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.
Here are some pictures of her. Her name is Akiko and I picked her up last friday, the 16th.
Thank you for the tips:-) It is so hard not to react to the screams, but I am doing just that. She has always stopped eventually lol. I put her crate next to the bed last night and she slept most of the night. I still had to get up to take her out, but at least she was willing to go back to bed afterward. It has been a tough week, but I can already tell that it is going to be a great ride with her. She is so adorable:-) We go see the vet for the first time on Friday… Any suggestions on what I should be asking him?
Hi Scott,
Congratulations on your new Shiba puppy. She will definitely keep you on your toes 🙂
As for the Shiba screaming – make sure not to let her out of her crate while she is screaming. If you do, she will learn that screaming gets her what she wants. In general, don’t give in to the scream. Just ignore it, or leave the area. This shows her that screaming means she gets left alone. When she stops, praise her, and come back to be with her.
Shibas can be extremely stubborn though, so the screaming could go on for a long while. One time I put my Shiba in daycare and he screamed the whole day while he was there – lol.
He also used his screams to good effect with my dog walker.
Shibas are really smart and if they sense that they can manipulate you with screaming, there will be more screaming than ever. So never reward the screaming behavior – always wait for some quiet before letting her have anything. And you can slowly extend the amount of quiet time required.
You could also try letting her sleep in a crate in your bedroom. That is what I do with my Shiba and it helped a lot. He really just wanted to sleep with his people.
I finally took the plunge and decided to get a Shiba Puppy…I am a first time pet owner, so I definitely didn’t know what I was getting myself into. First off, thank you for all the tips, I spent a few nights reading through the blogs and articles posted:-)
I have a cream-colored female who acts like a true Shiba pup. She is 8 weeks old. I am having an issue at night. I was told that she slept well in her crate, but whenever I put her in it (night time or when I leave the house) she screams and boy is it a terrible sound lol. Are there any suggestions on what to do now while she is still young? Thanks in advance:-)
Hi Jenn,
One thing you can try is to slowly desensitize your Shiba to being alone. First, get her used to the ritual of your leaving, then get her used to you leaving for very short periods of time, then slowly extend the time that she stays alone.
Separation anxiety and desensitization
Also leave her with some fun toys to chew on, such as frozen kongs or rubber chew toys with cheese. There are also Kong dispensers which will drop out kongs based on a timer – which may help keep her occupied.
I like the desensitization exercises best though. That and keeping to a fixed schedule has helped most with my Shiba.
I have a one year old Shiba female who does not like to be home alone. She is crate trained, but regardless, she will find away to tear up the carpet.
We are new owners to a pet and am trying diligently to break her from this. I have left her roaming in the house alone and she got into the curtains and other things. Other then the dependency she has on us she is a great dog.
Hi Matt,
Sounds like Wylie is learning all those behaviors from the other dog. In general, it is necessary to apply the same type of discipline to all the dogs that are living together. If not, one will see the other getting away with all kinds of things, and will start to copy those behaviors as well.
It will be difficult, I think, to establish yourself as the leader, when your dog sees that the lab/pit can do whatever he wants.
What does your roommate think about you helping to train his dog? It would be even better if he participates in the training as well.
Hi, i have a 3 year old male named Wylie. I have had similar problems as everyone on this board at one point or another, but through it all, he really has become a good dog and hes my best buddy. Last year i moved in with two roommates who have a lab/pit bull mix, he is not very well trained he constantly whines and growls and barks and is very aggressive with Wylie, but Wylie seems to love it. In the last couple of weeks wylie has begun whining constantly, especially when he is downstairs and the other dog is upstairs. I have tried to start separating them more and more to assert myself as Wylies “pack leader” because it has gotten to the point where he only wants to go upstairs and wont play with me or anyone else…I have tried to do things like shortening his leash on our walks, remaining calm and assertive and trying to have more of a routine for him etc.. but i cant figure out why he keeps whining and its really frustrating me. I have tried everything from using a squirt bottle to removing him from the room to positive reinforcement when he stops whining but hes too smart, he knows if he stops he will get what he wants and then when he gets it he just starts whining again and tries to go upstairs… any thoughts??? Thanks!
Hello Yoshi,
I am not a supporter of choke chains. Here is why –
http://flyingpawsdogtraining.weebly.com/damage-by-choke-chains.html
In my experience, most vets know very little about dog training. I have met one or two who know how to handle dogs, but most of them probably know less than we do about dog training.
You do want to stop your Shiba from biting and such though. Here are two articles that may help. They talk about some of the techniques I used with my Shiba when I first got him and he was truly a terror on four paws 🙂
Stop Puppy Biting
Puppy Training Tips
Hello Brandi,
So great of you to rescue a Shiba.
In general, you want to show Akira that it is unacceptable to be overly aggressive with your male Shiba. However, you also want to be careful and make things positive whenever she is with male Shiba so that she associates positive things with his presence.
Here are some things that may help –
1. Desensitize Akira to your new Shiba – Have her on a lead and have her be engaged with you doing obedience. Then someone else brings in the other Shiba. You call Akira and treat her, and give her some good attention whenever the male is in the room. Have the male Shiba leave, then the treats and attention stop. Have him come back again and repeat. In this way, the male Shiba is seen less as competition for your attention, and more as a source of good things.
2. For now, try and set Akira up for success so when you give male Shiba attention, make sure Akira is getting attention as well.
3. If Akira still goes for your male Shiba, you do want to teach her that it is unacceptable behavior. After you say No, engage her in obedience commands and try and get her to do something else. If she will not listen to you, and goes back for more, then do a time-out. This teaches her that if she cannot behave with the family, then she does not get to be with the family at all. Later on, after she improves, you can just ask for space (i.e. she can’t go near the male until she behaves) rather than do a full time-out.
4. When you can’t supervise, it is best to keep them separated so that things don’t escalate. You want to try and set Akira up for success as much as possible, and reduce the number of aggression incidents.
Hope this helps. Let us know how it goes.