“Train the owner and you’ll train the dog!”
From day one, the Shiba you bring home needs consistent, firm but loving and positive discipline, or I can almost guarantee you that you will be bitten at some point. This breed is primitive and will manipulate you to the end of time.
I constantly hear, “He was a perfect puppy until he matured” or “He just turned aggressive overnight so it must be bad breeding.” My first answer to this is, wrong. Most all puppies are more outgoing, playful and eager to learn. If you spoil them as puppies and then expect them to start minding the new rules as a young adult, you WILL develop behavioral problems and aggressions.
I provide training solutions with numerous common issues that arise. All Shibas need to be taught leadership skills, especially since it’s a pack-like breed. These skills will teach them that you are the leader of your pack and what you say goes. Trainers teach these skills to develop strong, trust, bonding, and a more loving, solid well-rounded family member. I encourage families to teach these skills for the first month of ownership to develop a routine of expectations. Take the time now and you well have a better dog in the long run.
These skills include:
- Feeding by hand each kibble of food and not leaving the food bowl down. This will teach them that you provide the food and that they depend on you for it. Also, it will develop trust with ones who are more timid or ones who may have had food aggressions before.
- Put a leash on them with multiple knots and let it drag in the house. By leashing them you can teach them house rules and proper behavior for guests. I suggest a nice 4’ leash with a knot ties at 2’ and and knot at 4’. When the dog jumps on people the first few times I will say, “Off” and pull at the 4” knot. If the behavior continues then I hold the leash at the 2’ knot, which allows them less freedom and me, more control. This is so that the dog learns that there are boundaries and that freedom is earned.
- No rawhide or pig ears since this is a primitive breed. If you feed a wolf a bone and then try and take it away, would you be surprise if you were bitten? No, because you do not take away a kill from a wild animal. These two things have wild attributes that include preserved muscle, tissue, animal fat, and veins from other animals. In addition, if consumed in large amounts without proper chewing these chew treats can swell in their stomachs causing digestive problems.
- Crate train for safety and timeouts. By crate training your Shiba you are preparing them for long car rides and you have a proper space for timeouts. If I have a Shiba with behavioral problems I will teach them that if they can not mind then they will sit in a crate for about 10 minutes, then 20, and maybe up to an hour. Only positive discipline is understood. If you spank or beat your Shiba then you will teach them to be aggression, out of fear.
We can help with other training concerns that include potty training, chewing, and mild aggressions. All of these problems are correctable but take time and patience.
Successful potty training starts with a regular schedule and picking up the water bowl a few hours before bedtime. A puppy needs to be taken out every two hours and then worked into every four hours over time with the development of their bladder. After they develop this routine they’ll learn to signal you possibly by going to the door they leave out of or just by sniffing around for that spot they plan to go at. With this in mind, a puppy is probably not a good choice for a long work schedule. Shibas are potty trained relatively easily with a constant routine of the owner.
Shibas chew and are a big dog in a small dog's body. Puppies chew a lot! They will chew if they're bored, if they're hungry, or just to chew to teeth. Most Shibas outgrow their chewing phase around one year old. Some continue because they don't get the attention they want or they're nervous. You can prevent most chewing by good exercise, lots of chew-hard toys and edible treats such as nylabones.
No owner raising a puppy should develop food aggression, unless you have accidentally encouraged it without knowing. This can develop when teasing a dog with food, allowing them to have food from the table, or taking food from their mouth. Of course when adopting a rescued Shiba this can be an issue that needs addressing behavior modification. When you have a dog with a food aggression avoid the following: do not feed rawhides, pig ears or real bones. You might as well be feeding a wolf and you may pull back a stump. Also, if you have more then one dog they will need to eat in two different locations or you’ll encourage aggressions between the two. Regardless, this is a major behavior that should be modified with proper training.
Dog aggressions among Shibas are the most common aggression I hear about. The main reason is that this is a primitive breed. So imagine raising wolves or dingos. These are pack-like breeds and some may be more social then others but regardless, instincts will shine when given the opportunity. The best lines of Shibas may have aggressions because the lines are more selective from the origination of their existence. However, with a good foundation and consistent training you’ll have a great dog! Most reputable breeders will not want you to have two of the same gender, altered or not because there is only one alpha of a pack and two males or females will challenge this position. Maybe not right away and maybe not many times but I have had the unfortunate experience of detaching 11 teeth from the back of my leg because one male challenged another. You can truly not know if two of the same gender can or will get along until they are full matured around 3 YO. I have two males because I adopted a 3 YO rescue that was very passive and bowed down to my alpha male continuously. This rarely is the case and most don’t want or need a companion by this point anyway. I strongly encourage you to stay with opposite genders for as much peace and harmony that a household can have, owning Shibas. Even then, males and females will have their days of scolding and challenging but they will respect each other’s place in the pack as long as the personalities are suitable for the first dog. Any Shiba who is dog aggressive should not be in dog parks or unleashed with others. Even after the behavior is modified you should expect them to be social any time other then walking them on leash and not acting up as other pass by. However, the biggest mistake people make is resorting to drastic measures with a trainer who beats, chokes with a metal choker, or throws down the dog to force them into submission. If you take this approach you will only see the behavior escalate with aggression or you’ll ruin the dog’s personality because he or she will fear you for this result. A Shiba who is constantly praised and rewarded for good behavior will give back more when properly and positively trained with a loving owner. We talk more about training in another paragraph on this page.
