Have you ever noticed that most of the time, a dog’s fart is silent?

Quickly we trace it back to one of the furry things lying next to us on the carpet.

Often, we will be sitting around watching t.v. or working on the computer, when we catch the waft of a full bodied bouquet.

At first, it is unclear where this distinctive smell originates from, but quickly we trace it back to one of the furry things lying next to us on the carpet.

Dogs seem to naturally produce silent farts. I suppose if you are hunting you wouldn’t want a fart noise to startle your prey.

The noisy ones probably won’t get invited back to pack hunts!

Silent but violent.

While experiencing my dog’s wonderful aromatic masterpiece, I notice that I can usually differentiate those produced by my dogs and those produced by people. I suppose it depends somewhat on diet, and since dogs have a different diet than people, their farts also carry a different fragrance.

Surprisingly, most people do not appreciate my dogs’ fragrant productions. They must be crazy!

My dogs seem to enjoy their own aroma. When they fart, they will sometimes turn around to get a better whiff.

Enjoying the smell of Shiba.

I think my dogs’ farts smell like roses. Well maybe not exactly like roses, but it smells a bit like them (the dogs not the roses). It is good to see them (the dogs not the roses) relaxed and farting. Although, I must admit, it would also be interesting to see relaxed and farting roses.

My friends think I am a bit soft in the head because I stay around to experience the sensory odor profiles created by my dogs.

I suppose you know you really love someone, when you also love their farts!

I suppose you know you really love someone, when you also love their farts!

No related posts.

Shiba Sephy recuperating after being neutered.

Today I was loaded up and brought to where the white coated lady lives. I was all ready to fight her AND all her Amazons, but they were giving me treats so I tolerated their company.

Suddenly I felt wozzy.

Did they drug my treats?!

Those sneaky, sneaky females!

HELP!!! I am losing consciousness … need chicken soup.

Now I sleep with my back against the wall so the white lab coat lady can't sneak up on me!

Slowly I awaken.

Something seems different.

Yikes! – I have this stupid thing around my neck (see first picture). I feel itchy, wozzy, and yucky.

White coated lady really sucks.

Wait a minute … something else is missing too … NOOOOooooooo!!

Wait a minute … something else is missing too … NOOOOooooooo!!

Shiba Wisdom
I don’t miss them. They just got in the way!!

[Note from 2-legs: Neutering prevents health issues down the road and can help with aggression. Other dogs are also less likely to show aggression toward a neutered dog.]

Related posts:

1. Shiba Diary – Visit to the Vet
2. Shiba Diary – Alpha Rolls
3. Shiba Diary – Dog Trainer

Walks are more fun without the constant pain in the neck.

Walking has not been very fun lately.

Both the Pungent-One and the Female in my pack have started to snap my leash during walks. Sometimes this happens very often.

It is painful especially when the Pungent Male does it. When the Female one does it, it is merely annoying. I am getting really irritated by this.

For now, I will give them the benefit of the doubt. They seem pretty clueless and do not know any better. But this cannot continue indefinitely – ultimately, I am going to have to show them the error of their ways.

It is exactly behavior like this that makes 2-legs strange, incomprehensible, and untrustworthy.

2-legs do not understand that if I wanted to, I could also use aversive techniques on them, and I am much better and more accurate at applying it than they will ever be.

I am much better and more accurate at applying aversive techniques than 2-legs will ever be. Look at my teeth!

If they do not want me to bite them, then it is only fair that they show me the same courtesy.

But 2-legs is only 2-legs. They are slow to learn, so I will give them some time.

Plus, they give me cheese … For the sake of cheese I will be patient, use small words, and speak very slowly. I will go now and have a dream about cheese … ummmm CHEESE.

Shiba Sephy dreaming about cheese.

Shiba Wisdom
Dear 2-legs,

You have thin skin, weak legs, and small teeth. You cannot run very fast, are easily hurt, and have weak, inaccurate bites. In a fair physical fight, you cannot win. So why do you choose this way of fighting?

I have been doing some reading on 2-legs and I know you have big brains and can do some things better than I can – like make cheese! If I were you I would focus on brain and cheese skills.

If you choose to fight, and force me to fight back, then everybody will lose in the end.

If you choose to fight, and force me to fight back, then everybody will lose. If you give me trust and respect, I will also return in kind.

Related posts:

1. Shiba Diary – Dog Trainer
2. Shiba Diary – Bath Time
3. Shiba Diary – Neutering

A fun Shiba bath in the great outdoors and based on a chasing game.

I really hate bath time.

Initially the Pungent Male tried to lure me into the cold and small space with cheese. I like cheese – but even cheese is not good enough to make me go into the cold, wet place.

