Cat-, owl-, rabbit-, and goat cafés, move over! At Yokohama Trimming School, you can spend time with “Man’s best friend” for as many hours as you desire. A comprehensive school that primarily nurtures the professional dog groomer through animal care and beauty training, Yokohama Trimming also provides dogs for modeling gigs and rentals. That’s correct – rent a dog! For those of you who long for the days of spending time with a pooch in Japan, look no further.
Upon arrival, we were immediately greeted and asked if we had an interest in renting a dog. Although there was a slight communication gap due to the language barrier, the process was fairly simple (it also helped that my friend visited last week and I reviewed the website ahead of time). Here are the details:
- Bring identification: A passport, driver license, or ID will suffice. A copy will be made for their records.
- Annual membership: Required for dog rental at 500 yen per year
- Rental: Rent by the hour (500 yen), day, or long-term such as by month
- Payment: Cash only, in advance
- Rental dog terms: You must be 12 years of age or older to handle a dog, no changes or refunds are accepted, always keep the dog on a leash, and be responsible! More details on the form to review, agree, and sign.
How do I choose a dog? Refer to the large bulletin board of photos. Adorable headshots of each dog are posted along with their name, gender, and walk-ability score. Their faces were so stinking cute, my son and I had trouble deciding. Also, everything is written in Japanese, so you may need assistance. If the bubble cloud is pink, the dog is a female; blue is male. Underneath each face are three paw prints. Each paw print in solid black color represents a scale of walk-ability. If all three are solid, the dog you choose has more experience and enjoys long walks on the beach. Maybe? He or she definitely enjoys walking around the city and the neighboring parks. We decided to go with the Chihuahua face that was pinned directly in the center of the board. Her name – Momo chan!
The clock began for our 1-hour rental and we were off to explore the neighborhood with Momo chan. It was another hot and humid summer day, so we planned ahead and brought a few things: two bottles of cold water, a small container to hold drinking water for the dog, and a plastic sheet for sitting down in the park. The shop had provided us with a miniature bag of six treats, and a small plastic bag & bottled water in case she had to potty (use the water to rinse the soiled area).
Just one block over from Yokohama Trimming School is Ekimae Ryokuchi Park that runs just along Tsurumi river. It was a convenient trail for Momo chan. She loved the stroll along the bike path and quickly decided to take a break on a bench near the children’s playground. She barked at a few dogs along the way, but we understood that as, “Hello and Good Day!” It was no worry at all. Her favorite part of the hour was receiving treats after being on her best behavior. She was just the sweetest little thing.
To access Yokohama Trimming School by car, take Kohoku/Shin-Yokohama Exit from the expressway and stay on your left lane. Less than 5-minutes from Nissan Stadium. Or, exit Shinyokohama Station and walk 9 minutes.
To watch a short clip of Momo chan in action during our 1-hour with her, click here.
