The Shiba Inu is a beautiful Spitz dog. You will get many compliments and turn many heads while walking next to a Shiba.
A Shiba Inu can get you a lot of attention and open doors to many social encounters. Get used to hearing, “He/She looks just like a fox!”.
In fact, it is this foxy look that often gets Shibas into trouble.
Many people fall in love with the ‘Shiba look’ but are not equipped to handle his larger than life personality.
If you like the Spitz look, there are many other breeds that fall into this group that may better suit your lifestyle.
The Good
1. A Shiba Inu is a dog that is more like a cat
A Shiba Inu is independent and very clean.
My Shiba Sephy spends a fair amount of time not just grooming himself, but also helping to groom my Siberian Husky.
A Shiba Inu is extremely easy to potty train.
Sephy only had housebreaking mistakes on the first day that we brought him home (10 weeks old). After that, he always let us know when he has to go potty. We did not even need to train him to go potty outside. He naturally dislikes soiling his living space and even prefers not to go in our backyard.
Shiba Inus like having their humans around in the general vicinity. However, they are aloof like cats, and do not need or want human affection much of the time.
2. A Shiba Inu is a good watch dog
A Shiba Inu is not a noisy dog. However, when there are strange people or strange noises around the house he will bark to alert you. Once I go and check things out, Sephy stops barking.
Shibas have great memory and will alert you to anything out of place around the house and even in a familiar neighborhood. One day Sephy started barking at the fence because somebody had put a piece of wood on top of it – amazing!
3. A Shiba Inu is graceful, agile, and high energy
A Shiba Inu is graceful and agile.
He can leap tall fences in a single bound and can scale walls like Spiderman. If properly directed, his super powers can be used for good. However, when left on his own, the Shiba will likely turn towards the Dark Side.
A Shiba Inu is a great hiking buddy and is always up for a new challenge. He can easily learn and conquer an agility course but he will only do it, if you make it worth his while.
A Shiba running is a sight to behold and a Shiba at play is poetry in motion.
4. A Shiba Inu is a doggy Einstein
A Shiba Inu can learn many dog obedience commands and he can learn them very quickly. He also thinks that he is much smarter than you, and will only obey you when it suits him.
A Shiba can quickly figure out complex interactive dog toys and puzzles. I am always trying out new ways to deploy Sephy’s food in toys because he figures things out so quickly. A Shiba will challenge you and keep you sharp and on your toes!
5. A Shiba Inu has a larger than life personality
No great genius has ever existed without some touch of madness.
~~[ Aristotle ]
A Shiba Inu may be small in body, but he has a ginormous personality. If a Shiba were a person, he would either be an extremely successful egomaniac or in prison!
Sephy always surprises me and makes me laugh; at least when he is not making me cry.
He has this one move where he puts his head down on the ground with his butt sticking up in the air – it is just too precious.
The Bad
1. A Shiba Inu is bold, strong willed, and stubborn
He has a “Never give up, Never surrender” attitude.
He will not back down from a challenge and will often fight back when he perceives a threat. Because of this, many owners face aggression issues with their Shiba including food aggression, dog to dog aggression, and people aggression.
To successfully live with a Shiba Inu, you must be extremely patient and have a good sense of humor.
Turn a Shiba’s annoying habits against him.
For example, a Shiba gets bored easily. If you ignore him and give him nothing to react to, he will quickly lose interest, and move on to something else.
Shibas can be very competitive. If they see another dog getting praise and rewards, they will want to strut their stuff and show that they are better.
Work with a Shiba’s innate personality and use it motivate him in the right direction. Passive resistance and reward obedience training work best with Sephy.
A Shiba will hand you many lemons, which is good if you like lemonade. Otherwise, just cut one up and squirt it on his muzzle.
~~[ just kidding! ShibaShake ]
2. A Shiba Inu has a sly, rougish intelligence
A Shiba Inu is super intelligent. He will most often use his brain power to “push your buttons” and get what he wants.
Sephy is always trying to figure out how he can outsmart me and all the humans around him. A trainer once told me that Sephy was spending the weekends, “Devising new strategies to defeat her”.
In another life my Shiba was probably a Catholic priest. He can guilt me into doing almost anything for him.
Beware the Shiba look – it is one of his most powerful weapons and he will use it to great effect if he senses any weakness in you. Before you know it, your Shiba will have gotten you trained to fetch, stay, and rub tummy.
Remember that a Shiba Inu will do whatever he wants if he can get away with it. If he can’t get away with it, he will figure out another way to get away with it. When he gets caught with his nose in the cookie jar, he will give you the innocent “What did I do?” look and then come over and lick your hand.
Once you turn away, he is back in the cookie jar!
3. A Shiba Inu is like the evil, black Spiderman
He is capable of great feats of agility but if untrained, he will use it to destroy and cause great havoc in the household.
If bored and lonely, he will escape by jumping over or burrowing under your fence. He can squeeze through small holes, bite through leashes, and achieve amazing great escapes that will make Houdini proud.
If not properly supervised, a Shiba will pull down items from counters and shred them to pieces. He may even eat some of those pieces. Once, I left Sephy unsupervised for about 10 minutes and in that time he pulled down a phone headset and shredded it to little pieces. Luckily he didn’t swallow anything.
A Shiba Inu, especially a young Shiba Inu has a lot of energy.
It takes a lot to keep him occupied and away from trouble. Getting him a dog playmate can help. Another alternative is to put him in dog daycare or to employ the services of a dog walker.
4. A Shiba Inu is a Drama Queen
Sephy will whine, mope and act like it is the end of the world when he is unhappy about something (e.g. wearing a harness).
Woe be to you if your Shiba gets hurt or even just thinks that he is hurt.
Sephy acts like he is close to death’s door even for small things like getting grass stuck between his teeth.
Woe be to you, woe be to your vet, and woe be to anyone who tries to help.
Shibas are extremely touchy when in this state, and may snap and bite at anyone who comes near them.
Sephy is extremely sensitive to the energy of the people and dogs around him. If I am scared or stressed out, he picks up on that immediately and gets that way too – except with a thousand times more gusto!
5. A Shiba Inu is an accomplished singer
A Shiba Inu does not bark much but he has a wide range of vocal stylings.
The most well known is the Shiba-scream, which is a high pitched, loud scream that will make your blood curdle. Your neighbors will think you are torturing your poor little ball of fur.
A Shiba Inu will quickly learn to use his Shiba-scream against you if you let him.
Do not get embarrassed, and do not give him a reaction during a Shiba-scream. Just ignore him and go about your business and he will stop. Remember that he can sense your inner energy, not just your outward appearance.
6. A Shiba Inu knows he is dog royalty
A Shiba Inu does not like being touched or handled.
Cutting nails, bathing, or a vet examination, is never fun for any breed of dog, but with a Shiba it can be total hell.
After a lot of desensitization work and management, Sephy still protests to some of these activities. He sometimes throws a fit when I pick him up, and he only likes human contact when the mood suits him.
A Shiba Inu is like dog royalty.
He wants his subjects close enough to serve him but not too close as to sully his royal person.
7. A Shiba Inu pretends not to understand ‘Obedience’
.
Obedience? What’s that?
Shibas Inus think that you should be obedient to them and not the other way around.
If you want a Shiba to do something for you, you had better make him a good offer.
Sometimes, Sephy bargains with me. He will sit there and wait until I have the acceptable number of dog treats in my hand before going into his crate.
A Shiba Inu can be a good citizen at home, but he must be properly managed.
Shibas are strong willed, independent, and bred to hunt. Aversive training does not work well on them. Shiba owners need to be creative and flexible when interacting with their dog.
A Shiba Inu is not to be trusted off-leash unless in a fully enclosed area.
8. A Shiba Inu has nasty, wicked teeth
For a small dog, a Shiba Inu has very large teeth, and he is not afraid to use them.
Shibas can be very mouthy, more so than many other dog breeds. When I first got Sephy at 10 weeks old, his mouth was all over me. Now it is in control, but his instinct is still to bite.
Shiba Inus are a primitive breed and they lose control more easily than other more domesticated dog breeds.
The Quirky
A Shiba Inu is a grass connoisseur
He likes grazing, but he is picky about what grass he will eat. Dogs may sometimes graze when their stomachs are upset to clear their digestive systems, but a Shiba Inu just enjoys eating grass – if it is the right kind of grass.
I recently found an article suggesting that there might be something to this grass connoisseur business after all.
“We at Green Foods believe that dogs and many other carnivores, including cats and bears, eat cereal grasses because cereal grasses contain nutrients not found in meat that are essential for the animals’ good health.”
~~[ Green Foods web site ]
Thanks to all the posters at Shibatalk and ShibaInuInfo for their many humorous Shiba Inu stories that inspired this article.
