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 can get you a lot of attention, and open doors to many social encounters. Get used to hearing, “He 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 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.
Their inborn cleanliness make them generally easy to potty train.
Sephy only had potty mistakes on the first day that we brought him home (10 weeks old). After that, he has always let me know when he needs to go outside. In fact, 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 good watch dog
A Shiba Inu is not a noisy dog. However, when there are strange people or strange noises around the house, Sephy will bark to alert me. Once I go and check things out, he stops barking.
Sephy also has a great memory, and will alert me if anything is out of place around the house, or in a familiar neighborhood. One day, he started barking at the fence, because somebody had put a piece of wood on top of it – amazing!
3. 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.
Sephy 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 I make it worth his while.
A Shiba running is a sight to behold, and a Shiba at play is poetry in motion.
4. 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.
Sephy can quickly solve complex interactive dog toys and puzzles. I am always trying out new ways to deploy his food in toys, because he figures things out so quickly.
A Shiba will challenge us and keep us sharp and on our toes!
5. 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. Bold, strong willed, and stubborn
A Shiba Inu 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 Shiba owners face aggression issues with their dog, including food aggression, dog to dog aggression, and people aggression.
To successfully live with a Shiba, we 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 we ignore him and give him nothing to react to, he will quickly lose interest, and move on to something else.
Sephy can also be very competitive. If he sees another dog getting praise and rewards, he will want to strut his stuff and show that he is 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 my Shiba.
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 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 will do whatever he wants, if he can get away with it.
- If he cannot get away with it, he will figure out another way to get what he wants.
- 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 to lick your hand.
As soon as you turn away, he is back in the cookie jar!
3. Like the evil, black Spiderman
A Shiba Inu is capable of great feats of agility. However, if left untrained, he will use his powers 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, Sephy will pull down items from counters, and shred them to pieces. He may even eat some of those pieces. Once, I left him unsupervised for about 10 minutes. In that time, he pulled down a phone headset, dismantled it into little pieces, and arranged them in a strategic pattern all over the floor. Luckily, he did not swallow anything.
A young Shiba Inu has a lot of energy.
It takes a lot to keep him occupied, and away from trouble. Supervised play sessions with friendly dogs can help. Another alternative is to put him in dog daycare, or to employ the services of a dog walker.
4. A Drama Queen
My Shiba 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 or bite at anyone who comes near them.
In addition, 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. 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 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. I just ignore Sephy and go about my business. He quickly learned that screaming is not very effective at getting him what he wants, and he stopped doing it. Remember that a Shiba can see your outward appearance, as well as sense your inner energy.
6. 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. However, 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 is like dog royalty. He wants his subjects close enough to serve him, but not too close as to sully his royal person.
7. 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 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 is not to be trusted off-leash, unless in a fully enclosed area.
8. 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.
Shibas are a primitive breed, and they lose control more easily than other more domesticated dog breeds.
The Quirky
A grass connoisseur
Sephy 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. However, my Shiba just enjoys eating grass, provided 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 stories that inspired this article.
Hi, i would be a prospective shiba owner i guess, but not for a couple more years. I’d really love to take off the ‘prospective’ and add on a ‘definite future’, but i have some worries. I presently am the very happy owner of a shindiggy 1 year old kitty named Esper. She’s on the small side of the cat spectrum, and tends to take flight if you spook her, which is something i’m trying to help her with. She’s fine with our shih-tzu, who she’s grown up with, but i know a shiba inu is a lot different than a shih-tzu. Esper had also grown up with a cat and is not prone to hissy-pissy-ness, so i think she’ll be able to adjust to a puppy, but i’m worried about the puppy going after her. Especially if she flees.
Another thing i’m worried about is i love our shih-tzu very much and would be exuberant if the shiba could be friends with said dog, but i wouldn’t want to have the puppy be a mean bean to him. If i socialize the puppy well, will these relationships work so they could at least live happy, if not stunningly harmoniously? And i’ve read that the breed can be agressive towards other dogs of their gender. Does this go for cats as well? Because getting a girl so she’ll get along with Poe(shih-tzu) would be a major backfire, as Esper is the one she has to live with.
And if the puppy got along with said mow-mow, than would another cat be an okay idea? I know that animals tend to get along best with other creatures they’ve known their whole lives, but it doesn’t seem the wisest of ideas to bring home a puppy and kitten in the same few months. But will a shiba, in general, let another cat in if they were raised with a cat? Or another dog?
Worry #4: Is it true that shiba’s with certain coat colorings, red for instance, are prone to aggression? I absolutely adore the shiba inu look, but i must say i am slightly partial to the red and cream colorings?
Please reply, as i have been in love with this breed since i was six and my neighbors brought home of their own. He was the sweetest guy you could meet, and you could stick your hands through the fence(kinda of an idiot, i was) and he’d just sniff and lick them. Cutest chappy one could meet to boot. I’ve been researching them this past year, and they sound like great, though not for everyone, dogs. I just hope that i get to be in that wonderful correct minority.
Esper sounds like a very good kitty. Love her name.
Unfortunately, I do not have much experience in this area (I don’t have any cats). This thread in the Shiba Inu Forums has some good information on Shiba Inus and cats.
http://www.shibainuforum.org/forum/discussion/7120/problem-with-cats/p1#Comment_125511
Yeah, I have heard this mentioned as well, but have not seen anything that really supports the claim.
Happy Holidays and big hugs to Esper and Poe.
I own a dog and a bitch, both four and my Shiba’s have always lived with cats without any issues. One of my friends owns three cats and a female Shiba, another, one cat and a feisty little male Shiba who hates all other dogs but literally adores the cat!
It’s down to how YOU integrate/socialise them :0)
we recently rescued two shiba’s. mother and son ,mama (sophie) is 3 and son (hatchi) is 18mo. I have always had dogs, but always got them from 8wks. We have been very lucky only a couple potty accidents and no chewing. they are very sweet and loving. My real concern comes with, prior to the very unplanned rescue, we had a deposit on the pick of the litter from a choc lab mom and golden retriever dad. we bring pup home in a couple weeks and I’m afraid because mama has shown some’ dog ‘ food aggression. i can put my hand right in there food dish and take treats away, they do however eat there food together from same bowl, but if they get treats and Hatchi goes anywhere near hers, she gets very aggressive. they actually hard a huge fight the other day that left Sophie limping and Hatchi bleeding!!! so i need some advice on how to introduce a puppy and keep it safe until he’s big enough to establish his place in the pack himself.?
Hello Sandy,
Four paws up for rescuing two Shibas in need!
In terms of the new puppy, my general feeling is that it may be better to hold off on that for a while. Puppies are a lot of work and it will be very difficult to train all three dogs at once.
Food aggression is serious business and it took me a lot of time, management, and consistent training to keep things safe; and to get Sephy to be relaxed around food and other dogs. Given that there was a serious fight, it may be most effective to get help from a professional trainer.
At home, I keep the peace between my dogs by setting up clear and consistent dog-to-dog interaction rules. I teach each of them these rules, and I supervise closely, especially during meal-times and play-time. This is more on what I do with my dogs-
http://shibashake.com/dog/second-dog-introducing-a-second-dog
However, each situation is different depending on the dogs, surrounding context, etc. A good professional trainer can read the dogs’ body language, evaluate their temperament, and identify aggression triggers. For aggression cases, it is safest, I think, to get help from a professional.