After the cheese strategy failed, the Pungent One carried me in. Then, the female one came in and poured water all over me!!

She is not very nice today.

Dogs baths are much more bearable in the great outdoors.

Then, there was white funny smelling stuff, and more water, and I don’t know what else because I must have passed out from the sheer awfulness of the experience.

At the end, I remembered shaking water all over the male and female – they deserve it!!

Shiba Wisdom
It is scary to have water and funny smelling white stuff put on you in a confined space. Maybe 2-legs should consider doing this in a larger, more open, space?! As you can see from the pictures, I’m fine playing water chase games and don’t mind having a bath as a side effect.

A dog bath is more fun while playing water chase games.

Related posts:

1. Shiba Diary – Nail Clipping
2. Shiba Diary – Leash Correction
3. Shiba Inu Sephy’s Diary

He is red, handsome, and absolutely fabulous!

It is no wonder that Masaaki Watase is totally smitten.

Nobody can resist that debonair smile and roguish good looks.

This lucky boy gets to enjoy beaches, ocean, and palm trees. His best friends are Alie (Welsh Corgi in one of the pictures below) and Mikey.

<< Previous Stop Play > Next >>

Many thanks to Masaaki for sharing these wonderful pictures with us. He is also working on socializing Takumi with other dogs in the neighborhood, so if you have tips, advice, and stories, please share them below.

It is good to be Red and Fabulous!

Related posts:

1. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
2. Super Shiba Inu Dusty!
3. Dog Vogue – Strike a Pose!

1. Too Hot or Too Cold

It may look like nice weather - but it is too hot and the ticks are out!

The weather is probably one of the most frequently used excuses.

• It is raining – I/my dog will get wet.
• It is snowing – I/my dog will be too cold.
• It is too hot – my dog will overheat.
• It is too cold – my dog will freeze.

We can’t walk the dog during Winter because it is snowing, raining, or too cold. We can’t walk the dog during the Summer because it is too hot. Spring is too wet so that leaves us with Autumn.

But wait – that is when the ticks are out so that is no good either. Besides, Autumn is a great time to sleep-in.

Makes me want to curl up and fall asleep too!

2. There are Vicious Dogs in My Neighborhood

I was talking to a dog owner today and she tells me that she doesn’t walk her dog because there are vicious pit-bulls that live a few houses away from her. They are always at the gate and barking at her, so she is protecting her dogs by keeping them in the house all day long.

Beware of those nasty wicked teeth.

Strictly Ballroom DVD from Amazon.com.

There are also many dogs that charge the gate or bark in my neighborhood. Sometimes, they can be pretty intimidating.

Occasionally, there are also dogs that escape and run loose. These escapees usually avoid contact with people, but there are some who are friendly, and also others who are territorial or aggressive.

Dogs do these things because they are bored and frustrated out of their mind from being protected in the house all day.

A life lived in fear… is a life half lived ~~[Strictly Ballroom]

If we are afraid of neighborhood dogs, we can always drive to a nearby park, or to a more quiet neighborhood and walk our dogs there.

3. My Dog is Reactive or Aggressive with Other Dogs

Enjoying a hike in the hills.

Some dogs are more reactive to other dogs than others. Guard dogs, for example, are bred to be more territorial by nature, and may not like other dogs encroaching upon their space.

My Shiba Inu does not like dominant dogs, or dogs that come in to smell his butt without his permission.

Some dogs are protected in the house all day, every day, so they naturally have a lot of excited and frustrated energy when they finally get to go out.

I have found that the more I walk my dogs, the more confident we all become, and the walks get easier and more enjoyable. I can now anticipate their walk triggers (usually cats and squirrels), so we mostly have a nice and relaxed routine punctured by moments of Cat Pow.

I have found that the more that I walk my dogs, the more confident we all become, and the walks get and easier more enjoyable.

My Sibe used to be afraid of the garbage truck, but she is better with them now because we see them once every week, and are still here to tell the tale.

The way to deal with reactivity issues is not to totally avoid contact with others, but rather to train our dog and ourselves to better handle external interactions including dog-to-dog interactions.

4. My Dog Pulls

Most dogs, especially young dogs will pull because they are so excited to be outside where there are many interesting smells and sights. My Siberian is a 3-legged dog, but when she really wants to pull, she has mad skillz.

I use a combination of the red-light/green-light technique and the 180-turn-around technique while we are out on walks to control the pulling. Both are helpful, but there will be situations where she loses control and starts to go. Usually a cat or squirrel is involved!

However, we are both improving in small steps, and enjoying ourselves along the way.

