When I got my first dog, a Shiba Inu, I thought he was the most difficult, most terrible dog in the world.
He was extremely mouthy, and would constantly bite at my hands and arms. He humped my leg, did extreme leash biting, and was very hyper around the house.
Then, I had a brainstorm; I could just hire a pet sitter/dog walker. In this way, I won’t have to deal with my devil dog all of the time, and someone else can train some manners into him.
I researched the dog walkers in my area, and picked one with seven years of dog walking, and dog training experience.
It took about a month and a half before Sephy got kicked out of his dog walking group. I also explored several different dog daycare centers, that declined to accept my money after meeting him.
But I do not think that Sephy, or even Shiba Inus are unique in this regard.
Many people probably believe that they have the most difficult dog or dog breed.
The most difficult dog breeds are simply the ones that do not fit our expectations, temperament, or lifestyle.
One man’s favorite dog breed is another man’s dog breed from hell. Some dog breeds, become more notorious for their “difficulties” because of popular movies or other media coverage. Dalmatians, for example, became very popular with the release of Disney’s 101 Dalmatians, and many owners were unprepared for the Dalmatian’s energetic nature.
While breed characteristics may predispose a dog towards certain behaviors, each dog is an individual, and each dog-owner pair is unique.
A difficult dog can come from any breed, when paired with an inappropriate owner, an inappropriate environment, or an inappropriate lifestyle.
Here we examine some of the key characteristics that make up the most difficult dog breeds.
Most Difficult Dog Breed 1 – Energy
All young dogs are energetic, but some dog breeds are more energetic than others.
Just like us, dogs need both mental and physical exercise in order to stay healthy and happy. When we are away at work, it is easy to forget that our dogs are at home alone; getting bored and anxious. Bored dogs easily become frustrated dogs; and frustrated dogs, may become aggressive and destructive.
How to calm an energetic dog –
- Walk our dog every day. At least one 30 minute walk per day. Some dogs may require two walks (mornings and evenings).
- Train our dog every day. This could be as simple as asking our dog for an obedience command before we give him anything, including food, toys, backyard access, and walks.
- Play with our dog every day. The flirt-pole is a favorite with my dogs. Soccer, fetch, catch, and tug can also be fun. Structured play sessions can help to make our dog more obedient, and enhance our overall relationship.
- Make our dog work for all of his food; either through training, grooming, or dog toys.
- Provide our dog with safe chew toys and food toys when he is home alone.
One of the most popular, energetic dog breed is the Jack Russell Terrier. Terriers are energetic as a group, but the JRT easily tops that list. JRTs are extremely intelligent, easily bored, and very independent, which make them a high maintenance dog breed.
Only get a JRT if we have a lot of time to spend with our dog, and if we have a very active lifestyle. JRTs require not only a lot of physical exercise, but also a lot of mental stimulation.
Most Difficult Dog Breed 2 – Size
Some dog breeds are more difficult because they are large and powerful.
The American Pit Bull Terrier always comes to mind when we think of a powerful dog breed. Sadly, this breed has received a lot of negative publicity due to their use in dog fighting operations. However, as with any other dog breed, Pit Bulls who are properly trained, and managed by their owners, are loyal, friendly, and well-behaved.
Nevertheless, it also true that larger and more powerful dogs can do more damage than their smaller Chihuahua or Pomeranian cousins.
Owners of larger dogs must be more vigilant and more careful with their training, because large dogs can inadvertently hurt people just from jumping or playing.
Most dog attacks that occur, are directed at children, so it is important to always supervise our dog when there are children around. Supervision is a must for all dogs, even for small dogs. To prevent dog attacks, teach our children the proper way to meet a dog, and how to avoid loose dogs in the neighborhood.
In a dog attack, it does not matter who is right or who is wrong; our dog will always be the one to pay the price. If we love our dog, properly train and manage him so that he is not exposed to stressful situations that may cause him to resort to aggression.
