Because Sephy was so confident, stubborn, and independent, I started with aversive training techniques. In this article, I talk about three common dog training methods that I used on Sephy, and why I have stopped using them.

• Touching the dog’s flank.
• Leash corrections, collar corrections, or leash jerks.
• Holding a dog to the ground (also known as the alpha roll).

Shiba Inu Sephy – the terror that flaps in the night.

1. Touch the Dog’s Flank

This technique is commonly used to stop a dog from obsessing on an external stimulus (e.g. another dog, a cat, a person). Reactive or aggressive dogs often start by actively searching for something to focus on. Once a target is acquired, the dog gets extremely still, and will stare unblinking at the object.

During this time, the dog will not give attention to anything else, even food.

From here, the dog can explode in a burst of energy and lunge after his target when it gets within range.

Shiba Inu Sephy obsessing on an external stimulus.

I try to stop my dog as early as possible, and redirect him onto something else. If I wait too long, he will lose control and practice reactive/aggressive behavior, that he will then be more prone to repeat.

Initially, I was able to break my Shiba Inu from focusing on objects by touching his flank (startle response). After a few times however, he got habituated to it and would just ignore the touch.

The best technique, I have found, for avoiding reactive/aggressive triggers, is to ignore those objects myself, and just move my dog along. There are a variety of other techniques for dealing with dog-to-dog aggression and other aggression triggers.

The best technique, I have found, for avoiding reactive/aggressive triggers, is to ignore those objects myself, and just move my dog along.

A variation on the touch, is what is known as the finger jab. Instead of a touch or tap, some trainers direct clients to apply a hard jab to the dog. While the two techniques may sound similar, they actually work quite differently.

Unlike a touch, finger jabs are very dependent on the amount of physical force applied. We want to apply the right amount of force, so that our dog has an aversive response. Too weak a jab and our dog will just ignore it, and too strong a jab may cause stress, fear, and more.

Finger jabs are a pain based technique, and as such, all the risks of aversive methods are present as well.

Finger jabs are a pain based aversive technique, and as such all the risks of such techniques apply.

2. Leash Correction, Collar Correction, Leash Jerk

Leash corrections are very difficult to implement with the proper timing, with the proper force, and with the proper technique. I received many private lessons on how to perform leash jerks, and I was still not doing it correctly.

Firstly, and most importantly, the collar correction has to be a quick jerk or snap. There is only tension for an extremely short amount of time (a quarter-second or less), and then the leash should be loose again.

Most people tend to do tugs rather than jerks, which have very little effect on the dog. Instead, it may exacerbate the situation, because there is continuous tension on the leash, causing the dog to get more tense and frustrated.

Secondly, we must be properly positioned for the jerk so that the force is always to the side, rather than directly back. Jerking to the back, may encourage the dog to lunge forward to oppose the force.

Leash corrections are very difficult to implement with the proper timing, with the proper force, and with the proper technique.

It cannot be so soft that our dog does not notice it or gets habituated to it.

My leash jerks were always too soft, and my Shiba Inu quickly got habituated to it. Instead of improving his behavior, my dog just got frustrated and aggressive whenever I did a leash correction. He would jump and bite on the leash. Ultimately, it got so bad that he would jump on me and bite on my jacket sleeve.

Some people use a martingale collar, prong collar, or choke chain to help them perform more accurate leash jerks, with greater force. I used both the martingale and the prong. However, as with the flat collar, results were good at first, but degraded after my dog got accustomed to the increased force from the prong.

The collar correction may be more appropriate for a less strong-willed breed, but it did not work well on my stubborn Shiba Inu. As with other pain based aversive techniques, leash corrections can also cause our dog to lose trust in us, and develop other behavioral problems, including aggression.

The collar correction may be more appropriate for a less strong-willed breed, but it did not work well on my stubborn Shiba Inu.

3. Alpha Roll

The alpha roll involves holding or pinning our dog down until he surrenders, gives up, or shuts down.

It is extremely difficult to implement an alpha roll well and in the proper circumstance. In the hands of most pet owners, alpha rolls frequently gets overused and misused.

My Shiba Inu got really stressed (wild eyes, mouthing, screaming, flailing) whenever I did this on him. Even after he relaxed, he got very detached afterwards, and it did not seem to have any effect on his bad dog behaviors. In fact, alpha rolls made things worse because my dog became extremely sensitive towards human touch.

After a lot of counter-conditioning work, he is a bit better today, but is still skittish of heavy handling and restraint. I am slowly working to gain back the enormous amount of trust I lost by using the alpha roll technique.

This may “look” like an alpha roll, but it was just a fun scratch session. I have not performed alpha rolls since things worked out so badly for Sephy.