Thank you for all your wonderful Shiba articles! I fell in love with the breed about a year ago when I played with one at a local pet store. As a former Husky momma, I saw the curly tail and spark of personality and couldn’t resist! A year later we now have Sherlock, a beautiful Shiba boy. 🙂 He just turned 12 weeks and has an amazing personality/temperament. We have been reading on your site for months.
He is already trained in his bite inhibition, does extremely well in his crate and loves meeting new people. We are still having some issues with housetraining though. He started out being really great about no accidents but after getting a uti has slowly reverted to small little accidents right after being taken outside. I have started trying to train him to use a ‘doggie doorbell’ to tell us when he has to potty, but he hasn’t quite gotten it yet. I can’t quite figure out if he is marking or just confused about where to potty because the breeder trained him on a doggy door. Any advice? I wish we had a yard, but we live in an apartment. He gets lots of time outside though. 🙂
I have also noticed that he really really wants to run! I am torn on letting him jog with me on the trail because I have heard that it can hurt a puppy’s development to run too soon. I know I couldn’t keep my huskies from jogging when they were little bundles, but he will hold back unless I let him (with a sad shiba stare, of course!)
I can’t help but love him to bits, he is so incredibly sweet and affectionate despite being a strong-willed Shiba.
Hmmm, does he raise his leg during the mini accidents? What is he doing when the mini accidents occur? Do they occur at a particular spot in the house?
It could be lingering effects from the uti. When did he have his uti? How long did it go for?
As for running, it is probably safest to check with the vet. With Sephy, he was doing Shiba 500s very soon after we got him. We made sure he didn’t overdo it and also he didn’t jump up and down furniture, especially at high speeds. However, supervised running around did not seem to have any bad effects on him.
Hugs to Sherlock. He sounds like a really good boy and should be on Santa’s good list! 😀
He doesn’t lift his leg, so I am more inclined to think maybe he is just having standard housetraining issues except that he does it right after I take him out. Luckily I got a new carpet cleaner in yesterday and was able to clean the spots. No accidents yesterday and he did stick his nose to the bells once. 😀 I let him run Shiba 500s whenever he gets into it, though there is no predicting what sets it off! I am so in love with the quirky Shiba personality already. He loves to talk to us and protect me from dreadful things such as rice cookers, trash trucks, cable guys and Christmas lights! The most menacing is of course those Christmas blow-up lawn ornaments.
Give Sephy a hug for us! Is his name short for Sephiroth? :p what a fitting name for a misunderstood devil dog.
LOL! That is too adorable! I love all the Christmas decorations.
Yes! I am a big fan of the Final Fantasy series. Ironically, I stopped playing soon after I got Sephy – no longer have much gaming time, only Shiba time. 😀
Yeah, I think you are right.
It doesn’t sound like marking to me either. It could be that he temporarily has less control due to the uti. One possibility is to wait a bit longer outside after he pees to give him another chance to go again if he has to.
Big hugs to Sherlock and Happy Holidays. Do you watch the t.v. series Elementary? It is a fun show.
..also, his Uti was about two weeks ago now. It wasn’t a definite positive but he was squatting about 15 times every outside trip and the vet found some white blood cells so he put him on antibiotics to be safe. It tends to be in the corners (now dubbed the pee pee corners) when he is not actively playing with a toy. I restarted his crate training to be strictly scheduled though it is hard to have him in the crate when I am home. I tried an inhouse tie down but he didn’t take a shine to that and he keeps biting on a drag lead. I am thinking that he just needs to be very closely monitored and scheduled. 🙂
we have the pleasure (and pain) of being the proud owners of 1yr old Logan. We are in desperate need of some advice. Logan nips the back of our legs and will spend hours running round in circles. We Havre tried yelping leaving the room distraction techniques but with no success. he is walked on beach daily and has engaging and challenging toys to keep him occupied but again he chooses to run round in circles. Vet is at a loss and breeder recommendations have not worked.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
We learned this from our breeder. It is a good technique. When our Shiba was a puppy, we played a game called “get a toy”. You can play with your Shiba over meal times to start and for Shiba to learn the behaviour. What we did was say “get a toy!” and shake the toy around. Then when Shiba bites the toy, say “good dog!” and give Shiba some food. Repeat until “get a toy” becomes a command. The idea is that if your Shiba is biting a toy, then it stops any nipping (hands, legs, trousers, you name it) behaviour.
When we come home, we tell Shiba to get a toy or we do not even look at the Shiba. We found that this is when most of the trouser-nipping occured. That way Shiba associates get a toy with good things – like food and love. And therefore associates nipping with being ignored. All Shibas HATE being ignored. 😛
Then when my Shiba started doing annoying things, like nipping my trousers, I’d tell her “oops, get a toy!” and she would get it and I would give her lots of love. If she continued to nip, I would ignore her and give her no attention at all. (Even if it takes a full hour at first…)
Hope it helps!!
– C
With Sephy, I have noticed that he loves to play chasing games. When he was young, many of his biting and running around behaviors came from him wanting to start a game of chase.
Some things that helped with Sephy-
1. Stay very calm.
Sephy is very sensitive to the energy of the people around him. If I get angry, frustrated, or stressed, he picks up on that and gets even more crazy. To get Sephy to calm down, I have to stay very calm myself. I also find that it is best not to move around too much or too fast (either hands or legs) because fast motion gets him more excited.
2. Do not reward bad behavior.
Another Sephy favorite is that he would steal something (e.g. t.v. controller) and run around with it. Initially, I would chase him so that I could stop him. This was a mistake, because then I was rewarding his bad behavior with a chasing game, which is exactly what he wants.
Instead, what worked well with Sephy is to stay calm, no-mark the behavior (Ack-ack), and just stop him using his drag-lead. Then I would give him an alternate command, e.g. Sit. If he does this, he gets rewarded, then we do some fun movement commands (e.g. Spin) and play a structured game together. This gives him a structured way to expend his Shiba energy.
If he does not listen and escalates his behavior by jumping and biting, then I calmly say “Timeout” and put him in a timeout area for a very brief period of time. In this way, he learns that following commands = fun chasing game, but biting and jumping = loss of attention and freedom.
3. Bite inhibition training.
This helped to train Sephy to control the force of his bites.
http://shibashake.com/dog/bite-inhibition
I have a 6 year old and he still occasionally runs in circles, but he’s pretty much outgrown it. They get better as they age 🙂 Mine was getting super aggressive and I traced it back to commercial MilkBone products. Don’t know what’s in it, but it made him nuts at time. now he gets cheese bits as a treat and all is well.
Hi!
We got Bamboo at 7 weeks and immediately began putting him on a Time Out program. When he nips we tell him “no” and ignore it. If it continues for more than 2 “no” commands we ask him if he wants to go to “Time Out”. He continues and he goes in Time Out (a special section of the kitchen gated off especially for this). He then is told to “sit” and is allowed out once he has sat for 15 seconds. He is almost 5 months old now and as soon as we ask him if he wants to go to “time out” he stops what he is doing and lays down. Hope this helps!
Arthur was a hand gripper/mouther and it is a Shiba trait but when he was little he learned very quickly not to do it to me by my replacing my hand with a toy and saying “put something in your mouth!” He continues to want to do it to all visitors but because Shiba’s are so bright and they love carrying things around, I only have to say; “Put something in your mouth Arthur” and he’ll rush off to get a toy before greeting people. This way because he’s got a toy in his mouth, he can’t mouthe hurt/frighten people and as soon as the doorbell goes, he rushes off to get a toy. Even if we’re out, I carry a ball in my pocket and if someone stops us, he comes and asks me for the ball before says ‘hello’. Problem solved!