All dogs are capable of aggression, and making excuses for bad dog behavior, especially people biting or nipping, will only endanger our own dog.
Most Difficult Dog Breed 3 – Dominance
Some of the most difficult dog breeds are the ones that are naturally dominant.
What is a dominant dog?
- A dominant dog challenges us more frequently and is constantly testing his boundaries.
- A dominant dog is more likely to fight when challenged.
- A dominant dog will likely respond with aggression when frustrated; and will frequently redirect that aggression onto us if we try and stop him.
Ancient dog breeds such as the Shiba Inu, Akita, and Chow Chow, have a greater tendency to be confident, independent, and stubborn. These traits make them more dominant, as they are more likely to do what they want, rather than what we want.
Protection breeds such as the German Shepherd, and Rottweiler, are bred to be loyal, self-assured, and strong willed, so that they may better protect their owners. These same traits also make them more dominant.
Dominant, confident, and independent dogs can be more difficult to handle, but with proper training, and a relationship of mutual respect, they can become our most trusted and loyal companions.
Indeed many German Shepherds and Rottweilers are used in law enforcement work where they must be focused and alert, take independent action when necessary, while remaining calm and responsive to their handler.
While my Shiba Inu is not as calm, nor is he greatly responsive to my requests, he is a most trusted and loyal companion.
Most Difficult Dog Breed 4 – Maintenance
All dogs require a minimum amount of basic maintenance including:
- Yearly vet visits for immunity shots, teeth cleaning, and a general examination.
- Regular nail clipping (about once every month). Overgrown nails can easily break below the quick and cause our dog extreme pain and discomfort.
- Regular hair brushing (about once every week). Regular brushing helps to remove loose dirt and hair from our dog.
While all dogs require some basic grooming, some dog breeds may require more grooming than others.
Long haired dogs, like the Afghan Hound, require more frequent brushing to keep their hair from matting. Matting or tangled hair can become uncomfortable and ultimately painful for the dog.
It may also take more time to bathe, shampoo, and dry long haired dogs. More frequent baths may also be necessary to keep their long coats clean, especially for light or white coated dog breeds like the Samoyed.
It is best not to bathe our dog more than once a month. Overly frequent baths may wash away essential oils from the dog’s fur and cause dry skin, skin irritation, and an unhealthy coat. Use shampoo that is specially formulated for dogs and not human shampoo.
Health is also a very important part of dog maintenance. Larger dog breeds tend to have more health issues including bloating, and joint disease (e.g. hip dysplasia). Dogs with shortened muzzles such as the Pug may have trouble regulating their temperature, and are more susceptible to reverse sneezing.
Regardless of dog breed, however, all dogs may fall sick, and become more vulnerable to cancer, and athritis as they age. To ensure good health and a long dog life, I keep up with yearly vet visits, provide daily mental and physical exercise, and feed my dog a balanced and healthy diet.
Most Difficult Dog Breed 5 – Noise Level
The barking dog is the bane of neighbors everywhere. Forget the crazy kid parties, and the motorcycles without a muffler, it is the barking dog that causes the most number of neighborhood arguments, and noise complaints.
Dogs bark for a variety of reasons, including stress, boredom, excitement, and frustration.
Some dog breeds, however, have a propensity to be more noisy than others. Certain hunting breeds, tend to bark more because they are bred to find game, and then bark or howl when they find an intriguing scent. The Beagle is a popular dog breed that may do this.
To stop dog barking, I provide my dog with interesting physical and mental activity every day.
Scent hounds, like Beagles, will enjoy a Find-It game where we hide items around our house or yard, and get our dog to find them. Initially, I make the game easy by only hiding the item a short distance away from my dog, and letting him see where I put it.
I make sure to reward my dog with dog treats, dog play, and praise when he finds the hidden item. If my dog needs more motivation, I may also add scent or some peanut butter onto the Find-it toy.
