I got to meet a really cool 2-legged one today.

So far most of the 2-legs I’ve met have not been very impressive. Most have erratic energy that reflect fear, anger, or frustration.

My own 2-legs have gotten a lot calmer since then. I am a good 2-legs trainer.

This dog trainer, however, is very different. Straight away I could sense that this one has an air of authority. When he tried to put a new thing around my neck, I put up a big fuss, but this one just held onto me and was very calm and unafraid. Sensing this I calmed down as well,… the neck thingy may not be so bad after all.

My male and female pack followers were also around and they seemed to also get calmer after a howl and yip, noise session with the Yoda-like 2 legs.

Afterwards, we all went for a walk and it was a lot of fun. I also got to practice my SITs and since I am so good at it I got a lot of cheese – yummy!

Shiba Inu Sephy pretending to be a model citizen.

Finally, the Calm-One picked me up.

In general, I hate being picked up by 2-legs because that seriously curtails my freedom. Also I don’t really trust the 2-legs not to drop me – after all they are inferior with only 2 legs.

Everyone knows that –

4 legs goooooddd, 2 legs baaaadddd.

So, of course I showed my displeasure by squirming and showing teeth. I also put my teeth near Calm-One’s neck just to see what he would do. But, strangely, he just remained calm throughout. I started to relax as well.

Being held by Calm-One was not too bad after all.

Shiba Wisdom
Wtih us dogs, it is all about inner energy. We can sense what you are truly feeling so you cannot pretend. To really make a difference, you must change your inner energy and true self.

Really, we should get paid a lot more for all the self-help lessons we give 2-legs!

Really, we should get paid a lot more for all the self-help lessons we give 2-legs!

I had a difficult time finding a good dog trainer for my Shiba Inu.

He is not an easy dog to handle, and most trainers that I visited initially were not very familiar with the Shiba Inu breed.

Finding a Dog Trainer for My Shiba Inu.

Finding a dog trainer

Finding a dog trainer.

Decide which dog training style most suits us and our dog.

1. Get a list of all the dog trainers in our area. If we live in the United States, we can use quickly generate this list using the Association of Pet Dog Trainers search tool.
2. Decide which dog training style most suits us and our dog.

   There are generally three groups of dog trainers –

   • Those that mostly use reward techniques,
   • Those that mostly use aversive techniques, and
   • Those that use a combination of the two.

   Here are the pros and cons of the different dog training styles.

3. Visit the websites of all the dog trainers on our list, and filter out the ones that do not use the dog training techniques that we think are appropriate.
4. Call up all the trainers that are still on our list and quiz them about the dog training techniques that they use. Tell them some of the problems we are facing with our dog and evaluate the answers that they give us.
5. Pick the top three trainers based on our phone conversation, and set up a dog evaluation session with them.

Most trainers will want to evaluate a dog first before coming up with a training program. These are usually private evaluation sessions that last from 1-2 hours and cost from $50 US to $100 US. These sessions are also useful for evaluating the trainer in action with our dog.

Do our own research and don't just blindly follow whatever a dog trainer tells us.

Do not just follow whatever a trainer tells you

The dog training profession is not very well regulated so we may run across some mediocre or bad trainers before finding one that suits us.

If you feel uncomfortable about particular training techniques, ask your trainer a lot of questions, and do some online research of your own. If the trainer is rude to you or does not want to answer your questions, then leave and find another trainer who will actually work for his pay.

Remember that you are the boss. You pay them, not the other way around.

Do not be afraid to terminate training if you discover in the middle of the program that the trainer is not knowledgeable, does not suit you or your dog’s temperament, or is making your dog anxious and unhappy.

It is also a good idea to ask a trainer what his policy is if we decide to terminate training early.

Shiba Inu Sephy and his best buddy Siberian Husky Shania.

A great resource in my dog trainer search was my local SPCA.

I had very good experiences with the two SPCAs that I visited. Both of them had very knowledgeable dog trainers, and very reasonable prices. They were also very willing to accommodate my training requests, and had a variety of balanced dogs at the shelter that they were willing to use to help train and socialize my dog.

Often, the best teacher for a dog is another dog, especially with dog-to-dog aggression issues. While we may try to learn ‘dog’ to better communicate with our furry friend; a well socialized and balanced canine is not only extremely fluent in his native tongue, but knows when, and how to use it to achieve the most effective results.

Using other dogs is often an invaluable tool in dog training. Therefore, find a dog trainer with good access to other dogs, if you can.

