Original subtitles

(DOG SIGNAL)

(The Truth about Rocky)

Mr. Niwa!

Found you.

Why did you run off here?

I've been looking for you.

What are you doing?

We have a customer.

I told you to take your phone when you go out,

didn't I?

You want an in-home training?

You could just bring your pet here if you live close by.

Because… I can't bring it here.

Ever since

my son passed away unexpectedly,

the dog has never left the family shrine.

It sits there motionlessly.

A family member suddenly passed away.

During the summer break of fifth grade,

a scaffold collapsed at the construction site where his dad worked at

and killed him.

Bear was hit by a car in front of his dad's workplace.

Shinichiro said it was his fault

for not training it properly.

Mr. Niwa…

Please continue.

Yes.

At first, I thought the dog was grieving over my son's death,

so I didn't disturb it.

But this situation has lasted for nearly a year now.

Lately, it started to have involuntary urination at the shrine.

It's 11 years old.

I'm worried about its health if this continues.

My son loved it a lot.

I hope it can live longer on behalf of my son.

So I want it to overcome the grief and regain the spirit.

It's so saddening.

I really want to help them.

But,

this must be tough for Mr. Niwa.

I understand, I accept it.

Thank you.

Miyu, schedule appointments and explain our courses.

Okay.

I'll explain.

We have two types of in-home services.

Hmm.

Putting on an indifferent look,

but is Mr. Niwa okay?

Then, on the first day of training.

Here.

There lies a Golden Retriever,

as if guarding the household shrine.

Rocky, the trainers are here.

It has a reaction.

Yes.

But it won't leave that spot.

My son Takehiro had loved dogs since he was young.

We brought Rocky home on his 8th birthday.

They have done all sorts of dog sports

and even won awards in competitions.

When Rocky was injured,

he cried because he could not share its pain.

He wanted to better understand dogs' feelings

and applied to study animal behavior at a university.

But right after he had been admitted,

the accident happened.

A loved one suddenly passed away.

It must be very sad.

They were together all the time.

Mr. Niwa?

Due to urinary incontinence,

the tatami has changed color.

The symptoms are more frequent than I imagined.

The front of its limbs turned reddish-brown.

It's been licking them for a long time.

There are bedsores on its elbows like calluses.

Because it keeps lying down

and the prolonged pressure leads to poor blood circulation.

An 11-year-old large dog

is older than small and medium-sized dogs of the same age.

If it doesn't move

or receive stimulation in the brain,

it might even develop dementia.

Before that,

let's restore its original healthy lifestyle.

Can… Can you do that?

Your son gave it a lot of experience.

Rocky should be more accustomed to commands

than an ordinary dog.

As long as the correct commands are given,

Rocky will follow them.

But…

I see, that's great.

Then I will teach you how to give commands.

Okay.

But can that heal Rocky's grief?

I'll get Rocky to stand up first.

For convenience, I'll put a leash on it.

Rocky.

Stand.

Stand.

It stood up.

It's still unwilling to leave this place.

It's not a matter of emotion.

It's difficult to move due to muscle loss.

After humans are bedridden for a while,

they also find it hard to walk due to muscle loss in the lower body.

It's the same for dogs.

Mr. Niwa…

It has urinary incontinence and excessively licks its limbs.

Would you like to take it to the clinic for a health check-up?

-He is indeed a bit different… -Okay, I understand.

Rocky, I'm back.

I got off work early.

So I bought Rocky's favorite meat…

Eh?

Oh, they are…

Are they Takehiro's friends?

No…

It's been a long time since his friends came by.

Do you know them?

You must be happy to see them.

Before you catch up,

look, roast beef.

Here, is it good?

Thank you for staying with Takehiro again today.

You're my favorite, Rocky.

Excuse me,

we are not your son's friends.

I am the dog trainer who came to train Rocky.

I… I am an apprentice.

DOG TRAINER, NIWA SHINICHIRO Dog trainer?

What's going on?

Well.

Rocky has barely moved for nearly a year.

It might be bad for its health.

So I went to consult him.

And he said Rocky could move.