How Difficult is Your Dog?
If we want a dog, consider our temperament, lifestyle, and environment, and get a dog that suits us. Getting an inappropriate dog breed will result in:
- An unhappy, and stressed out owner and family.
- Property damage.
- Loss of money.
- An unhappy, and stressed out dog.
Dogs can be a real blessing, but they can also cause a lot of bad dog problems, emotional stress, and arguments within the family.
Think carefully before taking on the responsibility of caring for man’s best friend.
Good afternoon! I just found this website and it’s so informative! i’ve got a situation that maybe you can advise me with.
in several weeks i will be adopting an almost 4 year old neutered min pin that is being rehomed due to being aggressive to the 14 month old baby in the house. the current owner admitted this is her first dog and obviously she has allowed him to rule the house.
this will be my second min pin; i learned with my first how much of a mistake i made by spoiling her and treating her like my baby.
i’ve been told that he doesn’t do well around strangers, was crate trained at one point but she no longer uses a crate.
i will be crating, and i will be taking him for walks where we are bound to come into contact with other people.
what can i do to make this transition better for us?
any advice will be appreciated.
thanks, leilla
I have a 2 year old shiba she is my heart. I have two other dogs Wynter is very solid strong dog. she is playful but her playing is too ruff for the other two dogs. I tryed to mate her it was horrible help me how do I mate
Unless you are a professional,certified breeder,you should just get her spayed,decreAses,chance of cancers, take down hee dominance with other dogs,You do not mention ages of other dogs,sex or ages.
I’d like to propose a sixth difficult dog breed trait: Excitability. It’s actually the hardest part about owning golden retrievers, from my experience. There is such a thing as “too friendly” with dogs. My golden becomes absolutely ecstatic around strangers, jumping up on them and accidentily urinating from sheer joy. I have to choke him back on the leash when we encounter other people on walks. It’s such a problem that we have to lock him away whever we have guests or extended family over, especially children and elders. My dog ran in between a 5-year old niece’s legs once and flipped her over – miraculously without harm.
I guess “difficult” can be subjective when it comes to dogs. There’s no one size fits all dog breed for everybody.
I feel your pain. My husky is also “too friendly”. He loves people so much, but will not leave guests alone, jumps on them, and wants to climb all over them. Have tried seeing if he will calm down after a while, but he doesn’t, even an hour later he’s still as excited as he was when they first walked through the door. I always end up having to put him in his crate, and he howls and cries because he wants to be with everyone. I’ve tried keeping him on leash in the house, while people are here, and that helps to some degree- I can at least prevent him from licking everyone to death, but it’s too hard to both control him, and visit with people. He once knocked the glasses off a very tall mans face at Petsmart (the first and last time I brought him there!).
Oh my gosh yes we have a notorious licker too. So friendly but he can’t hold his licker. 🙂 Once he settles down though he is a super cuddly bundle of fluff.
An annoying trait I have seen in other dogs is the “social greeter” where they run outside barking looking for other dogs in the neighborhood to respond. Usually doesn’t last long (unless another dog is outside and responds) but still an annoying behavior.
I have two female Jacks and they are starting to fight every time when there together, I just do not know what to do.The breather knew I had a female at home and never told me that two females may not get along, so here I am with my hands full. Im crying every day and I had to separate them after almost two years, on is 11 years old and the other is almost two.The two year old seams to be the trouble maker but they both challenge each other.I really need Cesar Millan to my rescue, I may be the cause of the problem. HELP!!!!!!!!!
Hi Shibashake,
I am so glad to have found your site! such useful info on here! Last year I rescued a 2 year old Australian Shepherd named Zeus. He is the best thing to ever have happened to me! and I just love him to pieces. I have learned a lot in the last year about dog behavior and training and it has been such a great learning experience!
