Question on Indepedence...
Hey guys, question about Shiba Inu temperament. I'm still a prospective owner and I've read a lot about how they tend to be independent dogs which I always saw as a plus for my living situation as both my boyfriend and I have full time jobs (although we work very close to our apartment) and I'd much rather have a dog that can wouldn't mind some "alone time" during the day (not saying that I wouldn't love to spend the whole day at home with a puppy but, especially in this economy, it's not really feasible: ). However, I ran into a family friend the other day who is really involved with Labs and she gave me a 30 minute long lecture on how Shiba's never show affection towards their owners, are extremely aloof and she just made them out to be terrible dogs to have.
Now let me say that I've been reading your posts/looking at your pictures and I don't believe her for a SECOND. I know they tend to be a bit more difficult and definitely have "shiba-tude" but that doesn't mean they don't love their owners!
I was just wondering if anyone could give me some stories/examples of shiba affection so that when I run into this woman again I'll be armed with counter arguments : )
Now let me say that I've been reading your posts/looking at your pictures and I don't believe her for a SECOND. I know they tend to be a bit more difficult and definitely have "shiba-tude" but that doesn't mean they don't love their owners!
I was just wondering if anyone could give me some stories/examples of shiba affection so that when I run into this woman again I'll be armed with counter arguments : )
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Comments
Not sure what kind of experience this woman HAS with shibas.........Did she say? Has she ever OWNED one?
There is a total difference between being independent and being un-affectionate. These guys don't need you to tell them what to do every second of the day. They won't just wait for you to entertain them, they'll figure out something to do on their own, even if it is something you don't want them to do. They can be aloof, but that is more with strangers. Tetsu hasn't showed aloofness with anyone he has seen on an average basis. And god, you have to see how excited he gets whenever we visit the vet, practically trying to climb over a 4 foot counter to get to the receptionists. He's nothing but kisses with them.
Tetsu doesn't follow me around expecting pets and kisses, and he does love his "me" time. But he's not against cuddling up next to me and licking my fingers, especially if I just ate;) And we have those moments where he'll just slowly lick my hands or feet while I rub his back and neck.
This lady is a lab lady, so how many shibas has she lived with? Just because you read a book, or meet one in passing, doesn't mean you get the whole spectrum of a breed. Shibas have a different way of expressing their "feelings" and affections than a lab. A lab is like a child who constantly screams "I Love You!!". A shiba is more suave (right now I keep picturing Westly from "Princess Bride").
I couldn't believe how many negative things she was telling me about the breed! My huntch is that the shiba's she's met were poorly socialized and were owned by people who didn't do much research about the breed before buying them and therefore weren't prepared to put in the extra obediance effort and maybe weren't just training their dog with positive reinforcement.
I'll just have to show her up when I get my shiba (hopefully by this summer!)
Jesse
And while I'm sure Lab's have their good points, I'm much, much more a 'shiba person'. I don't like a dog that is constantly underfoot, or a dog that can knock me over to get to a ball. I don't like bitchy lap dogs and I don't like yappy dogs. Shibas - or the ones I have housed anyway - are independent to a point, but still need you, just in their terms, not yours. More like cats. That require walks and mind stimulation and that occasionally like to cuddle and play tug-o-war.
I, for one, am not fond of labs. I think they are needy dogs.
I absolutely adore my Shibas, who are independent, but still very affectionate in their own ways. Whenever I come home, I am ALWAYS greeted at the door by two very happy fur-faces. Bella kisses my knees and Nola brings me a toy and gives me her cute little growl/roar. It makes even the crappiest of days better the moment I step through the door. And I know that they are both there because they both WANT to be there. Not because they are unable to do otherwise or feel the need to be there.
Sure, there are times when neither one of them want to have anything to do with me. But, admittedly, there are times when I want little to do with them (those times are rare, but they do happen). I like being able to walk around my house and not trip over a dog. I also enjoy seeking my dogs out when I want a little snuggle... just as they seek me out when they want a little snuggle. I know they love me because they WANT to love me. Not because it is pre-disposed in their genes.
I am a Shiba person. Lab people would never understand me. Just as I have a hard time understanding them.
:P
Let's also remember that almost every time the blame for an annoying dog isn't the dog's but the owner's.
Not to get all defensive of Labs, but they are one of the most useful breeds at the moment. The breed is suffering from it's own good nature, since people tend to assume "It's a Lab, it will be naturally well mannered". Couldn't be further away from the truth.
the lady u met prolly never had a Shiba and is prolly basing her perception of shibas based on stories shes heard?