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This is so helpful! I have a 1 1/2 year old shiba named Dawkins and he is a dream! He is very playful and loves everyone and everything. Babies, kids, cats, dogs you name it. He has never been aggressive with anything. You can leave your finger in his mouth when he eats and will not bite. He hates the vet though and doesn’t like getting his nails cut or even flea and tick gel on his back. He won’t do anything but just wants to run away. He is very gentle and will let you lay with your face on his face. I never had a dog and he has been testing me. He will absolutely not go to the bathroom in our yard. He has to be walked 3-5 times a day and they are never short. However, he occasionally pees in the house at my parents and in- laws and I don’t know how to get him to stop. By no means will he ever do that in our house but I don’t know what to do. Also, on our walks he only wants to go his way. If you want to go a different direction he stops and doesn’t move. It aggravates me when I have limited time and I don’t know how to get him to just go where I want him to. Any suggestions?? I have to say that I really have no complaints and he is seriously the best dog I could imagine except for not going in the yard to do his business! Haha.
Haha, Sephy is like that as well. He does not like going in the backyard. I think his Shiba fluids are too valuable and he wants to save it for neighborhood or park walks.
During walks, I usually let him pick where he wants to go. When I am on a deadline though, then I just increase my pace or start jogging to get him to move along. He usually gives up the ghost and comes along. I used a harness when Sephy was younger so that he would not choke himself from pulling during walks. After he was leash trained, I switched to a no-slip collar.
In the old days, he would sometimes lie down and do alligator rolls when he does not want to move. When he does this, I just lift his chest area up so that he is on his front legs, then I move on at a fast clip. Sometimes, I scrape my shoe on the concrete. It makes a sound that he does not like, and that causes him to get up.
In terms of potty training, dogs may not generalize potty lessons across locations. Once trained, most dogs understand that they are not supposed to go in their own house, but they may still go in other houses or indoor areas. To stop this, I just repeat potty training exercises in the other location.
Hugs to Dawkins!
I am proudly owne by a shiba Inu..Stevie Ray.
He is the best lil brat in town,Stevie Ray is me 2nd shiba,i had a female with me for 16yrs.I also live with a border collie Hagar and 2 manx cats hendrix and Ozzy.Stevie Ray is 7 months now and lives mostly in harmony with everyone..well as long as he gets his way that is..LOL
i have never locked him up ,i was on lockdown for the first 2 weeks i had him to teach him house rules then started leaving him for short periods slowly making them longer,he will shread paper if its left out but thats about it .When it strikes him he will take one of the throw pillows off the couch simply cus he knows it will get a reaction..he is also an acomplished pickpocket and general thief he will not destroy anything but takes great pride in his loot and will prance it around right in front of its owner..I just adore this little clown who is not so little at 40lbs.
I think he is the only shiba that loves water even if its a bath,The other unusual trait for a shiba is he loves all people..well he picks on my daughter who is not fond of him at all,he just pesters her but she will power struggle with him and as any self respecting shiba hes not having it,she just wont learn.
I love this site …I discribe the shiba as a cross between a cat a human and a dog and will have one by my side till the day i die.
LOL! Thanks for sharing a slice of Stevie Ray’s life with us. He sounds a lot like Sephy except for the loving people part.
Sephy does not usually like water, but if it is a water chasing game, he will get soaked through and be very happy. He is a paradox of personalities.
Does Stevie Ray get on well with Hagar? I always wonder if I can get Sephy interested in playing Fetch if he is competing with another dog. Likely, he will just steal the ball and try to start a chase game! Shibas always think outside the box.
Hugs to Stevie Ray, Hagar, Hendrix and Ozzy.
I want a shiba inu so bad!!
We purchased a shiba Inu back in oct. 2010. I did not read up on this breed but fell in love with him upon sight. Brought my dog home and commenced to educated myself with this breed. I must say after reading alot on the internet (which was mostly negative) I wondered if i brought home a demon. However my Shiba has many of the traits spoken about in this web site but is not agreesive at all. Even my vet was amazed. I love him and for us he is the perfect dog. Yes he is smart, gentle with my grandchildren and my 87 year old mom who loves to walk him. I need some input on a behavior he is doing latley. Him seems to “hack/cough” like he is trying to clear a fur ball fom his throat. Is his normal as he grooms himself constantly like a cat. Thanks for a delightful and accurate web site on the characteristics of Shiba’s. Any input would be helpful.
Hello Susan,
Yeah Shibas do shed a fair amount, especially when they are blowing their coat. During coat blowing season, I brush Shiba Sephy a couple of times a week or more, if needed, to remove all his loose undercoat. I use a Furminator, which is very effective at getting all the hair out. I make sure to pair it with food rewards and make it into a very positive experience so that he enjoys his grooming sessions.
Hope this helps.
Hugs to your Shiba. He sounds like such a wonderful guy.
I absolutely loved this article. My boyfriend and I recently got a shiba inu. Her personality matches exactly with Sephy. My boyfriend once said, “You cannot train a Shiba inu, you can only persuade it.” This is extremely true! Our shiba will listen if we have something in return (a tasty treat, or toy). I have also noticed that Shibas are curious. When I take my shiba for a walk, it is never in a straight line. She bounces back and forth to check everything out. I once took her off leash on a walk (never will i do that again)and a neighbor had her door open, well my shiba decided to stroll right through to check it out! Anyways, your article was funny, creative, and informative. Your site will definitely be a daily reading ^.^
LOL! You may enjoy this – Why Are Shiba Inus One of the Most Difficult Breeds to Train
Sephy used to be a terror when he was young. Now he is much more calm and lazy. When I least expect it though, he will still bust out one of his ninja-moves and remind me that he is Shiba!
They really are very funny and unique. Many of the things that Sephy does, my Sibes would never do.
I have 5 Shiba’s & I love them all, they each have their own unique personality. Most recently though one of my Shiba’s got out, she disappeared a week ago & has recently been spotted in the area this weekend. She WILL NOT come to us, she just runs when we call her. We finally set up a catch & release trap this afternoon & are still waiting for it to work. Does anyone else have any ideas on how to get her?
Hello Nikole,
Some things that motivate my Shiba Sephy to come running over to us-
1. Other dogs. Sephy loves to play with other dogs. When our dog walker took Sephy walking at the park, he wouldn’t come when called but he would follow the other dogs. The walker would just call one of the other dogs and Sephy would follow along.
2. Fun and new things. Sephy will especially come running when I am playing with my other dogs, or when they are getting rewarded with good smelly treats. Playing with a new squeaky toy will also get Sephy very interested.
Hope this helps. Let us know how it goes.
My shiba oliver is almost 9 months now, he really is an endless ball of entertainment! Luckily, he is very well behaved for a puppy with of course a few crazy moments here and there. One of the biggest problems is pulling on the leash, if he sees anything moving, and i mean anything, he tries to get it. If it’s a windy day, you can just forget about having a nice walk as he will go ballistic trying to chase leaves. He’s the same way with birds, he even watches airplanes!!! If you have any good tips please let me know, he does not listen to commands outside and does not particularly care about treats, even hotdogs he is so focused on the leaves or birds.
In the meantime, here’s oliver in action!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riwbJSvsSNY
LOL! Funny video. Gotta love Shibas.
Yeah, Sephy also loved to chase leaves when he was a puppy. He also loved to jump into piles of leaves. Now that he is older, he is more blase of about leaves. Wish we had a big backyard when Sephy was young, it would have been fun to watch him run around chasing leaves in the yard.
Hope to see Oliver’s video on “chasing leaves” – that would be really fun to watch!
As for pulling, the 180 turn around technique works well with Shiba Sephy. Every time he pulls, I would verbally warn him. If he keeps going I would just turn around and move him away from whatever he is pulling toward. After a distance, we would stop and he can watch if he stays calm. Here is more on our leash training experiences.
Big hugs to Oliver!
oh…. my ….. gosh. I recently got a dog from the shelter that was part German Shepherd according to them. It was clear that he didn’t look like one. He was so much fun when we met him and bonded with us super quickly. So we took him home. I then began researching what kind of dog he must be on the other side. It was clear that it was something unusual, because he looked a bit like a fox, with a powerful build, but smaller stature. Oh…. and a SUPER curly tail. Many people thought he might be an Akita, in fact.
So I googled “Curly tailed dogs” and went through the images. The moment I saw a picture of a Shiba Inu, I screamed “THAT’s IT! I think … no, I’m pretty sure that’s what Jacob is, because he looks almost EXACTLY like a Shiba Inu. (except a couple of black markings on his back, but that’s about it!). Little did we know what a character we adopted.
He hugs by putting his paws around our waist and leaning into us. He jumps about a mile high. He’s infectiously funny, and we wondered if a comedian dropped down and decided to inhabit the body of a dog. He’s AMAZINGLY smart and trainable. He’s an adept escape artist. He can entertain himself for hours without us having to do anything, except sit there laughing. I can be playing with him and a fly will buzz by… and he’ll be off to the races. He’ll hear a squirrel and charge at top speed through the air. (He can catch some serious air!) It’s impossible to take him off leash, unless he’s completely squared off in a large enough space and CAN NOT get out. I can’t use aversive training very well with him. He responds better to positive training. He LOVES to mouth us… he doesn’t bite, but I’ve never seen a dog who gets serious pleasure out of mouthing anything. It’s like a baby with a pacifier. I’ll say “No biting”, but really lovingly and he’ll just close his eyes and mouth my arm while thumping his tail and curling into me. The list goes on… and on… and on. I’m reading this blog and laughing hysterically. It’s soooo JAKE. …. except he is extraordinarily affectionate. I’d say that’s the only difference. He’s not aloof by a long shot. But everything else is a button on the nose. Looooovee this doggg!!
