Puppy Bliss

Golden Retriever Puppy

Saturday Night Kintaro of Akiyama – Kinta helps me haul firewood.

Meet Saturday Night Kintaro of Akiyama. We call him Kinta. He will be a guest at our home for several months before he is able to join his family in Japan.

Japan is a rabies free country. Kinta was born in Montana, USA. The US is not a rabies free country. He comes from Saturday Night Golden Retrievers.

The procedure goes something like this, Kinta will receive a rabies vaccination as soon as he is old enough. Then he will receive a booster a month later. A month after that, his blood will be tested for rabies titers. If his titer level is high enough, he then must wait for six months before going home. Once in Japan, he will be observed for several hours prior to being released to his family. He will also undergo many other health certifications prior to getting a green light to breed. It is a lengthy process.

Golden Retriever Puppy

Kinta checks out the pond. He’ll be swimming in no time.

Our friends Noriko and Yoshi are very dear to us, so we are happy to assist them with a foster home for Kintaro. We have fostered two other pups for them, Sakurako and Jutaro. Noriko and Yoshi are dedicated breeders of competitive golden retrievers in Japan. They take care to select genetically sound parent stock.

Golden Retriever Puppy

Kinta enjoys some Northern California sunshine.

For the next 10 months or so, I will get to enjoy, train, and share the love of a good pup. His family will visit from time to time, we take care to be sure he knows them and knows their scent.

Golden Retriever Puppy

Handsome boy watches down the driveway… are those quail he sees?

Golden Retriever Puppy

Kinta on the move – this is his standard pose.

Here are a few shots and a quick watercolor sketch of Kintaro.

Golden Retriever Puppy

Saturday Night Kintaro of Akiyama – watercolor by MaryALivingston

41 thoughts on “Puppy Bliss

  1. What joy ! Kinta looks the typical lollopy curious puppy Mary , I can see lots of fun ahead for you all .
    Such a gorgeous watercolour too !

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  2. Mary,
    What a wonderful story! You and Tim are true friends to take on this responsibility! Kinta is adorable and living life to the maximum, which is evident in your photos and watercolor. Enjoy your time as foster parents.

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  3. Oh! Fun times ahead at your house! Blissful JOY for you! I myself don’t have much use for pups, but I know you human folks LOVE them. And what an excellent place for a pup to grow in! All sounds like a good thing for all parties.

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  4. What a handsome fellow! Thanks for explaining the “immigration” process! Will you be training him in Japanese…or English! Hmmmm….How does “quail” sound in Japanese?

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    • Since we’ve done this before I know what to expect. For me, Kinta is already a part of his new family in Japan. He is Noriko and Yoshi’s pup. He doesn’t feel like my pup at all. I will always have a special place in my heart for him, but he is not my pup. Don’t know if that explains it. ;}

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  5. Sweet pup!You both are great people for taking on extra dogs in your busy household. Fostering is such a wonderful thing. Enjoy your time with Kinta.

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  6. Mary, that is such an interesting process. Thanks for sharing the information about the transition for Kinta. What a lucky puppy to have such wonderful parents as you & Tim! I love your watercolor. Kinta is smiling.

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  7. What a cute little guy. I am sure Blitz will be a very good teacher for him too. I bet he is always on the move, except when he is collapsed on the floor sleeping. I love your little watercolor of him.

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  8. How sweet! I hope his very long journey eventually will be a good one (I couldn’t send my dog even on a short flight). Norway is also still rabies-free, but we don’t know for how long, our borders are now open for dogs because of our affiliation with EU.

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    • When he makes the flight, he will be an adult. Noriko, his owner, is a retired flight attendant, so she knows the process well. He won’t be alone when he goes, his owners will be on the same flight. They visit often while he waits to go home.
      I don’t like puppies to fly as cargo, they should fly as carry on pets. This is the way Kinta came to us. I flew to Montana, picked him up and he road in the plane right at my feet.
      I hope you are able to keep Norway rabies free. Places like Japan and Hawaii have pretty good import procedures.

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