The Shiba Inu is a very beautiful dog. However, behind that foxy face, is a dominant, stubborn, intelligent, and extremely mischievous personality. This can make them a challenge to care for.
Indeed Shiba Inus are not for the faint-hearted, and they are not recommended for first-time dog owners.
Despite this warning, my heart was already set on a Shiba Inu puppy. I had a lot of free time then, so I thought I would be able to handle one little dog. After all, how difficult can a small puppy be?
Little did I know, a Shiba Inu can be a major pain in the ass!
Even dog veterans have problems with their first Shiba. In fact, many experienced trainers were unable to handle my Shiba Sephy.
Here are the Shiba Inu training secrets that helped me turn my devil dog into a model citizen. Well, maybe not a model citizen, but a fun citizen that I truly enjoy living with.
1. There are No Miracle Cures
When I first got Shiba Sephy, he was a big challenge.
Some of his favorite daily activities include biting my hands, running crazily around the house, biting on curtains, vicious leash biting, jumping on me and others, humping my leg, and much more.
I was desperate to get him under control, and did a lot of research online and off-line. I read a lot of online articles and bulletin boards. I called local dog trainers, watched all the dog training shows on television, and read a lot of dog training books.
During this time, I found something that looked like a miracle … a 10 minute Shiba online training program. According to this advertisement, there were some special “Shiba words” that will magically turn a Shiba into a Lassie. Yeah right!
Luckily, I did not succumb to my desperation, and did not buy this product.
The fact is, there are NO “miracle cures” for training a Shiba Inu.
The secret of Shiba training, is simply to exercise extreme patience, and find humor in our Shiba’s antics. Use reward obedience training, and always be firm but fair.
A Shiba will probably never be a Lassie, or perfect dog. However, if you are looking for a dog with a big personality, who will always make you laugh with his sneaky and roguish ways, then the Shiba Inu is for you.
2. Use Passive Resistance
The best way to deal with Shiba Inu misbehavior is through passive resistance.
Shibas get bored easily and do not like being ignored. They really enjoy their freedom, and also like being close to their human pack. We can control a Shiba best by controlling these most desired resources: our attention, and his freedom.
If we actively try to stop our Shiba either through physical punishment (e.g. alpha rolls, leash jerk) or active restraint, he will fight back. This encourages him to practice rough play, and biting on people.
If we back away, or become fearful of our Shiba, he will learn that he “wins” by showing dog aggression.
If we over-correct our Shiba by exerting too much physical force, or by correcting him too frequently, we will lose his trust, and it is difficult to regain a Shiba Inu’s trust.
What works best with a Shiba is NOT to engage in a physical competition, but rather to engage in a mental one.
There are certain resources that Sephy really enjoys including walks, treats, toys, and his freedom.
When I want to take him on his walk, I go to the door with his lead, and call him to me. Initially, he would dally and not really want to come, because he wants to go walking on his own schedule. I count to three. If he does not come, I leave and go about my own business.
After a short time, Sephy will amble over, and pester me to take him on his walk. This is done through begging, and whining. I ignore all this bad dog behavior. When I have a break in my schedule again, I repeat the above exercise.
A Shiba will quickly learn that to get the resources that he wants most (e.g. go on walks), he has to do it according to our rules, and our schedule. It is important to practice the Nothing in Life is Free (NILIF) program with a Shiba.
Set a Shiba Inu up for success, so that we can reward him frequently, and keep him interested in doing what we want.
Another Shiba favorite is to steal something he is not supposed to, and then run away with it, thereby engaging a fun chase game.
A Shiba Inu is very agile, and it will be difficult for us to catch him. I always try to keep an eye out for my sneaky Shiba, and stop him before he steals an object. I also put a drag lead on him, so that I can easily catch him by stepping on the lead.
Note: Use a regular flat collar with the drag lead, and not an aversive collar. Aversive collars such as prong collars or choke chains, should only be used during supervised training sessions. Cut the loop on the drag-lead, so that it does not catch on anything in the house.
3. Rules, Rules, Rules
Shiba Inus are naturally dominant. If we do not provide them with rules, that we consistently enforce, they will take over the house.
It is best to enforce those rules as early as possible. This ensures that Shiba does not develop any bad habits later on, that will be more difficult to break.