Hi there,
I have a Shiba Inu x Akita and his name is Sephy too! Full name Sephiroth! He is curretnly 8 months old and he does everything on what you described your Shiba does, biting and running off with things! We have his own area where he sleeps in the lounge/kitchen area. However he has developed this bad habit of needing someone to stay with him untill hes too tired and falls asleep. If we leave him he scratches our door and hits it with his paws and starts crying too. Sometimes he will even be sleeping but if I leave to get up he gets up too and will proceed to scratch, hit and cry if I leave. Do you have any advice to change this habit? Its driving me crazy sometimes!
Thanks in advance!
SnugglePuppy and Pet Stages make dog toys that are heated and have heart beats, this might help. Young dogs are use to being close to their adult parents while sleeping. The warmth of their bodies and sound of their heartbeats are comforting. Hopefully this toy will replace that and releave your issue. Also get a metal gate (child gate) to put across the doorway instead of closing it. This gives him the comfort of seeing you if needed. Get a metal one for he will chew through a plastic one. Hope this helps and good luck…
Forgot one more thing… Place a ticking clock in his dog beg or wrap one up in his favorite blanket during sleeping hours to replace that heartbeat sound. It worked for our Shiba…
In the beginning when I got my Shiba Inu (he is 1.5 years now) I had a lovely list of things I thought I should follow for example the dog should be sleeping in the crate during nights in his area in the living room. I cannot count weeks we spent fighting with this, this also included me sleeping on the floor next to the crate in the sleeping bag 😀 to get him use to sleeping in there. To keep the long story short eventually we put the crate to the bedroom and there was absolutely no problem at all any more with his sleeping. They just want to be close to their family. I think the metal gate Nick suggested is a great idea (I assume you don´t want him in the bedroom).
That is awesome! Great minds think alike. 😀
With my Shiba, he really likes keeping track of his family, so he becomes unhappy when he can’t check up on both the human and canine members of his pack. I think a big part of it is due to his guarding instinct. When he was young, I put up a see through baby-gate for the kitchen area. In this way, he can still see his people when in his enclosure.
Another thing that helped is to set up a very consistent schedule and routine. Sephy is more relaxed when he knows exactly what to expect from me and what I expect from him. During puppy-hood I planned out our entire day, which turned out to be really good for Sephy and also very good for me. I was able to plan in some fixed sleeping periods, which gave me a bit of free time to rest and do other chores.
During his rest time, he knows that he is supposed to settle down so I ignore whining and other undesirable behaviors (if puppy is not fully potty-trained, then we will have to take that into account). Shibas are very clever, so if they learn that they can get affection, attention, or freedom by whining, they will whine even more. When it is time to let puppy out, I always wait for a lull in the whining before doing so. If puppy starts to whine as I am going to let him out, I walk away and try again during the next lull.
This helps to teach puppy that whining and making noise = drive people away, less attention, and less freedom but staying quiet = attention + get to come out and be with people.
It can also be useful to teach puppy the “Quiet” command. This lets puppy know what we want him to do, and best of all, we can reward him well for following commands and doing work for us.
At night, Sephy sleeps with us in the bedroom, in his crate.
Hugs to Sephy!
I have a Shiba Inu x Akita (Karlos) he is so amazing!!! He does have some problems sleeping too but it is getting better he is now 2… We got him from a rescue league… How is Ur dog in the car? Karlos gets sick every time we take him for a ride 🙁
What everyone says about them sleeping in your bedroom is so true! When we crate trained Riley we kept it in our bedroom. It only took 3 nights for her to sleep through the night without whining. About a week of having her I got this great idea to put her in the living room just outside our bedroom door. I thought that since we liked keeping our bedroom door closed to keep her from mischief, but would allow her access to her home and at night she could see us perfectly from her crate.
Ohh nooo!!! she was having none of it. She whined and whined, but we weren’t giving in. After about 15 minutes or so of constant whining we knew this wasn’t working. However, we didn’t want her to think she could whine to get out of her crate whenever she didn’t feel like being there. So, we decided to move her crate back to the bedroom, but we would leave her in it while we did this. I am not exagerating at all when I say that as the crate passed over the threshold from our room, Riley curled up and went to sleep.
People thought we were insane when our daughter was born and we refused to move Riley out of our bedroom to make a space for a bassinet. We knew we would get minimal sleep with a baby, but we would get no sleep if Riley was moved outside the room.
Thank you for posting such a wonderful site for this awesome breed. My husband owned a Shiba previously, so we where and are fully aware of the cautions of the breed. We adopted our 9 week old Shiba yesterday and are truly excited and ready for a long relationship with him and the bond our 4 year old son will have.
As with any dog or pet purchase, researching and educating yourself should be a priority for the well being of all involved. Less heartache and more love and happiness. We are patient people and actually looking forward to discovering his personality and his energy. Glad we chose a breed that is independent and knows what he wants.
Cheers to many years together.
Congratulations on your new Shiba puppy! Big hugs to the little guy and Happy Thanksgiving!
I own a five year old Shiba named Frankie. I cannot imagine having a better dog. For all the people with negative comments, you need to choose a dog based on your personality and needs and IT DOES NOT mean anything is wrong with the breed. If you need non-stop attention and re-assurance, get a dog who will not leave your side. I don’t feel the need for that and even find it annoying. My Shiba is a perfect cuddle bunny but also doesn’t demand my attention every second. He is extremly loyal. Yes, he is smart and mischievous but I find it adorable and love having a smart dog. He is also not a needy yapper like some of the smaller dogs. We work long hours and I know my Shiba is just sleeping peacefully until I get home and not crying by the door which would be so heartbreaking. He also avoids confrontations with other dogs. He doesn’t have that distinct dog smell. He is great with animal. Timid with people until he gets to know them but I really don’t think that’s a big deal. Overall, I cannot imagine a more perfect dog. He is my first dog and I will never get another dog but a Shiba!
Now that I got that out of my system. Some of Frankie’s mischiefs:
1) Stealing socks, underwear, paper and (anything not bolted and relatively small). Running within my eyesight and watching for my reaction. If I make one more towards him, he bolts.
2) He stole my husbands wallet. Pulled money out and shredded it.
3) Chewed up my favorite shoes (he was a puppy at the time) and left the chewed up shoe on top of my sleeping husband. I think he was trying to frame him.
4) Crazy Shiba dance – ears pulled back, eyes show complete insanity. Jumps/slides from corner to corner.
5) Tries to steal food of my plate (and at times succeeds). He is so smart and always knows how to catch me off guard.
With all the craziness, I adore him. He is affectionate. He is usually cuddled up next to me or my husband. Super affectionate in the morning. Covering his face with paws – the cutest thing.
I was wondering if anyone had success with raising a Shiba in an apartment. I recently moved out of my parents house,where I shared every single day of my life with a Collie, and I miss having a dog SO much. Although apartment raising is less than ideal, I believe I can still provide a great home for a dog.
I will commit to at least two walks per day and if allowed tons of love and affection. My parents and I walked our Collies at least three times a day and they are some of the most well behaved dogs in the world. You can walk out of the room with a plate full of food on the coffee table and Reptar (their most recent Collie) could care less. That being said, I have high expectations.
This will be my first non-Collie and I am a little nervous, but excited! I fell in love with this breed about 5 years ago and I have been doing my research and I’m ready to take the challenge. We are going tomorrow to pick the cutie pie up. Any recommendations for food for the puppy as well as into adulthood? I’m on a budget myself, but I dont want to skimp to the point of threatening the dog’s health with horrible food.
