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.
I love your articles, I have a Shiba myself and it has been 2 years (she turns 3 in September). She is the most amazing animal ever. As I type this up she is lying beside me on my bed (a treat for her as I don’t normally let her). I am a teen girl but grew up with 2 Siberian Huskies, 1 red, 1 black and white, both stubborn dogs as most Huskies are. They passed a couple years ago along with my adopted cat, as sad as it was I would not take back time as selfish as it seems because I love my beautiful baby girl. She has gone threw all the problems you have said (she still steals my socks for a game of chase) and she is harder to train and gain her attention, but it was worth the time.
I now have a girl that responds (or that at least shows that she heard me) and that knows the basics like “Sit” “Down” “Stay” “Off” “Up” “Beg” and “Shake” along with the more advance tricks like “Crawl” “Spin” “High Five” and “Handstand” (handstand is not a command but more of a trick she learnt to pee in the higher places like her brother).
Over all Shiba Inus are a joy, they must always know you are the boss though. I make her wait in till I give her the command to eat, that I go downstairs first and to even tolerate kids petting her.
Only real problem I have is her curling her lip at yippy hyper dogs, but she would never bight them. Funny thing is, is that she turns into that hyper dog with the bigger boys, she thinks she belongs with them.
Anyways to help her not be short tempered with them?
One time you think they are calm, but next they are like an alarm setting off into hyper-ness.
Heh yeah, Sephy prefers to play with larger dogs as well. He likes to wrestle, so his play-style is a bit much for the smaller dogs.
With Sephy, I did structured dog-to-dog desensitization exercises to raise his reactivity threshold and to help him be more relaxed around other dogs.
Big hugs to your Shiba girl!
hello! my husband and i have a 6 month old shiba and shes actually pretty terrific. very minimal problems. we think we messed up with her training, by constantly changing from not yelling to yelling, so we think she has a problem learning.
she knows what a few words mean but my main concern is she doesnt seem to know how or when to tell us she needs to use the bathroom.
we always put her outside during the day (seeing as im also 6 months pregnant, and hes at work, its easier than to constantly get up to let her in and out) but now we want to change that so she can tell us when she needs to go.
problem is, she doesnt. even if we have her outside for an hour, bring her in and watch her, play with her, etc, she’ll randomly pee on the carpet and its something that we want changed by the time the babys born (if possible!)
the only way she tells us she wants outside is by going to the door but.. we soon realized shes only doing that to tell us shes bored. she doesnt whine, barely ever barks, and doesnt get in our face to get our attention. is there a way to teach her to tell us when she NEEDS to go outside versus when she WANTS to go outside?
Congratulations on your new Shiba puppy! She sounds like a wonderful girl – especially for a Shiba. 😀
In terms of potty training, I think the most important thing is supervision. When I got Husky puppy Lara, I made sure to watch her like a hawk and also set up a very consistent schedule. The consistent schedule helps me to better predict when she needs to go potty, so I can take her out and reward her very well with attention, food, and a very fun game when she does the right thing.
If she starts to go inside the house, I no-mark, interrupt her, and take her outside. If she continues to go, then I reward her very well. If she does not go, then we come in after a short time, and there are no rewards.
In this way, she learns that-
Lara was very motivated to do her business outside. 😀
Here is a bit more on how I potty trained my puppy.
As for wanting vs. needing, I had to go through some of that with Shiba Sephy. We did not have a backyard when we first got Sephy, so he would often go to the door because he wants to go outside, look at people, and sniff the wind. I would take him outside on-leash, go to his potty spot, and say “Go Potty”. If he does his business, I reward him very well with attention and a fun outside game. If he does not go, we just come back in. Then, there is a 20 minute black-out period where we don’t go out again even if he goes to the door.
In this way, he learns that going to the door when he does not need to potty is not rewarding at all because it only results in us coming back inside.
To fulfill his outside needs, I increased the frequency and length of our walks (we would walk more often and for a longer period of time). In this way, he gets his exercise, gets to be outside, and is happy to hang out or play inside the house the rest of the time. Now, we have a fully enclosed backyard, so Sephy gets to go out or come in whenever he wants.
Big hugs to your Shiba girl!
Great article that I will re-read several times to work on a couple of mistakes with my Shiba. He’s 6 months old, I recently taught him how to roll over, and man is he deceptive! He saw me grab a treat and came over whining why I didn’t give it to him, I ignored his whines and noticed him sitting down, laying down, and rolling over without me saying a word. He got it because he made me laugh so hard, I loved his deception lol.