Some of Shiba Sephy’s rules:
1. No Biting
The most important rule that I place on Sephy, is no biting on people. Shiba Inus are a very mouthy breed. Their instinct is to use their mouth in a wide variety of situations, including when they are excited, frustrated, and fearful.
They also have large teeth, and can accidentally hurt children and seniors. If Sephy starts biting on me or on others, I no-mark the behavior (Ack, ack). If he continues, I put him on a time-out.
It is also important to teach a Shiba bite inhibition. In this way, when he loses control of himself and does bite, he will not cause much harm.
2. No Food Aggression or Resource Guarding
Prevent our Shiba Inu from guarding resources. Shibas have a don’t back down, don’t surrender attitude. Therefore, the best way to teach them not to guard resources, is to use reward training techniques.
Show them that people and other dogs coming near them, while they are eating or playing with their toys, is a good thing. Prevent stealing, and practice exchanging objects. This teaches them that giving up something, does not mean it is gone forever.
If we use physical force to grab a toy away from our Shiba, he will likely become more possessive over his objects. He will also lose trust in us, and may use aggression to protect himself, and his belongings.
3. No Rough Play
I do not play rough with Sephy. He gets to wrestle with my other dogs, but no wrestling is allowed with humans.
I also do not play any dominance games with him, for example, no Tug-of-War. The few times that I did play Tug with Shiba Sephy, he followed very strict rules during the game. However, when I took him out for walks, he would start playing tug with the leash (leash biting).
4. Socialize Our Shiba Inu
Shiba Inus can get aggressive to unfamiliar things including objects, dogs, people, and environments.
They are also naturally stubborn, and may become aggressive when forced to do things that they do not like.
Socialize our young Shiba to many sights, sounds, and smells, and he will be ready to handle new things as a confident, and well-balanced adult. Make sure that new experiences are always positive, and at worst, neutral.
Some things to consider while socializing our Shiba Inu:
1. Shiba Inus have an extreme play style, that many dogs may not like.
When he was young, I used to take Sephy to enclosed dog parks. During this time, his favorite play partners were larger dogs, and young Pit Bulls. Shibas like doing wrestling and rough play, which can easily overwhelm other small dogs.
Choose our Shiba’s play-mates carefully, so that a fun time can be had by all.
2. Shiba Inus dislike handling.
Socialize a Shiba to touching and grooming, as early as possible. Pair the touch and groom sessions with very good treats, so that he will associate handling with positive experiences.
Do not use physical force to do any grooming. This will make it into an unpleasant experience, and our Shiba will fight us every step of the way.
Instead, groom gently, and make it short, fun, and rewarding.
3. Shiba Inus do not generally like people petting them from above.
Petting from above can be seen as a dominance move by dogs, and Shibas may see this as a threat.
We can slowly desensitize our Shiba to this move, by pairing head petting with good food rewards. At the same time, instruct people to approach from under our dog’s head, and scratch his chest.
5. Control Our Own Energy
An important thing to remember while interacting with our Shiba, is to control our own energy.
Shiba Inus are especially sensitive to the energy of their owners, and the people around them.
When I first got puppy Sephy, he was extremely mouthy. In particular, he would resort to biting when I stopped him from doing something unacceptable.
This made me become afraid of him.
The more afraid I became, the worse Sephy behaved. As soon as I got fearful, he would start to hump my leg, grab my clothes, jump on me, or bite my hands, arms, and legs.
Anger and frustration will also elicit extreme Shiba behaviors.
In the early days, I had a dog walker take Sephy out for group walks at the park. When the walker tried to stop Sephy from doing something disruptive, he would object, and try out one of his Shiba moves, including alligator rolls, leash biting, hand biting, and of course the Shiba scream.
The dog walker naturally got embarrassed when Sephy screamed like he was about to die. There were other people around, and some of them thought that she was mistreating the poor dog. Sephy easily sensed her embarrassment and frustration. From then on, the Shiba scream was his favorite weapon to use against her.
With a Shiba Inu, it is important to stay calm at all times.
If we lose our cool, Shiba will sense it and continue to use this weakness against us.
The best way to handle a misbehaving Shiba, is to stay calm, and remove him to a quiet, lower stimulus area, as soon as possible. If he continues with his bad behavior, he gets his freedoms revoked with a time-out. Remember that fear, anger, frustration, and other extreme emotions will only make the problem worse.
