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.
Excellent suggestions and advise…Our Shiba is 3 yrs. and I have a hard time still getting him to go on walks. He loves to ignore as you have mentioned. Still love the guy (Toasty) and still trying. They certainly have their own personality…
Unfortunately, I really don’t like my Sheba inu. I have MS and I cannot keep up with her. I thought I was getting a different dog that I could handle, and after they I got a picture I said well. What’s that? They said oh that’s your dog. I have no idea what to do. I want to like her and want to love her but honestly I can’t stand her. I’m sorry I just feel like I’m stuck š
Please consider re-homing her to a family/person who is well equipped to care for a Shiba Inu and will give her love. She deserves a home where she can be herself, be loved, and have her needs met. They are not a breed for beginner dog owners. If you are looking for a dog, please also consider finding a trained service dog that will fit into your life and suit your needs. Do not just get a dog for the sake of having one. Look at reporting whoever sold you this poor girl, it sounds unethical, and dangerous, particularly if they gave you a different dog than what you had agreed to.
Thank you! However, we have 3 Shibas, the oldest is a male red sesame, next is a cream girl and lady is a brown sesame. The oldest has attacked so many of our other dogs without warning and recently attacked his middle sister and ripped up her face. We had to put baby gates all over the house because he wants to continue to attack her. Because they are so intelligent, will we ever be able to have them together again. Our hearts are brokenš¢
Since January 2024, i have my granddaughters 1year old Shiba Inu. Iām training her for only a few months. Granddaughter is 12 and to her credit she has done a lot in that first year to socialize the dog. Her patience has formed this little one into a loving dog that doesnāt mind being carried around. She is also fine with me petting her head and ears, unless itās during play time. Then she likes to dominate. Her favorite is tug of war.
First thing I did was disregard any thinking she would be like any other dog I had before. All my expectations focused on her being the best she can be based on her breed and genetics. Good thing I like cats as she is more cat like than dog like in a lot of ways.
One problem I had was with her rubber ball. You cannot play tug of war when fingers and teeth are side by side. I almost gave up, but this last week she finally got it. I refuse to play with the ball unless she dropped it. Then I tell her to sit and wait. The first time she got it right I was so excited it was like cheering a sport team. I am normally very even tempered, that positive loud upbeat break in behavior really got her attention. Now she remembers to sit and wait 90% of the time. She brings other toys she wants me to throw, she will drop it and wait.
She is still every bit a Shiba. She will lick you one minutes and then nibble fingers the next. When she does I tell her firmly no and stop petting her, if behavior continues to escalate I get up and walk away. Wait a few minutes then try again. Always giving kind words for every lick and gentleness of mannerism. That one is still a work in progress. Next week we start āGood Behavior Classā 4 weeks. I will seek advice from instructor.
I also had a problem getting the Shiba to eat her food so I made a game out of it. Amazon sells these long treat toys that have 4 slots then it rolls up like a snail with Velcro closure. I made a feeding trough out of it. lol. It really worked. Also her other treat toys I would put food in. My favorite is taking a paper plate with a very thin coat of natural peanut butter then sticking the food on the plate. Itās stuck like glue. She gets focused and busy pushing that plate all around the room struggling to get her dog food off. She loves it. She loves the game.
I try thinking of anything to stimulate her mind into submission and away from getting into trouble. Sometimes I feel like Iām playing chess and Iām always behind a few moves. She is always looking for ways to outsmart me.
She even got loose from a harness that she shouldnāt have been able to. I hadnāt heard of the Shiba alligator roll before. However I now know Iām not alone in that one. Thankfully her treat of choice got her into the house. The next day she tried to break loose again. I was ready for her that time and carried her in the house. Play time was over. 2 day delivery. I was so glad to have that new escape proof harness, well worth the money. She knows itās escape proof by how it fits her. Yes!
There is one treat I have found that surpasses all others. Amazon sells it, other stores may also. Made of just one ingredient turkey ligament. She goes crazy when she sees the bag. Smelling it she canāt think of anything else. it is her absolute favorite food/treat ever. I make sure to save that one for the āmust have it nowā moments.
Hope this has been helpful.
shiba inus are beautiful dogs and they are good hunting dogs!!!
My husband and myself, much like you, chose a Shiba as our first dog! We couldn’t help ourselves after reading so much about them, I read pretty much everything on your site before we got him and kept reading months in. He was just over a year old, a re-home because of COVID unfortunately. I am still very much in touch with his previous owner and her parents as they all lived together and he has had no real issues with them, however, he has gained a bite history in the 1 short year we have had him (he just turned 2 in August) and we did a lot to negate this, no high valued treats that can last more than a few bites, and no touching his food and a lot of hand feeding, I also have an elderly cat (almost 14 yo) who he likes to chase, and vice versa actually! But he has shown some jealousy of the cat (I presume it’s jealousy?) When my car approaches for pets or cuddles he gets chased away about 89% of the time, the other times my Shiba is sleeping or too tired to bother. Last night my Shiba was eating in the living room with his holly roller (thank you for that suggestion too, he LOVES it and it is amazing) but he sometimes leaves a kibble behind here and there while he rolls it around and my cat came into the living room on the opposite side of where Shiba was, and he went to eat a kibble left behind, I knew my Shiba wouldn’t like it if he saw this (resource guarding I worked hard to train out) so I said “shadow, no” but I should not have, because this alerted my Shiba and he attacked. My cat has no serious wounds, one small bruise and a bald spot, otherwise he was up and about and putting as usual within about 20 to 30 minutes later and they were hanging out sitting side by side when I was in the bathroom (I cannot pee alone loll) like nothing happened! I muzzle trained him because of his biting me and my husband, but I don’t know how to stop this because I know the more times he does it, the more likely hell keep doing it and more often too. Unfortunately our situation financially has changed for the worst in the last few months so hiring a behavioral specialist is definitely out of budget, he’s so great 98.9% of the time I really feel like I failed him. Do you have tips I could use? My cat has his own room, it has a gate he can get under but the dog can’t and he has a space in my bedroom closet he can run to anytime that Remi can’t get into either, but I feel like I need to do so much more.
Thank you! I had an Akita for 11 years, when she passed I couldnāt stand the silence. I immediately found a breeder that had a brother and sister ready to join my home. Crazy insane busy adorable sweet smart mischivou ā¦ I can go on! Iām excited as they grow every day, and their amazing but individual personality emerge. I would love to read your future tips!
Yeah, puppies and dogs in general really are the best. Hugs to your two pups!
thx 4 the reply for my dog
You are very welcome. Big hugs to your Shiba.
I have a shiba inu that is very thin how do I make him eat his food
What is his diet history? Did he just stop wanting to eat? Age? Has he been to see the vet? When my dog suddenly stops eating I take him to the vet ASAP.
he likes to eat chicken and meat and yes he just stopped he is 1 and a half ok I will try to bring him to the vet
Awesome!! I loved every word you wrote itās so on target.. my Nala first Shiba inu I ever owned always had poodles since I was a child, I recently divorced and Nala has been so therapeutic, even her being so mean and nasty towards me. Peeing on my bed the sofa. I would not have made it if it wasnāt for Nala I think she made me a stronger person.. I love her so much and female Shiba are even worse.
My current Husky, who is a rescue also sometimes pees in the house. I have found that my different dogs pee for a variety of reasons. Sometimes dogs pee when there are big changes in their life/environment due to stress and changes. When we moved houses and got a second dog, my Shiba got stressed and was peeing in a house for a short time. After he got acclimitized to the changes and became more calm, he stopped the behavior.
Hugs to Nala!