Thursday, October 29, 2009

Mocha & Saki Take on the Ranch!

About 3 years ago, Kenny was having lunch at his favorite sidewalk café in Santa Monica when he fell in love. The object of his affection was a red, curly tailed dog owned by a patron at the table next to him. He just had to know what this mysterious breed was called so he asked. It turns out it was a Shiba Inu, which is an ancient Japanese bloodline related to the Akita but much smaller.

After much pleading by Kenny, I finally acquiesced and and agreed to adopt two little Shiba Inu puppies. We welcomed Mocha and Saki into our home this month, introducing them to their new big sister, Peri, the Siamese cat.

Mocha and Saki definitely keep us on our toes. They have more energy than they know what to do with. They can chase a ball for hours in the yard, wrestle with each other all day long, and chase Peri relentlessly. Mocha is much bigger than his new “sister”, who is just two weeks younger, and bullies her a bit, but Saki is learning to stand up to her BIG “brother” and will be one tough cookie!


Our new pups have brought us much joy, laughter, and…stress! Potty-training and puppy-proofing the house has been tough, but the rewards far outweigh the challenges. Both of our moms, who conveniently live close by, have been so helpful puppysitting – I don’t think we could do it without them.

We’ve heard that owning a dog can help you live a longer, healthier life. I don’t know if this is true, but I’ve learned over the past few weeks that these little creatures can definitely bring you happiness! They've already made a few visits to Canyon Ranch, and everyone they meet falls in love with them instantly.

You may not know that because of the expansive and unique layout of the Tucson property, dogs are permitted to accompany their owners during their Canyon Ranch Tucson stay (subject to size and other restrictions, of course). We're hoping Mocha and Saki will make lots of new K-9 and human friends from all over the world. So if you see two mischievous looking "foxes" around the Ranch, stop and say hi, we'd love to introduce you.

To Your Good Health!

Nicole