Hello Kristen,
Congratulations on your new Shiba puppy!
How are things going?
In terms of food, I feed all my dogs Innova EVO. It is high protein and grain free. During puppyhood I use the Innova puppy formula. My Shiba is allergic to wheat, so I go for grain free kibble.
Other well-regarded brands – Orijen, Blue Wilderness, Wellness CORE.
Here is more on what to look out for while picking kibble-
http://shibashake.com/dog/feeding-your-dog-a-healthy-diet
Thank you! We picked up Blue Wilderness puppy food and Raiden seems to be enjoying it.
So far he has only had two accidents in the house. My parents saw him and fell in love immediately. They offered to watch him while we are at work which is amazing! In addition to them helping with house breaking, he gets to play with their collie all day. I don’t know who is sleepier when I go to pick him up, my mom, the collie or Raiden.
Im so glad to have him. I love our morning walks together. He was immediately a pro with the leash and he met my niece and was sooo good. However, the Shiba Scream is no joke. It amazes me that something so small and cute can produce such a loud noise. The best way I can describe it is a cross between a parrott and a monkey.
LOL! Lucky Raiden. “Lord Raiden WINS!”
Awesome name for a Shiba.
Hi Kristen,
My 1 yr old Shiba does great in our apartment. I can leave her alone for up to 6 hours at a time and she’s totally fine. (In fact I come home and she’s normally sleeping) The key is to make sure that your Shiba is exercised regularly throughout the week. I find that at the 1 yr mark, two hikes a week is adequate, on top of regular walks. Also you can consider daycare for the “puppy-energy” at the early months. This is what we did.
It is a little more expensive this way, but think of it like this – would you rather spend a few hundred dollars on daycare costs over the span of 6 months or a lot more on a new couch? 😉
If you are buying a Shiba, try to see how the parents and grandparents are. Are they running around like crazy or just chilling out? When I went to pick up my little one, all of the breeder’s 14 dogs were sitting in a row at the window. Quietly staring, kind of freaky. But all quite calm.
Have fun and don’t listen to what some people say! Just make sure you research the parents (if possible), start a good program with a reputable trainer, and try to get in some daycare days. (Daycare really helped with our Shiba being very socialable)
– C
We live in an 834 sq ft condo and have had a Shiba Inu since she was a puppy. Riley is now 1 1/2. She has done very well in this space. If your Shiba gets lots of excersice they will be fine. We take Riley to day care 2-3 days a week and that keeps her from getting into too much mischief.
We bought a Shiba as a puppy from an out of state breeder. We fell in love with the pictures of him sent to us and he was absolutley adorable when we got him. We have had numerous dogs in our lifetime and assumed many of the challenging things we read about Shibas could be overcome with training. Boy were we wrong! This breed is trainable, but they will only do what you want if they want to and on their terms. An example of this would be when we took him out for a walk. Same times everyday. I would walk him and he would not go. As soon as I got back in the house and sat down he would be banging his paw on the door to go out. He was going to go when HE wanted to. We found this breed to be extrememly disobedient and controlling. They believe they are the king of the house and need to be bribed with treats not to be bad. Our trainer actually gave up. Forget about affection or mans best friend. They olny want it when they want it. Needless to say after 8 months we gave him away. Never felt this way about any other dog before – biggest mistake we ever made in choosing a dog.
Ted – thanks for your candid comments. You really helped me! It seems like you’re the only one who doesn’t rave about these little, adorable “monsters”. 🙂 So sad to have to give a pet away. They seem to have similar characteristics to the Akita, magnified about 200+ times; and I absolutely love Akitas, tho they, too, are not for the faint of heart and must only go to experienced dog owners. Whew! What a handful! Thanks and take care. Good luck with your next dog.
R
My first dog was a chocolate lab a lover who died at 14. I didn’t want another dog but my 2 boys convinced me, we picked a Shiba inu. Smart as can be, ran away every day. I would drive around the neighborhood looking for him coaxing him to my car. Very trying and each day I fell more and more in love with this dog. Tuffy has a large t on his chest as is very proud and prances around. This dog can be affectionate and follows me somedays, waits for my husband And boys to come home. I find this dog to be so amazing in so many ways, give them a chance they grow on you. They do love to be up high on things which caused a knee replacement. In both knees, but that has been the only Heath issue. I do have the black and white shiba and our vet says these tend to be a little sweeter than the red or Ginger Color. Who knows but for our family this dog is who is now 13 and very mellow and very enjoyable. Good luck!!
Hi – I hope I’m typing in the right area in order to get a reply. I read a lot of your “article” and have a few quesions or maybe comments to which I’d really like a reply. I didn’t finish your post completely, and will do so but it’s 4AM and I must get to bed. I’ve been an Akita mom my whole adult life, having been the lucky “guardian” of four Akitas (not at the same time). I’ve decided to get a smaller dog this time and tho I’ve looked long and hard at “softer” breeds, I keep coming back to the spitz, and in specific the Japanese breeds. I know the Akita very well and had wonderful relationships with them. In reading your article I found myself asking why on earth would anyone want a dog such as you’ve described!!?? You really down sell them and make them sound like a cross between a Gremlin (remember Gizmo?)and some wild, unaffectionate, distasteful force that will destroy your home, body, and anything else it has a mind to. I really had settled on the Shiba because of my love for Akitas but it seems they take the Akita breed challenges to a new low or high, depending on how you look at it. Are you for real? Or perhaps trying to disuade the faint of heart? And if not, why pray tell would anyone want a troublesome animal lacking in affection. Another question: Health issues….What are they? A breeder of both Akitas and Shibas told me they share the same health issues as Akitas. Having paid out a total of approximately $30K for the 4 Akitas I’ve (and I adore them so… it was heart breaking to lose them, and at rather young ages) had concerns about this. OK those are my questions and thanks in advance for your reply. BTW Sephy is absolutely beautiful. I’m hoping they are like Akitas and that you are painting a grim picture to “scare Off” the unskilled and unprepared potential guardians. Please forgive any typos. It’s really late. Much thanks, Rannie in No. CA.
LOL!
– The article above is based on my experiences with Shiba Sephy, and also on stories from other Shiba owners at a couple of Shiba message boards that I used to be active in. Does this mean that all Shibas will exhibit these behaviors? No. Each dog is an individual and will have their own individual temperament. However, as a group, I believe that Shibas are generally much more stubborn than the average dog, and also a lot more aloof.
– Does the aloofness mean that Shibas never want affection? No. But in my experience Shibas want a lot less attention than other dogs. Sephy will sometimes come over for affection and roll over for tummy rubs, but much less so than my Sibes who love being close to people most of the time.
– I have never lived with Akitas so I do not know firsthand what the differences are when it comes to affection and other traits. One of my neighbors have both a Shiba and Akita and she says that her Akita is a lot more affectionate towards people. Her husband described their Shiba as “neurotic”.
Why do people get Shibas?
I think there are many reasons, probably chief of which is their looks. That was certainly one of the key reasons why I got Sephy, and we had a very difficult time in the beginning because I was not prepared for his Shiba behaviors; that were very contrary to what one may expect from other dog breeds. The aloofness in particular was difficult for me to understand and get used to. I think this is why many Shiba owners try to emphasize these differences, so that people do not get blindsided by these “Shiba quirks”.
However, once I got to know Sephy, I realized that he has many good qualities-
– He is very loyal.
– He is very brave and has a never-give-up never-surrender attitude. He will protect everyone in the family even at great cost to himself. He is very good at protecting Shania (my 3 legged Siberian Husky).
