Columns

Well-sourced reading for everyday life with dogs, across seven themes: outings, rules and preparedness, body and behavior, seasons, food and care, training, and dogs in culture.

• Seasons

  Enjoying a Winter Cafe Terrace with Your Dog: Wind, Cold Floors and Heaters

  Even in winter, a terrace with heaters lets you enjoy time outdoors with your dog. Based on materials from public bodies and expert organizations, we cover which dogs feel the cold easily, choosing a seat by wind and floor, keeping a distance from heaters, and when to wrap up.2026/10/277 min read
• Training

  How to Teach Your Dog to Lie Down: Reward-Based Steps from Home to Cafe

  Teach the down without pushing: build the position with a treat, then add the cue word. Based on guidance from overseas animal organizations and a Japanese city, we cover five steps at home and how to widen practice to the garden, the park and a cafe.2026/10/237 min read
• Dogs & Culture

  Shiba Inu History: Natural Monument Status and Three Name Theories

  The Shiba Inu was designated a national natural monument of Japan on December 16, 1936, described as a small dog, often red. We trace its place among Japan's native breeds, theories about its name and its postwar recovery.2026/10/226 min read
• Outings

  Rainy-Day Dog-Friendly Cafes: Choosing Seats and a Checklist for the Day

  A rainy forecast does not have to cancel your dog-friendly cafe plans. Based on the Japan Meteorological Agency's rain-strength guide, we put seat choice and what to do before you leave, at the entrance and after you get home into a ready-to-use form.2026/10/217 min read
• Rules & Preparedness

  Does a Microchip Replace the Dog License Tag in Japan? How to Check

  In Japan, a microchipped dog needs no license tag only if your city, ward, town or village takes part in a special exception. We answer common questions: how to check, what to tell a dog run, and what changes when you move.2026/10/206 min read
• Outings

  Puppy's First Dog Cafe Visit in Japan: When to Go and 5 Steps

  Drawing on Japanese government guidance and a veterinary behavior society's position statement, we lay out five steps for a puppy's dog cafe debut: socializing at home from day one, registration and rabies vaccination, checking with your vet and the venue, and a first visit at a quiet time.2026/10/195 min read
• Body & Behavior

  How Amazing Is a Dog's Sense of Smell? Why Sniff Time on Walks Matters

  Even official sources disagree on how many times stronger a dog's nose is than ours. We look at how smell works using official and expert sources, then consider why sniff time on walks and outings matters.2026/10/185 min read
• Outings

  Taking a Senior Dog to a Dog-Friendly Cafe: Steps, Floors, Seats and Breaks

  Cafe outings with an older dog are easier to plan if you check the entrance, floor, seat, travel and breaks first. Here is how to choose, book and spend the day.2026/10/176 min read
• Seasons

  Autumn Outings with Your Dog: Plan Your Park and Cafe Weekend Around Sunset

  On autumn weekends, comfort changes a lot between midday and evening. Based on resources from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, the Japan Meteorological Agency and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, here is how to plan walking time and seating by working back from sunset and the evening chill.2026/10/165 min read
• Dogs & Culture

  Dog-Friendly Dining Rules: The US, UK, Hong Kong and Japan

  Is it true that dogs can go into restaurants abroad? Using official and expert sources, we trace the rules in the United States, the United Kingdom (England and Wales), Hong Kong and Japan, and sum up what they share, how they differ and what to check in Japan.2026/10/155 min read
• Outings

  Booking a Table With Your Dog: Read the Rules, Then Ask These 5 Things

  Five questions to ask and three things to tell the venue when booking with your dog, in tables. Also an example for the online notes field and what to prepare before the visit.2026/10/145 min read
• Training

  When Your Dog Can't Settle at a Cafe: Signs to Read and Mat Practice

  A dog that fidgets at a cafe may not be used to the place yet. Based on guidance from the American Kennel Club, the RSPCA and Japanese local governments, here is how to read the signs, practice mat time at home, and spend time at a cafe.2026/10/136 min read