I have been able to train out most undesirable behaviors within Zeus but I can’t seem to get him to not react around other dogs. Big, small, furry, nice, mean whenever there is a dog around he just loses mind. I have tried everything, from sloooooow counter conditioning to just avoiding dogs altogether, and can’t seem to get a consistent result. Sometimes he does great, and I feel super confident, like “okay, this is it, he just doesn’t like big dogs, etc.” and he will prove me wrong the very next day 🙂
He doesn’t have to be friends with every dog on the block, but as long as I don’t have an extreme reaction from him, I will be happy. He is also 65 lbs, (and I am a small person), so it sometimes becomes a safety concern depending on where we are. I am considering taking him to a dog behaviorist soon so that I can pinpoint where his dog aggression actually stems from, so that I can treat it accordingly.
It is fascinating to read everyone’s experiences. I have a Shiba(Rusty) going on 12 years now and, as a whole, my time with him has been positive. I did a great deal of research before my purchase and learned that observed behavior was often less simplistic than expected. Rusty was territorial as expected but his concept of territory centered on a certain amount of space around him wherever he was at. On a walk, he would be fine meeting other dogs as long as they did not get too close. I also confirmed to the surprise of some neighbors that to a Shiba size of the opponent does not matter.
I did not find him particularly mouthy as a puppy but he hated then and does now to be
rough-housed. You do a power roll with this dog at the risk of your fingers.
On the whole though he has been good with people and other dogs. my wife, however, is another matter. He has driven her nuts with his ability to open cabinets for the treasures within. And the time that he bit through a karaoke cord while she was in mid-string still brings smiles now when retold.
I think my years ago of having raised a coonhound provided me with a more comfortable set of expectations. Like most dogs with a hunting lineage his intelligence manifests itself more in problem-solving than trick performance. In regard to prey drive, it has been said that a Shiba will get along with any animal too big for it to kill and eat. That is true of Rusty as it was of my Redbone hound. He is affectionate at a level that is comfortable but not annoying. I have never expected him to behave as a young child. His terms have been met as have mine and we have both been very happy.
Hi,
My Shiba (Ichiro) is currently a year old. He has been in constant training since we got him at 10 weeks. We did Puppy Kindergarten and Obedience class. He gets along well with dogs and with people. I also have a 9 mos. old Bernese Mountain Dog. Managing 2 puppies has been a lot of work. They are always supervised when they are together. Ichiros play still is a little more rough as he loves pulling her ears and tail when he wants to play. He will also bring shoes or toys and walk around her in order to tease her. When I think he is getting to agitated in the play and our Bernese wants to be left alone, I tell him to stop and put myself between them. That is if I don’t have a treat (cheese) which I usually do. If I do have a treat I let them know it is treat time and I do some training. Getting them to stop playing (especially Ichiro) took a lot of time and patience. Now, they pretty much respond. I guess they are understanding the routine. But when I miscalculate and let Ichiro get too excited, he just runs around in circles around her like crazy and gets very verbal. When he finally decides to obey and sit or go down, it is not without one last bark as if letting me know that he is giving in but not because he likes it. He gets nothing without sitting first or laying down. He gets praised and petted when he behaves or is resting quietly. He doesn’t have an issue with the petting, at least not the family members. I can touch his ears, paws, brush him, touch his food, his toys while he is playing, etc. Here is where I do have a problem: he will not let me clean his ears ( I can wipe them but not put liquid in them) as he will first show his teeth and if I don’t stop he will snap at me. I have tried doing it with treats but no success. I am also unable to trim his nails. Same thing. Yesterday he threw up and when my son was cleaning his vomit he was trying to eat it, so my son pushed him away (maybe a little to rough ) and Ichiro bit him, no bleeding but definitely marked him. When I was petting him later in the day, all of a sudden he growled at me and turned his face quickly to stare at me. Definitely sending me a message to stop. I thought maybe I had touched him somewhere and he was in pain so I took him to the vet. He was very nervous once inside the room and again did not let the vet check his ears. Growled and showed teeth so vet had to muzzle him. This is the first time he gets muzzled. I was devastated. I don’t know how to desensitize him to allow people to check ears, clean them and trim nails and I am afraid that next time he is muzzled he will put up a fight. He has a good memory and doesn’t forget bad experiences. I don’t know it this is particular to the breed and I just have to learn to live with it or if I can change the behavior. Any suggestions?
