This Shiba Inu puppy cam thing is extremely addictive!
They are so cute, and their mannerisms are so similar to my Shiba.
Shiba Inus, however, are a difficult breed to care for.
Shibas are aloof, naturally dominant, and do not generally like being handled, hugged, or held. They are not lap dogs.
Shibas are energetic, extremely intelligent, and need a lot of mental and physical stimulation.
Shibas need a lot of attention, and they like being inside the house with their humans. If left alone for too long, they will become bored, destructive, and will probably escape to find adventure elsewhere.
Do you still want to get a Shiba puppy?
For those brave souls, check out the breeder list at the National Shiba Club of America or adopt from a Shiba Rescue.
If you love Shibas, do not get a puppy from the pet store. Most, if not all of the puppies in pet stores come from back-yard-breeders or puppy mills.
Hi there! Great page with many interesting experiences. We are looking at taking in a Shiba Inu of 3.5 years as the family (3 kids!) it is with now no longer has the time to devote to the dog unfortunately. The dog has been very well trained (puppy and obedience training) and can even walk off the leash, has grown up with kids and is not averse to strangers. I am just wondering what we should be looking at to make the transition for the dog as smooth as possible from the only family home she has known to a whole new environment with just 2 adults.
Congratulations on adopting a Shiba! 😀
My Shiba really needs his routine, or he will get stressed and unhappy. When we moved, I set up a fixed routine for him right away, that is similar to his previous routine. I also set up a consistent set of rules. Routine and consistency help to reduce uncertainty, and that in turn helps to reduce stress.
Sephy also really loves to go hiking, so after we moved, I took him on longer hikes in quiet trails (during off hours). In this way, he has a fun but relaxing activity, which is also a good outlet for his anxious energy.
I would get as much information as possible from the current owners about his routine, what he likes and dislikes, what type of training he is used to, what activities he enjoys, etc. The more you know about him, the easier you can make the transition.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Hi ShibaShake! We Might be getting a Shiba Inu for Christmas and like you this is our very first dog, (if we get him) and yes like you, we are devoted to getting a challenging dog. Do you have any tips for us if we get him? Hope you can reply back 🙂
Esther
Congratulations on your upcoming Shiba puppy!
I think that what helps most when I get a new puppy is to set up a fixed routine and a consistent set of rules. Then, I slowly teach my puppy those rules, by following the Nothing in Life is Free program. I also devote a lot of time to bite inhibition exercises. Proper socialization is also important for my dogs.
More on how I train a new puppy.
I write a lot more about my Shiba experiences here-
http://shibashake.com/shiba-inu-tips-information-care
We have an 8-month-old Shiba Inu pup and she is definitely everything we’ve read about: independent, very smart, very stubborn. But at the same time, she is very loving and does not mind at all being held – in fact, she totally loves it when we pick her up sometimes and take her to a very large pen (1/4 acre) so she can run to her heart’s content. She loves being rubbed at any time. We have pretty much controlled her excessive licking – we simply say No and push her head away – after a few times, she “got” it.
She does get bored easily, so we have to make sure that she has plenty of toys around. She loves being in my office, underneath my desk on a cushy bed – and often raids the waste paper basket to pull out cardboard, papers, etc., and entertain herself in her bed. Definitely a very messy ‘housekeeper’!
We have also found that it is much safer for all of us (we have another dog) if she sleeps in her crate at nights (on a very cushy blanket, of course), next to the other dog who is free to roam around the house (he’s a Shepherd, definitely not destructive at all). We started doing this when she would not stop peeing and pooping during the nights, right by the front door. It got too tiresome waking up and having to clean it all up before even having our first cup of coffee! Plus, we wanted to get her out of the habit. It has worked very nicely. Not only does she hold it all night, but when we take her out in the mornings, she takes her sweet time sniffing around before she does anything. And no more accidents inside the house.
We are enjoying her very much, she is very entertaining and makes us laugh a lot. We love her “little bark” – so far, have not heard her wailing or screaming. But, that may come with time.
After having about a dozen dogs over our lifetime, we must definitely agree that she is, by far, the most challenging. Also, the most intelligent.
i just purchased a supposed 3 mo old puppy from purebreedbreeders.com first and foremost we purched her and she was flown in to lax on02/06/13. when we read the medical records that were attached to her carrier crate, it stated she was 20 wks old. she was very lethargic, not eating the first few days, but we made the effort to place both food and water in her mouth. we figured she was probably traumatized due to the flight. the following day 02/07/13 we found out at her puppy well exam she had a growth approx 2-3 inches below umbilical cord , puppy discharge, puppy vaginitis and brown liquid seeping from both ears. mind u none of this was stated on the puppy medical exam as of 02/04/13. she is now eating, but is lethargic , and faces the wall all day, not potty trained , and stares at the wALL ALL DAY. we also take her to the park and all she does is lay on the grass with her head down. mind u she has to b carried outside as she has not taken to the leash, harness, we have been told it seems like she is a broken animal. this is from the vet, cert. trainer and local brdr. help please we love her but we dont know what else to do. know that seller & brdr have rcvd money they state there is nothing they will do. anybody have any insight to help this poor pup?
Thanks for telling us your story. It is heart-breaking.
I would probably focus on the physical issues first. What does the vet say? Can most of the physical issues be treated?
I would also report the fraud.
Here is what the AKC recommends –
This article from the Humane Society has more information on how we can take action against such practices.
http://www.humanesociety.org/forms/tell_us_your_puppy_mill_story.html
This article also suggests reporting to the Internet Crime Complaint Center and Better Business Bureau.
How is your pup doing now? That is so sad. I wonder if she originated at a puppy mill? I was very fortunate to have purchased our pup online from puppyfind.com – I contacted the seller, who breeds Shiba Inu pups and asked many questions. I followed the advice from puppyfind.com and requested photos with a piece of paper next to the puppy showing my name. The breeder was very patient with me, answered all my questions. When we picked up our pup at the airport, she was also very quiet and we thought that it was from the trip – however, we have since found out that whenever she meets anyone for the first time, she acts exactly the same way.
Thankfully, she is in very good health and very alert. I do hope your pup has improved – she sure sounds like she deserves all the love and care you are so willing to give her.
I will consider myself lucky then because my 3 year old male shiba LOVES cuddling. He is soo snuggly. If he is laying down comfortably and I sit on the floor he will get right up and lay with me. He is such a treasure, and 3 legged too! Which he of course uses to get more attention from people, HAHA.
You are definitely lucky to have a cuddle Shiba!
I also have a 3 legged dog – a Siberian Husky. She is also extremely sweet, very affectionate, and gets cuddles and cookies from many of the people that we meet during our travels.
3 legged dogs RULE! 😀