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.
Well, I’m back where I started with the stubbornness and obsessive behavior. Ugh, I get really discouraged. Even going for a walk is difficult on windy days. She is trying soooo hard to control the outdoor time. It gets to the point where she won’t go to the bathroom when she really should. I take her in (literally carrying her) to make my point about potty time.
Hi all this is Laurie again. In an earlier post I asked for help in safe play with my 5 mo. old. I took a step back and really looked at what appealed to her-leaves. The action or movement is what appeals to her so I devised a tool that incorporates a very narrow opening, 1/4″ pvc pipe, this rope and a skinneez toy. The rope threads into the pipe and I tied a large knot at one end and the skinneez (stuffing less toy) at the other. The rope is about 3 ft. long, similar to a cat toy. I move it like an injured small rodent and she went crazy for it. Now I spend about 30 minutes outside with Suki morning and afternoon. She is calmer, more interested in training and eating better.
Heeeelp! I have a 5 month shiba. Gorgeous little girl and cutiest personality (when she’s not being naughty). I have a difficult time engaging in safe play especially outside. She looves chasing leaves and anything else that blows around. She plays with toys, frisbee, doggy football, ball for 5-10 seconds then gets bored. I take her on walks and to the different pet stores. I can only do that occasionally. Any ideas? Also, she sits at the patio door watching “life” and rings her potty bell to go out and chase things.
I have to say thank you SO MUCH for having this blog and posting about your Shiba Inu. My fiance were on a waiting list for a year and did a LOT of research about our Shiba puppy before we picked him up…and even after all that time we were not prepared. The first few days were their own special kind of hell during which our little guy (Miko) bit and cried endlessly. I became very emotional and, just as you wrote, he fed off of my feelings that he hated me.
Thankfully we are past that time and Miko has gotten much better. However, at about 5 months we have recently encountered what we think may be separation anxiety. For the first few months we had a pretty consistent schedule because my fiance was in school – but that all went out the window when the semester ended for Christmas break. Now that the semester has begun again, Miko freaks out when either of us put him into his crate so we can leave the house. He has always loved his ‘bedtime’ and happily hopped into his crate and settled down, but now he attacks/bites our feet and jumps on us. When I pick him up to put him in timeout for biting he clamps down on my hand, which is quite painful.
Thanks for posting all of the information you have come across and what worked with your Shiba – I’m sure your post on separation anxiety will help us out once we are able to implement some of the steps.
Hi. Me again, Julia Darling. I was also wondering what you do with your Shiba when you leave him alone in the house when you go to work. Do you lock him in a play pen? Can he hold his bathroom urges? Does he become destructive? Thank you.
Hi Julia, Our Shiba is about 6 years old now but we had to crate him for the first year. It helped that he loved being in his crate and it was very large, anyway we would put him in there at night and when we weren’t home or able to watch him when we were home. After about a year, he was really good being out of his crate full time. Although he would still go in there just because. We also had a fenced yard and didn’t have any issues with him escaping. He still needs to be on a leash when we go for walks. Good luck with your Shiba.
Hi. I was wondering if you would ever trust your shiba without a leash in a fenced yard or off leash with no boundries. Would you let him outside with a shock collar? Thanks.
No shock collar!! (Unless you want and insane shiba) Just keep your shiba on a leash and get over the idea that he can be off, ever…
Our Copper came from a shelter…they guessed about 8 months old….He is leash trained and sweet as ever….but he did train us very quickly..wouldn’t trade this goof ball for anything
Got buffy from a rescue centre, love her to bits but bloody hell is she a hand full, tested her off lead twice and she was brilliant, then saw some horses and bolted off, luckily got her in time, went to an open field and running round with my cousins cockapoo, loved it, then the bird came and dejavu hit again, goodbye buffy. Most upredictable dog ive owned, loves to be centre of attention and kick up a fuss whenever she doesnt get her own way, well socialises with both people and animals (dogs, cats) but is easily distratcted like most dogs.
Very boystrious playing attitude which scares many dogs (or get annoyed with her), loves to jump and hulk smash dogs with her two front paws, caught me a few times in the face, hates a cuddle and hates anything that doesnt benefit her, hard to get inside unless she will earn something from it. Hoping that one day she will be able to go off lead but i highly doubt it. Shes 2 and a half and a handful but she has suchna funny personality minus the manopulative side of her. If this is your first dog do not get one, a big handful unless you have the time and patience to train her bad habits but i feel due to the breeds high prey-drive i wont be anle to trust her off leas, has a mind of her own whilst on a walk and is just too damn interested in everything but commands, she knows them, but when it suits her…
Love her to bits though, just wish she wasnt as hard to train!
I do love this website, lots of useful tips … THANK YOU
I too just got a Shiba pup and he is so super hyper active dog. Once Carter got out of the crate, he feels like he is on the loose running around like there’s no tomorrow. It’s a struggle to play with him coz he will either start chewing my pants or start biting my feet (and hands). He also would not sit still when eating. He would only stay for like a minute eating from his dog bowl and then go wonder around with his food in his mouth. So all the food are all over, and end up taking away his food. We do however are impressed with his poo-ing and pee-ing outside the house. Once we let him out, and kept there for a good 5 mins, he would do his business. There are only a few occasions that he will have an accident in his crate and around the house.
Can you maybe share some tips on my struggle with playing with him, (without biting us) and feeding him (to keep him still).
Thanks very much
We got Mojito two days ago, he’s three months old. And even though we were prepared for a little monster that would need a lot of education and training, we were nicely surprised for his calm behaviour. He’s not fearful at all, he’s self confident, enjoys his crate and when we leave for work, he stay quietly the whole day playing with his toys or sleeping in his crate. We were surprised that he doesn’t even cry at nights. Also, he loves being handled, he stay so calm when we grab it in our arms. And it doesn’t look obsesses with biting anything, just occasional biting, more like exploring objects with his mouth.
We are socializing him, I’m also a big fan of Ian Dunbar, and his doing great, he plays with a dog we know very well that is small and have been perfectly socialized, Mojito seems to enjoy playing with the other dog, besides the fact he growled and snapped the other dog, but it was completely our fault, since the other dog was all over Mojito and we didn’t stop him, so I guess he felt he didn’t have any choice. We gave him a time out and after that he kept playing.
We are very happy, and we are going to keep educating and training Mojito to be a great adult dog. Your blog is our main guide, you have done a great job!!