Did the vet find anything wrong with his ears?
Sephy is also very sensitive to handling. I do a lot of touch exercises with him, and still keep up with it even today. For his nails, I use a nail grinder and I *very slowly* desensitized him to it.
If necessary, I put a drag lead on Sephy (only under supervision, and only with a flat collar or harness). In this way, I can effectively control him without having to lay hands on him. In general, I want all hand interactions to be positive, so that he learns to associate handling with positive events and rewards.
The vet is a totally different thing because from Sephy’s point of view, bad things almost always happens there. It is a high stress place, with a bunch of strangers trying to manhandle him. In addition, there are other dogs around who are unhappy and stressed. Finally, most vet offices are very busy, so the doctors do not have the time to really get to know the dog. All this makes it extremely difficult to desensitize a dog to the vet’s office, especially a dog who is already sensitive to handling. Sephy also does not trust easily.
As a result, Sephy has to get anesthetized for his yearly examinations. Since they also have to examine his teeth, just using a muzzle is not enough. For other things, using a muzzle works. However, after using the muzzle once, I have to spend many many months after that slowly desensitizing him to it again.
ASPCA article on desensitization and counter-conditioning-
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/desensitization-and-counterconditioning
The vet did not find anything. Ears were fine, skin is fine and she touched him everywhere and he did not seem to be in pain. Should I buy a muzzle and start reintroducing it to him again so that he learns to allow me to put it on? I am sure he will put a fight next time he sees one. Should I buy the same the vet used or should I get a different one? Which muzzle do you suggest? When I go to the vet, should I put it on before going or when I am there? Do you have any videos where you show how you trim nails and clean ears?
First, let me say that dog behavior is very context dependent. On my site, I talk about my experiences with my dogs and some of the difficult times we went through. However, each dog and situation are different, so I always try to adapt things to my own situation and the temperament of my dogs. I was unable to desensitize Sephy to the vet and the vet’s office, but perhaps with a different dog and a different vet that would be possible. I usually start with the least invasive method first.
With Sephy, I use a basket muzzle. In this way, he can still drink and pant. I act just like it is another training exercise (i.e. I keep my energy calm), and put it on at home, where Sephy is comfortable and relaxed. Once we get to the vet’s office, it is too late, because he is already on high alert.
When Sephy has the muzzle on, he just shuts down at the vet’s office. He acts like he is totally calm and ok. However, the truth is, he is still under great stress, but he can’t protect himself with his teeth, so he shuts down.
For nail grinding, I usually get someone to feed Sephy some really high priority food while I am doing his nails. It is easier when two people are doing it. For ears, I usually use ear cleaning pads. I find that to be sufficient as long as I keep up with it regularly, and especially after my dog has been to areas where dirt and other stuff may have gone in. I have not had to do the liquid stuff with Sephy for a pretty long time now, so I am not sure how he would react.
With Sephy, I always start small, go slowly, and gradually get him used to the process in a positive context. I stay away from aversive techniques, especially for grooming and handling tasks. If the experience is negative, he will start to lose trust in me, and it will be a lot more difficult to get him to do anything in the future.
Sorry, but I don’t have any videos. Doing some sessions with a trainer may be helpful, in terms of getting the general technique of desensitization and counter-conditioning. During Sephy’s puppyhood we did handling desensitization exercises with a trainer at our local SPCA.