Once I was able to control my fear and remain calm, things improved significantly with my Shiba.
Sephy will never be a model-citizen, but nowadays, he is actually very fun to be with. He is goofy, he is funny, and he usually stays out of serious trouble.
Shibas can be a big challenge to live with, but they are well worth the effort. They have a great personality, and they are always up to something that will make us laugh.
I love my Shiba Inu.
He is one of my best buddies, and whenever I see him, I just have to smile.
dear shibashake,
I have a one year old shiba inu and basset hound. She is a rescued dog from Taiwan and is very sneaky. Usually when my family leaves the house she would be in the house. She had been good not stealing food, but now she steals food all the time off the counter like bread and bagels. today she got peaches. I have taught her to sit shake. but, she wont come when i call her. My mom got chickens and it is important that she knows how to come. to of our chickens past away due to our dog. Any tips on how to teach her now to lye down and come. Anything to stop stealing? thanks!
Hello Mia,
Yeah Sephy really loves to steal things as well. Initially, supervision is very important. Every time he tries to jump onto the counter I non-mark him and take him to timeout. In this way he learns that jumping up on the counter = no food and loss of freedom.
However, this only works if I can supervise him and prevent him from getting the food or objects on the counter. Otherwise, if he keeps getting stuff off the counter, then he is being rewarded for that behavior, and he will keep repeating that behavior.
When I was too busy to supervise him during puppyhood, I put him in his crate or in his play room (where there are a lot of toys but no counters). This prevents him from practicing the counter stealing behavior and getting rewarded for it when I am not around.
Other possibilities include using sound aversion techniques –
– Sound scat pad.
– Putting metal bowls on top of the counter, so that if he knocks them down, it will make an unpleasant clanging sound. Make sure to only use light bowls that can’t hurt the dog.
As for recall, Shibas have a stubborn personality, and it is difficult to get 100% recall with them. If there is something else that is more interesting, they will go do that instead. Since Shibas are hunting dogs, chickens are very high priority. It would be difficult to trump that natural instinct to chase after prey. It may be easiest to simply keep Shiba in a different area than the chickens.
I was wondering about the the hair that raises up on the shiba inu’s back when it’s mad or excited. It’s like a ruffy little mane thing.
Also, how often should a shiba inu be bathed?
Thanks!
Sincerely,
Cindy
Hello Cindy,
Yeah, it is actually something that many dogs do – “raised hackles” (piloerection). As I understand it, animals do this so that they appear larger and look more intimidating. However, dogs may sometimes also do this when they are excited.
Also, how often should a shiba inu be bathed?
Shibas tend to be very clean dogs so I don’t bathe my Shiba much. When his fur starts feeling a bit grimy, I play the water hose game with him, and that usually gets the dirt out.
“Not more than once a month” was the advice I got from my breeder. Bathing too often can result in dry skin and may wash away essential oils from the coat. Show dogs probably get bathed more often depending on show schedules, but I only give my Shiba a bath when he needs it.
Hello There!
First let me start by say that your website really warmed my heart and made me smile when I really needed it! We have a 2 year old Shiba who I absolutely adore. His name is Koda and we have had him since he was 8 months old. Koda and I were able to bond a lot when my fiance was deployed to Kuwait for 4 months and he was the perfect dog to have by my side when I was alone. When he was gone Koda instinctively took on the protector role and made sure nothing bad could possibly happen to his mom! When I read your stories I laugh because I picture Koda doing the exact same things as Sephy does. The reason I am writing is to ask for advice on disciplining. Koda’s life recently changed when a family member moved into our home temporarily and we can tell that he has not adapted well at all however the worst problem we have experienced was two recent displays of toy aggression. I have read many articles but I am not sure they will work with a dog with a personality like his. Since the two episodes of the aggression we have completely cut Koda off from having chew toys I know this is probably not best fix but for now this is what I had to go with. Because of these episodes I am extremely fearful and I am sure that this is not helping the situation. My main question would be how do we integrate chew toys back into his life successfully and what is the proper way to handle him should he try to bite us when trying to take them back?
