I was channel surfing the other day and stumbled upon a Dogs 101 episode with Shiba Inus. They characterized Shiba Inus as “one of the most difficult breeds to train”.
- Why is a Shiba Inu difficult to train?
- What makes a Shiba Inu more difficult to train than other dog breeds?
Of course a Shiba is stubborn and strong-willed, but then so are many other breeds, including the Siberian Husky. Why then are Shibas more challenging to train than other strong-willed breeds?
1. A Shiba Will Do What a Shiba Wants
A Shiba Inu will only respond to activities that makes sense to him, and not necessarily to you. The good news is a Shiba is not shy about letting you know what he likes, and what he wants!
Shiba owners usually listen carefully to their dogs, and personalize training methods to suit individual preferences and temperaments.
Shibas also think for themselves, and are very motivated to come up with alternate ways to reach their goals. As a result, training a Shiba Inu is often counter-intuitive, and traditional dog training methods may not work well.
Shiba owners must be creative and flexible.
A Shiba may follow commands if they make sense to him. Other times, he will do something else that ROCKS!
Some people may reason that since Shiba Inus are independent thinkers, they would respond better to aversive training techniques, such as collar corrections or alpha rolls.
This is false.
Shiba Inus are also extremely strong-willed and stubborn. They will fight back if they feel threatened. I started with aversive training techniques, and my Shiba Sephy fought me every step of the way. The more a dog practices fighting back, the more likely he will repeat that behavior and develop aggression issues down the road. Sephy was surely heading that way, which was why I started looking into alternative training methods.
Aversive techniques also made Sephy lose trust in me.
2. A Shiba Inu Will Not Surrender Even When All Is Lost
All dogs think for themselves. They have their own needs, which may not always coincide with ours.
Strong-willed dogs are not afraid to push their own agenda, even if it puts them in conflict with us and other dogs.
However, even strong-willed breeds like the Siberian Husky will give up the ghost when they see that the effort and time involved, is not worth the end result.
On the other hand, Shiba Inus have a very …
singular state of mind.
~~[ Geoge ]
Once a Shiba starts to focus on something, he may quickly become obsessed. When in that singular state of mind, it is difficult to distract Shiba and get him to do something else.
When Sephy gets into that obsessive state, he will not give up no matter what. Even if things look hopeless, he will not surrender. The more I try to force him to comply, the more he will dig in his paws and not budge.
For Shiba Inu Sephy, giving-up is simply not an option.
It seems that any kind of concession will deal such a grievous blow to his Shiba pride that he is willing to do whatever it takes to protect it. Sephy is willing to endure pain, not eating, not going for his walks, not getting affection or attention, losing his freedom, and much more; when his Shiba Honor is on the line.
This great quote from the I am Shiba blog sums it up very well
I Am Shiba. Seppuku will not be enough.
The best way of getting Sephy to do something is not to make it into a challenge or a fight. If Sephy does not want me to brush his teeth, he does not get his usual melted cheese and chicken meal. I will simply go back to my tasks, and when I am free, I try again. By then, he is usually hungry and in a different state of mind.
3. A Shiba Inu Has the Heart of a Rebel
Shiba Inus are often characterized as independent, aloof, and more like a cat.
I think that Shibas are independent minded, but they actually want and enjoy a fair bit of human attention; perhaps more so than many other dog breeds.
Unlike other dogs however, Shibas are not necessarily looking for positive attention. With Sephy, any type of attention will do; as long as it is big, all-eyes-on-Shiba, high quality attention.
Negative human attention is easier to obtain, more intense, and usually lasts for a longer duration.
As such, this is the type of attention that Shiba Sephy usually strives for, not unlike an online troll. If he is able to get my goat, he will. If he is able to get my goat and start a fun chasing game, that is even better!
If I tell Sephy not to do something, he will definitely try to do it the first chance he gets. He is sneaky and will do it when my back is turned. However, if I am not home, he spends most of his time sleeping because he does not have an audience.
The “game” is only fun when there is a real danger of being caught, and the possibility of escape. An audience is also necessary to see his God-like Shiba-ness.
I have since learned that one of the best ways to deal with Shiba-hijinks is to stay above the fray and ignore my attention-seeking Shiba. Sephy does not like being ignored. He will go to great lengths to get the attention of those that seem disinterested in him – even if it means following commands!
What to you think?
- Are Shiba Inus one of the most difficult breeds to train?
- What makes a Shiba Inu difficult to train?
- Which dog breeds, do you think, are more difficult to train than a Shiba?
Many thanks to Kblover & Wally, Brett & Ziva, Andrea & Kiba, Zuko’s Mom & Zuko, Geoge & Rusty, as well as Jess & Zeus, for sharing their Shiba Inu stories and many dog experiences. I made many changes to the article above based on their comments.
My sister bred Shiba Inu for years. They’re great dogs! While stubborn, I feel like they are equally as loveable as it is part of their personality. They’re like the loveable kid that accidentally spills his soda on the carpet. It’s aggravating, but you can’t be mad at them. Of all the Shiba we had, they became house trained simply by growing up in an indoor crate and us taking them out regularly. They’re very very sweet dogs. They’re mostly all timid at first, but once you give them some pats, they will beg for more attention. Our oldest male/stud dog is friendly to everyone and is actually an outdoor-only dog. In the midwest he’s fine in the summer heat and he’s also fine in the winter cold. He of course has a nice dog house that we put blankets and straw in. He loves the snow too! We did have one female adult we purchased that was more mischievous. She had to be watched at all time or you couldn’t leave her out in the house. She’d tear up carpet and such. They have so many quirks that give them character. We didn’t particularly spend time training them, they’re just naturally good, friendly, and also stubborn dogs. Even a trained shiba though, will be stubborn! They’re so loveable though and none of ours have had health issues too. I would consider them to be low maintenance other than all the shedding they do! If you read this article and weren’t turned off, you should get one! You will love your shiba. I really want an Akita next and am hoping their personality will be similar, but plan to do more training with them so they can be more of a protector dog.
I totally agree with your assessment of their character & type of training they need. I’ve kept dogs for decades but getting two shibas and training them they are the best behaved dogs I’ve ever had. A male that likes to show off and would carry out every command on hand signal alone. A stubborn female who likes to do good but there has to be something in it for her other than attention (treat). They will walk to heel off-lead through busy areas with lots of distractions, often getting lots of positive comments from others who say things like ‘oh, I thought they were difficult to train’.
I owned a Sheba for 16 years and her name was Piper Lily. I have raised several dogs but none as unique and stubborn as Piper. She ran off in the woods one day and I waited for her for 4 hours. She came back exactly where she left me. I just sat on a rock and waited…..she was the smartest dog ever, but she definitely contributed to me a few gray hairs! RIP Piper Lily!
Definitely yes on the gray hairs. Shibas really have such a big personality and as you say, are wonderful companions. Full of surprises.