Suijin

I got a note from my neighbor that her dog went to our house looking to see if Suijin wanted to play. Part of me wanted to cry because I miss Suijin so much. Most of me was just so happy to have such amazing neighbors and dog-friends.

Suijin and Jack live next door to each other. They are also litter-mates and best friends.

We adopted Suijin off a rescue site a few weeks after we lost Gus. They had three brothers up for adoption: Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto. Jupiter is now Jack. I’m not sure what happened to Pluto, and we changed Suijin’s name from Neptune to Suijin (both are Gods or protectors of Water). Suijin, Jack, and Pluto were rescued from a junkyard down in Itoman, so I like to call my spoiled dog a “junkyard dog”, and every time he gets good cheese or part of a steak, I remind him that he’s lucky that he’s eating steak and not still scrounging for food in that junkyard down south.

He got lucky when he got me as a dog mom, but I’m the lucky one. He’s a pleasure to be around, and he’s my best friend.

Suijin and Jack are Ryuku-kins. The Ryuku-kin is breed specifically found on Okinawa. I don’t know much about them, but based on Suijin’s personality, I’d say he’s a pack-dog. He loves to play with other dogs. He often loves them more than they love him. Our previous dog, Gus, liked dogs, played well with others, but he liked his humans the most. My in-laws Border Collie doesn’t even think she’s a dog. She looks down on dogs and refuses to play with them. She only wants to engage with people. Suijin and Jack’s buddy, Waylon, who lives up the street, definitely likes the humans more than the dogs. He is the sweetest, but Jack and Suijin love dogs more than any other people. Sometimes I think they love other dogs more than us. Don’t get me wrong. He’s loyal, and he’s a cuddler. He loves to sleep on my legs, and he doesn’t like when I’m out of sight, but he’s the happiest when he’s playing with his brother.

Suijin loves to play, and he loves to explore. He has two speeds: zero or 100 miles per hour. He and I run 5-6 days a week, and he gets free-play-time with his friends every day. I often think that he’d be happiest with a run in the morning and a run mid afternoon, but play with friends is a must. He loves to climb rocks, and I’m in awe of how fast he can get up some of those rocks. His athleticism and agility is impressive.

Suijin gets me out of the house, and sometimes he’s the only reason I lace up and get out for the run. He also has helped me with building relationships with our neighbors. I’m one of those neighbors that keeps to herself, and he’s done such a good job with getting me out and about to meet new friends. Suijin entertains me and keeps me company. He also has done a great job with helping me find and make new friends, and those are just some of the reasons why I love him so much.