In fact, he looks almost EXACTLY like a Shiba Inu. (except a couple of black markings on his back, but that’s about it!)
LOL! Jake looks absolutely adorable. Love those big ears! How old is he?
That is so awesome. Wonder what other breed Jake is mixed with that gives him the more affectionate nature. Perhaps it is the German Shepherd side.
Would be really nice to get a more affectionate Shiba!
Thanks for sharing Jake’s story, photos, and wonderful nature with us. Love the pictures. Also big hugs for helping out a dog in need!
I have a 13 year old Shiba. I rescued him at 2. He is the light of my life. Bruno is very stubborn but loves other dogs. We adopted a lab/hound mix 2 years ago and they are best friends. I had a baby 11 months ago and I have to keep them separate. He wont go after her, but will bite her if she tries to crawl on him.
My question is, we just adopted a 5 month old kitten. I have introduced her to the Lab mix and they are fine. I tried to introduce my Shiba and he tried to bite her!
Any suggestions?
Hello Bruno’s Mom,
I do not have a cat, so unfortunately I don’t have any first hand experience with this.
Here is a good discussion on training cats with Shibas on the Shiba Inu Forum-
http://www.shibainuforum.org/forum/discussion/7120/problem-with-cats/p1#Comment_125511
There are many veteran Shiba owners there with a lot of useful information.
hey, i was reading your page, and it ‘s scary to see the things my shiba does on here! But, my real question was if you had any advice on shiba agility because im trying to train my shiba Cody, and some days he will work with me and some days he wont try anything because he doesnt feel like it. I would love to enter him into competitions but i need him to work with me more. Do you have any advice?
LOL! That is exactly like Sephy!
When I have something that Sephy really wants, he is willing to do whatever it takes to get it. The difficult part is finding something that he consistently wants.
Have you tried rewarding Cody with a favorite game? Sephy likes doing tug and chase games so he is usually willing to work for those. I am not sure how that will work in an agility competition though.
When Sephy is hungry, high priority food rewards can also be a strong motivator. I recently put him on a mini diet, and he has been a lot better about doing commands and being attentive. He is even willing to work for kibble, which is pretty amazing.
Yeah, Shibas are definitely not a common breed in dog agility. But it would be awesome to see one beat out all the Border Collies!
Haha yes! I have be rewarding him almost after every jump so he knows that he did something right. He has improved so much though. He used to never even get near a stick or pole or something! He’s such a girl sometimes. LOL. Also, i have recently changed his food, im not sure if you have heard of it but its called Taste Of The Wild? He seems to love it. The last thing i am having troubles with is concentration. He doesnt always want to listen like you said reward him. I have been doing so, but then he runs away and thinks we are playing a chase game and wont come back! Lol:) I would love to see him kick butt in agility.
LOL! Sephy doesn’t like stepping in puddles, and will not touch lizards, mice, or earth critters.
Funny, I just saw this kibble mentioned recently in another comment. The ingredient list looks good. I currently have all my dogs on Innova EVO.
Hahaha, yeah that definitely sounds like a Shiba. There is the Shiba-way or the highway.
Would love to hear more about how you trained Cody on agility. You should write an article about your experiences.
Haha yes.. he’s crazy. And that is a good idea, i might write some things down and make an article later! He just gets nervous too when it comes to things that he has never seen before, If you want to see some pictures? I could email them or something. but thank you! you’ve been a big help!
Yeah, would love to see pictures. I will send you an email.
While reading this article, I recognized a lot of the things you talk about with Shiba’s. He does get very aggresive towards the other dogs, especially when it comes to food or getting attention. Sometimes he will even attack me for no reason. He will come up to me when he does want the attention and then start snapping at me a minute later, which I will never understand. Another thing I will never understand is why he eats dog poop. He even brought it in the house the other day. Any idea’s?
Hello Sarah,
In terms of food aggression, here are some things that helped me with my Shiba Sephy-
http://shibashake.com/dog/stop-food-aggression-stop-resource-guarding
With poop eating, both my Sibes like eating outside poop, especially cat poop. Here is why and some methods of prevention-
http://thedoginc.com/dog-eating-poop
Here are some things that helped me while training Shiba Sephy-
http://shibashake.com/dog/shiba-inu-training-secrets
Hi im laura and i have a few questions i would like to ask you about the breed
1st does this breed have any serious medical problems?
2.is this breed a good apartment pet?
3.in the first week you have the dog what do you have to do to train it and stuff
any suggestions on how to take care ofShiba Inu of there first week living with you let me know
1. Hip dysplasia is probably the most common hereditary condition. I also got a comment about glaucoma.
http://shibashake.com/dog/dogs-and-glaucoma
An accredited club breeder will usually have relevant health certifications.
http://www.shibas.org/breeders.html
2. If properly trained and well exercised, Shibas can be ok in an apartment. When I first got my Shiba I did not have a backyard, but I did take him on a lot of walks, and I also took him to our ASPCA for off-lead time in an enclosed play space. When Shiba Sephy was young, he had a lot of energy, and needed regular off-lead time, in an enclosed space, to play and run around.
3. In terms of training, it took me a lot of time, and a lot of patience to train Sephy. It was many months before I got most of his crazy behavior under control. Shiba Inus are very stubborn and generally more difficult to train than many other breeds.
Here are some of my experiences with Shiba Inu training.
When we were looking into the Shiba Inu breed, we looked at the Shiba Club of America’s website. It looks like patella dysplasia, hip dysplasia, and eye problems are the most common genetic issues. A reliable breeder will have the CERF eye ratings and the OFA hip and patella ratings available for the dam and sire of a litter.
Glaucoma is another problem that can come up occasionally in Shiba Inus but you can’t get it checked in a puppy and it’s not part of the CERF check for the eyes. You have to get your dog checked around 4 yrs. This is important because if they don’t catch it in time, your dog can lose their eyes. Again, this is all info I found on the Shiba Club’s website. Any inaccuracy is my own as I’m remembering what I read a month ago.
I must admit my shiba has a real personality, but you almost make it sound more negative than positive, As long he/she knows who is boss your shiba will be obedient and love you, my shiba hendrix is quiet. Only alerts us when someone is at the door,doesn’t scream, love all and everyone, this is due to at a young age been with all ages and animals, and he even will do tricks without the aid of treats, just be consistent and firm when the time is right and you will have a best friend who will show you total respect, good article though,
This is spot on when I was reading this I was like this is exactly like my shiba inu who is also 5 although a female. I really liked this article
I’m glad I’m not the only one who had a dog with this unique personality haha.
LOL! One of Sephy’s vets described him as “quite a character”. I like that. Shibas really are such “characters”, and should be featured as a USA network character!
Shiba Sephy really taught me how to be a lot more Zen about things.
This was a good article:) I thought that they were lapdogs beforehand haha. Good thing I looked that up before getting too seriously in love with the breed, because though they are cute, this isn’t something I want in the personality:/ How sad, they’re so cute
Hahaha, yeah they are cute and small, but very fierce!
Every bit of this article is spot on!
Hi, I loved your article! I have been wanting a shiba inu for some time now and I am wondering whats a typical week with him. I have never had a dog before but I have a very old cat. Can you help me on finding out a typical week then?:)
Hello Chloe,
That is a great question!
The typical week with Sephy when he was a puppy is very different from a typical week with him now. He was a lot of work during puppy-hood. He would probably wake up and start getting into trouble right away – biting and tearing at books, stealing remote controllers and running around with it, leash biting, humping, and showing me the Shiba butt if I try to give him any affection.
http://shibashake.hubpages.com/_srec/hub/Shiba-Inu-Sephy-and-Me
Sephy is now about 5 years old and he is a lot better.
On a typical day, he would wake up at around 5:30 am. He would have an early play session with the Sibes and then he is happy to just rest and relax. Later in the morning, he would have breakfast and then we would go out for a walk of about 1.5 hours. Once we get back, there would be another play session with the Sibes, after which he is happy to catch some Zzzz’s until evening time. If people come nearby the house though, he would usually wake up and alert me. He stops barking when I go check out the situation and reward him for being such a good guard dog.
When he wakes up in the afternoon we would usually go to the backyard for a play-session, if it is not raining. Sephy is not a fan of rain except during walks. Then in the evening, we do teeth brushing, and dinner. Before sleep there is usually another Sibe play session, then he goes into his crate for the night with his Greenie and a chicken Kong Jack. We also groom his nails on a weekly basis.
Sometimes he would get into a black-mood and not want to do teeth brushing. But that is ok. I usually just ignore him and try at a later time when he is more hungry. He will also dig at the carpets sometimes, which seems to me like a denning instinct. He stops when I tell him to. Sometimes he will still try to steal from the other dogs, so I always keep an eye on him during meal times.