Siberian Husky Shania has mad skillz!

5. I am Too Tired

Shiba Sephy is too tired to walk.

Sometimes, we get busy. Issues may arise at home or at work, and we get swallowed up by them.

Life happens. Skipping a few daily walks in a year will not have any adverse effects on our dogs.

However, I find that walking with my dogs actually helps to clear my head, and gives me a much needed break from my problems. When we get home, I am more energized, and end up making more progress on my projects than I would have otherwise.

So …

What are you waiting for?

Time to strap on that iPod, and treat yourself to a nice walk with your dog.

It is a good day to be with dog.

It is a good day to be with dog.

Related posts:

1. To Pee or Not to Pee
2. Should Dogs Be Left in the Wild?
3. Socializing a Shiba Inu to Other Dogs

I got to meet a really cool 2-legged one today.

My own 2-legs have gotten a lot calmer since then. I am a good 2-legs trainer.

So far most of the 2-legs I’ve met have not been very impressive. Most have erratic energy that reflect fear, anger, or frustration.

Gary, however, is very different. Straight away I could sense that this one has an air of authority. When he tried to put a new thing around my neck, I put up a big fuss, but this one just held onto me and was very calm and unafraid. Sensing this I calmed down as well,… the neck thingy may not be so bad after all.

My male and female pack followers were also around and they seemed to also get calmer after a howl and yip, noise session with the Yoda-like 2 legs. Afterwards, we all went for a walk and it was a lot of fun. I also got to practice my SITs and since I am so good at it I got a lot of cheese – yummy!

Shiba Inu Sephy pretending to be a model citizen.

Finally, the Calm-One picked me up.

In general, I hate being picked up by 2-legs because that seriously curtails my freedom. Also I don’t really trust the 2-legs not to drop me – after all they are inferior with only 2 legs.

Everyone knows that –

4 legs goooooddd, 2 legs baaaadddd.

So, of course I showed my displeasure by squirming and showing teeth. I also put my teeth near Calm-One’s neck just to see what he would do. But, strangely, he just remained calm throughout. I started to relax as well.

Being held by Calm-One wasn’t too bad after all.

Shiba Wisdom
Wtih us dogs, it is all about inner energy. We can sense what you are truly feeling so you cannot pretend. To really make a difference, you must change your inner energy and true self.

Really, we should get paid a lot more for all the self-help lessons we give 2-legs!

Really, we should get paid a lot more for all the self-help lessons we give 2-legs!

Related posts:

1. Shiba Diary – Leash Correction
2. Shiba Diary – Visit to the Vet
3. Shiba Inu Sephy’s Diary

Today I had one of the most frightening experiences of my life!

Ok smelling female was hugging me and giving lots of attention.

It started out pleasant enough, the ok smelling female was hugging me and giving lots of attention. Then the pungent male came over and paid homage to me as well, so things were moving along nicely.

Safari Professional Nail Trimmer from Amazon.com

Suddenly … they brought out this new toy – or so I thought!

First I was curious. I smelled it, then licked it, but it seemed like a pretty lame toy, so I soon lost interest. The female one started touching it to my nails which tickled. It was fun for a while.

But then …

Before I knew what was happening the pungent male held onto me and the female one cut one of my nails.

OWWWWWW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Could it be that my followers were revolting against my “benevolent” monarchy?!

It cannot be! I was shedding royal blood!

Maybe I will forgive them if they give me lots of treats and toys.

I ran around shouting for reinforcements. Finally my followers realized the error of their ways. They came over and put some white stuff <flour> over my wound and it got better.

Maybe I will forgive them if they give me lots of treats and toys.

Shiba Wisdom

Never use a nail clipper on a Shiba when you can use a nail grinder. I recommend the Dremel Minimite – no cords to tempt me to pounce and chew.

With a grinder, it is also easier to avoid the quick which means no royal blood sacrifice will be necessary.

It is acceptable when my subjects slowly file down my nails with a grinder while feeding me chicken and cheese.

It is acceptable when my subjects slowly file down my nails with a grinder while feeding me chicken and cheese.

Related posts:

1. Shiba Diary – Bath Time
2. Shiba Diary – Leash Correction
3. Shiba Inu Sephy’s Diary

King of the Stairs.

I am getting more used to the pungent male and the not-too-smelly female.

They are not very good pack followers, but I am being patient about teaching them how to properly pay homage to my Shiba-ness.

However, a disturbing trend has started where they are holding me down on my back every time I do certain things that get them frustrated. They must have learned it from that white coated amazon thing <vet> and her helpers.

No worries – I put up a great fuss (note: screaming and mouthing works really well) and I can sense their energy weakening when I do that.