Well I made a deal with my parents about getting a shiba inu puppy if I lose 75 lbs and I have been reading books and info about the breed and the dog it’s self. I told my mom to look up the Shiba scream on YouTube it shocked my mom and dad. I’m ready to take the task of raising a shiba pup. Any advice?? Or other useful info
Sounds like a good deal and congratulations on your upcoming puppy!
I really like this comment from Ken.
I have more articles about Shiba Sephy here.
The Shiba Inu Forum is also an interesting place to ‘discuss Shiba’.
Hi, I’ve had my shiba puppy for four months now and he is the most wonderful animal on Earth. I was kind of cautious buying him knowing all the opinions regarding the breed. But my experience with my shiba tells me this is a dog that can be handled easily if handled properly. Of course he still is a puppy and growing into adulthood with all related challenges but so far he hasn’t cause much trouble. All I’ve learned is that this dog is healthy on mind and body when properly stimulated. What is necessary is enough physical exercise and mental stimulation that builds strong bond between me and my dog. What I can say after these 4 months spent together is that my dog is calm, loves interaction, loves long walks and other people and dogs. He doesn’t show any aggressive behavior. Once it happened to him at play I immediately eliminated such behavior but focusing his attention on something else, stop playing, or by “time out”. Or I just held him in one position calmly so that he could feel my energy. I play a lot with him, I throw him his beloved ball which he brings back to me (yes…he does it), I hug him and this all creates a strong bond. He is patient at grooming, never aggressive. Being consequent and loving the the KEY. What is more who we are and what we are will be shown in the behavior of our dogs. Like with kids 🙂 All the best to all shiba owners:)
Hi
I need help with my Shiba inu I am 14 and I used to my family that we should take him to the park and we let him off his leash when we were in the baseball field. So when we did one of the doors blew open and he ran and when I got him I did know what to do be aggressive or be nice. Thank for reading.
Hello Dylan,
Dogs, especially young dogs will want to explore and chase after small animals. That is natural dog behavior. What helps with my dog is to –
1. < a href="http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-articles/teaching-your-dog-to-come-when-called">Do recall training.
I make sure to reward him very well for coming back to me, or for stopping and letting me get to him. This will motivate him to keep coming back. If I punish my dog for coming or stopping, then next time he won’t come and won’t stop.
2. Set my dog up for success.
I don’t expose my dog to more than he can handle. We start training in a quiet environment, e.g. our fully enclosed backyard, where there are very few distractions. As we progress with our training, I very slowly increase the environmental challenge. The more often my dog “comes” to me, the more often he will repeat that behavior. The opposite is also true.
3. Keep my dog safe.
Recall is never 100% reliable. All dogs have prey drive, and while we may train them to have a strong recall, the drive to give chase may sometimes be so strong that the recall fails. Shibas are bred to be hunting dogs, so they generally have a healthy prey drive. When I go on walks in places with cars, I make sure to always use a leash with a no-slip collar.
Hi, my husband and I are currently thinking about adopting a 3 year old male shiba inu that is in need of a home. we have one shiba inu mix right now, but unfortunately that has not prepared us very well. Our shiba rocky is an anomaly. he does not bolt and can be walked off a leash. he doesn’t fight over food or objects, and he has never bitten anyone. he is the most tame, affectionate dog ever. when he was a pup he was a handful but that was trained out of him in a very different way than shiba training would dictate. He was popped if he got aggressive or tore something up. and we now use harsh sounds if he doesn’t listen and that’s all it takes. after doing some research I’m worried my husband and I won’t be able to handle a normal, non-exception shiba. Are all shibas aggressive? does anyone else actually have a naturally tame shiba inu? Or do we need to start learning new training methods fast?
My Shiba is a difficult dog to train because he is very very stubborn, very mouthy especially in his youth, can be obsessive, mischievous, wants to do things according to his own particular style, and is very very stubborn! 😀
Here is more on why Shiba Inus are a challenge.
Of course, each Shiba will be different, and there will be some Shibas that are less stubborn than others. However, as a breed, they are definitely on the more challenging side of things.
With proper training, supervision, and management, a Shiba can be a good and loyal companion. However, training will take a fair amount of time, effort, and patience. My Shiba is also a lot more aloof than my other dogs.
I read on one of your articles that you stick to a daily schedule including play time, obedience training, supper, etc. I am getting my first shiba on Saturday and have read the majority of your extremely informative and helpful site to be best prepared. As you most definitely seem to be a pro at this is it possible that you would share the schedule that you follow or one that you would recommend? Being that my shiba is only 2 and a half months old I am not certain of his aggression/energy level yet. Thank you so much for this entire site, it is beyond helpful!
Congratulations! How exciting!
In terms of schedules, I think it is best to be flexible and adjust it according to the puppy’s temperament, energy level, as well as the surrounding environment.
