We would come out for toilet breaks and if he sees one of his puppy friends, they end up playing for like 45 minutes and I have to take him away after that. When I do take him away, a lot of the time he doesn’t want to come back home so we have to entice him back with treats. I’ve been reading that some puppies his age shouldn’t get so much exercise as it can damage their joints. Is this the case with shibas too?

We’ve tried training, and trainers, but it hasn’t helped.

What type of training have you tried? What did the trainers suggest, what was your dog’s response, for how long did the training go on for?

I used to live in a busy neighborhood, so during my Shiba Inu’s reactive period, we would drive him to quiet neighborhoods or on-leash trails, during off-hours. In this way, I set both of us up for success. My dogs are a lot more reactive when they are together, so I walk and train them singly first. I make sure to keep everyone safe by using management equipment as necessary and appropriate, e.g. a basket muzzle.

My dog is also very sensitive to my energy and to the energy of the people around him. If I am stressed, worried, or frustrated, he will pick up on that energy, get stressed himself, and become even more reactive. I make sure to always control my own energy and try to remain calm and decisive.

During Sephy’s difficult period, we visited with several trainers. It was not easy to find good trainers because the field to not well regulated, and anybody can call himself a trainer or behaviorist. However, we did find some good ones, and getting guidance from them was helpful in changing Sephy’s problem behaviors, including his reactivity towards other dogs.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/finding-professional-help
http://shibashake.com/dog/finding-a-dog-trainer

With Sephy, we did a lot of desensitization and counter-conditioning exercises. We did these exercises frequently at our local SPCA, in a structured environment, with a carefully chosen appropriate dog, and under the guidance of a trainer.

However, dog behavior is very context dependent, so each dog and each situation is different. This is why, especially in cases of aggression, it is usually best and safest to get guidance from a good professional trainer.

I regulate my dog’s weight by being very careful about what and how much I feed her, and by giving her good daily exercise.

Treadmill only takes care of the physical tiredness though, walks are much more than that (mental stimulation, socialization, desensitization to sounds and people, fun…)

I think it would depend a lot on the dog’s temperament, energy level, regular routine, relationship with your mother, and more. I do not know these things and have never visited Cairo before, so I cannot say how bad it would be.

With my Huskies, if they do not get walked for a few days because of a sprained leg, they are just about ready to jump out of their skins. 🙂 Some things that I do when I need to change my dog’s exercise routine –

1. Prevent escapes from the backyard – One of my Huskies dug her way into my neighbor’s yard when we skipped walking her for one day. We have since put concrete blocks all along our fence line, and make sure to give her enough daily exercise.

2. Alternate forms of exercise – If my dog is unable to go for walks for whatever reason, then I try to provide her with alternate forms of activity and exercise at home. This may include interactive food toys (e.g. frozen Kongs), structured games with me, obedience exercises, grooming exercises, etc. With my Husky, I need to provide a lot of alternate activities because she is usually an active, high energy dog.

3. Greater supervision – When there are changes in my dog’s routine, she is likely to get more anxious. Therefore I supervise her more closely, and try to relieve any possible stress by setting up a fixed routine and consistent rules. If I am not going to be around, I make sure to get her used-to and totally comfortable with her alternate caregiver, before I leave. Supervision also allows me to stop her from engaging in undesirable behaviors, that may arise due to anxiety, boredom, or frustration due to excess energy.

The Problem: I have to travel for a month and a half for work and I can’t take him 🙁
I am really too worried to let anyone walk him, because he is very strong and he pulls.
Would it be ok, to leave him at home for the whole period, with his Dalmatian sister, and my mom as guardian?
They have lots of space to run, and a patio to do their business.

Before you answer, know that I live in Cairo, Egypt,which means, no dog friendly streets, some throw dog food with poison in the parks to stop people from bringing their dogs, traffic is insane, and the average person on the street is mean to dogs out of fear, so someone could throw something at him! Most people who would walk him are not responsible enough either.

So please, tell me, how bad would it be to go without their walks for 6 weeks, as opposed to risk all that crap in Cairo streets?

Congratulations on your new puppy!

Yeah, my Husky puppy Lara was a bit like that too when she was young. Everything around her was very new and she was very small then, so she got a bit uncertain outside. When I walk her with one of my other dogs, she becomes more confident because one of her experienced friends is around.

Some things that I did with my Husky puppy-
1. I start by leash training her in the backyard where it is more quiet and peaceful.

2. After she is *fully vaccinated*, I take Lara out for short walks first, in very quiet areas, close to the house. I let her sniff around and we go at a pace that she is comfortable with. I want her to have positive outside experiences, which will help her to build confidence and enjoy our walks.

I wait until she is fully vaccinated because as a puppy, her immune system is still developing and she is very susceptible to certain canine diseases such as parvo and distemper.

3. As Lara gains confidence, I very slowly increase the challenge of the environment. I make sure to do this slowly, because the more successful walks that we have, the more confident she becomes. The opposite is also true.

4. For extra exercise, I play structured games with her at home and do obedience training.

A bit more on how I leash trained my puppy-
http://shibashake.com/dog/train-your-puppy-to-walk-on-a-leash