Theta was a month-and-a-half-old puppy when she first came to live with Fuyumi Morita and her husband in the city of Kakegawa, Shizuoka Prefecture, one year after the couple's marriage. Morita remembers Theta's little paws scrabbling at her when she picked her up, Theta's little eyes looking into her eyes, and Theta's little tail wagging when she walked.
With single-lens reflex and digital cameras purchased just before Theta's arrival, Morita recorded every subtle stage of the puppy's development, every cute little behavioral quirk she displayed and every memorable event the two experienced together, and regularly uploaded the images onto her Web site devoted to Theta.
When Theta showed signs of diarrhea, Morita immediately switched food brands. When Theta looked anemic, Morita gave her special milk prepared for dogs. When selecting treats, Morita carefully checked the ingredient list and chose products without additives.