With my Husky puppy Lara, we got into a routine where she would sleep for about 1.5-2 hours, and then we would have 2 hours worth of activity, and then she would take another nap. I take her outside as soon as she wakes up, take her to her potty spot, and give her the “Go Potty” command. She usually has to go when she wakes up, so it is a great way to help her associate the location and command with the behavior.
At night, she went to sleep at around 8 or 9. We stopped giving water about 2 hours before that. We also limited activity before sleep time and made sure not to give her any dry food that may make her feel thirsty. Still, she frequently needed to go out at least once at night, usually around 2am or so. She slept in her crate in our bedroom, and let us know when she needed to go. Then, all the dogs get up at around 5 or 6am. Once Lara was potty trained, things got a lot easier, and she needed less supervision.
To keep her occupied during her waking hours, I did obedience training, some leash training in the backyard, grooming exercises, hugging exercises, and some play. The rest of the time, she spent working on frozen Kongs. Frozen Kongs are a great way to keep a young, energetic puppy occupied. 😀
Lara really loves eating, so she very much enjoys working on food toys. I also help her with getting food out from her Kong, since in the beginning, she had a difficult time getting some of the bottom stuff out. This also helps her to associate people in a positive way with eating, and it teaches her to see me as an ally and as a source of “good stuff”. I follow the Nothing in Life is Free program with all of my dogs. It is a great way to teach-them and motivate-them to follow house rules.
I had a very difficult time with my Shiba, Sephy, when he was young. He taught me a lot though. One of the most important lessons I learned is to always keep an open mind and to be flexible about things. I try to observe my dogs as much as I can and understand the things that they like and don’t like. Then, I adjust my training and routine to suit their individual needs and preferences. I continue to observe and adjust, even now, and even though they are older.
When it comes to dog training, there will always be many people who claim to be experts and give lots of (often conflicting) advice. I try to do my own research, gather information from many different sources, and most important of all, listen to what my dogs are saying to me. Learning to communicate and listen to our dog, I believe, is the true path to success and to building an enduring bond.
Finally, make sure to take lots of pictures! Shibas grow up very quickly, and I really regret that I didn’t take more pictures of Sephy when he was a puppy.
Give your Shiba puppy a big hug from me when you get him! Have you decided on a name yet?
I love shiba inu..
First off, thank you so much for hosting this site. I found a lot of great information on this page.
As of yesterday I am the proud owner of a 3-month old Shiba Inu. Actually, my newly adopted 11-yr old daughter is the owner. We named our Shiba “Kinley” (my grandmothers maiden name). I can already tell that Kinley is going to be a wonderful handful. She has high energy, personality, intelligence, and attitude – exactly like my daughter!
I will be sure to post up my thoughts and any questions I have as we emBARK on this new adventure.
Congratulations on your new furry family member!
Sounds like it will be an interesting and exciting year. Happy New Year and big hugs!
I everyone,
I have 2 Shiba Inus. A 7 yhear old name Ping (female) and a 7month old male, Rocky. Ping has not warmed up to Rocky and the situation has now escalated to serious snarling. My husband and daughter both got caught in the fray Sunday and were both seriously bitten by Rocky. Rocky also has bitten (real bites, puncture wounds) every member of the family, typically when we have taken an inappropriate stolen object (cheese wrapper, a cracker box, a slicce of pizza) from him. I am seeing a professional dog trianer Thursday but am throwing this out there to get any feedback from other Shiba parents and am wondering if anyone else has had this degree of biting. Thanks! Tina
This sounds like a resource guarding issue. I did encounter this early-on with Sephy. Here are some of our experiences-
“Mine!”, says the Shiba Inu.
Food aggression and resource guarding.
Sephy did do growling but he never broke skin.
As for introducing a new dog, here are some things that help with Sephy –
1. I set up clear and consistent interaction rules (e.g. no stealing). In this way Sephy knows exactly what is acceptable behavior towards puppy, and puppy knows what is acceptable behavior towards Sephy.
2. I make sure puppy does not disturb Sephy when he just wants to rest. In general, I make sure to set both dogs up for success and make their time together with positive, or at worst, neutral.
3. I supervise closely during play and manage their excitement level. I do this by throwing in a lot of play breaks where I call puppy over and get her to do some obedience commands. I reward puppy extremely well during such times so she is very happy to come. This gets her to calm down and to refocus on me before going back to playing.
4. If someone plays too rough or doesn’t follow play rules, I stop play briefly. If the same dog continues to misbehave in exactly the same way, then he goes to timeout.
5. I do group obedience sessions so that Sephy learns that being calm and working cooperatively with puppy, for me, gets him the best rewards.
Here is more on what I do with my dogs to help them get along.
Let us know how things go on Thrusday and what the trainer suggests.