Even the Monks of New Skete, who were the first to popularize the alpha roll, have recently said that they regretted putting this technique in their book because it has been misused.

Alpha rolls should only be used by expert trainers, who are really good at reading dogs, and only as a last resort for dealing with dogs that do not respond to anything else.

Unfortunately, this technique has gotten more popular again, because of television training shows.

I see many people using it in dog parks, dog trails, and vet offices for minor offenses, or not even real offenses at all. The most frequent case of alpha rolls occur when a rude dog runs up to invade another dog’s space. The invaded dog naturally starts vocalizing to warn the rude dog off, and tell him that his rude behavior is unacceptable. This is all perfectly natural canine behavior.

Nevertheless, the growling dog gets alpha rolled by his owners, in front of the rude dog. This can erode our dog’s trust in us, because not only did we not protect him from the rude dog, but we are also punishing him for trying to protect himself. It also teaches our dog not to growl in the future, and to go directly into an attack or a bite.

Alpha rolls are dangerous, erodes trust, and may cause additional dog behavioral problems.

I have never seen it make things better, and have seen many instances of it making things worse. Even when expert trainers did this on my Shiba Inu, he did not respond well. It did not stop his bad behaviors, and only encouraged more aggression. Violence begets more violence.

Alpha rolls make for a good television show, but given the extreme risks, both physical and mental, to the dog and the trainer, I would stay away from this technique. I would also stay away from trainers who recommend its use.

My dogs respond best to resource management techniques.

What Worked Best with My Shiba Inu

Resource management techniques combined with a consistent set of rules and a fixed routine has worked well for Sephy. He is not perfect, but his behavior has improved significantly, and he is happy and relaxed.

I no longer use finger jabs, leash corrections, or alpha rolls on any of my dogs.

What Worked Best with My Dogs

Because Cesar Millan says so –

Do not attempt the techniques you are about to see without consulting a professional.

~~[ Quote from The Dog Whisperer Show on The National Geographic Channel ]

Dog training through the control of resources.

Ok, I have consulted a professional – should I follow the techniques now?

Probably not.

Crap! why not now?

Anybody can call themselves a professional trainer. In fact, I can do that right now –

“I am a professional trainer.”

This does not change my dog training skills and is not even true, but I can certainly say it and even create a splashy website that announces this untruth for everyone to see.

Not all professional trainers are equal, and most of them do not have Cesar Millan type skills.

In that case, how should I train my dog?

Doing an alpha roll on Siberian Shania? Nah.

Cesar Millan gives us very good advice which is not to attempt techniques such as leash jerks and alpha rolls just by mimicking what we see him do on The Dog Whisperer program. These techniques are risky, and when not applied properly, with the right timing, technique, and redirection, can actually cause other dog behavioral problems and loss of trust.

The Monks of New Skete who originally popularized the alpha roll technique have since taken the technique out of their book because it was misused and proved to be very risky to both dog and owner.

Cesar Millan has a lot of dog training skills and he projects very good calm energy.

None of us, not even other professional trainers can come close to Millan’s natural ability in interacting with dogs.

Therefore, let us all take Cesar Millan’s very good advice –

Do not attempt the techniques you are about to see without consulting a professional.

~~[ Quote from The Dog Whisperer Show on The National Geographic Channel ]

There are a variety of safe and effective ways to train our dogs.

In fact, in the show DogTown which also airs on the National Geographic Channel, the trainers rehabilitate some difficult dogs, even Michael Vick’s fighting pit bulls, by controlling a dog’s resources, teaching the dog alternate ways to handle stress, and properly rewarding the dog for a job well done.

Alpha rolls, leash jerks, shock collars, and other such techniques can work when applied by someone like Cesar Millan. But since we are not Cesar Millan, we should follow his excellent advice and use less risky techniques to train our dogs.

But alpha rolls worked for me!

Alpha rolls may sometimes work – but why use something risky and high stress, when there are effective alternate methods that are safer?

Let us follow what Cesar Millan says, and leave the alpha rolling to experts like him.

The people at DogTown show us that the less risky, resource control techniques, work very well; even for difficult dogs such as Michael Vick’s pit bulls.

Indeed Shiba Inus are not for the faint-hearted, and they are not recommended for first-time dog owners.

Shiba Inu Training Secrets.

Despite this warning, my heart was already set on a Shiba Inu puppy. I had a lot of free time then, so I thought I would be able to handle one little dog. After all, how difficult can a small puppy be?

Little did I know, a Shiba Inu can be a major pain in the ass!

Even dog veterans have problems with their first Shiba. In fact, many experienced trainers were unable to handle my Shiba Sephy.

Here are the Shiba Inu training secrets that helped me turn my devil dog into a model citizen. Well, maybe not a model citizen, but a fun citizen that I truly enjoy living with.