Sephy is not perfect, but he is a lot better than before and actually pretty low maintenance. However, he is still not a very affectionate dog relative to other dogs (breed trait). In addition, vet visits are still pretty awful.
I don’t have a cat though, so I don’t have first-hand experience with that. Shibas are hunting dogs, so they do have pretty high prey drive. They will have to be trained not to bother the cats in the house. Definitely check out the Shiba Inu Forum for more cat experiences.
http://www.shibainuforum.org/forum/discussion/8146/shibas-cats/p1
I disagree with the affectionate part. my sheba Kani LOVES to cuddle. she will sleep touching me and crawls into my lap often to lay on me or just give me kisses (in fact she is a bit of an obsessive kisser at times), every morning as soon as I wake up she come up close against me and rolls on her back for a cuddle and a belly rub and if i decide to go back to sleep instead of getting up she curls up against me to sleep too. I will say that while she has always been like this, she is even more so since she was hurt (i think her being in so much pain and needing me to help her do everything bonded us even more than before), one of her favorite (and cutest) things she has always done is she will come up and butt her head against me and leave it there, just her forehead laid against my chest. I adore my pretty little “fox”!!
Yay! It is awesome to have a cuddly Shiba. Here is an interesting discussion on the Shiba Inu Forum on the aloofness of Shibas -
http://www.shibainuforum.org/forum/discussion/7173/how-to-prevent-a-shiba-from-becoming-aloof-or-too-arrogant/p1
Hello
I absolutely loved your article, it was very informing!
Now, i have some questions if you don’t mind answering
The first is that my mother had a allergy for our old Chihuini (Dachshund-Chihuahua mix, acted like a bitchy mini-Sheba) so i was wondering if a Shiba might make her allergy return considering the fact that they do shed a lot at certain times? We have a dog now who she isn’t allergic to, and have had several others before the Chihuini were there has been nothing.
Also, right now my family has a 6 year old Yorkshire Terrier but I’ve been wanting a Shiba Inu for quite a while but was wondering if a Shiba would be able to ”share” his/hers new castle with my other dog without there being fights involved – especially at feeding times! Although my other dog is not aggressive or really that active he gets VERY hyper and territorial when we meet dogs on our walks, although i have started working on that.
Hello Stephanie,
Glad you enjoyed the article.
1. Shedding – Yeah Shibas have a thick undercoat and they will shed a lot during coat blowing season. Their coat only blows about twice a year, but with my Shiba, I find that there is some hair around all of the time. Probably not a good idea for someone who is allergic to dog dander.
2. Sharing castle – Shibas can be taught to share, but training and supervision are key. Shiba Sephy tends to be aloof with new dogs. He did not want to have anything to do with my new Sibe puppy at first. We supervised them very closely, did a lot of group training exercises, and rewarded them well for being calm around each other. After about 10 days, Sephy warmed up to puppy.
The key, I found, is to make sure that they have many positive experiences and little or no negative ones. A lot of supervision is needed, especially in the beginning. Here are some of the things I did while introducing my Sibe puppy -
http://shibashake.com/dog/second-dog-introducing-a-second-dog
Most Shibas tend to be more dominant by nature, and do not generally get along well with other dominant or territorial dogs. Both my Sibes are more submissive by nature.
From observing Sephy, he is not the type to start a fight, but if another dog starts one, he will not give up and will not surrender no matter how big or how fierce the other dog is. I make sure to carefully screen all of the dogs that he meets and plays with.
I have a 1 year old shiba and he eats all my socks and underwear, no matter if they are dirty or not. I learned to keep them out of his reach but he learned to open my drawers while I am sleeping! He chews on all the baseboards and stair railings; I buy him bones and toys and take him for 45 minute walk/runs daily. I don’t know what to do to keep him from eating and chewing. Another big problem I have is that shiba scream, I know I just need to ignore it so I do but then he paws at me with his sharp nails and bites my arms and legs. I am at a loss on how to control him. PLEASE HELP!
Hello Brittany,
Yeah I know what you mean. When Sephy was younger he wanted to eat everything, and given his stubbornness, he would be really resistant about dropping things once they went in his mouth. What has helped most with Sephy is a lot of management and to stop him before he actually steals/eats something that he should not.
When Sephy was young, he had a lot of house rules and a very fixed routine. I also put him on a long drag lead (only with a thick flat collar and *not* a training collar). When he steals something and runs away, I can easily step on the drag lead and catch him.
When I was too busy to supervise Sephy, I would either put him in a fenced in area in the kitchen or he would go into his crate to sleep.
At that time, I was walking him about 4-5 times a day because he had so much energy. Later on, I found that off-leash play with other dogs are really great at helping Sephy drain energy. With Sephy, enclosed dog parks were not a good option, but small and very well supervised pllay-groups worked out very well. Here are some other activity ideas -
http://shibashake.com/dog/hyperactive-dogs-how-to-calm-a-hyper-dog-or-hyper-puppy
Finally, if Sephy paws at me, humps me, or bites at me, then that is a timeout offense. When he does this, I calmly non-mark him (No or Ack-ack) and I give him an alternate command (e.g. Sit). If he ignores me and continues with his bad behavior then I say “Timeout” and take him to a timeout area using his drag lead. Sephy really likes his freedom so timeouts are very effective for stopping bad behaviors. However, I only use it for serious offenses.
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-biting-how-to-stop-puppy-biting#timeout
I love this website! We are fostering our son’s 20 month old Shiba, Bo. He is super sweet, super smart, and leaves a toy outside our bedroom door for us to find in the morning. Our only issue with him is in regard to potty time (he has been neutered for a whopping 3 weeks now). We cannot just let him outside for him to do his business. He has to be walked, and he will simply ignore anything he has already marked. He refuses to go in our yard, which some may say is great, however winter is coming soon and it will not be great then. It’s sort of a pain in the tuckus actually. We purchased a pee-post, but it didn’t appear to be to his liking. Any ideas on how we can get this little foxy boy to just go out into the yard and go potty? Thanks much!
Hello Debbie,
Shiba Sephy is exactly the same way!
I haven’t found anything that really worked. He will just hold his load until we go outside. Usually he is willing to go in the front-yard or across the street.
I think he feels that he is wasting his precious liquids by going in the backyard because there aren’t any external scents that he has to cover. I know there are potty training aid sprays and I have wondered if they would work if I spray it on the grass or pee stick, but I haven’t seen any that get good reviews.
Definitely let me know if you find something that works for Bo.
Please if any one has any information. My dog Sammy I knows has allergies but this I have no idea. He bit off all his stomach hair and contact scratching at his ear. (We gave him drops). His mouth is dry and chap and his eyes too. Does any one have ideas what this can be and what I can possible put on his stomach and mouth area?
Hello Jan,
It is best to go to the vet. My Sibe had an issue with hair-loss and scratching a couple of years ago and it turned out to be mites. The vet took a skin scraping and was able to identify the exact type of mite and give us topical medicine to treat it.
http://shibashake.com/dog/itchy-dog
Hi Jan,
Our Shiba inu had allergies and at first we didn’t know what was wrong. She was licking her paws and they became red and irritated. She developed irritated areas on her stomach as well. We took her to the vet who said she may have an infection but most likely allergies. She ordered her some antibiotics and suggested we change her food. We changed her food to California Natural Herring and Sweet Potato Formula food and she has been fine ever since. Unfortunately she can not have treats or different food but she seems to be doing fine. We also have 3 cats, we keep their food away from her also. This was a couple of years ago now and “Shiba” is healthy and happy. Good Luck!
My husband and I recently rescued a 1 year old Shib/Canaan mix (but is totally a Shiba). I was recently laid off, so I have the time at home to walk him 3-4 times a day, especially as he’s on meds and getting used to his new home. However, when I go back to work, we both work 10-12 hour days. I don’t know if a walker is okay (since it’s once a day only) or if he needs a daycare. Any advice?
Also, I am sentimental and emotional and I’m having a difficult time when Pluto has to be in his cage while I’m home. I know he needs to be there b/c he cannot be trusted (hehehe), but it tugs at my heartstrings and I’m worried about doggie depression and or resentment. What are some of ypour thoughts and suggestions?
Pluto is amazing and came to us knowing to potty outside during walks, to play fetch, and tp ignore us when we call him – so common with Shibas. We’re working on the “who’s in charge” bit and my amount of wanting to cuddle and pet him, as he adores it but I’ve read that it makes me the follower of the pack, rather than the leader. He generally ignores orders after cuddle time. We’ll get there. Pluto was worth the wait (we waited for nine years / four and a half being married before taking the jump into Netherland).
Hello Shannon,
I think that would depend on Pluto’s temperament. My Shiba, Sephy, did not really enjoy daycare because he did not get to play in his usual rough and tumble play style. He also could not settle down when there were so many other dogs around – so there was a lot of Shiba screaming. How does Pluto do with other dogs? What kind of play style does he have?
A walker suited Sephy’s temperament more because then he got to explore new areas for a fixed amount of time and then he got to come home to his castle. Still, it can be difficult to find a walker that knows how to handle Shiba stubbornness without resorting to aversive techniques.