– He is a very good guard dog and alerts when there is unusual activity around the house.
– He is very funny and very original. He always does things that surprise me, that is often funny, and that none of my other dogs would think to do.
– He is clever, confident, and knows his own worth. He doesn’t let others bully him or make him into a second class citizen.
I suppose in the end, it depends on how we look at things and what we want in a dog.
As for health issues, the most common thing I hear of is hip dysplasia. We had Sephy checked for that after he turned 2. He was walking a bit funny, but it turned out to be just another of his special Shiba quirks. 😀
Some people also mention that Shibas may be susceptible to glaucoma.
I can’t believe all the negative things I have read about the Shiba. I am a proud owner of a 9 month old Shiba named Rocket. I have alwayys owned Shelties, and still do. Shelties are a wonderful breed and this is my first Shiba. Yes, it is true that that can be a hand full. They are very smart, want their way and will challenge you patience.But, they are very affectionate and loyal and love there humans. They are beautiful, funny, full of life and energy, love their toys and play time.
Irt is also ture that they are cat like in many ways, but I also own 4 cats and I understand cats very well so this really helps me under stand my shiba. Shiba’s are not for the faint of heart so if you do not have time for them, patience, and if you are nit as string willed as they can be, yu might want to try another breed. Because they shiba’s are so intelligent they, they can obedience trained . However, you should find a trainer who knows the breed and how to train them. I really love my Rocket ( his name fits im well), and he loves us. I have read that they don’t like to be touched, etc., but I have not found that to be the true with my shiba. He loves his belly rubs, loves to lay beside me and sleep with his head on my lap and is always following me everywherre. I hope this helps some of you who are considering a Shiba Inu and remember to be patient and it just might be the best dog you have ever owned.
This was a fantastic article! I currently have two Siberian Huskies, but my husband and I are considering adding a Shiba Inu into our homes. We of course, are planning very far in to our future as we will most likely not bring a Shiba home for at least another year or two. From my understanding, you have a Siberian Husky and a Shiba? How similar and dissimilar are the two breeds? I’ve had huskies my whole life, so it’s a breed I know best and have the most experience with. Every summer we spend at least a month up in the mountains of Montana. I’ve worked very hard with my dogs to trust them off leash and even then, it’s not something I take lightly. They’re accustomed to just hanging around the cabin property and do not wander. People also always say “never trust a husky off leash,” and “huskies are very stubborn and only obey some of the time” but after many years of training, I feel I have (for the most part) conquered these traits. It seems however, that the Shiba is even more extreme in this manner? Between the two breeds do you feel this is true? And, with years of work, do you think it is possible to train a shiba off leash? I personally think with the proper diligence and training, anything is possible, but, then again, I’ve never had any personal experience with the Shiba. Anyway, thanks for your help and again, fantastic article!
Haha, yes, very much so. Sephy (our Shiba) is out of this world when it comes to level of stubbornness. He will never surrender, no matter what. Even when he knows it is a lost cause, and he can get more by just taking a few steps back, he will not do it. I have found that the best way to get Sephy to do something, is to convince him that it was his idea in the first place! 😀
Sephy is also a lot more aloof and much less food-focused than my Sibes.
In terms of being off-leash, Sephy is actually better than my Sibes because he has much lower prey drive. He is also a lot more loyal because of his guard dog instincts. As a result, he is less likely to run-off and more likely to stay around his family. However, he will only “come” at his own time and on his own terms.
My Sibes are much better at coming when called. However, if they see a deer, they are gone.
http://shibashake.com/dog/shiba-vs-siberian
http://shibashake.com/dog/why-are-shiba-inus-one-of-the-most-difficult-breeds-to-train
Hi SHibaShake:
I just read most of your info on the site and the comments.
We have had our Shiba Inu for 2 months now, she is 1yr old and my brother had her from a pup. Her name is Gemma. I like many am surprised at how much she is such a fit for our family. I have a 7yr and 10yr old girls, and an older cat. Gemma is so great with the girls playing ball and running with them is such a joy to see. I am left with the task of walks but have had luck getting her to stay at my side. We also occasionally run together she can do a solid 2 miles! We have had luck so far with leaving her in the yard while at work, so far no digging. Wondering if this might change as she get’s older. She does like to move things around the yard, water bowls and brooms. She also will naw on plastic a bit. She doesn’t eat that much either. I have been doing a cup in the am and pm and sometimes she doesn’t finish it all–should I be alarmed? She also has this great little arrr, arrr only when I get home after work—so cute. So far no high pitched scream, thankfully.
Should I expect for changes as she get’s older or she as she will be?
Thanks again
Hello Connie,
Congratulations on your new Shiba!
In terms of food, Sephy doesn’t eat much either. This is very different from my two Sibes who love food more than anything else. I feed Sephy less than a cup per day (grain free, high protein kibble), plus some boiled chicken and chicken treats. Sephy is over 5 now so he has to watch his weight. 😀
As a dog becomes more accustomed to her environment, she may become more confident and start trying out more behaviors. It really depends a lot on the temperament of the individual dog. I find that it works best to stop any undesirable behaviors as early as possible. In this way, it never gets repeated and doesn’t ever develop into a habit.
I had a lot of problems with Sephy in the beginning because I didn’t really address his issues properly, and in some cases made his behavior worse. After I learned how to properly deal with all of his Shiba-maneuvers, things got a lot better. Now, Sephy is on a pretty fixed routine and is actually fairly low maintenance. I still keep an eye out and stop him from his occasional digging on carpets and brief paws on counters. The key with Sephy is to stop things early – before it becomes a bigger thing. 😀
Big hugs to Gemma. It sounds like she is already very well trained and is confident with her environment and routine.
I need your help Shiba dog owners. I have a friend who has a 1 1/2 hr old shiba, and has asked me if I would like to adopt him because he is moving and cannot take him. I am so torn between all the good and bad with these dogs. I grew up with a Golden Retriever and he was the sweetest dog ever! I don’t think I head any horror stories on Goldne’s. I have 2 children (10 & 5) and a cat. I am so nervous I will take on this dog and it will be a nightmare. He crates the dog during the day in which I am not a fan of. ANY advise regards to these dogs, or tips or thoughts on how to intorduce him to everyone and his new home would be VERY helpful. I am taking him for a few days for a “trial run” to see how I feel about him. Thanks!!
Hello Beth,
How is it going with your new furball?
Some things that helped me with Sephy-
1. Routine and consistency – Sephy really likes having a very fixed routine and consistent rules. When things are uncertain, he gets stressed out and starts to act crazy.
2. Rules, rules, rules – I establish a consistent set of house rules that Sephy has to follow. Otherwise, he will take over the house. Following the NILIF program is very helpful with all of my dogs.
3. Exercise and games – I walk Sephy daily for over an hour. We also have play sessions, obedience sessions, grooming, etc. I also make him work for all of his food and everything else that he wants. This directs his energy into positive structured activity, and reduces the chances that he will bust out one of his crazy Shiba-moves. 😀
4. Bite inhibition training – Shibas can sometimes get mouthy, especially when they are young. Bite inhibition training helps a dog to develop a soft mouth especially when interacting with people.
Here are a few more things that I learned from Sephy-
http://shibashake.com/dog/shiba-inu-training-secrets
Good luck! Let us know how it goes.
I had 3 shibas, but had to put one down this year. They were 14, 14, and 11. I have a 2 1/2 year old. They were all great with her. They just really need a lot of excersise when young. I never crated any of mine. They are super.smart. just give toys during the day to occupy if you are not home.
