I am a Shiba Inu.

For a long time now, my children have been making a fuss about wanting a dog.
Perhaps their desire reached its peak over the last few months. My daughter, in particular, started saying "I want a dog" as naturally as breathing, and it became her catchphrase.
I love animals too, so I understand how my children feel.
However, the reality is that you can't just keep a pet because it's cute.

I have told my children the reasons why we can't have one until I'm blue in the face, but they still keep saying "I want a dog."
And as a human, when you are told the same thing over and over, you start to develop an obsession. I began to feel like the villain for not giving in to their demands.
That said, what we can't have, we can't have.
But just telling the children "we can't have one" and letting it slide doesn't change the situation.
What should I do?
While I was in this half-neurotic state, my daughter showed me a video on Instagram.

It was a Shiba Inu.
A bundle of happiness.
Just looking at it is healing.

That's it, why don't I just become a dog!

What are you talking about?

Whether that idea was meant as a counterattack against the children, a joke, or if I actually thought I could satisfy their desires by becoming a Shiba Inu, it remains a mystery even now.
However, when I get an idea like that, I act on it immediately. That is my nature.

That day, after the children went to bed, I rummaged through the house.
Conveniently, there was a Shiba Inu-colored throw blanket on the sofa. I cut ear shapes out of some felt fabric (brown) I found in the closet and sewed them onto the blanket.
I draped it over my head like a Kitaro-style character and fastened it under my chin with a clothespin. I painted my nose black with eyeliner, drew circles above my eyes, and carefully drew on whiskers.
I borrowed the tail from my son's Dragon Ball (Goku) costume and attached it to my rear.
It was complete.
※See top image

I looked in the mirror and thought,
"More of a Shiba Inu than I expected."

What are you talking about?

New Zealand divides the year into four terms, and last week, starting on the 15th, we entered a two-week break.

On that first day of the break, I was a Shiba Inu from the morning.

Just as I had rehearsed the night before, I crawled on all fours and barked "woof woof" to wake the children up.
I was a Shiba Inu doing chores with tongs in my mouth. My second son gently patted my head and showed me affection.
He didn't forget to give me commands like "sit" and "shake," as if he were training me. Even though I, a clever Shiba Inu, had never been trained before, I pulled them off without a hitch. Yet, he gave me neither praise nor treats—a truly abusive situation.
Finally, when he told me to "stand on your hind legs," I did so, only for him to say, "You don't have one."
"It can't be helped, I'm a female dog."
Even if I wanted to say that, I was a Shiba Inu. I couldn't utter anything other than "woof woof."

My daughter, who had been saying she wanted a dog so much, completely ignored my existence. In the afternoon, perhaps she had a sudden flash of inspiration, as she locked herself in her room and started working.
I was surprised when I saw my daughter return to the living room.
My kind daughter had actually built a doghouse out of cardboard. I got excited about the doghouse and, getting carried away, lifted my front paws in joy, only to be rebuffed by her murderous glare.
Then, my daughter turned to me, the Shiba Inu, and kept shouting "House!" "House!"
※"House" is a command meaning "Dog, go back to your kennel."
It seems she wanted me out of her sight.

By evening, my family showed nothing but disgust toward me, the Shiba Inu.

As I was about to start making dinner while still a Shiba Inu, my phone rang.
Immediately after that, I suddenly felt a sense of emptiness.

Imagine this.
Your beloved wife, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, or parents acting like a Shiba Inu. It might be funny to read about, but the reality is quite harsh.
I usually can't see myself doing it. After all, I'm the spectacle, not the observer. But that day was different. My daughter had recorded it all on video. And the malice of her sending it to me on purpose!
The me crawling around in the video looked abnormal no matter how you slice it.

Overcome with shame, I broke up with my Shiba Inu self. I ripped off the costume and threw the space-wasting doghouse outside.
After finishing dinner as a human and washing the dishes in the kitchen, my daughter shouted,

"HOUSE!!!!!!"

I am easily carried away.
Even though I was human again, when she said "house," I found it amusing and ended up going outside the house. Of course, I headed straight for the doghouse.

It is autumn in New Zealand.
The sun sets early, and it was already pitch black outside.

A bowl of water was placed roughly in front of the doghouse.
Was it meant to be my drinking water? As I thought about that and stared at the rippling surface, I heard the sound of the lock turning behind me.
The curtains were drawn, and the sound of the children's laughter echoed through the glass.

I may have lost something important as a human being.

What are you talking about!!

Dear Kinoko Konishi.
Ever since the day I learned about this course, I have always thought that one day I would like to participate! Yes, I have always thought so.
Thank you for letting me participate (I apologize for doing so without permission)!!!