A hairstylist in Japan named Hiroko was working on a client who had brought her dog in with her that day. The woman explained that she was going to surrender the dog, named Nashi, to the shelter because the 5-month-old puppy was “too much work” for her.
Given that dog adoption in Japan is rare in the first place, Hiroko knew that the Nashi would most likely be put down if he went back to the shelter. So, she decided to bring him home.
When Nashi pranced through the front door, Hiroko’s husband, Robert Hamilton, was less than thrilled. Not only was Robert unhappy about the new furry family member, but he was very against owning a dog and told his wife that they would be finding him a new home ASAP.
However, 9 years later, Nashi is not only still living with them, but he and Robert have become best buds.
“‘Nashi’ means ‘nothing’ in Japanese,” Robert told The Dodo. “So the sentences ‘His name is Nashi’ and ‘He has no name’ are identical.”
Robert and Nashi are now an inseparable pair. In fact, he even sneaks the sweet dog into venues where dogs aren’t allowed – like sumo wrestling.
After some years of owning Nashi, Robert rented a studio so that he could work on his kimono designing business, however, they had a strict “no pets” policy.
Needing the studio space, Robert signed the lease and figured that Nashi would only come to help him move in some equipment and furniture – but Nashi let out a couple loud barks, and to no surprise, the landlord heard him.
The next morning, Robert went to introduce himself to the landlord and she asked him right away if he had a dog – after admitting that he did, the landlord had a very unexpected reaction.
“On my first day of actually working there, I left Nashi at home and knocked on the landlord’s door to formally introduce myself and give her a gift,” Robert said. “The FIRST thing she asked about was the dog — so I thought I was in trouble. But it turned out that she just really loves dogs, and she had been waiting to ask to meet him ever since she had heard the first bark. I ran back home to get Nashi so that she could come around and meet him.”
Surprisingly, the landlord wasn’t only fine with him having a dog, but she was very much interested in spending time with Nashi. The landlord had always dreamed of having a dog but felt that she was too old to take on the responsibility.
Robert knew that his dog was a bit stand-offish around strangers, but he seemed to have sensed that the landlord wanted to be his friend.
“He sat quietly and accepted his fate,” Robert said. “By the third time she visited, he knew who she was and was glad to see her. Nowadays she is one of his favorite people in the world.”
The sweet landlord comes by almost daily at this point to hang out with her favorite furry friend. Nashi couldn’t be more excited when she pops by for a bit of cuddle and play time. It’s obvious that they both make each other very happy.
“I trained him in English, so he didn’t recognize Japanese commands before, but he listens to and understands her now,” Robert said. “She is the only person that he will accept a Japanese-language command from. He often tries to follow her home, too. They really seem to love each other.”
Nashi and the landlord have a very special bond, but it’s important to remember to be sure and check with your landlord before moving in with pets – too many animals end up in shelters due to lease violations.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
