Professor Akira: A Flash of Genius
P H O TO S C O U RTE S Y O F M O N I C A M A LI K
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By Morgan Eastwood
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kira is a seven-year-old Shiba Inu from Abu Dhabi and could very well be the world’s first canine professor. Every day for the past six years, he has been practicing mathematics, differentiating colors, and picking out his favorite animals and objects. Akira and his mom, Monica Malik, developed Professor Akira Flashcards, a dog-training system specialized for your companions. Akira is proof that just like the need for regular physical exercise, a mental workout can also be vital for your dog’s everyday routine, and also works to enhance the bond between dogs and their owners. Brought over to the UAE from Japan, Akira embodies the characteristics that make the breed so beloved in
his home country. “He’s different from any other dog I’ve ever had,” says Monica about Akira. “He’s very self-willed, self-opinionated, and confident with what he wants. He’s not a people pleaser.” Monica believes that those traits stem from Shiba Inus being a more “primitive” breed, or genetically closer to the wolf. And though his breed may have something to do with his impressive memory and comprehension, the flashcards certainly seem to have enriched those things. It may seem like a magic act, but Akira truly has learned the meaning behind his flashcards by practicing almost every day for six years. After he turned one year old, he grasped the concept of numbers, which Monica taught him by displaying yellow tennis balls inside a clear food Spring 2022 | coastalcaninemag.com | 55