Are they truly independent? and what does independence mean here?

According to Dictionary.com there are 17 different meanings to ‘independent’. Many of them describe the Shiba Inu well, especially the definitions pertaining to independent thought and action.

Are Shiba Inus Truly Independent?

Indeed Shiba Inus are not easily influenced or controlled by others – they have a mind of their own and that is why Shiba Inus can be challenging to train and to share your life with.

However, the other key definition of independence has to do with reliance – i.e. whether someone relies on another for their existence, care, and support.

Indeed Shiba Inus are not easily influenced or controlled by others – they have a mind of their own.

Clearly by this definition, all dogs are somewhat reliant on us and never totally independent. However, I would argue that Shiba Inus are even more reliant on us than many other dog breeds.

In particular –

1. Shiba Inus are indoor dogs. My Shiba goes outside sometimes but he prefers being inside the house most of the time, and in the general vicinity of his humans.
2. Shiba Inus need to have their people around. If you leave them alone for too long they will become destructive and/or escape.
3. Shiba Inus like engaging in activities with others. This is probably true of all dogs because they are pack animals, however, some dog breeds are more ‘independent’ than others.

For example, my Siberian Husky will go hunting and exploring in the backyard on her own. She is good at entertaining herself and always manages to find something interesting to do.

My Shiba Inu on the other hand will only sleep when he is by himself. For any other activity, including working on food toys, playing in the backyard, or playing with toys, he will wait until someone else is there to do the activity together with him.

Are Shiba Inus truly independent? Not in terms of self-reliance.

Are Shiba Inus truly independent?

Not in terms of self-reliance.

If you must be away at work or somewhere else for most of the day, it is best not to get a Shiba Inu. They may be independent when it comes to following commands, but they are extremely reliant on their people.

Owning a Shiba Inu takes a lot of time and patience. Only consider getting a Shiba Inu if you have a lot of time available to spend with your new Shiba Inu puppy – to train him, to play with him, to walk him, and to bond with him – EVERY DAY.

Read more about the Shiba Inu personality …

Owning a Shiba Inu takes a lot of time and patience. Only consider getting a Shiba Inu if you have a lot of time available to spend with your new Shiba Inu puppy

His favorite activity seems to be figuring out how to push the “right” or in this case “wrong” buttons, and getting a reaction from everyone around him, preferably a negative one.

If you ignore him and are not affected by his “test”; he will stop and move on to the next thing. But he is very clever, so if you only pretend to ignore him, but are inwardly annoyed, he will sense it, and continue being mischievous.

Do You Have a Mischievous Dog?

I hate to apply too much human intent to his actions, but it really seems like he is always trying to figure out new ways to be mischievous.

My Shiba often reminds me of Brain in the t.v. series Pinky and the Brain.

In contrast, my Siberian Husky is independent and clever, but when you tell her to stop doing something she will usually comply and go find something else to do.

Mischievous Shiba lives for those moments when you tell him he can’t do something.

Mischievous Shiba lives for those moments when you tell him he can’t do something. No means a very interesting challenge, and he will devise all sorts of strategies to subvert you.

In a way, this is somewhat admirable.

After all, don’t we always tell ourselves not to give up even if someone tells us that we can’t do it?  

Still, I wish my Shiba would direct his gumption towards more positive activities!

Still, I wish my Shiba would direct his gumption towards more positive activities!