Beth,
I have a female Shiba (Emmie) who is 1 and 1/2 years old. She is one of the smartest dogs I have ever had. He may not get along with your cat. We have a 10 year old cat and they “hate” each other but when Emmie corners the cat she eventually gets bored and moves on. The cat has now learned to stop running and just stare back until Emmie moves on. Other than that the only issue we have with Emmie is we must walk her every day..not so much for exercise but for her to go potty. She like I guess most Shiba’s is very clean and will not (unless it is an emergency) go in our yard. We like to walk so this is not a problem (except when raining or really cold since neither seem to bother her and we still have to walk at least 10 minutes before she considers going??). We don’t have any young kids but we have 5 and 7 year old boys who live next door and they are best buddies with Emmie..as Emmie loves to chase balls and they love to throw them. So she is good with kids…bad with cats if that helps. But she was raised as a puppy with the boys and other kids so that makes a difference I am sure. Hope this helps and I hope your trial is going well.
I’ve loved the article, I recognize my own dog in it! I have a Shiba Inu my own and his name is Kenny. He’s extremely stubborn but also really sweet. He can be alone at home without any problems and yes, he barks when we hears noises around the house. I really adore shiba inu’s they are not boring like some dogs are, but they are very joyful.
I just wrote about a Shiba Inu on Facebook. My son rescued him and dropped him off at my house while we set about finding his human. I wanted a picture to go with my post and found your blog. Fabulous! Its all true. There are two things our Shiba Inu does that I guess that aren’t normal, but this dog seems to be tailor made for our family. He is certainly partial to females. He is the greatest joy to be around. He sleeps at my feet. Aloof? You call him anything but Mortimer, he won’t come, unless you bribe him with a treat. Everyone hates the name of Mortimer but the doggie digs it. I’d have preferred Oliver but Mortimer it is. I love everything you wrote and also the things everyone else wrote. I sure am lucky. This doggie stole my heart and our whole family is united around this dog. He has a home for as long as he wants it.
I have a black and tan shiba that I has been a challenge from the start. Before I had gotten him I had never even heard of the breed. He was this tiny little puppy in a pet store, I don’t buy from pet stores but after three months of him being stuck in a 1X2 crate I could stand to see m like that anymore. He has been a challenge but now two years later, I love him so much. It has all been worth it, I now live in the country with 60 acres for him to run u til he can’t run anymore and I feed him very healthy food, he is the happiest dog in the world and listens pretty well for the most part. He has become such a companion I take him everywhere I go, I throw the top down and he hangs out the door in my lap. By far one of the best companion pets I have ever had, especially in the summer, he loves the water. We go to the lakes and rivers and there is never a time when he is dry. Every but if this article is true to a T, the good and bad and quirky but they really are awesome dogs.
I had a Shiba Inu that I dogsat for my sister while she was over seas. Her and my brother-in-law are in the army so me, mom and dad had they duty. She was hard to manage at first for me and walks were nightmares! hah. I still took her on long walks but she would always take the lead.
I actually started watching that show “The Dog Whisperer” because of Akina my sisters Shiba. So happens I was able to fix everything bad that she would do… except the walks were still nightmares. Than my sister came back from over seas and the shiba was lost to my sister. I felt heart broken… We dog sat for 1 1/2 to 2 years, so I was pretty attached.
My sister ended up having a baby a year and a half ago and everything was fine she said. Than I heard she was doing some behaviors which I took as ‘hearding’ the baby. Yes, at this time I was still watching ‘The Dog Whisper’ and even saw a shiba on the show. Well she ended up getting a little nippy towards the baby and I insisted that we should take the dog back. Supposedly the dog was being in their bed sometimes as well (jealously from the baby) ad pee’d a couple times which is weird.
So I have my shiba Akina back! I picked the dog up and than before entering the house I walked her for 1 1/2 hrs just so she was tired. I never had any issues but I did buff up the house rules with the dog and rules with my parents and how the act with/towards Akina. Dogs and especially Shiba Inu’s are a group effort and everyone needs to go by the sae rules and such. She loves having her belly scratched. I had some tips on ‘mastering the walk’ with the dog and it worked! So I have the walk down pat, and now I run/walk with her each day and she follows right by my side. She does some tricks like sit, stop, heal, law down, jump, both paws, finding the toy when I hide it (I started with a dog toy with a treat inside), crawling and a couple other basic ones.
She is still dog aggressive at times but Im hoping to get her and submissive lab down te street and she if I can get the other dog to help me correct her behavior with dog. Other than dog aggressiveness she comes over all the time for the tummy rub, she loves running, playing fetch.. than I usually have to walk over to get the toy (lol) and some rough housing.
I would say that Shibas are for people with a good prior history with Shibas and to know how to show discipline and remain at the head of the pack. I love the girl.. I get compliments all the time. Shes such a sweety, shy towards new people but if they just ignore her she will get curious 🙂 Great dog. The dog is 5 years old now BTW so remember older dogs can learn new tricks.
Hi. I just adopted a Shiba Inu. He is almost three. Is he going to warm up to me and my boyfriend? He slept in our bed last night but doesn’t seem to like us much?
Shibas are a lot more aloof than many other dog breeds. This is one reason why Shibas are often likened to cats. Sephy is over 5 now and he has learned to trust us a lot more than he did during his puppyhood days. He will sometimes come over to be with us, turn over, and ask for tummy rubs. 😀
However, it is not a frequently occurring thing, and greatly less so than my two other dogs (Siberian Huskies). Husky Lara likes following people around, she likes lying by our feet, she likes attention, playing, and a lot of people interaction.
It is not a matter of liking, it is just a common Shiba trait. Many people like their alone time as well, and so it is with many Shibas.
http://shibashake.com/dog/shiba-vs-siberian
be patient and calm with your new shiba, it may take time for him to trust you, you don’t know what the poor guys past was like. good luck and enjoy him. they are wonderful dogs!
I just got a 3 month old shiba inu american Eskimo mix and I refer to this site so much because it is so helpful but I still having trou le with potty training and I’ve tried everything she even decides to mess on my bed which bothers me I’m stuck and don’t know what to do any suggestions?
Hello Lexie,
Congratulations on your new puppy!
With potty training, I have found that the most important thing is supervision. I always supervise puppy so that I can prevent her from making mistakes in the house, and reward her very well for going outside. When I am too busy to supervise, I put puppy in her crate or long-term enclosure.
Here is more on my potty training and new puppy experiences-
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-potty-training-facts-and-myths
http://shibashake.com/dog/a-new-puppy-first-10-days-of-hell
Hugs to Puppy!
Hi, wonderful site. I keep on reading it and it helps a lot. Thanks!
A have a question. I’m planning to buy a puppy this Fall but I can’t decide which breed HUSKY or SHIBA? I was almost sure that I want a shiba but the more I read the more hesitant I get. I read through all the opinions here and internet and it seems that shiba are difficult to train and communicate with. And that it takes a lot of time before human ans shiba can get on well together. Love for shiba and his good looks help of course but then comes everyday life with lots of challenges for both partners:) I like the quote from Kung Fu Panda II:) I was wondering if husky is not more communicative and easier to get along with. I was considering to buy a female husky. I spend a lot of time outdoors, I ride MTB bike, go for long walks in the mountains and love physical workout. This is why I wanted husky. But on the other hand like most of us I spend 8 hours at work any my husky would have to manage somehow home alone. And my flat is small. There is like 50:50 of advantages and disadvantages of husky and shiba and I really don’t know what decision to make. But can’t image living wihout one or another longer. Please advice. Thanks!
