Kitana

Kitana - Honestly, for a long time I never imagined that I would oneday have a black Shiba Inu puppy of my own. Not because I did not like them,but simply because life had never really brought that possibility to us.

When my mother, with whom I first entered the dog world,finally said that yes, this time we could keep a black puppy for ourselves andthat the decision was mine, I immediately said yes.

I was incredibly excited.

Kitana became my second truly personal dog, and with her Iwas much more conscious about everything. I paid much more attention to what Iwanted to teach her, how I wanted to train and socialize her, and what kind ofrelationship I wanted to build with her.

She was a little like that first child whom the parentscarefully raise with every educational toy and every possible opportunity,always trying to give them the best start.

Kitana was named after the character Kitana from MortalKombat.

And the older she became, the more I realized how perfectlythat name suited her.

There is something deeply feminine about Kitana.

Elegant.

Gentle.

Graceful.

But also strong.

The way she moves, the way she plays, and even the way shecommunicates all have a certain softness and elegance. She can let you knowexactly what she wants without ever needing to be demanding.

If she wants to be petted, she lets you know.

If she wants a massage, you will understand.

If the food you offer is not quite up to her standards,there is no great drama. She simply looks at you with an expression thatclearly says:

“You cannot seriously expect me to eat this.”

Kitana knows that she is beautiful.

And perhaps even more importantly, she knows exactly how touse it.

There is always a little cleverness in her eyes. She ishighly intelligent, reads people and situations quickly, and with just a smallmovement, a look, or one delicate gesture, she can completely charm you.

And once she has charmed you, she somehow manages to getexactly what she wanted.

Not forcefully.

Not loudly.

But elegantly.

Exactly as you would expect from a little queen.

Even when she is resting, there is something refined abouther. She often lies with her front paws crossed, as if she is perfectly awareof how elegant she looks.

But Kitana is not only a beautiful, delicate princess.

When needed, the hunter appears instantly.

She is fast.

Precise.

Focused.

If something moves in the bushes, whether it is agrasshopper, a mole, a rabbit, or anything else that awakens her huntinginstinct, she immediately becomes a completely different dog.

The graceful little queen turns into a concentrated hunter.

And even then, there is the same precision in everything shedoes.

When we work together, Kitana can be selective.

She is not necessarily going to complete every task simplybecause you ask her to.

She likes to know that it is worth her effort.

When she feels that we are truly working together, when sheis encouraged, praised, and motivated, she becomes a wonderful partner.

And of course, the right reward can make a big difference.

A little cheese?

A dried rabbit ear?

A favourite treat?

Suddenly you have one of the most enthusiastic working dogsin the world standing in front of you.

I especially loved working with her at dog shows.

She moves beautifully and gracefully, listens very closely,and is incredibly sensitive to me.

If she noticed that I was nervous or a little anxious beforeentering the ring, she would often simply look at me with that beautiful, calmexpression and gently move her tail, almost as if she were saying:

“Everything is fine. We are together.”

That is one of her most special qualities.

Kitana watches her person very closely.

During walks, other dogs usually do not interest her verymuch. Her attention is either on me or on the interesting scents around her.

When she sees another dog or when strangers approach andwant to pet her, she often looks at me first.

Almost as if she is asking:

“Is this okay?”

“Can I trust them?”

“May I go closer?”

Very often, we do not need words.

Eye contact is enough.

We understand each other.

In Hungary, we also had the opportunity to work aroundpeople who emotionally or mentally benefited from the calming presence of ananimal.

Kitana showed something very special in those situations.

She moved freely and gently among people, sat beside them,allowed them to pet and touch her, and remained patient even when someonehandled her ears or tail a little less carefully.

And I began to notice something that touched me deeply.

It was almost as if she knew who needed her the most.

Very often, she would choose to sit next to the person whoseemed to need comfort, attention, or quiet companionship the most.

Kitana does not only charm people.

She feels them.

Like many Shibas, she is also very expressive.

She always lets you know what she likes, what she dislikes,what she wants, and when she simply has no interest in something.

Sometimes one or two dramatic yawns are enough.

Other times, she begins the day with a long, special “goodmorning” howl.

And of course, every sound has meaning.

The longer you live with her, the better you understand herown little language.

Kitana also loves to show herself.

She likes being noticed.

She enjoys being admired.

And she especially enjoys the moments when she knows shelooks beautiful.

Sunbathing is another one of her favourite things.

Even though her black coat heats up quickly, she can happilylie in the sunshine, completely relaxed, like a queen resting in her own littlekingdom.

But behind all the elegance, playfulness, intelligence, andcleverness, there is one quality that means even more to me.

Kitana feels me.

Whenever something happens, whether it is good or bad, shealmost always looks to me first for the answer.

Her eyes ask:

“Is this okay?”

“Should we be happy?”

“Should we be worried?”

“How do you want me to respond?”

And only then does she decide what to do.

She is deeply connected to me.

She stays beside me even when there is no task to complete.

She watches my daughter play while sitting next to me.

She lies beside me.

She observes.

And sometimes she simply stays close.

Perhaps that is what I love most about Kitana.

Her beauty and elegance are the first things people notice.

Then they discover her intelligence.

Her cleverness.

Her playfulness.

Her hunting instinct.

Her feminine charm.

But when you truly get to know her, you understand the mostimportant thing:

Kitana does not only watch her person.

She feels them.

And whenever you need her, in her own quiet and elegant way,she is always there trying to help.

Health Test Results

Health Tests: GM1 & GM2 Clear, HD A/Free, ED 0/0, Patella 0, Eyes Clear, CEA Clear, RD Clear, PHTVL/PHPV Clear, Cataract Clear, PRA Clear. Genetics: A Locus at/at, E Locus E/e.