Yeah, I know what you mean. When Sephy was young I put a baby gate up in our kitchen entrance and kept him in there with me while I was busy with kitchen chores. Since there is nothing he can really destroy, he had some amount of freedom but could not get into any trouble.
I also put Sephy’s crate in the area where I spend most of my time.
Another thing that helps is to make my dogs work for all of their food. Some of the food goes into training, some into grooming, and whatever is left over goes into a variety of interactive food toys. This helps to keep them occupied while in the house and mostly out of trouble.
LOL! Yeah, Sephy is also very good at selective hearing.
One thing that really helped with Sephy is following the NILIF (Nothing in Life is Free) program. This just means that Sephy has to do something for me first before I give him anything in return, even affection. For example, when he wants to go into the backyard, I ask him for a Sit. Once he sits, I give him a bit of affection (which is mostly for me) and then open the door for him.
In this way, Sephy learns that the best way to get what he wants is to do what I want first.
Big hugs to Pluto. The Canaan breed also looks very interesting. Would love to see some pictures of Pluto – he must be a looker!
Hi
I have a year old female shiba. She is a beautiful cream color. Her name is Isabella, AKA Izzy. She has lots of the traits you have described, and thank you for your very informational info. She is so sweet yet naughty too. I can’t stay mad at her, but my goal since she was a pup was to let roam free in our home, but she gets into everything and rips everything to shreds, including my husbands bottom dentures! So we have gated her off in the kitchen, which she hates, because she wants to be with us. I give her plenty of chew items, but it doesnt matter. I also have a 10year old chihauwa, that Isabelle absolutely loves, but unfortunatley doesnt love her. I have a 12yr old cat, that she loves too, but the cat contiunally tries to scratch her eyes out, but Isabelle is relentless, and never gives up trying to play. To say the least its like a zoo at my house. My husband is disabled and is very slow moving, so when she is outside with him, which she usually is, the minute he heads for the gate, she is right behind him, and escapes almost everytime. I bought a tie out so he can connect her to, while I’m at work, in our fenced yard. We live on a very busy street, so it scares me to think she might be injured or hit by a car. She usually heads around the block to visit other animals and people, which is her favorite thing to do. You can usually hear the high pitched squeal of delight if you listen close. She nips, bites,humps, chews on things she shouldnt, and squeals at such a high pitch, you can’t hear. So do you have any advice to curb some of these behaviors?? Thanks
Pam
Hello Pam,
Heh yeah Shibas are crazy stubborn and very mouthy. I had a lot of problems with my Shiba when he was young. He is such a rebel and such a rogue.
In terms of humping and biting two things really helped with my Shiba -
1. Putting him on a drag lead (only on a regular flat collar and not a training collar).
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-obedience-training#draglead
With a drag lead I can more easily control my Shiba and get him to stop bad behaviors . Otherwise, Shiba Sephy will run away and try to start a game of chase.
2. Timeouts.
When he starts humping, I non-mark him (Ack-Ack) and if he continues, I say timeout and calmly remove him to timeout using his drag lead.
I use the laundry room for timeouts. The laundry room is dark, boring, and there is nothing in there that he can chew or destroy. Shiba Sephy really likes his freedom so he really hates going to timeout.
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-biting-how-to-stop-puppy-biting#timeout
With biting, I usually try to get him to redirect onto something else. Sometimes I will give him an alternate command (e.g. Sit) which I can then reward him for. If he ignores me, and continues with biting, then he goes to timeout.
Some other things that helped with my Shiba -
1. Following the NILIF (Nothing in Life is Free) program. This means that Shiba *always* has to do something for me first before he gets anything in return – including food, toys, going into the backyard, and my affection.
2. Having a very fixed routine and giving him a lot of structure and rules inside and outside the house.
3. Bite inhibition training.
Here is another article I wrote on my experiences with biting -
http://shibashake.hubpages.com/_srec/hub/How-to-stop-your-dog-from-biting-you-and-biting-others-dog-aggression-aggressive-dog
Thanks for a great and informative article.
I’m amazed at how precise your description of shibas are. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought you were describing my shiba.
Feeding question.
I noticed on several occasions, my shiba bringing her empty bowl to me after she’s done eating.
We are on a pretty consistent schedule when we feed her, and we are not exactly the stingy type when it comes to feeding her. Is this a sign I should be giving her more food?
Thanks!
LOL! That is simply adorable! Definitely take some pictures!
My dogs are also big time food lovers, especially my Sibes. They will eat and eat and eat if they can.
In general I feed them their allotted amount of food and don’t give them more than that. I also give them some treats, so I reduce their kibble intake according to their treat intake.
With Shania especially I have to keep her slim so that she doesn’t have to support any extra weight (she is a 3 legged dog). I think it is generally good practice and healthy to keep dogs slim and well exercised.
Remember to share those bowl pictures with us. I can’t wait to see it!
Omg this website makes me want a shiba inu even though there kind of a tough dog to take care cause you need to know so much about it and know how to take fully good care of it.
Hahaha, yeah Shibas are a big pain in the ass! The get better when they grow older but they are always rebels at heart.
I have a 10 month old Shiba female named Collie. We had her since she was 10 weeks old. She is a total momma’s girl.
Her favorite place to go (daily) is the dog park. When we go there are usually 3-4 other Shiba’s (3-12 years old) and I’ve noticed that Collie doesn’t not want to play play with them vs gathering them up and ganging on the small dogs.
Is there a reason why (certain) Shiba’s don’t like interacting?
Heh, Shibas generally think that they are King and all other dogs should behave according to what King Shiba wants.
Sephy likes playing chasing games so he will usually steal balls and try and get other dogs to chase him. I think he is truly puzzled when other dogs don’t want to play chase with him because why wouldn’t anyone not want to play with a Shiba?!
Sounds like Collie likes herding other dogs, which is also a type of interaction.
Also, I have noticed that small dogs don’t generally like playing with Sephy because he has a rougher play style that can easily overwhelm them. I usually only let Sephy play with larger dogs.
my shiba will not stop biting people! he often humps my leg and paws me and bites my hands and clothes and when I back up he follows and continues to bite. when we go on walks he won’t let me put on his harness and does this ‘scream’ thing. also he will not listen to orders unless he can smell food. is there anything you know that can help? mainly just no jumping up and biting ppl.
thx!
Hello Clare,
In terms of biting, here are some things that helped with Sephy -
http://shibashake.hubpages.com/_srec/hub/How-to-stop-your-dog-from-biting-you-and-biting-others-dog-aggression-aggressive-dog
1. Bite inhibition training.
http://shibashake.com/dog/bite-inhibition
2. If Sephy does not stop biting after I non-mark him and give him an alternate command, then I withdraw my attention (stand up and turn away from him).
3. If Sephy continues with his crazy biting then he goes to time-out.
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-biting-how-to-stop-puppy-biting#timeout
Here are some of the things that helped with jumping -
http://thedoginc.com/stop-your-dog-from-jumping-on-people
Getting help from a professional trainer also helped a lot with Shiba Sephy. The professional trainer was able to observe Sephy and identify the root of many of his behavioral issues. He also gave us many useful tips for every day management.
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-obedience-training
Congratulations on your new Shiba Inu. Let us know how it goes!
I loved your article. It was very fun to read. Some of the parts were very humorous to me. I was thinking about getting a shiba inu puppy(8 weeks old approx.) when i move. The thing is i work anywhere between 8-10 hrs usually. Would a shiba inu puppy be okay for that long by themselves? Thank you.
Hello Tyler,
With Shiba Sephy, he really needed a lot of attention especially when he was a puppy. Not the cuddling type attention, but the “what kind of trouble I can get into now” type of attention. When left on his own, he would be biting at curtains, biting at books, and biting at everything in sight except his toys.
He is 4.5 years old now, so he is often happy to relax and sleep after his > 1 hour daily walk, but he still really likes having his pack close-by.
In terms of how to keep a Shiba puppy entertained and somewhat contained while you are away, here are some possibilities -
1. Dog daycare.
This allows Shiba to be with people and socialize with other dogs. A good daycare will have small very well supervised playgroups. They will also group together dogs based on size and energy.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Dog-Daycare—Good-Or-Bad?&id=1494435
2. Group dog walks.
Many dog walkers now offer group dog walks where they bring a group of dogs to a hiking park. This is usually a much smaller group of dogs, probably around 6 at most. It is also more structured than a daycare. However, a really good dog walker is probably required to be able to do this with a Shiba.
This article on whether Shiba Inus are truly independent may also be of interest -
http://shibashake.com/dog/are-shiba-inus-truly-independent
omigod u want a shiba?! i hav one and if this is ur first time it will be a HEADACHE! will u b able to STAND the biting? they often jump on u 2 greet u, scratching u in the process and leaving paw prints on ur clothes. r u ready for a shiba? also shibas tend to be the leader instead of u. my shiba is almost 1 yrs old and still isn’t well trained!
but there is a good side!
they r sooooo CUTE! especially when they roll over and let u scratch their belly or when they cock their heads to one side at weird noises. don’t fall for their ‘cute look’ when it’s meal time!
good luck!