Hello Melissa,
Yeah Shibas do have a pretty strong protection/guard drive. Sephy used to protect his stuff when he was a puppy. During walks he would always try to put everything he sees in his mouth, and I removed all of those things by force. This made him associate me coming over to him with “losing his stuff”. As a result, he started to protect his resources.
Some things that helped with Sephy –
1. Playing the object exchange game.
2. Setting him up for success – I started observing him like a hawk and stopped him before he got any bad stuff in his mouth. In this way I don’t have to forcibly remove things from him.
3. Add food to his chew toys and help him with getting food out. In this way he starts to associate me with getting more stuff instead of losing his stuff.
With Sephy, I found that it was very important not to go too quickly. I started with very low priority items and then slowly worked my way up to higher priority items. Also, Sephy trusts people in his immediate family a lot more than other people. Therefore, he may not guard with me, but he may guard with new people and very likely with new dogs. I always remove all high priority items when introducing new people or new dogs. Sephy does not trust new people or dogs easily, but once he gives his trust, he really looks out for them. Koda sounds like he is the same way. 😀
Here are some of my experiences with Sephy and resource guarding –
http://shibashake.com/dog/stop-food-aggression-stop-resource-guarding
http://shibashake.com/dog/resource-guarding-shiba-inu
Big hugs to Koda!
Hey There! I have a 3 months and 2 week old shiba , his name is Tuffy! I heard everything about this breed before I got hims o I knew what I was getting myself in to.My shiba got tray trained within days, next thing you know he was peeing and pooping all over the place. That started when I started taking him out for walks. ( As I had to keep him in until all his shots were done ). It was really frustrating in the beginning but I kept a strict walking schedule and did not punish him for going in the house, eventually he got the hang of it, and the accidents have stopped. I have learned that with Shiba’s you have to be extremely firm and patient. If they sense that you are trying to enforce a new behavior on them they get really stubborn to a point of being stupid,lol but staying firm and hanging in there will eventually do the trick. YES he loves biting my hands and I keep trying to tell him not to do it by distracting him with toy’s and chewy treats but alas to no effect, we are still working on that. Going to the park is another mission,lol YES he rough plays and scares the crap out of other dogs, so I try to keep him away until I see a big dog who looks patient and interested and then I take him t that dog. People give me really funny looks when I try to correct him, or when he rough plays with other digs, people don’t know how a shiba’s personality is so my they don’t get why I’m holding him back and being firm with him. or they just pull their dog’s back which I think actually makes Tuffy a little sad,lol. and yes don’t even start me with the gator rolls,and leash biting. But you know what he’s my baby and with patience and consistent guidance he will improve (hopefully)! I still love him to death though:)
Hello Maha,
Thanks for sharing Tuffy’s stories with us. He sounds a lot like Sephy! 😀
Hi ShibaShake…Shiba Sasha and I have been having some issues when I have guests over. She just had her first birthday and has been maturing along nicely, training is an on I going process, some days she is an obedient angel…others a stubborn shiba head. but I have been lucky and never dealt with any major “bad dog” issues…until I have friends stay over and give them more attention than I give Sasha. The first time was during a friends wedding back in Feb…we had several people staying with us, Sasha enjoys the company, loves to play with everyone, but when we were in and out of the house often, we would arrive to something torn up inside…which is something she NEVER does, that time it was a leather belt….torn to shreds. She immediately hid under the bed upon our discovery of it although I did not yell or scold her…I assume since dogs live in the moment this wouldn’t be productive…is this correct?
This past weekend our best friends have been staying with us, Sasha is perfectly lovely while we are all here, no whining or barking, she seems content just happy to watch everyone and eager to get some attention and chase a few balls every now and then. But as soon as we leave and return back we have been finding an item in the same spot in the very middle of the living room floor completely destroyed…day one-the novel “girl with a dragon tattoo”..completely shredded, day two-a straw sushi mat shredded, day three-black ink pen, four-a coupon for golf…all completely random and arbitrary items..not things she “likes” to mess with like tissues or tennis shoes both of which were readily available…we always have tons of shoes out, she hasn’t touched them..I dont know whether to just ignore the behavior, put her in a crate when we have guests over and we leave the house, or punish her when she tears stuff up. It really seems as if she is jealous of her parents doting on anyone else beside her and is acting out when she is alone…I dont want to give human attributes to a non human situation though. What is your opinion and what do you think the best solution would be?? We dont have guests over very often but she loves our friends that we visit often and she really is very friendly with new people and remembers those she has met before clearly. Sorry for such a long post, thanks for your time!!!
