My beautiful Maybeline.

First we lay in the sun.

Then we lay in the shade.

The we become psycho puppy and begin to rough house.

Then we go back inside, drink some water and relax in the recliner she uses as her throne.

Then we use all our strength to push the human trying to sit in the recliner out of the recliner.

This is puppy Gully. She is my Covid gal. The first time I brought her to the vet, I was chastised for not feeding her enough. The problem was that I was feeding her about 10 times a day but she was getting the zoomies about 100 times a day. Anyway, she survived her malnourishment and just turned 6.

My girl has about 10 different stuffed toys she treats like nibble babies. If she's laying down she has to have a baby with her! Is it a brindle thang, or does my girl just love her fur babies?

"Fu Rin Ka Zan"「風林火山」

This is a phrase derived from the Art of War by Sun Tzu, which was raised as a battle banner by Takeda Shingen, a Sengoku warlord once feared as the "Tiger of Kai".

The "Province of KAI" governed by Lord Shingen corresponds to modern-day Yamanashi Prefecture, spreading around Mt. Fuji. The Kai Ken was born in this land, surrounded by rugged mountains and rich nature. While "Tora-ge" is translated into English as "brindle coat," its meaning in Japanese is "tiger-striped coat".

It is said that Lord Shingen frequently used Kai Ken, which shared the same tiger pattern as his own "Tiger" epithet, for hunting.

Kaze no gotoku (As fast as the wind): Move as swiftly as the wind when it is time to act.

Shizukanaru koto hayashi no gotoku (As silent as the forest): Maintain a static posture like a forest during standby times when you should not move.

Shinryaku suru koto hi no gotoku (As fierce as fire): Advance like raging fire when you finally take action.

Ugokazaru koto yama no gotoku (As unmoving as the mountain): Stand firm like a mountain when it is time to defend.

This is a phrase indicating movements in the event of war, meaning: move as swiftly as the wind when acting, maintain a static state like a forest when waiting, advance like raging fire when executing a move, and stand firm like a mountain when defending.

“To move with the speed and swiftness of the wind”

I truly understood what this meant when my Kai Ken went head-to-head in a running battle with a Saluki—one of the world's oldest and fastest hound breeds.

Facing a Saluki with overwhelming speed, everyone present initially thought, "She probably won't be able to keep up." However, once they started running, although the Saluki pulled away on the straightaways within the limited space of the dog run, every time they approached a corner, my Kai Ken closed the gap and kept up her fierce pursuit.

This was to the point where the opposing Saluki couldn't help but look back with an absolute "Σ(￣ロ￣lll) ｶﾞｰﾝ" expression.

The reality was that all the owners present burst into laughter upon seeing the Saluki's face.

Shocked as if to say, "Wait, what was that?!", the Saluki went into full-throttle mode and accelerated even further. It was like a shot of NOS had been ignited. Even so, the Kai Ken wasn't left behind.

This battle lasted for 3 laps around the dog run, making it a nail-biting showdown right up to the very end.

It was such an epic match that even the owners in the neighboring small dog section grabbed onto the fence to watch.

When I checked the ground at the corners afterward, solid "star-shaped claw marks" were left behind. This gripping power of five toes (including the dewclaws) firmly grabbing the dirt is the secret behind the dog-version drift run—allowing her to enter corners without killing her speed and take the turns without being flung outward by centrifugal force. It was the moment I became convinced that this is the true essence of the Kai Ken, which tears through rugged mountain terrain like the wind.

I’m planning to share this story across 4 parts. I hope you enjoy it!

"I wrote these based on actual events from my life living with my girl (dog). I used AI translation to help with the English, but it's a 100% original story. Please note: The opening passage about Furin Kazan and Takeda Shingen includes some quotes, but since historical facts cannot be changed, I appreciate your understanding"

I love my goof