WOW!! What a great article you wrote!!! Very informative
Ok, so it’s been a while since I’ve posted. My moksha has been a model shiba well that is until now. Just recently he has decided that he is going to test me on every bit of the training that I’ve done so far. He will not do anything that I ask him too. He is doing things that he used to do when he was just a little puppy ie, biting furniture, stealing things, whining all the time and my least favorite being a little aggressive with other dogs. So lately I have been feeling like he is very much testing my patience…I swear it’s a good thing he’s so adorable. So anyway I think that all the other things will come around, but I am a little worried about the dog aggression. I would appreciate some suggestions about how I can get him to stop with the dog aggression safely. I mean so that he doesn’t tick the wrong dog off and get hurt. I have been using the NILF technique for all of his other behaviors and that has worked in the past, but the dog aggression I am pretty stumped on. I don’t feel like the dog park is the right place to work on this problem, but because I don’t have many friends with dogs it’s kind of hard to work on it at home. The other problem is that I could take him to the local dog trainer, but as every shiba owner knows it’s either hit or miss with dog trainers and I really don’t want to put a tremendous amount of money to spend time with a trainer for a half hour. All that to say if you have any ideas HELP!!!!!!!!! I love my prince moksha, but it seems as though the terrible twos is a cliche not only for humans but for dogs too.
thanks,
meg
Hello Meg,
Always good to hear from you and Moksha.
I would agree. Going to the dog park actually made Sephy’s behavior worse. There is very little structure in dog parks, and often, there are dogs there that do not want to interact with other dogs, are dominant, aggressive or untrained.
Based on my experiences with Sephy, I have observed that different dogs have different tolerances when it comes to meeting other dogs. Dogs bred for protection are slower to trust and will be more particular when it comes to dog greetings.
Sephy is pretty picky about his dog friends. He does not like dominant dogs and he does not like new dogs coming up to him and sniffing his butt. In general, we don’t stop and meet neighborhood dogs because most of them are over-excited and not under good owner control.
In Sephy’s case I have found that it is best to create neutral experiences. We simply ignore other dogs, stay calm, and go on our way. For playing, I carefully choose his friends so that he only plays with more easy-going dogs that are totally not dominant.
When Sephy was young I did a fair amount of dog-to-dog training with him at our SPCA. We would go over and have short sessions with a variety of dogs. Most of the time we would pick easy going dogs that Sephy can have fun play-sessions with. Sometimes, we would pick dominant dogs or intolerant dogs, and in those cases we practice focus exercises so that Sephy stays calm and ignores the other dogs.
Sephy does not trust easily and he has very clear social boundaries, so I make sure that when he does meet new dogs, it is a successful meeting. For example, with the new puppy, Shania took to her right away. It took Sephy a few days before even starting to accept her into his circle of trust. However, once he has accepted her, he is very tolerant of her crazy puppy behaviors – it just takes him more time.
How to train a particular dog will depend on what sorts of situations we want to prepare him for, what his temperament is, frequency of dog-to-dog encounters, context of dog-to-dog encounters, etc.
Here is an article I wrote on my experiences with Sephy and dog-to-dog aggression -
http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-to-dog-aggression
Hugs to Moksha. Let us know how it goes.
I have raised and breed many German Sheperd dogs in the ’70s …then after my last one was old i decided to get shiba’s..my first instinct after getting him was well i’m the boss…and you have to very well enforce this from day one.. my shake can was always available and every nite after he was 12 weeks old i held him with back down and made him listen to a story. then with treats taught him to sit and lay down. and every day i took him to my hobby store to meet people and i think that daily socialazation is why he is so good today . he is absolutly great with any kid and if the kid is a testy on he knows it from the get go and just avoids them…but the nice ones he is always very good and gets his ball and plays…now adults he mostly says hi and goes to his spot on the window ledge..unless its a person who comes in every week…he never barks but is very vocal when he wants something….i suggest finding a calm dog and meeting him but only on a leash.,not to play but to socialize..and always get him to meet people every day..and even if he is old go to a class like petsmart or others…it may take several times but you have to be patient..playing fetch is always a fun way to get him to listen and sit and throw ball but have his leash on so you can keep him sitting then go longer for staying and laying..and catching the ball…if he gets bored after 2 minutes then wait and hour and repeat..i have found the fetching with shibas is easiest way to get attention..my male is nuetred as he has an underbite but perfect in every other sense.i now just got another female and she is show quality…Marion from classy kennels in michigan raises more champion shibas than anybody in the states…good luck..jeff
Haha, I can just see Lara giving the puppy battle cry and Sephy pretending to be above it all (while secretly enjoying all of the attention and shenanigans).
If Kiba keeps doing well, we’re planning to get a little girl Shiba puppy next year. I love Sibes too, but I think they are just a little to big for our family.
We start puppy class next Monday!
Oh, I don’t think I mentioned it, Kiba’s a Christmas puppy, born on Christmas day. How’s that for an easy to remember birthday?
Looking forward to pictures of Lara and Sephy playing!
That is awesome! My Birthday is actually quite close to Christmas but I didn’t manage to make it. The big upside to having a near Christmas birthday is that it is always holiday time and everyone is in a good and festive mood. The big downside is that people usually lump birthday and Christmas presents as a combo thing.
Should be a whole lot of fun! Definitely tell me how it goes. Would love to hear about Kiba’s classroom experiences.
I just posted some Lara and Sephy pictures. Those are difficult to get because most of the time Sephy is too cool to play with puppy!
I love this – If a Shiba were a person, he would either be an extremely successful egomaniac or in prison!
I always tell people Kiba is very well aware of his own worth. In his opinion, nothing in the house is nearly as impressive as he is.
LOL!
How is Kiba?
I have been really proud of Sephy. It took him a bit longer than Shania but he has now fully accepted puppy into his circle of trust. He tolerates her using all of the toys and sleeping on his bed. He is also really good about trying to ignore her when she pesters him to play with her.
Last weekend puppy let off one of her super war-cries and launched herself into a sitting Sephy. Sephy just sat there and pretended to ignore her. Meanwhile puppy bounced off the Shiba wall, and fell onto her back. Then she let off another war-cry and went back to pestering Sephy. It was too funny!
Hello Shiba Shake,
I have a Shiba puppy I got from my sister and he is very aggressive when he is playing and bite me. I was on my computer doing something and he bit my arm! Any suggestions on how to nip this in the bus, he isn’t always bad, he is sweet at times, but i find he is starting to become aggressive.
Kate
Hello Kate,
Shiba Sephy was very mouthy as well when I got him as a puppy. Some things that really helped with Sephy -
1. Using a drag-lead so I have better control.
2. Following the NILIF (Nothing in Life is Free) program. This means puppy must do something for you first before he gets anything in return.
3. Bite inhibition training.
4. Timeouts.
Here are a couple of articles I wrote on puppy biting -
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-biting-how-to-stop-puppy-biting
http://shibashake.hubpages.com/_srec/hub/How-to-stop-your-dog-from-biting-you-and-biting-others-dog-aggression-aggressive-dog
“Sephy will whine, mope and act like it is the end of the world when he is unhappy about something (e.g. wearing a harness).
Woe be to you if your Shiba gets hurt or even just thinks that he is hurt.”
Ha ha ha! It’s like you know my dog, Kramer.
I think anyone that is willing to make the effort with a shiba will be very grateful. My shiba is truly my best friend! He is always making me laugh and is such a great snuggler!
Yeah, they really are awesome and unique dogs. So much personality in a small body.
Hi i think i figured on part of my investigation out. About 15yrs ago we got a puppy from the local pound they told us it was a akita mutt. It looked like an akita but it never got over 25 lbs. We named him cubby because he looked like a blond bear when he was a pup. And i have to say he was the best dog we ever had. First thing was the potty training. One accident then we never even saw where he would go to the bathroom after that. He was so private about it.
He loved going for rides, he would ride in the trucks, tractors, combines, but my favorite was the atv he would jump up behind you and stand on the back fender, He had the best balance i have ever seen, The only time he would get off is when the atv was stopped or he saw something to chase. He would always go with us to check errigation and if you took off with out him he would pout the rest off the day. He was fearless to, when he was 5 months old he jumped in a creek after a big coon, the coon did everything he could to drowned him and i did everything i could to call him off but he wouldnt give up. After he pulled that coon out of the creek i realized i better never let him see a mirror and see how big he really was, because a far as cubby was concerned he was the biggest baddest dog on the planet. I never seen him back down from a fight.
The most impressive thing was how smart he was. We never had him on a leash, he had free roam of the farm but when he was a pup he got on the road once and i yelled at him, after that i never saw him on the road again. We could be at the other end of the farm and he would find us. But several times i would be driving home and he would be sitting in the ditch next to the road waiting because he wouldnt cross the road to get to us.