Cynthia and Sasha boo
Hello Cynthia,
Based on your description it sounds like it could be from stress or anxiety.
From observing Shiba Sephy, he gets stressed whenever there are any changes in his routine. He also thinks of himself as the caretaker of everyone in the house, so when people are missing (not according to schedule) he can get stressed.
When Sephy gets stressed he often tries to relieve his stress by chewing on things. While we were going through Shania’s surgeries, there were big changes to our routine, and during that time Sephy chewed up a lot of things – including some headphones. Luckily he isn’t really interested in eating the stuff.
Once we were done with that, Sephy settled back down.
The common way for dealing with such anxiety issues is to desensitize Shiba to them. For example, Sephy used to also get stressed when we went grocery shopping during the weekends. To get him over that, we would sometimes both leave the house during the weekends, but only for very short periods of time. We started with just a few minutes – step out, step back in.
Then we slowly lengthened the time.
Your scenario is a bit higher level than that since it also involves having people over. But perhaps desensitizing her to having nobody in the house outside of her routine would be of some help.
As you say, putting her in her crate is another possibility, but if she gets too stressed she may try to break out of her crate and hurt herself. I would first try it for shorter durations and see how she does.
Another possibility is to get a dog walker to take her out during those times, or do a short daycare session.
Here is an article on dog separation anxiety that may have more ideas.
Let us know how it goes. Hugs to Sasha!
I have a shiba male who is 14 months old. Initially, he was very close to being house broken using a crate-method. We went away on vacation and he stayed with my sister-in-law and her 2 kids and played tons but was off his usual bathroom schedule. When we came back, we went back to intermittent crating. By this, I mean he is in the crate at night, then we take him outside until he pees or poops. If he does, we reward him, give him treats and let him around the house until about 5-7pm which is when he would have to usually go again. He also knows how to ring the bell on the door to signal he has to go. However, as of late, he refuses to pee or poop outside until noon or even later. As such, he’s in the crate without food for a very long time. When we do let him out (after he pees/poops) sometimes even 2 hours later, he’ll randomly urinate on the floor. He used to never do that. So then he gets put in his crate again and we take him out to have him go to the bathroom which he never does, so he’s in the crate again until the morning. I’m really frustrated. Any suggestions? When he does pee on the floor, we yell in a stern voice, “bad boy, no!” Anything else we should do?
thanks,
tpj
Hello tpj,
What has worked for potty training my dogs is to keep them on a fixed eating, resting, play, and walk schedule. They get fed, walked, crated, etc. always at fixed and consistent times. I follow the same schedule whether or not they have pooped or pee-ed. In this way, they know what to expect, and when to expect it.
Also, my new puppy has reminded me that constant supervision is key when it comes to potty training. 😀
I have noticed that my Shiba especially really needs to have a fixed routine. When his routine changes, he gets stressed, and may start “acting-out” simply because he no longer knows what is expected of him.
In terms of what to do when puppy makes a mistake, I always just non-mark her (Ack, ack) in a normal voice (no yelling). Then I take her out for her to finish doing her business. If she does, I reward her very well with treats and her favorite games. Then I come back in and clean-up while she is outside in the enclosed backyard.
During potty training, I took my puppy out very often – at least once every two hours and more often than that if she has been playing inside the house. Activity and play usually makes a dog have to go. How often a dog should be taken out is dependent on age, the dog’s activity, health, etc.
In general, I take my puppy out more than is necessary. This helps to maximize successes and minimize failures so that she keeps getting reinforced for going outside, and she does not practice going on the inside. If she doesn’t need to go, that is fine. We come back in and resume our usual schedule.
Here are more of my experiences on puppy potty training.
Of course, a harnass. Why didn’t I think of that? I think I have one in the house I can use (it was for an old dog of ours when he was a puppy and might be just the right size for a half grown Shiba).
I’m not super worried about getting it on him. We handle Kiba a lot and I think he’s used to the indignanty of me poking and proding him however I want without regard to his pride. He’s still okay with others picking him up and poking him too (neighborhood kids, the vet, etc).
