The Japanese love animals, and especially dogs. There was a story a while ago about an unscrupulous pet shop owner had sold "poodles" imported from Australian sheep farms that grew up saying "baa-a-a". This story is believed to be made up, but picture isn't. Our dog Penny, on her first proper walk in a park as a young puppy, was confronted by this man walking his Shetland pony on a stretchy lead like hers.