Japan's Pet Rental Service! Check out this business cashing in on the bonds people have with man's best friend...

Apartment not big enough for a dog? Too busy for walkies? In crowded Tokyo you can rent a mutt for a few hours of wet noses and unconditional loving from Man's Best Friend.

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Pets Make Us Healthier!

Having a pet can really cheer a person up, but it can also have a much deeper impact than you might realize.

DCI

For seven-year-old Rino Kakinuma, surrounded by toy poodles and beagle pups, it is the perfect solution -- a fortnightly chance to play with her four-legged friends.

"She really likes dogs but our home is not suitable for pets," her father Shinji Kakinuma tells AFP.

"I was a bit sad for her so I looked for places where she could hang out with dogs."

Rina and her father are not alone.

The tightly packed Japanese capital can be a challenging place to keep a pet; even if your building managers allow animals, the average apartment is just 60 square metres (650 square feet) -- barely enough room to swing a cat.

That is where places like Dog Heart come in.

Just a few minutes' walk from Yoyogi Park, one of Tokyo's main green lungs, Dog Heart is part petting zoo and part rental shop.

Visitors can choose between sitting and stroking the more than 20 animals, or taking them for a walk around the park.

Half an hour of play-time costs 950 yen ($8), while 60 minutes of dog-walking will set you back 3,600 yen. Both can be extended for additional cost.

Since opening in 2012, owner Yukiko Tsuchiya, 50, says her business has been growing, with some clients coming in weekly.

 PLAY VIDEO

Pets Make Us Healthier!

Having a pet can really cheer a person up, but it can also have a much deeper impact than you might realize.

DCI

"In the suburbs, it is easier to get in contact with dogs, but in Tokyo, there is a demand for a places like this," she says.

"People bring their kids here, couples come for dates, men and women come on their own... and elderly people as well, because they feel too old to have a pet at home.

But not everyone is impressed.

The Japanese Coalition for Animal Welfare (JCAW), a campaign group, says dog rental shops subject animals to possible physical and psychological risks, such as mental stress from poor handling.

"The animals will no doubt be confused or frustrated with the wide variety of people that will come to the facility," JCAW head Koichi Aoki said.

"If any interaction is unacceptable to the animal they will display avoidance behaviour and may even be traumatised."

Dogs that go out for walks with paying clients might be forced to perform beyond their physical limits, possibly resulting in fatigue, lameness or inflammation of joints, he says.

Dog Heart's Tsuchiya says she is very careful to look after her animals, all of which, she says, are happy to be walked, petted and picked up.

"Some people worry that the dogs are exposed to too many people... but they were born in this environment so it is not a problem," says Tsuchiya.

"People say that it is stressful for the dogs, but when the weather is bad and no customers come, the dogs get bored.

"They are actually less stressed when the customers are here."

What Makes a Great Sled Dog? Breed, Ambition, Tough Feet

A mixed heritage gives sled dogs their love of running, a desire to work, and a need for wild places.

Jane J. Lee

National Geographic

PUBLISHED JANUARY 31, 2015

Spur, Sultana’s brother, is a reliable leader who’s a pro at spotting bad ice.

PHOTOGRAPH BY DANIEL A. LEIFHEIT, NPS

Like many top athletes, Sultana trains hard and has no time for the shenanigans of younger teammates. But you won’t find her in a stadium.Sultana is a sled dog born and bred to work in the punishing winters of Alaska’s Denali National Park and Preserve, and she’s gearing up for another season on the trail.

Like Sultana—a trailbreaker who moves supplies for researchers and park staff—the animals competing in these races are a cut above your normal dog.Right now, sled dogs around the world are busy preparing for the upcoming racing season or for jobs hauling equipment or tourists. Premier events like theIditarod, the Yukon Quest, or the International Pedigree Stage Stop kick off over the next couple of months, drawing as many as 1,300 dogs and thousands of people to frozen places from Alpine, Wyoming, to Nome, Alaska.

Contrary to popular belief, Siberian huskies or Alaskan malamutes are not the most popular sled dog breed. That spot belongs to the Alaskan husky, an unofficial breed with a hodge-podge heritage that’s custom-made for the rigors of racing and hauling.

Don’t let their scrappy looks fool you. Generations of breeding have produced animals that love to run, are capable of pulling hundreds of pounds through the snow, and that work together like a well-oiled machine.