Now, if we could just un-teach him how to climb the stairs…
Loved all your comments.
I have two Shibas, that are three years old. A male, Todd and a Female Copper. I got Copper when she was 12 weeks old and rescued Todd at nine months old. From the begging they have been perfect playmates. They play hard as all Shibas do. They get two long walks a day. They both are very friendly. But they do have to show they are Shibas when they come in contact with dogs they don’t know on their walks. Once they get to know the dog then they are very friendly.
My only problem with them is they have to be on leash at all times. When they have gotten loose, then off they go and they are hard to catch. At home they mind very good when given a treat and will do their normal, sit, come, stay ect. But once they get outdoors no way will they come to you if they get loose.
I want to take a vacation next year without them and am worried about how I can find someone who will be able to take care of them. I am so afraid they will get loose on their walks and the person taking care of them will not be able to get them back. Yes I need someone that understands Shibas, they are definately not like any other dog!
Yeah I know what you mean. My Shiba really hates going to daycare places. I am thinking that perhaps I can get him used to a sitter/trainer, so that if I have to leave, there will be someone he is comfortable with who can house-sit and walk him.
In terms of getting loose on walks, I now use the Premier no-slip martingale collar. It works great at preventing Sephy from escaping during walks.
Premier Pet Collar Medium 1-Inch, Red
We’ve just started walking Kiba in the neighborhood (vaccinations are FINALLY done). Whew.
So, my problem is leash pulling. He doesn’t try to bite it at all yet, and he will sit to put the leash on and sit to go outside – but once we’re walking, he pulls so hard he chokes himself and starts to wheeze.
I’ve tried pulling the other way, trying to get him to sit, etc, to no affect. He’s not pulling towards an object, he just wants to run instead of walk. If I jog, he’s content to stay beside me. He doesn’t see a connection between pulling and going home, so that isn’t working either.
Funny thing is – we sat outside on the lawn after our walk last night so my son could play with other kids in the neighborhood. Kiba sat quietly and let all the kids pet him and meet him, then lounged on the grass while they ran around and played (didn’t try to chase, showed no interest in pulling his leash). Apparently, this is a walk only behavior.
Any ideas?
Hello Andrea,
When Sephy was young, I used a harness instead of a collar. He also pulled really hard and the harness kept him from choking himself. The only thing with the harness is that after a bit Shiba may not want to put it on. So it is important to desensitize Shiba to it and make it into a positive experience. Other than that, it is great for leash training a small dog.
In terms of the pulling, Sephy was very stubborn so it took a while before he gave up the ghost. What worked best for Sephy is to give him no attention whatsoever – no talking or looking. He pulls, I just stop and ignore him. I only took him out on short walks, but I did it frequently.
I also did collar corrections with him really early on – but that did not work out well for us.
So far, nothing that works well for a Shiba. Which, is fine, I mainly signed him up for the dog socialization aspect. We had another class this Monday and Kiba was a pain the whole time. We’re just doing basic obedience (sit, down, stay, heel) and some agility stuff (tunnels, stairs). Kiba’s started teething really badly so he’s not interested in anything he can’t chew on.
He had his first half day of doggy day care today (we’ll do half days until he’s all adjusted) and he was nervous, but played with some of the puppies. His friend Otto from the puppy classes was there so it wasn’t a totally new environment. He also spent last weekend with my in-laws and did really well (we were out of town).
I am pleased to report he’s learned the “leave it” command… works on everything except paper and cat poo… 😀
Hi Andrea,
Yeah, me too.
The two most useful things I learned in puppy class –
1. Bite inhibition – this was the best! Just for this alone, the class was worth it.
2. Play breaks. Shiba Sephy is like a sports car and can go from 0 mph to super crazy play in a few seconds. Frequent short breaks really helped us manage him.
That is awesome! Sephy was not very good with Leave-It. He would leave things in the house, but when it comes to finding crap outside, he acts like he just found gold. 😀 The more I try to take things away from him, the more he wants them.
I had to watch him like a hawk so that I can stop him before he gets it in his mouth. I also became a lot more Zen about stuff and let him have tissues and non-dangerous items that he found. He soon grew bored and stopped picking up every piece of street crap.
Glad to hear that doggy day care went well! Hugs and kisses to Kiba.