One of the ways to pay homage to his Shiba-ness.

His Shiba-ness with his entourage.

In any case, two legs have very strange behaviors. I suspect they are much lower life forms and are simply incapable of communicating in a consistent and non-barbaric fashion.

I will be a good pack leader and be patient with them … for now.

Shiba Wisdom

You can pretend to be the boss, but your weak energy ain’t going to fool anyone. Especially not a Shiba!

The BOSS!

Related posts:

1. Shiba Diary – Dog Trainer
2. Shiba Diary – Sirius Puppy Class
3. Shiba Diary – Leash Correction

My Dog Training Mistakes.

The good news is – If we are willing to learn, and put our own egos on hold, things will get a lot better – for everyone. Before too long, we will be wondering exactly when our rascally little scamp turned into the super-dog that he is today.

More good news – Once we understand the underlying mechanics of what dog training truly is, it will no longer seem like magic. We can apply our knowledge to future dogs, who will become super-dogs almost right from the start.

I still made some mistakes with Siberian Husky Shania, but much fewer than Sephy.

Yet more good news – Dogs are resilient and even if we made some mistakes in the beginning, a dog’s bad behaviors can be retrained. If we are willing, and are open to learning, we can turn things around for our dogs and ourselves.

Here are some of the common dog training mistakes I made, why I made them, and what I should have done instead.

Dogs are resilient and even if we made some mistakes in the beginning, a dog’s bad behaviors can be retrained.

1. Using my dog’s name when he misbehaved

Good dog Sephy.

Bad dog Butros!

Whenever I got angry or frustrated at Shiba Sephy and wanted to correct him for one of his misdeeds, I said Sephy Stop! or Sephy No!.

It is natural for us to do this, because that is how we communicate with other people. We – tend to be very verbal. We rely heavily on verbal names, use tone, volume, and verbal repetition to transfer information.

However, dogs communicate very differently. Verbal cues are less important to them. They identify people and other dogs more by scent than by name.

With training, we can teach a dog to associate certain verbal cues with commands and consequences, but it does not come naturally to them. For example we may say “Good Dog” every time before treating our dog. In this way, our dogs learn that “Good dog” means a treat is about to come soon.

Similarly, if we constantly use a dog’s name while correcting him, he may start to associate that name (verbal cue) to feelings of anger and frustration from us. He may also associate his name to being punished, or feeling pain.

Because of this, the next time he hears “his name” he will likely run away rather than come to us.

I have read some articles by dog trainers who say it is silly not to use a dog’s name while correcting him. They say that not calling the dog by name because you are afraid of hurting his feelings is simply ridiculous.

And they are right – it would be ridiculous if that were the reason.

However, the reason is not because of hurt feelings but because of conditioning, which underlies most dog training and dog behavior techniques.

To a dog, a name is just like any other verbal cue, e.g. Sit, Good, No. Using a dog’s name indiscriminately, like I did, caused confusion and frustration for Shiba Sephy because I was sending him mixed verbal cues.

Now, Sephy has a good dog name and a bad dog name. The good dog name – Sephy – is just like Good, and marks a good behavior. The bad dog name – Butros – is just like No, and marks an unacceptable behavior.

In every dog there is a Good Sephy and a Bad Butros.

2. Adding *too* much and focusing on short-term results

It is a lot more intuitive for us to add something than to take something away.

When Sephy did something good, my first reaction is to reward him.

When Sephy did something good, my first reaction is to reward him (add a reward stimulus). When Sephy misbehaved, my first reaction is to punish him verbally or physically (add an aversive stimulus).

Dogs *do* respond to the addition of a stimulus, but they also respond to the removal of a stimulus.

For example, to stop a bad dog behavior, I can either add a negative verbal or physical stimulus (e.g. leash correction), or I can remove an existing reward. Both actions will result in a negative consequence for the dog, which will help him learn to curb that behavior.

When I was having troubles with Shiba Sephy, I read up a lot on dog training and one of the most common questions I came across was -

I can understand how you encourage behaviors with food, but how do you stop a dog from acting badly?

If Sephy stays calmly in his bed, he gets rewarded with good stuff!

You can stop a dog from acting badly by taking away one or more of his privileges.

• If Sephy bites too hard on me or did not want to play according to my rules, I would just stop playing with him.
• If Sephy chased me around and starting nipping at my feet, I would first take away his freedom by telling him to go to his bed. If he tries to sneak out of his bed, he gets put on a time-out.
• If Sephy did not want me to brush his teeth, he would lose a yummy meal of boiled chicken, melted cheese, and bacon.
• If Sephy started digging up my roses, he would have to come back into the house and lose his freedom to roam freely in the backyard.
• If Sephy started leash-biting when out on a walk with me, I would march him quickly home, thus ending the nice and fun neighborhood walk.