Do not be fooled - A Shiba Inu can be a major pain in the ass.

1. There are No Miracle Cures

When I first got Shiba Sephy, he was a big challenge.

Some of his favorite daily activities include biting my hands, running crazily around the house, biting on curtains, vicious leash biting, jumping on me and others, humping my leg, and much more.

I was desperate to get him under control, and did a lot of research online and off-line. I read a lot of online articles and bulletin boards. I called local dog trainers, watched all the dog training shows on television, and read a lot of dog training books.

During this time, I found something that looked like a miracle … a 10 minute Shiba online training program. According to this advertisement, there were some special “Shiba words” that will magically turn a Shiba into a Lassie. Yeah right!

Luckily, I did not succumb to my desperation, and did not buy this product.

The fact is, there are NO “miracle cures” for training a Shiba Inu.

The secret of Shiba training, is simply to exercise extreme patience, and find humor in our Shiba’s antics. Use reward obedience training, and always be firm but fair.

A Shiba will probably never be a Lassie, or perfect dog. However, if you are looking for a dog with a big personality, who will always make you laugh with his sneaky and roguish ways, then the Shiba Inu is for you.

A Shiba Inu will never be a model citizen but he will most surely make you laugh and smile.

2. Use Passive Resistance

2. Use Passive Resistance.

Shiba Inus get bored easily and do not like being ignored.

The best way to deal with Shiba Inu misbehavior is through passive resistance.

Shibas get bored easily and do not like being ignored. They really enjoy their freedom, and also like being close to their human pack. We can control a Shiba best by controlling these most desired resources: our attention, and his freedom.

If we actively try to stop our Shiba either through physical punishment (e.g. alpha rolls, leash jerk) or active restraint, he will fight back. This encourages him to practice rough play, and biting on people.

If we back away, or become fearful of our Shiba, he will learn that he “wins” by showing dog aggression.

If we over-correct our Shiba by exerting too much physical force, or by correcting him too frequently, we will lose his trust, and it is difficult to regain a Shiba Inu’s trust.

What works best with a Shiba is NOT to engage in a physical competition, but rather to engage in a mental one.

There are certain resources that Sephy really enjoys including walks, treats, toys, and his freedom.

When I want to take him on his walk, I go to the door with his lead, and call him to me. Initially, he would dally and not really want to come, because he wants to go walking on his own schedule. I count to three. If he does not come, I leave and go about my own business.

After a short time, Sephy will amble over, and pester me to take him on his walk. This is done through begging, and whining. I ignore all this bad dog behavior. When I have a break in my schedule again, I repeat the above exercise.

A Shiba will quickly learn that to get the resources that he wants most (e.g. go on walks), he has to do it according to our rules, and our schedule. It is important to practice the Nothing in Life is Free (NILIF) program with a Shiba.

Set a Shiba Inu up for success, so that we can reward him frequently, and keep him interested in doing what we want.

Another Shiba favorite is to steal something he is not supposed to, and then run away with it, thereby engaging a fun chase game.

A Shiba Inu is very agile, and it will be difficult for us to catch him. I always try to keep an eye out for my sneaky Shiba, and stop him before he steals an object. I also put a drag lead on him, so that I can easily catch him by stepping on the lead.

Note: Use a regular flat collar with the drag lead, and not an aversive collar. Aversive collars such as prong collars or choke chains, should only be used during supervised training sessions. Cut the loop on the drag-lead, so that it does not catch on anything in the house.

Only give our Shiba Inu attention when he refrains from bad Shiba behaviors.

3. Rules, Rules, Rules

3. Rules, Rules, Rules.

No biting on people. Shiba Inu Sephy is redirected onto a toy.

Shiba Inus are naturally dominant. If we do not provide them with rules, that we consistently enforce, they will take over the house.

It is best to enforce those rules as early as possible. This ensures that Shiba does not develop any bad habits later on, that will be more difficult to break.

Some of Shiba Sephy’s rules:

1. No Biting

The most important rule that I place on Sephy, is no biting on people. Shiba Inus are a very mouthy breed. Their instinct is to use their mouth in a wide variety of situations, including when they are excited, frustrated, and fearful.

They also have large teeth, and can accidentally hurt children and seniors. If Sephy starts biting on me or on others, I no-mark the behavior (Ack, ack). If he continues, I put him on a time-out.

It is also important to teach a Shiba bite inhibition. In this way, when he loses control of himself and does bite, he will not cause much harm.

No food aggression.

No rough play with people.

2. No Food Aggression or Resource Guarding

Prevent our Shiba Inu from guarding resources. Shibas have a don’t back down, don’t surrender attitude. Therefore, the best way to teach them not to guard resources, is to use reward training techniques.