Just now, after he gave the command,

Rocky…

No need.

Since you are a dog trainer, you must know

that the depths of love for dogs and humans are different.

After Rocky lost Takehiro,

it's more saddened than anyone else.

That's why it stays with Takehiro.

As long as the grief heals,

it will stand up on its own.

Please go back.

Being rejected might be a good thing.

I also think Rocky's grief should heal on its own.

And for Mr. Niwa, this matter…

What are you saying?

The dog owner's father signed the contract with me.

He didn't refuse the training.

Do you plan to continue?

Of course.

I have taken the training fee.

But… But when Rocky is still sad…

Did the dog say that?

Did the dog say it feels sad

because its owner died?

No, it didn't.

Who said it then?

Who said it?

It wasn't Rocky who said it.

It was…

Rocky is very sad.

The lady.

When you named Sanju,

didn't I tell you that dogs have no concept of names?

The concept of death is the same.

Whether the son left home and the dog

or he died and couldn't come back,

how can the dog differentiate them?

Dogs do not dwell on the past.

It is humans who dwell on it.

Mr. Niwa makes sense.

But,

if so, why does Rocky stay there?

Later, we decided to train Rocky

when the lady is out for work.

Rocky can obey Mr. Niwa's commands.

It moved.

It can easily stand up and move around.

It's great you can walk around, Rocky.

You wouldn't move before

no matter how I pushed you.

You and your wife care too much about the dog's feelings.

You can't give commands to the dog in this way.

Practice giving clear commands to the dog

with your head up and chest out.

As long as you can do that,

Rocky will surely follow your commands.

Okay.

And then,

one day after several training sessions.

Look.

Now whenever you come,

it will stand up on its own.

Rocky learns so quickly.

It's all thanks to Takehiro's good teaching.

-Well done, good boy. -You really love it.

What are you doing?

Didn't I say we don't need training?

Dear.

Ro… Rocky?

Don't you have to work?

You rarely talked to Rocky before,

but you've been happily talking to it lately.

I found it strange and asked for leave.

And it's just as I expected.

Mr. Kato.

Let's continue.

Please make Rocky stand up.

Are you listening to me?

Okay, you're right.

We finally got it moving.

Hey, Rocky.

This is enough!

It wants to stay here!

Don't force it!

You are the one who is forcing it.

You're happy as long as Rocky stays there.

You praise and reward it.

Is it good?

Thank you for staying with Takehiro again today.

You're my favorite, Rocky.

And you get upset and emotional

as soon as it moves.

We don't need training.

Don't force it!

Rocky takes your attitude as a command

to stay here all the time.

Right, even if we don't teach them

to bark at other dogs,

picking them up

would lead them

to mistakenly think they should bark at other dogs.

Repeating the same action and getting praised

will make dogs see it as a command.

Dogs do not dwell on the past.

Rocky is not sad about its owner's death;

it's simply obeying your command.

No… it's not true.

I never asked it to do that.

On the night after the funeral,

Rocky came and sat here on its own.

It wanted to see Takehiro.

Isn't that normal?

How could it not be sad with its owner suddenly gone?

What?

Did you not properly mourn for Mr. Takehiro's passing?

Takehiro.

Takehiro, how?

WREATHS FROM FAMILIES AND FRIENDS How?

He was just fine yesterday.

His primary school teacher has gotten lost.

I'll go pick him up.

I'll go.

You take some rest.

I'm fine.

He came all the way here for Takehiro.

I must go to welcome him.

Being busy can distract me.

They all left, Takehiro.

Is this real?

Are you really gone?

Even if I search the whole world…

Tell me.

Rocky…

Did you come to be with Takehiro?

Is that right?

You're also sad, aren't you?

Just like me.

Rocky will be sad together with me.

Is that what you're thinking?

You projected all your sadness onto Rocky.

Humans always like to apply their thoughts

onto dogs.

My dog wants to be pretty.

It'll love a trendy haircut.

Do dogs check magazines or the internet

to see what hairstyles are in fashion?

My dog likes pink.

Blue clothes would upset it.

