Training Tips?

MikaAndMe

Does anyone have any training tips for me? I have a Shiba Inu, 8 weeks old, and she seems like shes going to be smart. However, she can be very stubborn at times and when I raise my voice to her she appears to shake and get scared of me. After she gets in trouble, usually for not listening to my "No," she won't come near me and she just stares at me like she can't believe I yelled at her. Do I just need more patience? Should I not raise my voice at all and just take away whatever privilege she is doing at the time with no words? I just want a dog that loves me but obeys me. I feel bad when she shakes and gets scared but I feel like I have to let her know somehow that she is doing something wrong or she won't ever listen to me. I didn't think it would be hard to balance this as I have successfully trained a dog in the past but she was a lab, not nearly as headstrong as a Shiba. I know these dogs have great potential and I guess I just want to do things right and I know a lot of you have. Thanks in advance for any help that is provided and sorry for the novel of a post. : )

sunyata

Hmm... I am not an expert of dog behaviour by any means, but this is my experience with my Shibas.

Just like humans, dogs do not take well to being yelled at. They have no idea what you are saying, and sometimes may not even know what they did to make you so upset. When one of my pups does something that I dislike, I give them a firm "Ah-Ah" (as they do not respond to "no") and immediately remove them from whatever source (chewing on carpet, beating each other up too noisily, barking at the mysterious invisible spot on the wall, etc.). I then usually redirect them to something productive (chewing on toy, sitting, watching me, etc.), and treat when appropriate.

This has worked out fairly well, and I have never had to yell at my pups. I know they can get frustrating, as that is what Shiba means. ;-) Bella has a tendancy to be a pain in the butt if she wants something, or if something is out of the ordinary (road crews, UPS delivery, etc.), and I really want to yell... But I just have to correct her with the "Ah-Ah" and redirect her attention and all is usually good.

Hope this helps!

MommyofNiko

No is not something they understand. Do a low growl, something in their language.
Be very patient and give LOTS of rewards to with for appropriate behavior. Of course petting, good girl's and treats to begin the good habits. Treats can be controversial but it helps begin the desired behavior. Yummy liver treats, string cheese and so on are very tempting for listening. Once they learn what is expected wean off the treats.

dlroberts

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but a Shiba that obeys is something that just doesn't exist. Like you said, they are much more headstrong than a lab. Labs exist to please their owners, Shibas exist to be pleased by their owners. The sooner you acknowledge that the better chance you have of communicating effectively with your dog.

I think you've gotten some good advice on the positive reinforcement. Shibas really do respond best to encouragement and not correction. If she responds poorly to vocal corrections like yelling, stop using them. If my dogs are too focused on what they are doing, a vocal correction in my deepest and most powerful voice may as well be a whisper to them. But, if I take one or two ASSERTIVE steps in their direction they get the message and stop what they are doing. Perhaps a body language correction like that might be a good thing for you to try.

MikaAndMe

Thanks for all the great comments. I don't want you to think that I yell at my puppy all the time. When I say yell I mean a deep No and holding her close to me to know that she isn't in control. She responds well as far as knowing she did something wrong and i am beginning to notice that she is remembering what she got in trouble for before and she typically stays away if I just say No in a regular voice. Like if she goes to chew on her kennel and I start to say no she stops and does something else. I have also been adamant about giving her toys to chew on after I tell her No and then praising her for chewing on her toys. I just wanted some feedback from people who have done it because I know how Shibas can be. My friend has one and he is very obedient as far as fetching and sitting and staying and getting his ball and pretty much whatever you want to teach him. He says repetition is the best way to train a Shiba. Has anyone else found that effective? Anyway, thanks again for all of your comments. This forum is priceless to me. I will definitely use your suggestions as I'm tired of my puppy getting mad at me and giving me dirty looks when I make her do something besides what she wants to do, lol. Thanks again!

MommyofNiko

You gotta get some tough skin...those dirty looks will never go away!
Always here for ya!

dlroberts

Repetition is good to a point with Shibas. The more you get them to do what you want and praise them for it, the more likely they are to continue to repeat that behavior. Here's the tricky part though. Shibas are very smart as far as dogs go and they get bored very easily. Once they get bored, they will stop paying attention to you and look for other things to keep them interested. When you notice Mika become slower to respond to commands, start yawning, panting, or scratching, its time to stop training for a while. I try to train in short sessions of up to 10 minutes (but usually more like 5) 1-3 times a day.