He knew so many words i could have a conversation with him, but if you said the word bath, or vet you would spend 20 minutes searching the house because he would hide.
anyway he looked just like a shiba and the way it sounds acted just like one acept he never did the scream and he was never on a leash, he never would do tricks (he knew how he just choose not to lower his self to a dogs standard) And if he did something wrong and you caught him his ears would lay flat down and he looked like you just beat him with a stick.
Now i just have to figure out what else he was mixed with.
Wow sounds like a super Shiba-mix! Would love to have a Shiba like that – off-leash and listens to commands.
Wonder what other breed he is mixed with.
hello shibashake,
It has been a long time since I have posted. My shiba moksha is now a year and a half and is in every way a shiba. He still has lots of energy and is too smart for his own good. I wanted to share a christmas story about moksha that I think everyone will appreciate. Of course I, along with many shiba owners, delight in spoiling my shiba. This christmas I got him several toys and filled his stocking with them on christmas eve night. When Moksha figured out that all these toys were for him he very quickly tried every thing in his shiba powers to get me to let him have a toy. You all know what I mean by shiba powers. First he tried looking cute, then he whined, then he tried throwing a temper tantrum by biting my shoe while staring right at me. It was very hard not to give into him, so I put his stocking full of toys on my dining room table which is about two and a half feet high and I no sooner than turned my back and my shiba had jumped from the floor onto the top of the dining room table. He immediately grabbed his toys and jumped back down. I was so shock as this is something he’s never done before. He was so proud of himself and honestly I had a hard time taking the toy away from him. I was truly impressed with the effort that this dog made all to get a couple of new toys. So that is my shiba christmas story. I hope you enjoy the story as much as I enjoy telling it. I also have to ask a quick question…I have recently heard both very positive and very negative things about e-collars. Do you have any experience with them? I have been suspicious about trying anything without asking other shiba owners, because as you all know what works on a regular dog is not necessarily going to work on the very highly evolved SHIBA!!! So any info you have on e-collars good or bad would be much appreciated
thank you,
meg
Hey Meg,
Always great to hear from you. I always enjoy a Moksha story!
Do you mean electronic collars? I did look into it at one time, but decided against it. Here is why -
http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-shock-collar-good-bad
My mother recently got a Shiba. Her name is Kitsu short for Kitsuni or Fox, and she is absolutely insane. She goes from being loving and playful to barking at me, and terrorizing other family members. Kitsu is a diva, and she will prance and strut her stuff to the neighbors when she is walked. I love our Shiba, except for when she screams! As soon as I get my head onto my pillow, kitsu is making our house into a horror movie. I often find myself screaming with her at night, except I’m screaming for her to shut up. our shiba hates being alone, and will follow us everywhere, but hates being held! We will hold Kitsu and try to love on her until she starts punching at our face with those strong legs!
love the website…great information and tips. Thanks!
Hello Weston,
Thanks for sharing Kitsu’s story with us. She definitely sounds like a Shiba!
Sephy has many similar traits. He also does not like being alone, does not really like too much affection, and does not want to be carried unless it has some higher goal – like getting into the car to go to the park.
During Christmas, he stole a plastic bag and to him, that was the best present ever. He pranced around carrying it and enjoyed it more than all of his Christmas toys – LOL! Gotta love Shibas!
fabulous website looking to get a shiba in RI and having a lot difficulty
Thanks Dave. Yeah I did not see any listed RI breeders in the National Shiba Club of America breeder list.
Another possibility is to consider breeders in nearby states and have one shipped over. Based on my experience with Sephy, I think it is more important to get a puppy from a good breeder than it is to get one from a local breeder.
Chat with the possible breeders on the phone and make sure to ask them lots of questions about their puppies and breeding program. Here are some things to look out for while considering a breeder -
http://thedoginc.com/siberian-husky-puppies#breeder
Let us know how it goes.
Hi. I’ve had my Shiba Inu for a while and I feel like he’s co-dependent on my other dog. He tends to freak out when I have to take my other dog out [for a one on one walk or to clean him in the front of the house] and leave him behind in the backyard. I was just wondering if this is just a normal Shiba behavior?
Hello Steven,
What I have observed with Sephy is that he really likes his routine, so anything out of the ordinary and he will freak out. Last year we would sometimes take our other dog (Siberian Husky Shania) to daycare and Sephy got really stressed out from that.
However, he is totally fine when I take Shania out for her regular daily walk.
I just slowly got Shiba used to the daily walk routine. First, we would only go out for very short walks. Then we slowly extended the duration of the walks. Then we changed the time of the walks a bit, and so on. By making gradual changes, Shiba Sephy was able to get used to the schedule and nowadays he doesn’t even get up when we leave.
My husband and I will be picking up our very first Shiba in November. He will be 9 weeks old. We decited to name him Clifford, because of his red coat and big personality. My husband has worked at vet clinics and taught dog obedience, and I grew up with alaskan spitz so we thought we could handle this little bundle. Any addvice on the first night and socialization?
Hello Sarah,
Congratulations on your soon to be new family member!
Sounds like both you and your husband are already very experienced with dogs so things should go relatively smoothly. When I first got my Shiba I didn’t know too much about dog training, so it was a big challenge. But then, Shiba made me learn many things very quickly – lol.
Shiba Sephy really likes being in the bedroom with us at night. He is happy to sleep nicely in his crate if he gets to be with us in the bedroom. I like having him in the bedroom as well so it works out for everyone.
For socialization with other dogs I did several puppy classes with Sephy. We specifically went to SIRIUS puppy classes which stresses puppy play training and dog-to-dog socialization. Another possibility, which we did with Shania, is to look for supervised puppy play sessions. Dog daycare centers and SPCAs sometimes organize puppy play sessions that are free and supervised. They also check to make sure that all puppies that attend are properly vaccinated.
Post us some pictures of Clifford when you get him. Would love to see him!
I just love your site so much. I had a Shiba for a very long time – 15 years and he passed away. And wow do we wish we would have known you then. We made mistakes too, but you are so right about the trust issue with Shibas. I don’t think they respond well to aversive training at all. We did decide to get a new puppy, another Shiba, and wow, puppy teething must have been a “repressed memory”, I know we had to have gone through it, but I don’t remember the details with my previous dog. I think alpha rolls are a bad idea, as is a lot of other things. So you have to get creative, the bite inhibition training is crucial. We are trying the time out thing, and “Leave it”. There is a pretty good articles on the internet about bite inhibition. But I would like to pick all of your Shiba Heads out there and give me some reminders please. I thank you so very much:)
Hello Kristina,
Congratulations on you new Shiba puppy!
LOL! Yeah when Sephy was a puppy he was such a Terror. Lucky for him he was a cute Terror.
You are absolutely right, bite inhibition training is one of the best things I do with Sephy. When he got older, he started a bout of leash and jacket biting which could have turned out really badly. However, because he had good bite inhibition training, he never broke skin even when he redirected his bites onto me. This gave me enough time to come up with something effective to stop his leash biting behavior.
Another thing that I was very happy I did with Sephy are resource exercises such as exchanging objects, adding food to his toys, and helping him with his food toys. I think all this made him be very easy going about his toys and his food. Sometimes he will bring his toys over to me to ask for my help.
If you have some time, check out this article I wrote on bite inhibition and let me know what you think.
http://shibashake.com/dog/bite-inhibition
Big HUGS to Shiba puppy!
Just got my Shiba last week she is just about 6 months. I must say after reading about the Shiba’s I was prepared for the worst. But she has been a real sweetheart. She is housebroke, doesn’t chew on things (just her toys and treats). Very condent when left alone. I do need to keep her from jumping up and wanting to chew on me when I come home. Don’t trust her off lead so we do a lot of walks she is quite pickie about going potty in her yard we have 10 acres so she like to go way out back to do her business. I was wondering if you or do you know of any one who has used a radio fence with a Sheba? Just wondering if she would run through the correction. I would appreciate any feed back on method of containment.
Hi Cher,
Congratulations on your new Shiba! She sounds like a total sweetheart which is very rare for a Shiba
I looked into shock collars and electric fences when I first got Sephy but decided against them after reading some of the studies that have been conducted on their use. In particular, Polsky’s study showed that shock containment systems (invisible fence, underground fence) can increase aggression in dogs over and beyond their normal behavior.
This is because such systems are usually tied to a simply trigger, for example the dog getting near the fence, and ends up over-correcting the dog and not using the right timing. For example, if a dog sees a human, another dog, or a cat, she will likely want to go check out the situation. Every time she does this, she gets a shock. This teaches the dog that humans, dogs, and cats cause pain, and the dog will likely start to see these objects are threats. Ultimately, the dog may resort to aggression herself to get these threats to go away.
Also, Sephy got habituated to pain very quickly. His stubbornness was so great that it seemed to always trump even a painful aversive correction. This happened when I was using collar corrections on him. Finally, I just decided to go with reward training which has worked out much much better for the both of us.
This article contains more about shock collars and shock containment systems -
http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-shock-collar-good-bad
Some other possibilities include -
1. Fencing up a smaller area.
2. Training for good recall. However, Shibas tend to be very stubborn and independent so it is difficult to get 100% recall with a Shiba. There is always some risk that Shiba will run off to chase a squirrel and may not return.
