(Central News Agency, Tokyo, 18th, comprehensive foreign news reports) The 29-year-old MLB Japanese star Shohei Ohtani had a live connection with the MLB host after winning the American League MVP yesterday. At that time, he was in the same frame and “high-fived” Ohtani. The pet dog became famous overnight and attracted the attention of the Japanese people.
Japanese media Sponichi Annex reported that Otani’s pet dog is a Kooikerhondje. There are only about 100 registered dogs in Japan and it is a rare breed. Tomoe Ogawa, 54, who runs a pet grooming shop in Karuizawa Town, Nagano Prefecture, Japan and has 30 years of experience as a breeder, said that Ohtani’s pet dog still looks very young, maybe only about one year old.
Ogawa said that this Corker dog is very close to Otani, which can fully show the trust between the two parties.
The Corker is a hunting dog originally from the Netherlands. It was once on the verge of extinction after World War II and is also a very rare dog breed in the world.
The management and breeding of Cocker dogs are by breeders responsible for maintaining the bloodline. The average selling price in Japan is about 600,000 yen (approximately NT$130,000). Because they are not bred in large numbers, would-be owners sometimes have to wait more than two years for puppies.
The report pointed out that the Corker dog is indeed a very suitable dog breed for Otani because it is very cheerful, intelligent and has high physical fitness.
Ogawa said that Corkels are active in canine competitions such as obstacle courses and can also serve as disaster relief dogs. Although he seems to be very close to Otani, he is very wary and sometimes does not approach strangers.
Ogawa said that Ohtani’s coat may grow longer in the future, and his size may also grow slightly.
Since Ohtani showed off his beloved dog, many people in Japan have asked the agency responsible for issuing dog pedigree certificates in Japan, making the Cocker dog instantly famous. Ogawa said that he was glad that thanks to Otani more people could know about the Cocker Dog, but he also reminded the public not to make a hasty decision to breed them, but to have a sense of responsibility and love. (Translator: Huang Mingxi/Verification: Chen Yiwei) 1121118