Apart from blue and yellow,

everything is grey to dogs.

Do they see pink and say they like it?

If they miss a deceased owner,

they'd like the clothes and bed with his smell,

not here.

A shrine

is just a wooden box to a dog.

That's right.

Dogs can't possibly know the significance of a shrine.

But why would Rocky sit here?

There's only one reason.

Because it would make you happy.

You passed the unbearable sorrow onto Rocky

so that you can keep peace in your heart.

And the price is Rocky losing all its freedom.

Do you intend to bind it like this forever?

Its strength weakens, can't move as it wishes.

urinates on the spot,

licks its paws until they are swollen and festered,

and has large calluses formed on the elbows.

Do you realize that this is abuse?

Do you still want to continue?

How far do you have to go?

Mr. Niwa.

Or do you wish for it to die

so you can claim Rocky followed your son out of grief?

Do you want to make up new stories like that?

Mr. Niwa!

There's no need to say hurtful things.

She is in great pain too.

Don't you understand?

Aren't your father and Bear…

Sorry.

Bear's leash was taken off,

it felt anxious, ran away,

and died in an accident there by chance.

That's all.

I don't know what Ritsuka told you.

But I don't sentimentally

associate dogs with the death of a human.

I believe what I see.

Rocky didn't stay here

for Mr. Takehiro,

but for you.

This is the truth about Rocky.

If you really love it,

let it leave that place.

Hey, where are you going?

It's enough, Rocky.

Come here.

Sorry, Rocky.

Sorry, Takehiro.

I will make Rocky happy from now on.

Mr. Niwa…

DOG GROOMING, FONTE Really? That's great.

That lady finally came to her senses.

That's right.

What's wrong?

Mr. Niwa makes too clear a distinction between humans and dogs.

It makes me feel a bit sad.

Rocky is not sad about its owner's death.

Bear died in an accident there by chance.

That's all.

Do dogs forget their owners

and their times of joy and work together so easily?

I don't think Sanju and Senior Uruson will forget.

Shinichiro is quite the actor.

He even fooled you.

What?

Alright, calm down.

I'll explain it to you.

A dog's memory is of two types.

One is the short-term memory that lasts only a few seconds.

You peed again.

Don't do that, Daigo.

What are you talking about?

You must discipline them immediately

because of the short-term memory.

The second type is the long-term memory

developed for things that happen repeatedly.

WOOF

The dog park is on the right.

It's a fun place.

Yes, I know.

I pass by it every day,

so it even knows the way.

That means a long-term positive relationship

should make the dog remember its owner forever.

There's a lot of research on dog memory.

Shinichiro knows them too.

Then why did he say such cruel things?

Because, how do you think she'd react

if you tell that lady Rocky still remembers her son?

She would happily keep Rocky tied up at the shrine.

But… Mr. Niwa's expression was super scary.

Because he'll cry if he relaxes.

He must be trying to hold it in.

You know he's a crybaby, don't you?

Pfft.

STERN Is that the expression of holding back tears?

So rest assured, Miyu.

Uruson and Sanju won't forget their owners.

The owners are the same.

How could they possibly forget?

Although that place is a park now,

Bear was buried there.

Because of Bear,

Shinichiro wants there to be fewer dogs suffering from human mistakes.

That's why he became a dog trainer.

So, he'll tell any lie that could prevent the dogs

from suffering.

Miyu.

Do you know what Uruson means in French?

Uruson means 'little bear' in French.

Bear.

Always playing cool, huh?

You believe what you see?

There's a part in your second partner dog, Uruson,

that belongs to Bear.

You miss it so much.

Of course.

I am very persistent.

You two!

Take them with you since you're visiting the grave.

I want to remain in the memory of my dog.

So we must love each other.

Goodbye.

Together, we'll create…

Why do you like Miss Izumi so much?

lots of happiness

and joyful memories.

TODAY'S KEY ADVICE

The ways of training dogs

vary with the breed, individual personality,

and the living environment.

The methods and ideas presented this time

are not applicable to all dogs.

Please be aware.

(Next Episode: The Old Man and The Old Dog)