Our Memories of Sammy.

We first met Sammy at Pam's kennel in Mosco, Ohio. I had just retired and we were on our way Colorado to house we had purchased the year before. Our one-year old Shiba, Taifun was returning to his roots but was a bit intimidated by a dozen or more young Shibas playing, "lets bully the new kid". One young Shiba male, however, simply sat next to my wife, Irmi, clearly wanting attention and Irmi petted him the while we talked with Pam. As we were still mourning the recent loss of Joshi, our first Shiba, we really weren't thinking of a new dog.
Two months later, having decided that Taifun needed a playpal, we spoke with Pam about getting a young dog, not wishing to airfreigh a puppy. Pam recommended a dog with a somewhat unlucky past, in and out of the kennel. We trusted Pam and and picked up Sammy at the SLC airport freight terminal. His travel cage was in a small office in case he tried to bolt out of fear. I opened the door, reached in, said his name, and he licked my hand. He came out on the leash and was never caged again.
That first night he taught his younger half brother to jump back and forth on the two hotel bed and then slept at my feet. (1) He immediately curled up in the back seat of the truck and slept all the way back to Dolores, except during the two toilet stops.
tbc