Will brush teeth for chicken.

When I first started my journey with Shiba Sephy, I mainly focused on dog training techniques that brought me quick, but it turns out, short-term results. Applying pain as punishment, for example, usually brings quick results. Pain is a strong stimulus and most dogs will react strongly to it.

Some dogs stop performing the unsanctioned behavior because they want to avoid the pain and stress at all costs. Other dogs may figure out new strategies to avoid the associated pain. For example, they may only do it when you are not there, or they may escape from the house and do it elsewhere. Some stubborn dogs like Shiba Sephy may just endure the pain, because they are that much of a rebel!

One important lesson I learned through my trials and tribulations with Sephy is not to add too much into the dog training process.

Don’t use a bite when a Shiba scream will do the trick!
~~[Shiba Sephy]

Use the safest and least risky techniques as much as you can and only consider the more risky techniques when absolutely all else has failed.

Recently, I visited several dog training sites that advocated the use of remote collars (shock collars) on puppies. Indeed there have been a lot of emotional discussions over remote collars. Most remote collar advocates object to using the term shock collar, and even call them gentle training collars, because they say it only delivers a gentle current.

Whatever terms are used, I find that it is best not to sugar-coat dog training equipment and dog training techniques. Only by looking at something truthfully and objectively, can we make the best decisions for our dogs. In terms of remote collars, scientific studies by Polsky et al and Schalke et al. show that they are risky, because they can cause extreme stress in dogs, that can further lead to aggression.

This is not to say that remote collar training will never work or that dogs will totally lose all capacity to enjoy themselves once they have worn a remote collar. But that is not the point. The more relevant question is –

Why use a remote collar when you can get similar results with safer and less risky techniques?

Using non-pain oriented techniques may not bring the quickest results, but they produce much better long term results; including a higher quality of life for the dog. After switching away from aversive techniques, Shiba Sephy has become a happier, less stressed, and more trusting dog.

After switching away from aversive techniques, Shiba Sephy has become a happier, less stressed, and more trusting dog.

3. Putting my own ego ahead of my dog’s well-being

When I first got Sephy, I was very disappointed in him. He was a very excitable dog, he was extremely stubborn, he would sometimes use aggression, and he was not very interested in obeying commands. In puppy class, he was not the worst behaved, but neither was he an A-student – far from it.

Definitely not an A-student.

Often, I would get very angry and frustrated with him because it seemed I was doing all the training steps and practicing a lot at home, and yet his performance in class would be so-so at best.

At home, he would be a holy terror. He would run around like crazy, chew at everything except his toys, hump my leg, bite my hands and arms, and do exactly all the things that he is not supposed to do.

On walks he would leash bite, Shiba scream, do alligator rolls, jump on people, bite on people, lunge at other dogs and do exactly all the things that he is not supposed to do.

I was constantly embarrassed by Sephy, and my neighbors would give me this “I feel so sorry for you” look and offer all kinds of random advice.

After a few horrible months of feeling like a failure, I asked myself this question -

Was I doing all this for me, or for Sephy?

I realized that I was more interested in looking good to my neighbors and looking good in class rather than trying to do what was best for Sephy. It was not so much that I was disappointed in Sephy for not being an A-student, but rather that I blamed him for spoiling my own A-student grade at dog training.

I realized that I was more interested in looking good to my neighbors and looking good in class rather than trying to do what was best for Sephy.

Because I was so wrapped up in my own ego, I would doggedly stick to what I was doing and not listen to alternative points of view. I did not seek out new information, and most important of all I did not listen to Sephy.

I suppose it is human to believe that the World should always revolve around us, but once I let go of this false trail of self-absorption things got a lot better.

For the first time, I truly tried to listen to Sephy, and did my best to give him a good quality of life. I stopped interpreting everything Sephy did through my own self-importance filter. I started to do a lot more research into various training methods, and objectively viewing their pros and cons.

This is not about who is the most right, who is the most clever, who has the perfect Stepford dog, or about us at all. This is about how we can work together to make life better for our own dogs and for the dogs around us.

There still has to be rules and discipline, but nowadays, I only exercise control when it is necessary for my dog’s safety. Being human, it probably still matters to me what others think, but truly – my dogs matter a lot more!

Being human, it probably still matters to me what others think, but truly - my dogs matter a lot more!

Related posts:

1. Operant Conditioning and Dog Training
2. Brad Pattison, CET Dog Training, & In The Doghouse
3. Dogs Are Not Human!