My experience with the shiba inu seems alot easier than most. Yes bailey was a challenging puppy, but he was a wonderful dog. He was easily house broke and we socialized him very well. He never was a good leash walker, and he always pulled the leash to the point of him coughing. Most of his excercise was in the fenced in back yard. He was never chained up, and when he was young he was a runner. He would head for any open door, find a way over or under my fence any chance he got. Fixing him helped all of the running and escaping stopped all together. We really did not have any other formal training , we always messed ( petted him stuck our hands in his food bowl, anything that we thought a child might do) while he was eating. He never had a food aggression issue or any other aggression issues for that matter. But he was my dog and he knew that, he would not listen to my wife whatsoever!!!! When our daughter came along he listened to her more than my wife. My wife was very frustrated with bailey for about 2 years, she finally changed her approach to bailey and they were great pals after that, but he still would not listen to her!!! Bailey was by far the best dog i have ever owned, loved to play..loved to talk…and let u know when he was bored. we left him loose in the house when we went to work and he never made messes in the house. He would wake us up at night if he needed or just wanted to go outside. He never meet a stranger, and was most certainly never shy. I never knew him to be the Devil Dog that shibas are sometimes called. Shibas are great dogs as long as u let them be shibas and not try to make them into something they are not. Sadly bailey passed right before Christmas after 16.5 years. We are all still sad and miss him very much.
I have 3 dogs my first is a lab/ pit mix she is a sweetheart & can be dominant but knows if she fights with the other 2 she gets in trouble & she don’t want that .. 2nd is a husky we got her 2 months after the first they were both 9 was old when we got them .. She is stubborn as heck ! She steals everything & hourds them mostly the kids toys . She talks back & dosent listen . No matter what we do .. We than took in what the owner said is a retrever but I think he is part red nose Pitt .. He is very loyal, very guarding personality where he sits on whomever he is guarding & barks you away .. He also growls at the husky for attempting to steal the babies toys .. The husky bite & drew blood on axle the red nose .. As a puppy over food she wouldn’t let him eat .. Thought we fixed that !! Now that they are older the girls are 3 yrs old & he is under 2 .. He started getting very aggressive with the food & water & the girls bow their heads & freeze until he lets them move .. The husky , well she pushes her dominance on him & we have a full blow dog fight with large dogs .. As a family we are fighting because he goes after the kids as well .. The husky mostly provokes him but he starting to just snap all the time .. You can’t break it up either .. He turned to bite me & my son whom dragged him off to his crate to protect the kids whom don’t get out of the way quick enough . We are at the point of getting rid of both dogs & keeping the lab/ Pitt . It’s killing us as to where tonight we were all crying because we love them so much .. He stays by your side & is really afraid of everything . He is good with company , even guest dogs .. It’s between the two dogs & we don’t know what to do before the baby starts walking he is 7 months and this dog protects him .. Every morning he comes over & kisses him & lets the baby pull his ears & stuff I’m just very afraid & feel I can’t trust him . I’d take any advice !! As of now I want them gone in fear of the children he has growled at the older ones in bed when he wants ownership so I started locking him in the crate at night cause as we wake up he. Was in your face growling .. Help please !! I’d love to make it work .. I thought it was a dominant thing . I make the good dog lead cause she is obedient & hoping they follow ..
Since there are 3 dogs involved and young children in the house, I would definitely get help from a good professional trainer. Dog behavior is very context dependent, and the temperament, history, routine, and environment of the dogs will all play a role. The energy of the people around them will also affect their behavior.
As you have observed, breaking up a dog fight is dangerous. While in the throes of a fight, a dog may redirect his aggression onto the people who are trying to restrain him. This is redirected aggression, and has nothing to do with dominance. A good trainer can help with management techniques to prevent fights, and also develop a plan for rehabilitation that keeps everyone safe.
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/finding-professional-help
https://apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
ASPCA article on the different types of dog aggression-
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/aggression-dogs
With my dogs, the most important thing that I do is to manage their environment and routine so as to set them up for success.