Really nice website! Thanks. We shiba owners are like grandparents:
we are always ready to talk about our shibas. This reminds me of a joke I heard.
Two older men were having coffee. One asked, “Have I shown you the latest
pictures of my grandkids?” The other replied, “No you haven´t, and I really
appreciate it.” I wonder if our friends say the same about our shiba tales.
I live in Mexico and have a 6 year-old shiba named Paco. He is perfect in a
almost every way. What can I say? He is the most devoted dog I have ever owned.
He gets along beautifully with a huge, adopted cat. He obeys well and enjoys
doing whatever I am doing. No one could have a better buddy than a shiba.
LOL! Yeah, some of my friends probably feel that way!
Luckily, there are many dog people in my neighborhood that enjoys “talking dog”. Shania loves people so during our walks she will take me to the houses that she likes most, and waits for her friends to come out with cookies.
Hugs to Paco. I think Sephy needs some lessons from him. 😀
I have two female Shibas, one 9 and the other 10+. An old neighbour of mine had a couple litters(purebred)of them and I became their own private Shiba rescue. I’ve got a runt from one litter and a runt with an underbite from another. I might be blocking out the chewy puppy years but they are great! They are easily the best dogs I’ve ever had! The uderbite doesn’t make a difference in the one accept she can’t get a slice of american cheese off the floor. She also has higher up and not normal front pinky toes (hard to explain). Her knees are also starting to give her problems. I’m wondering how common this is and if there are any other anomolies that specifically Shiba owners may have delt with. She is on joint & hip pills, I massage her so she doesn’t get stiff and keep her active. The massages make my other Shiba sooooo jealous. She gets them too.
Based on what I have read, luxating patella is a pretty common issue with Shibas.
Great site! We have taken on the task of caring for my son’s Shiba for a few months. Her name is Bella and she is about six months old. She is such an adorable little girl but I do have some concerns. We have a six year old male Westipoo named Joe. Well, Joe did not take to Bella very good at all. When Bella first arrived she wanted to play with Joe. They got in a few fights, but I kept believing things would get better. Well, things have only gotten worse. Now Bella is the aggressor. She still would just love to be able to play with Joe, but whenever the mood strikes, she will go after him. I had to pull her off his back the other day, fur in mouth and all. I felt like Joe was ruining her sweet puppy personality, but after reading your site and others, I am finding this is may be normal behavior. I have shed many a tear thinking we are ruining her. I just don’t want to return her to my son a changed dog…and not for the better.
Besides her aggression with Joe, she is starting to get very aggressive in her playing with me and my daughters. I know she means no harm, but those teeth are killer. When she is in that very playful, energetic mode she will go after your feet, legs, arms and even face. It is almost impossible to get her to let up.
I am just needing some advice on how to curb some of this aggression. Is this a normal trait of the Shiba Inu? Please tell me coming into my home has not caused her to become the aggressor of which she will always be.
We love little Bella Boo so much. She is such an awesome puppy and I know it will be a sad day when she does go back home.
Thank you for your help!
Hello Lisa,
My Shiba was certainly a lot more mouthy than my other dogs. He is also a lot more stubborn and requires a lot more calm and patience. We had a difficult time of it initially, mostly because I was not doing the right things for Sephy.
Some things that helped with Sephy-
1. Having a fixed routine.
2. Having very consistent house rules, dog interaction rules, walking rules, etc.
3. I always try to be very calm with Sephy and have a plan for dealing with each of his undesirable behaviors. If I get angry, frustrated, or fearful, Sephy picks up on that right away and gets even more crazy.
4. I follow the NILIF program.
5. I observe Sephy closely and identify the things that motivate him, the things that scare him, what things trigger his mouthiness, and why. In this way I can slowly desensitize him to things that he views as threats.
With Sephy, I find that it is best to stop things before they escalate, and retrain undesirable behaviors as soon as I spot them.
Here is a bit more on my experiences with-
Introducing Sephy to a second dog,
Curbing his mouthiness, and
Dealing with his early puppy craziness.
Getting a good professional trainer with Shiba experience can also be very helpful.
http://shibashake.com/dog/finding-a-dog-trainer
The Shiba Inu forum can also be a good resource. There are many experienced owners there who know their Shibas well.
http://www.shibainuforum.org/forum/
Hello, loved your site it was really informative and sweet. I was just wondering what you meant by the whole leader of the pack, and show him who’s boss, I’ve been thinking about getting a baby shiba and am a bit apprehensive due to the many negative comments I’ve been hearing about them, personally I’m the kind of person that loves showing affection to my pets and wanted to ask is there any way of making a shiba like to show affection (I know it’s a dream :p) I love shibas, they’re some of the cutest puppies ever and would hate to get one that’s completely indifferent about me
Thanks
Heh, yeah I also fell in love with the Shiba-look. However, it took me a while to get used to Shiba Sephy’s aloof nature, which was really not like my childhood experiences with my family dogs. It is in Sephy’s nature to be more aloof, and although he will sometimes ask for tummy rubs, he is usually off by himself. In contrast, both my Sibes are *a lot* more affectionate.
On the other hand, the Sibes are also a lot more energetic, requires a lot more exercise, and requires a lot more people time and attention.
I think I would have done better with a more affectionate breed as a first dog. As it was, Sephy and I had a difficult and rough start of things, mainly because I wanted him to be something that he was not. There is this great quote from Kung Fu Panda that I love-
Dog Training and Kung Fu Panda
Sephy needed house rules, consistency, and a fixed routine. He is most happy when knows what to expect from the people around him, and knows what is expected of him in return.
One very effective way of being leader with Sephy was by following the Nothing in Life is Free program (NILIF). Here us more on my Shiba training experiences-
http://shibashake.com/dog/shiba-inu-training-secrets
I got my Shiba, Shuntaro, when he was about one year old. The first few nights he snapped at me when I tried to pet him and he barked and fussed all night long. After a year and a half now, he is as affectionate as any pet I’ve known. He plays well with our two cats and is always welcoming to visitors. It took a while to gain some normalcy but the challenge was worth it. Shun is a great member of our family. Sometimes he sleeps right by my side. Other nights he’ll be in another room or on the couch. He does what ever he wants.
We have a shiba mix in our family. I have to laugh, though, because she is more like a shiba than anything else, and many of the comments here apply to her. I think the shiba genes are very dominant in a mix.
Moose as a puppy introduced us to the shiba scream – which made my hair stand on end. She is very smart; one of the first things I did for her when little was to rent a movie called Dogs and Cats because she watched television and showed great interest. She sees the difference between humans and animals on screen, and always reacts to animals. Mostly to bark at them – act tough as if they are in our house. She really responds to elephants and horses on screen. We have to tell her to be nice to the animals on the TV.
She also is aggressive towards other dogs while on the harness. I have followed The Dog Whisperer’s advice and constantly have to remind her: No barking at dogs! Be nice to other dogs. Most of the time she will (now) actually listen, if not surprised by another dog behind her. She does understand our disappointment when she lunges at another dog. She herself was attacked by a few dogs who broke off from their owner’s grip. It was very scary. She acted like she could defend herself, but it was a dangerous situation.
Moose also will stare until you read her mind; hold out for the treat she wants until she realizes it’s not coming; bares her teeth when playing and growls when playing with you and her stuffed animals. She has destroyed so many stuffed animals that we began buying her flat fabric animals with no stuffing.
