Living with Makenzie means working things out together.

She’s a very particular Shiba, with a complicated body and a strong sense of self. I came to her with almost no experience of living with a dog. Learning to live well with her meant learning a great deal about canine behaviour along the way.

Most of the time we figured things out slowly. Sometimes stubbornly. Often by trying again.

These pieces stay close to that quiet work between us — the negotiations, the setbacks, and the small decisions that slowly change something in a relationship.