Show them that people and other dogs coming near them, while they are eating or playing with their toys, is a good thing. Prevent stealing, and practice exchanging objects. This teaches them that giving up something, does not mean it is gone forever.

If we use physical force to grab a toy away from our Shiba, he will likely become more possessive over his objects. He will also lose trust in us, and may use aggression to protect himself, and his belongings.

3. No Rough Play

I do not play rough with Sephy. He gets to wrestle with my other dogs, but no wrestling is allowed with humans.

I also do not play any dominance games with him, for example, no Tug-of-War. The few times that I did play Tug with Shiba Sephy, he followed very strict rules during the game. However, when I took him out for walks, he would start playing tug with the leash (leash biting).

Shiba Inu Sephy only does rough play with other dogs.

4. Socialize Our Shiba Inu

4. Socialize Our Shiba Inu.

Socialize our young Shiba Inu to many sights, sounds, and smells.

Shiba Inus have an extreme play style that many dogs may not like.

Shiba Inus can get aggressive to unfamiliar things including objects, dogs, people, and environments.

They are also naturally stubborn, and may become aggressive when forced to do things that they do not like.

Socialize our young Shiba to many sights, sounds, and smells, and he will be ready to handle new things as a confident, and well-balanced adult. Make sure that new experiences are always positive, and at worst, neutral.

Some things to consider while socializing our Shiba Inu:

1. Shiba Inus have an extreme play style, that many dogs may not like.

When he was young, I used to take Sephy to enclosed dog parks. During this time, his favorite play partners were larger dogs, and young Pit Bulls. Shibas like doing wrestling and rough play, which can easily overwhelm other small dogs.

Choose our Shiba’s play-mates carefully, so that a fun time can be had by all.

Shiba Inus dislike handling.

2. Shiba Inus dislike handling.

Socialize a Shiba to touching and grooming, as early as possible. Pair the touch and groom sessions with very good treats, so that he will associate handling with positive experiences.

Do not use physical force to do any grooming. This will make it into an unpleasant experience, and our Shiba will fight us every step of the way.

Instead, groom gently, and make it short, fun, and rewarding.

3. Shiba Inus do not generally like people petting them from above.

Petting from above can be seen as a dominance move by dogs, and Shibas may see this as a threat.

We can slowly desensitize our Shiba to this move, by pairing head petting with good food rewards. At the same time, instruct people to approach from under our dog’s head, and scratch his chest.

Shiba Inus do not generally like people petting them from above.

5. Control Our Own Energy

An important thing to remember while interacting with our Shiba, is to control our own energy.

Shiba Inus are especially sensitive to the energy of their owners, and the people around them.

When I first got puppy Sephy, he was extremely mouthy. In particular, he would resort to biting when I stopped him from doing something unacceptable.

This made me become afraid of him.

The more afraid I became, the worse Sephy behaved. As soon as I got fearful, he would start to hump my leg, grab my clothes, jump on me, or bite my hands, arms, and legs.

5. Control Our Own Energy.

Anger and frustration will also elicit extreme Shiba Inu behaviors.

Anger and frustration will also elicit extreme Shiba behaviors.

In the early days, I had a dog walker take Sephy out for group walks at the park. When the walker tried to stop Sephy from doing something disruptive, he would object, and try out one of his Shiba moves, including alligator rolls, leash biting, hand biting, and of course the Shiba scream.

The dog walker naturally got embarrassed when Sephy screamed like he was about to die. There were other people around, and some of them thought that she was mistreating the poor dog. Sephy easily sensed her embarrassment and frustration. From then on, the Shiba scream was his favorite weapon to use against her.

With a Shiba Inu, it is important to stay calm at all times.

Once I was able to control my fear and remain calm, things improved significantly with my Shiba Inu.

With a Shiba Inu, it is important to stay calm at all times.

If we lose our cool, Shiba will sense it and continue to use this weakness against us.

The best way to handle a misbehaving Shiba, is to stay calm, and remove him to a quiet, lower stimulus area, as soon as possible. If he continues with his bad behavior, he gets his freedoms revoked with a time-out. Remember that fear, anger, frustration, and other extreme emotions will only make the problem worse.

Once I was able to control my fear and remain calm, things improved significantly with my Shiba.

Sephy will never be a model-citizen, but nowadays, he is actually very fun to be with. He is goofy, he is funny, and he usually stays out of serious trouble.

Shibas can be a big challenge to live with, but they are well worth the effort. They have a great personality, and they are always up to something that will make us laugh.

I love my Shiba Inu.

He is one of my best buddies, and whenever I see him, I just have to smile.

Gotta love a Shiba Inu!