She can finish a bone in fifteen minutes that would take a big breed dog a week to devour. She’s like a machine.
We love her personality so much it would be hard to have a different kind of dog. The Shiba part of her is mellowed out by the mix I guess; but she is so funny and intelligent. THe stubborn part can drive one to distraction.
Similar to another post, she absolutely flips if we even mention the words “Cut nails.” When I used to cut our cats nails, Moose would run back and forth to look, then hide. If we say, “clip” her ears and tail go down and she slinks away. It’s frustrating because she needs her nails clipped and we have to take her to a vet to do it – after sedating her a bit with benadryl.
I know you folks are talking abour pure shibas, but thought I’d like to add that a shiba mix is also pretty amazing and actually tones down some of the shiba qualities (like bolting out of a yard, etc.) quite a bit.
dsl
p.s.
Moose also grazes like a cow. Yesterday she was so into eating grass in the park, that she laid flat down rather than move on when I tried to get her to stop. I wasn’t sure if it was good for her to eat so much grass. But reading these posts has made me think otherwise. We discovered a good non-fattening treat for her, by the way, is a carrot. Not too many. Just one or two small baby carrots. they are crunchy and she loves them.
Hello Diane,
Thanks for sharing Moose’s story with us. She sounds wonderful, funny, and full of Shiba goodness! 😀
Sephy was also reactive to other dogs. We did a lot of dog-to-dog desensitization exercises with him, which was very helpful in getting him to stay more calm.
http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-to-dog-aggression#desensitize
LOL! Yeah – Sephy also loves getting all the stuffing out. He doesn’t eat the stuff – just treats it like a puzzle.
Hahaha – yeah Shibas have large teeth relative to their size and they are big time chewers. Sephy chews so hard that he cracked one of his teeth on a deer antler several years ago. Now I make sure to only get him chew toys that are too hard.
That a great suggestion! My Sibes love eating carrots and some fruits. Sephy is not really into it as much though. He is more of a meat guy.
Big hugs to Moose!
I love your page! I’ve read it multiple times before and after gettin my shiba. I reasached them for months before deciding I could handle one after havin trained my mini American Eskimo, who is an absolute princess! My shiba is named Koda and he is just about 3 months. He’s so smart and pretty good from some horror stories I’ve read. Koda loves to play and run, and is usually content being just near me, although he enjoys his alone time haha! He is the typical little brother to my mini eski, he constantly annoys her but adores her to pieces! Potty training is so simple it’s crazy! I’d say Koda’s only major issues, other than any normal puppy behavior, is his mouthiness and that evil shiba look/growl if you anger him. I don’t let him think he can intimidate me or get his way, which seems to help, but I would definitely like some advice here. I don’t want him to think that behavior is acceptable ever. Otherwise I’m in love with this little man! He’s skiddish at times, but is usually willing and trusting to follow me anywhere. Thanks for the info!
Hello Kate,
Congratulations on your new Shiba puppy!
With Sephy bite inhibition training was very helpful. I think it is his instinct to use his mouth much more so than I have noticed with my Sibes. Training Sephy to have a soft mouth really helped with his other issues later on. I still keep up with it today, and it is great that he takes food out of my hand calmly and gently.
In terms of growling, Sephy sometimes growls while he is playing. He will also occasionally growl in warning, for example letting my Sibe pup know that he is not interested in playing. I will step in then and get puppy to do something else. He may also growl when he feels threatened. In general, I try to look at his entire body posture and surrounding context to determine what he is trying to say to me.
In terms of mouthiness, timeouts work very well on Sephy. I first start by no-marking the behavior (Ack-ack) and then give him an alternate command or redirect him into doing something else. If he does this, I praise and reward him with good stuff. If he continues, then I stand up, fold my arms and ignore him. If he escalates his behavior, then I calmly put him in a timeout.
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-biting-how-to-stop-puppy-biting#timeout
Big hugs to Koda!
This is a great site….. We got Karlos about 4 months ago from a animal rescue, we were told he was a Akita & today I was told he was a shiba inu. He is a great little guy (well not so little 40 lb) Karlos matches all the traits that were talked about. He does like the water but not over his head, he just chases the waves & tries to bite the waves…. The one thing he HATES the most is being brushed, that is the only time he bites…. & it drives me nuts anytime someone comes over he just barks & barks I like that he does that, but when I want him to stop he will not…. he is SO great with our 4 kids waits EVERYDAY for them to get off the bus to greet them. a few times we have put him on his run & we left he got lose and did not run away, as soon as I got home I could see that he was not on his run, so I started to freak out, but to my surprise he was laying on the porch… I just wanted to thank you for this great page…
That is so sweet! Karlos sounds like a wonderful guy.
Sephy also did not like handling and grooming when he was young. We went slowly, and it took some time, but now he will tolerate brushing and teeth brushing for his favorite chicken + sausage dish. 😀
I think with Sephy it is a matter of getting him comfortable with something and working it into his routine. He is very routine oriented, and once something is part of his routine he is fine with it.
Big hugs to Karlos and many thanks for your comment!
Just lost my baby Rusty after 14 years of kidney failure. He was a rescue that I got when he was 1 year old. Although he was all Shiba I was able to get him to walk off leash after years of training. I know that he was very special in this area. He was so laid back. He was Alpha male when it came to other dogs. He loved his walks, at least 1 hour each weeknight, then 1 1/2 hours on the weekends. Even at the end he walked for an hour 2 days before he left us. I was very lucky to have him and wonder if I could ever find another Shiba with his personality.
Hello Bill,
Thanks for sharing Rusty’s story with us. He definitely sounds like a very special Shiba.
I had a very close bond with my childhood dog – a mutt. I still think of him often and imagine how he would get along with my current dogs. He was active, brave, and always ready for adventure – much like a Shiba! But at the same time, he was always willing to sit quietly with me and listen to all my problems and secrets.
I would love to see some pictures of Rusty. Please share some picture links with us when you have the time.
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://shibashake.com/dog/how-to-stop-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.com/dog/my-shiba-inu-story
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* an aversive 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!
Have you tried to change brands of dog food. Sounds like an allergic reaction to food………. check with your vet or others who are more experienced.
I have just adopted a Shiba Inu mix “Sunny” she is around 2 and has lived with me now for going on three weeks. This site SO helpful with things I did not know about her. The using of the dog yard, she has no interest and will wait for quite a while to use our walks.
I have two cats, so far, they are not happy that I brought Sunny home. She has been OK because I have been supervising their time together. I hope and think they will be fine eventually. Both cats loved my dog (lost my black lab mix in March) with whom they lived with for over 10 years. So “Sunny” and i have work to do.
Just wanted to put an FYI out there. Took my dog to the vet for an eye infection. A week later turns out she has glacoma. Today, just came back from the ophthalmologist, good news her pressure went from 55 to 32. Still need to bring that down but we will. Turns out my 5 year old Bella is now blind in her right eye. I was told by the ophthalmologist that this common in Shiba Inu’s.Once they get it in the one eye, Bella is predisposed to getting it in they other eye. We r doing preventitive measures now. But GET YOUR SHIBA’S EYE PRESSURE TESTED. I haven;t stopped crying since I got home. My biggest fear, what do I do if she goes blind in the other eye? Get your doggies tested!!!!!
Hello Dakota,
Thanks for bringing up this really important topic. I have also made it into a post –
http://shibashake.com/dog/dogs-and-glaucoma
Big hugs to Bella. When you have some time, please let us know how Bella is doing with the preventative treatment.
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 an aversive 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.com/dog/puppy-biting-tips-solutions