Three Stooges

My dog, Kopper, is in the middle:





Kopper is a purebred Shiba Inu. He's bigger than the other two because he is a male, while the other two are females.

When we first got Kopper over seven years ago, barely anyone.. and I mean anyone.. knew of the breed. Even on his first vet visit, the veterinarian had never seen one before. Whenever I was asked what kind of dog it was, I'd say "It's a shiba inu", which then was proceeded by a blank stare, then the question "What's that?!" or "It looks like a fox...".

I can assure you it's not a fox. These days, the breed has become much more popular in the United States since seven years ago. This picture was taken two years ago, where we actually met two other shibas when at "Dog Day" at US Cellular Field.

I still get asked what kind of dog it is, but not nearly as often. I have to admit, it was a bit more fun when no one knew what he was. But we still love the lil' furball. Just don't grab his tail or he'll try to take your hand off.