– I set up a fixed routine and provide each dog with multiple positive and structured outlets for releasing his energy. I walk each dog daily for at least 1 hour.
– I supervise closely and redirect questionable behaviors as soon as I see them. In this way, things do not escalate into aggression or full-blown fighting. Prevention is best.
– I set up clear dog-to-dog and dog-to-people interaction rules. I supervise to make sure that everyone follows those rules, including the other people in the house. In this way, all my dogs know what to expect from each other, what to expect from the people in the house, and what I expect from them in return.
– I manage my dogs’ environment and set them up for success. I *do not* expose them to situations that I know will trigger an aggressive episode. I want to not only maximize positive learning experiences, but also minimize negative events. The more fighting they do, the more negative associations are formed, and the more likely it will happen again in the future.
– I do not leave my dogs alone together until I am very very sure that there will be no issues. When there are young children about, I keep my dog on-leash, calm, and under my control at all times.
– I use safety equipment such as gates, leashes, muzzles, etc. as necessary to keep things safe.
I had a lot of problems with my Shiba Inu when I first got him, including aggression issues. I considered giving him up, but I knew that it would be very difficult for an aggressive dog to find a good home. Therefore, we visited with several trainers, I read up a lot of dog behavior and dog training, and I put in a lot of time to manage and train him. After I got the proper knowledge and information, things started to improve, and we now have a very good relationship. He also does very well with my two Husky girls. However, I did not get additional dogs until after I had learned to control my Shiba’s behavior.
More on how I help my dogs get along.
More on where I get dog training and dog behavior information.
Given what you describe, I would consult with some good professional trainers as soon as possible. In the meantime, I would manage the dogs’ environment and routine carefully so as to prevent more fights.
I have read a lot of your articles however need some guidance in training our little shiba inu Molly.
We just got her for less than a week but she started to grow so fast I didn’t notice till we bring her home that she wasn’t two months old she just turned two months today.
This week she has gotten used to our house however her sweetness of being calm ang gentle turns aggressive bitting so fast. She’s our first dog and I have no idea how to train her. She still have not recognize her name and wonders off with her own mind. I realized we let her free in the house too early. She started explor like she claim the house now.
All methods that I’ve found in traing her not to bite comes down to she’s simply too young. I want to treat her but I don’t want to mess up her meal schedule she is still eating water soaked dog food. She doesn’t like biscuits.
Pls she will hold her pee when I place her in the fence and wait till we let her out in the house so she do her thing where she pleased.
What should I do? Don’t want to fear her and want her attention and stay calm. But she’s still a baby!!
Please email me back need desperate help
I also had a lot of problems with my Shiba when he was young. Shibas are a difficult breed, because they tend to be independent and extremely stubborn.
More on why Shiba Inus are difficult to train.
Sephy needed structure, a consistent set of house rules, and a fixed routine. I motivate my dogs to follow house rules by following the Nothing in Life is Free program. I also did a lot of reading on dog behavior and dog training, and we got help from several professional trainers.
While training Sephy, I realized that calm energy (controlling my own energy), timing, reading his body language, consistency, repetition, and knowing what to do, are all very important. These are all things that a trainer helped me with. In addition, dog behavior is very context dependent, therefore, each dog and each situation is different. My trainer was able to meet Sephy, evaluate his temperament, and observe his behavior within the context of his regular environment and routine.
More on how I went about finding a trainer.
ASPCA article on how to find professional help.
More on how I train my puppy.
More on how I discourage biting and provide structure for my puppy.
More on how I potty trained my puppy.
More on where I get dog training and dog behavior information.
Sephy needed to be trained to recognize his name and to come when called, he needed to be trained to control the force of his bites, and he needed to be trained on what the people rules are. For the training to be effective, I need to have good timing, I need to learn how to read his body language, I need to learn what to do at the right time, I need to supervise him, and more.
The Shiba Inu forum is also a great resource-
http://www.shibainuforum.org/forum/