There are two types of biting, regardless neither is tolerated. A "fear biter" only bites because he or she is afraid of someone and/or something. These issues or triggers can be determined by the routine of the household and behavior that caused the dog to bite. Change is a big factor. Shibas do not like change and become fearful or threatened when their routine is changed or someone else is running it. If the situation or trigger is eliminated, then the behavior is correctable to a degree, knowing the dog’s limits. If your Shiba is afraid to have their nails trimmed then seek alternatives from your Vet to try.
Sometimes mild sedation works but sometimes the adrenaline is so high that they can fight it. Do not expect to tolerate all situations common to the breed. Most Shibas who are surrendered to rescue do so because the Shiba nipped at a small child who cornered them or smothered their space. This is not acceptable…for the owner to allow. If you are not able to watch the dog and the child at all times or separate them when you can’t you should not have a Shiba until the child is old enough to learn right from wrong. I have only placed four out of over fifty Shibas with children under eight years of age. A Shiba’s instinct will be to scold the child by vocal noises or nipping. Regardless, socialization and training are huge factors to tolerable behavior to prevent biting. Remember the Shiba is a rare and primitive breed with some bloodlines unknown. An "aggressive biter" will always be triggered with causes, usually unknown, and this is a huge problem and liability. Aggressive biting is bred into the dog or strongly developed and rarely can be changed without negative training that will highly affect the animal's quality of life. Aggressive Shibas need to be evaluated by your Veterinarian and a Behavioral Specialist. Sometimes, diet and health issues contribute to aggressive behavior and can easily be resolved with proper treatment over a brief period of time. Any illness or food allergy can cause aggressions, without symptoms seen. Blood tests are an important factor to determining possibilities. With this is mind, it often takes a second opinion to find something wrong. Other times, unfortunately there are very few options to changing what has already been strongly developed and at this point the dog can become a huge liability for an owner.
Obedience is a must with Shibas and promotes a better relationship between owner and dog. Just like a child, you set boundaries because you love them and care for them. Without boundaries, your Shiba will choose to become alpha of the family and may become quite quarrelsome when they don't get their way. However, Shibas are very intelligent and will not always obey continuously, but they do know right from wrong if taught properly. Find a good trainer in your area that will offer fun and positive training and take a beginning and intermediate class. Make sure you have someone that understands the Shiba, an independent but stubborn Spitz breed, and uses nothing short of positive training. A trainer who puts a Shiba on display and makes them become submissive with the attitude "a dog must obey" is the wrong trainer. Positive training methods include using toys, treats, and praise. Take baby steps and do not overwhelm your dog by trying to over-achieve. They like the challenge but may get bored with the same routine. Positive methods are effective and you will see quick results! Positive training should include a training collar and I recommend a nylon choker that is a 3/4 nylon collar with a small choker gap. An all-metal choker is not recommended since Shibas have small tracheas that can be damaged with too much jerking. You will need a 6-foot nylon or cotton leash that will provide enough room to train. Most importantly, have a positive attitude with an incredibly praising voice. Training should be fun! Negative training will result in a disobedient Shiba and lack of trust between the two of you that will take time to gain back. Most importantly, everyone in the family must participate, and with consistency your furry friend will understand what you expect of him and will excel as a wonderful family member.
In addition to obedience training, proper and productive exercise is a big part of training. It promotes a healthy dog and develops socialization skills. These activities may include hiking, walking on the beach, playing with other dogs in off-leashed parks, or other family activities. Shibas are not water dogs but can learn to enjoy water, if they choose. Shibas love to hike and we start ours out with a nice 2-mile, flat hike and have worked our way to a 6-mile, 1200-foot elevated hike. They love it! We also will walk ours on the beach from one end to another and they love to dig in the sand, chase seagulls, and escape the waves! Off-leash parks are so nice to have if you have responsible dog owners that will follow the rules. Shibas love to meet and play with dogs of all breeds but consider their needs and evaluate what he or she is capable of doing. With all activities make sure to pack fresh water for them to drink. Salt water will make them sick and causes an allergic reaction for some. Creeks, lakes, ponds, and other pools of water have bacteria in them that can cause all kinds of infections and illnesses, due to micro-organisms and animals in them.
Only the best of Shibas will excel at Shiba sports or conformation. Most Shibas find these activities boring and have no desire to be put on display. Training is hard work and some choose to proceed and enjoy Fly Ball, Agility, and Advanced Obedience.
A busy Shiba is a happy Shiba! Remember this breed is active and can continue to be until 8 years old, slowing down a bit through the years. Shibas can live an average life of 15 years so give them a good foundation for healthy bones and a good weight, with excellent diet and exercise and you'll have a long-time companion!