While my fencing was being built, I put Sephy on a long lead with a flat collar and let him roam about that way. But I only did this when I was around to supervise because the long lead would sometimes get tangled etc.
Hope this helps. Let us know what works out best for you and your Shiba.
I am so pleased to read all of these comments. We adopted a Shiba named Sheba about two months ago from her foster family. She’s been so sweet and I loved her the minute I saw her. She’s been coming out of her shell and ‘feeling herself’, as we call it it, lately. She never tried to run out of the house when we open the door. We’d been thrilled that she’d actually sit at the door or lay down in the garage and never tried to run out. Now, she’s trying to test her boundaries and of course when called, she ignores us!
Sheba ‘talks’ at the dog park. At first she made me think she was being aggressive, until a play day with a boxer-pit that growled while running, Sheba barked while chasing him. I love it! So now, I have to advise dog owners that she is ‘aggressive’ in play but means no harm. The other owners, so far, have actually laughed about it! She’s been a little nippy with us when playing too.
Overall, she’s affectionate, has great temperament with our kids, doesn’t bark and makes us laugh and shake our heads constantly. My husband joked, before I even read this thread, that if she wasn’t so cute, she’d be gone! LOL He loves her to death too.
Hi Pamela,
Congratulations on your new Shiba! She sounds absolutely awesome – just like how a happy Shiba should be
Sephy is a lot better now, but sometimes, he still gets into one of his Shiba moods and drives us crazy. The Shiba psyche is definitely very complex – which makes them infinitely interesting and mostly a lot of fun. They really are such characters.
Share some Sheba pictures with us when you can. Shiba puppies are too cute.
Does Sephy walk around the house whimpering in a “woe is me” kind of way for no apparent reason at all? Reptar has been exercising his vocal chords more than normal the past few days. It’s comical, but also strange. Just wondering if it’s a common Shiba behavior?
Oh and pictures to come soon!
Funny that you should bring this up. Sephy just acted like that a few days ago. I thought there was something wrong because he was walking around and would not lie down on his bed even for cheese. Finally he deigned to lay down, so I started checking his body and paws. However, he was very jumpy and kept pulling back his paws. I didn’t see anything wrong with him so he got his cheese toy and I just let him be for a while.
He was back to his old Shiba self the next day. Sometimes he gets into these Shiba black moods. It is a bit strange. Maybe he had a bit of a tummy upset or something else disrupted his groove.
So definitely yes – Sephy has those moments as well. It is so tough to be Shiba!
Your Shiba is so adorable! I am seriously considering buying a Shiba, even after learning about their feisty sides! I love cats as much as I love dogs so when I heard Shibas were cats in a dog disguise it really caught my attention.
I have 2 questions though, I’ve been thinking about getting a rescued Shiba that is not a puppy. Do you think this is a good idea since I would’nt mind skipping to an age when the Shiba calms down a little?
Also, how did you get your Shiba? I’m having difficulty sorting out the good and bad breeders, and the good ones seem quite expensive ($2,500).
Thanks for making a great site too!
Feisty is a very nice way to put it!
Hmmm, that would depend. Some rescues are already pretty well-trained, and they were given up because their owners had to move or could no longer keep them financially. Other rescues were given up because their owners were not able to properly train or manage their Shiba. The latter group will be a lot more challenging.
When I got my second dog, I took her on a trial run of 2 weeks to make sure that she would fit in well to our home. Most rescues will not only let you have a trial run but also be willing to accept the dog back if things don’t work out at some later point in time.
The best place to get a Shiba puppy is through an AKC registered breeder.
Here is a list of accredited breeders from the National Shiba Club of America -
http://www.shibas.org/breeders.html
Here is the AKC breeder search page -
http://www.akc.org/classified/search/index.cfm?edu=1
Most registered breeders also show their dogs, so they know more about the breed and are careful to breed for health and temperament.
Still, make sure to interview the breeder and ask him/her lots of questions. If it is a local breeder, ask for a visit so that you can meet the puppy’s parents. Also ask for health certifications for the parents. For Shibas, this is usually a check for hip dysplasia.
Here are a few articles about my puppy buying research and experiences -
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-to-get-a-dog-cheap-dog-cheap-puppy
http://shibashake.com/dog/buying-online-puppies
http://shibashake.com/dog/new-puppy-supplies-what-a-puppy-needs
Just got a 8 week old Shiba female today.. this helped alot..
thanks.. WISH ME LUCK… She is a little doll!!
Awww – she must be too cute for words. Good luck!!
Remember that you are the boss even when she gives you the irresistible Shiba look.
I have totally enjoyed reading this site. I adopted a dog about 3 years ago and they told me she was a corgi mix. When taking her to the vet recently, I was told she looked like a Shiba Inu. After looking up the dog breed, this was for sure my dog. It is so great to read about my dogs personality traits, they are right on.. She was easy to train and does love to chase. She fit right in. Love this breed.
Thank you,
Katrin Wince
LOL – yeah Sephy learned commands easily … but getting him to actually do the commands when you ask it of him is another matter altogether. There were a few times that he did extremely well in puppy class and we won some dog balls, but most of the time we were at the bottom of the class. One time a trainer barricaded us behind a wall of crates!
Ah, I do love Sephy. Life is always interesting with him around.
Hugs to your Shiba. She sounds like she has a good mix of attributes.
my shiba is name is Dakota aka Kodi he’s 7 mos old now and he just started letting me know when he’s ready, I’m trying to change his bathroom time from 3 times a day to two times a day because of the season is about to change from summer to winter and I know three times will be a little must for me so here lately him and I have been working on this, since we are working on this he is starting to wake me up now in the morning to eat and go out side earlier then usual, I don’t know if this is good sometime, but I keep in mind the time is different now, so I go along with it. I love him, and we both have learned each other habits and personality and so far so good, until I let him off the leash. I learned this the hard way, now I keep toys and treats on me and I only keep him off in a closed area and for a little while cause if I don’t I notice he gets this look on his face and it’s trouble after that he won’t come when I call him and he will run circles around me and keep on going. I try to take him once in a while to the doggie park, but some dogs don’t like him and this leave us to go solo. Me and my kodi
LOL – Kodi sounds like a very awesome Shiba.
I used to take Sephy to the dog park as well, and Sephy could not understand why some of the dogs did not want to play with HIM – a Shiba! He also liked stealing balls from the other dogs to start a chase game – which is not the best thing to do. Dog parks are a bit too unstructured for Sephy so nowadays I only do small supervised play sessions with dogs I know.
Seems like you have gotten off to a really good start with Kodi. I think what you say here is key. After I started really listening to Sephy and trying to understand his point of view, things got a whole lot better for the both of us.
Sephy also likes getting up early. But during the weekends, he will let us sleep in.
One thing that helped when he was a puppy was to not give him water or dry food after about 7pm.
LOL – I definitely know that look! It is when Shiba is hatching a plan and he has that glint in his eye. Sometimes Sephy’s little tail will also twitch. I think that is when he feels playful, and is about to do something to engage me in a chase game – which is Sephy’s favorite. He also does this with my other dog. It is fun to watch them.
Many hugs to Kodi. He sounds like a perfect Shiba.
I volunteer at an animal shelter and absolutely fell in love with a Shiba/Finnish Spitz mix puppy, but sadly he got adopted. Now 3 months later he got returned (most likely due to the owners lack of puppy knowledge) He is about 7 months old, weighs about 30 lbs-40 lbs. I’m still a college student, but I live in an apartment with no other pets and lots of walking trails/dog parks nearby. I spent some time with him the other day and he does not seem to be very food aggressive. He didn’t make a sound and he is very smart. I’ve owned several big breed dogs while growing up (Labs, German Shepherds, Dalmatians, Weimaraner) but they seem to be easier to train than Shibas. I think I’m pretty dog savvy after training many at the shelter (I just want to reap the rewards of all my hard work!).
He would be crated while I’m away for at most 6 hours.
Basically my question is. Do you think he would be a good fit?
Hello Kristin,
It is very awesome that you are volunteering your time at the animal shelter.
He must be a really handsome boy! Is there a picture of him on the shelter website? Would love to see him.
Hmmm – I would have a long chat with the people who returned him. You already know a lot about dogs and dog training, so you can filter what they say and get a good understanding of what some of his issues are, and how he would deal with crating, etc.
In my experience with Sephy, he needed a lot of attention in the first six or so months after I got him. He calmed down a bunch after over 1 year, and after 2 years, he got even better. But the first 6months to 1 year was pretty bad for the both of us
The final thing to consider is that a dog may curtail college life activities. One of the things that I truly enjoyed about college was that I was able to set my own schedule and hang out late with my friends if I wanted to. I don’t think I enjoyed more freedom than when I was in college and I had a great time. It was nice to stay up really late drinking coffee, and talking about nothing and everything
I also did a fair amount of traveling. During the summer I did some fun internships, and during Senior year I had to travel for interviews and such. Sephy really likes his routine, so this type of traveling would be hard on him.
Hope this helps. Let us know what you decide to do and share some pictures with us if you can.