Akita dog Umeko (one-year-old female) is a signboard dog of Liquor Shop Takahashi, a liquor store in Kosaka Town, Akita Prefecture. She has attracted attention for her gesture that mimics a cashier working at the store. On February 26, 2022, Umeko gave birth to two healthy puppies that look just like her.
According to her owner, Nobue Takahashi, the delivery began at around 4:00 am. The breeder from the kennel where Umeko was born came to be with them and looked after the delivery.
Nobue’s husband, Seiki, said, “I felt uneasy about not only the puppies and if they would be born safely, but also Umeko‘s condition.” He did his best to support the birth by rubbing her body repeatedly and preparing well-warmed water in a big bowl so the newborn puppies could bathe.
Umeko took about one hour to give birth to three white-haired puppies. However, one of them died not long after birth without even making a sound. Nobue said, “She was a cute little puppy who seemed to be smiling the whole time. I wonder if her life’s role was to guide the other two into this world.”
The two puppies started appearing at the store with Umeko in mid-March. They were healthy and full of energy, sleeping closely together and fighting to drink their mother’s milk. Umeko regularly cleaned their bodies and kept an eye on them, taking care of them by stopping them from playing too rough with each other.
In April, the puppies left for new owners living in another prefecture. Nobue said, “I hope they will have a good life and stay healthy without getting involved in any accidents.”