Eight-year-old Sultana is one of the best lead dogs at the Denali National Park kennels.

PHOTOGRAPH BY DANIEL A. LEIFHEIT, NPS

The Crucial Ingredients

To breeders, sled dogs’ looks don’t matter as much as performance does. No matter the breed or whether they’re racers or freight-haulers, all these dogs have an insatiable need to go. Howard Thompson, a former racer who now breeds sled dogs near Mondovi, Wisconsin, calls it wanderlust. It’s the idea that “somewhere else is better,” he explains.

A healthy appetite is essential, Thompson adds. Long-distance sled dogs—those competing in events over 300 miles (483 kilometers) long—or freight-haulers like Sultana are out for days or weeks at a time. They can’t be finicky about their meals or prone to digestive issues, he says.

Sled dogs also need tough feet, says Charlotte Mooney, a racer and breeder in West Yellowstone, Montana. Racers can use booties to protect a dog’s paws, but the footwear slows the animals down, she says. Not ideal for sprint races—events less than 30 miles (48 kilometers) long—where dogs run full blast for the duration.

EMILY M. ENG, NG STAFF. SOURCES: JENNIFER RAFFAELI; HOWARD THOMPSON

Leaders, Swing Dogs, and Wheel Dogs

Teamwork is also key. Attach a pack of “normal” dogs to a sled, and they’re not likely to go far before chaos ensues.

Lead dogs—the ones out in front—help maintain order. They execute a musher’s commands, set the team’s pace, and ensure everyone’s going in the right direction.

A good lead dog can also think for itself, says Jennifer Raffaeli, manager of Denali’s kennels. They must have the confidence to disobey if a musher’s commands will send them over bad ice or off a cliff. And it helps if they can keep the others in line. Sultana is part of the Denali kennel, and she’s one of Raffaeli’s best leaders.

She’s tough enough to keep the young males focused on work, Raffaeli says, and smart enough to take advantage of inexperienced drivers, or mushers.

When the blue-eyed, eight-year-old Alaskan husky wants a break, she’s been known to stop on a trail, turn around, and come back to the driver while dragging the rest of the team behind her. When Sultana is with an experienced driver, though, she’ll do whatever is asked of her, the kennel manager says.

Backing up lead dogs like Sultana are the swing dogs—positioned right behind the leaders. They help to turn the team left or right. Wheel dogs may be last in line, but they help to steer the sled. The good ones know to go wide on turns to guide the sled around trees and other obstacles, says Thompson.

The dogs in between the swing and wheel positions are called team dogs; they provide the muscle. Their job is to keep pulling until it’s time to stop.

“A Strong Dash of Greyhound”

That willingness to work is a hallmark of sled dogs. But Raffaeli, who breeds all the dogs the park uses, also looks for a sociable personality. The animals interact with visiting tourists during the summer months, so aggressive dogs just won’t do. (Watch how the park raises its puppies.)

A tendency toward aggression is likely one reason why Alaskan malamutes—historically used as sled dogs—have fallen out of favor with many racers, says Thompson, who used to use them. “They have a bad reputation in the sled dog community.”

They’re also slow. “If you want to come in last, race malamutes,” he says.

Siberian huskies, another iconic sledding breed, have also been overtaken. The Alaskan husky, which owes a good portion of its heritage to Siberian huskies and malamutes, are now the “premier” sled dog breed, Thompson explains.

The American Kennel Club doesn’t officially recognize the group, but Alaskan huskies are genetically distinct from purebreds, research has shown.

Breeders looking to boost speed mixed Alaskan huskies with German or English pointers, says Thompson, and added “a strong dash of greyhound.”

The “marathon” runners—including dogs running in the Iditarod—have some border collie, hound, or pointer mixed in, says Stuart Nelson, Jr., head veterinarian for the Iditarod.

Denali’s sled dogs shift gears during the summer months, giving demonstrations and interacting with visiting tourists.

PHOTOGRAPH BY NEIL BLAKE, NPS

No matter the breed, though, most sled dogs seem happiest when out on the trail. And somehow, they’re able to communicate that love to the people they meet, says Raffaeli. “These dogs, even though they don’t speak, manage to communicate to our visitors about the importance of wild spaces.”

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