I was going through the camera and clearing off the memory to make room for more pictures in preparation for the departmental 新年会 for grad students next Friday. We're hosting it at the house. I have never organized my own party before, at least not without the initiative and help of more social and host(ess)y housemates. I am afraid we're all going to end up sitting on the living room floor with little to do but eat and kvetch about how none of us are ready to start classes again (repeat ad nauseum), especially if only a handful of people bother to trek allll thiiis waaay off campus... but at least we'll have lots of sweet, sweet music on vinyl, CD, and mp3.

Bowdu chewed up an ant button that I foolishly left on the floor behind the toilet, thinking he would ignore it. So he was forcefed activated charcoal and received an enema for Christmas. I mean, he was behaving perfectly normally before and after we brought him in, but after what happened with the time he ate coffee grounds, better safe than sorry.

No worries. Not for this guy, at least.