In addition to the SPCA, dog trainers who are attached to a dog daycare or dog walking service will frequently have access to appropriate dogs that they can use in the dog training process.

Another possibility is to get help from our breeder. Good breeders know their breed well, and can usually point us in the right direction. They may even provide our dog with some good playmates.

Often, the best teacher for a dog is another dog, especially with dog-to-dog aggression issues.

Dog trainer vs. boot camp

Instead of hiring a trainer, some people send their dog to boot camp.

I have never sent any of my dogs to boot camp.

My poor Shiba got stressed from going to daycare once, for about 8 hours. He came back sick, depressed, stressed, and car reactive. I don’t think he would handle boot camp too well.

My opinion is that boot camps are risky.

We do not know what is happening to our dog during his time there, and there is usually very little transparency. A trainer once told me that she subdued a Shiba by giving him an extremely strong correction with a choke chain. Then, she held him down in a forceful alpha roll, loomed over him in a menacing fashion, and growled at him. The Shiba defecated and after that incident, he was very "well-behaved".

Even if my Shiba miraculously became well-behaved, I would lose a lot of hard-earned trust, lower his quality of life, and damage our relationship.

Finally, the training done at boot camp may not transfer to us.

• If we are still fearful of our dog,
• If we are projecting weak and unbalanced energy,
• If we are inconsistent in enforcing our rules, …

Our dog will return to his old ways.

We do not know exactly what is happening to our dog while he is at boot camp.

My Shiba Inu trainer experiences

Shiba Inus are still not very common in the United States and it can be difficult to find a trainer that is familiar with Shibas.

Shibas are primitive, stubborn, and extremely strong willed. Therefore, it is best to get a trainer with a lot of Shiba experience, is knowledgeable of the breed, and has successfully trained them.

Shibas are primitive, stubborn, and extremely strong willed. Therefore, it is best to get a trainer with a lot of Shiba experience, is knowledgeable of the breed, and has successfully trained them.

After over a year and a half of meeting with trainer types, I have finally met one who knows Shiba. She handled my Shiba very well and very correctly identified him as a "reaction junkie" (playing, chasing, or fighting are all rewards to him as long as he gets a reaction. The bigger the reaction, the better it is.).

Previous trainers who "said" they knew Shiba, but really didn’t, have alpha rolled him to detrimental results. Others were uncomfortable dealing with a dog that mouthed so much, would not surrender, and would be constantly trying to push their buttons.

Remember that if at first we don’t find the right trainer, find another one.

To get a quick feel for the trainers around me, I enrolled for classes in a variety of places, and visited with my local SPCA, daycare centers, and training facilities.

Here are more tips on how to find a good dog trainer from –

• The Dog Welfare Campaign,
• The Association of Professional Dog Trainers, and
• Vet Learn.

If you have more tips or stories about finding a good dog trainer, please share them with us in the comments section. Thanks!

If you have more tips or stories about finding a good dog trainer, please share them with us.

Is it Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer?

Or do you think it is Victoria Stilwell from It’s Me of the Dog?

Or do you prefer Tamara Geller? Ian Dunbar? Patricia McConnell? or someone else entirely?

Nah, it is not any one of these people.

Is it ShibaShake?

Certainly not!

So who is the best dog trainer?

Who is the best dog trainer?

The best dog trainer for your dog is — [ drum roll ] — YOU.

I know, I know, this is a bit cheesy, like that person of the year TIME article; however, it is also true.

We get to spend the most time with our dogs.

• We get to spend the most time with our dogs. We get to observe them 24/7 and we should know them best.
• We love them more than anybody else, so we should be most willing to put in the effort to make them happy and balanced.  

This does not mean that we automatically become best dog trainer.  No, no, this is a prestigious title that requires a whole lot of work.

• We must do a lot of research online so that we understand the good and bad of different dog training methods.
• We must research the different types of dog equipment and dog products available to us so that we only pick the ones that are safe and healthy for our dogs.  
• We must keep our dog healthy, fulfill their need for exercise, and not do anything that will inadvertently cause them physical or mental harm.

And the work is never done.

We must always keep an open mind and be receptive to new dog information, dog studies, and dog training techniques.

The reward of being the best dog trainer though – is priceless.

A happy, well-balanced dog who trusts you, and is not afraid of you.

The reward of being the best dog trainer though – is priceless. A happy, well-balanced dog who trusts you, and is not afraid of you.