True that shibas are indepedant, but i know they love their owners to death. they are super loyal dogs.
nikki/sachi, both my shibas have what u mentioned, the "shiba-tude", but thats when they kinda not want to me smothered by love/affection 24/7, i notice sometimes they are just content playing with their toys for maybe 30mins, and they dont mind that you are gone for a few hours during the day, i had videocam-ed them a few times while we were out, both shibas were either sleeping/playing.
When we do come home, its a big celebration, we get 5mins of nonstop jumping arnd, kisses and nikki sometimes even pees herself cos she so excited(her eyes are all squinty.
and when we are home all day, they are times they just wanna play by themselves (nikki/sachi wld go upstairs and run arnd) for abit and then spend thr rest of the day with us.
Shibas, esp female i feel, mature much earlier than the labs (labs can stay puppy for up to 3 yrs)
bottom line, they love ur attention and love playing with you, they are just not needy and beggy, they can survive without ur 24/7 presense, but im sure they dont mind even if ure arnd 24/7 smothering them.
my shibas give us kisses all day long, esp in the morn when the alarm goes off. they wld jump on our laps just to give kisses, and then go back to wat they were doing.
nikki/sachi crawl into bed at night n sleep under the sheets btween me & my husband x) (yes they are cuddle bugs)
i know some1 who got a shiba cos she saw pics of my shibas on FB, but shes nv had a dog, and i heard all abt her shiba for the 1st mth, and now i dnt see any pics of hardly hear her mention abt her baby. when i asked, she just complained hes not loving(hes in the crate 12 hrs a day while shes out shopping and with her friends, he has allergy but shes not changing to better quality food cos she claims its too ex, many dogs survive off supermarket brands) its very sad.
my lab on the other hand, is needy. he whines when we leave, hes a super destroyer (i cant even go into how much he has destroyed).
koda my lab is almost 1 year now, he still acts like a puppy, tries to squeeze his entire 85lbs body on my lap, tries to knock me over, and he still needs to be crated cos he cant be fully trusted out alone without making my hse look like a hurricane went thr it.
i actually reduced my working hours since he was 5mths so spend a lil more time at home training him.
labs need tons of affection, tons of attention, hence they are great for fam with kids, cos kids can give them the attention too.
they are smart dogs but can be stubborn like the shibas, and u just need to give them the time of the day if you dnt want them to turn out what you may call a "bad dog"
when i watched marley and me, i thought to myself, "hes not the worst dog, if anything prolly mines the worst!" but there really arent bad dogs i feel, its how u train them
labs are not naturally the most well behaved and sweet dog, i have seen families give away their labs cos they just cant give it the time and attention and training it needed.
labs are great dogs, just like the shibas, they just need a different kinda of attention.
i love my labbie
that brings me to the point, sometimes your dogs are what you make them out to be.
any dog wnt be affectionate if you dnt spend enough time with them or shower them with love, not just the shibas.
all dogs really ask for is your love and care, give them that and they will give you their heart, attitude or not x)
I am sorry if I offended anyone, I did not mean anything derogatory with my comments above. And just like any dog, a lab should not be judged on its breed alone. There are many outside factors that can affect how the dog turns out. Nature AND nurture make a dog who he is.
I totally agree with Ling that if you love and care (and provide for) a dog, you will see that love and care given right back to you. Lab, Shiba, Pitt, Terrier, etc... They will all love you in their own way.
One of our cats, Meow, is such a lover. AS SOON AS I sit anywhere she comes RUNNING and plops down on my lap. But thats not all.... she also draggs her toys around, dropping them at our feet and then yells at us to play! She beggs for (litterally begs) and steals our food at EVERY meal (we dont feed her table scraps), and takes us for 'walks' around the house ending at her food bowl. These walks consist of yelling at our feet, making us follow her the long way around the house to her food bowl, stopping at a FULL food bowl, and asks us to just pet her while she eats! It's the funniest thing that she likes attention to eat!
She's just not a cookie cutter 'independant' cat : )
Playing is also a big thing with shibas. I don't think Lily would be as happy if I was working. SHe has a lot of energy and requires my full on attention or else gets into trouble. They seem to require a lot of dominace training when young or they become possesive. Lily is a bit of a wind bag over the kitchen. Its taking some time to get her to understand that barking and attacking Kenya in the kitchen isn't acceptable. She is stubborn so its a bit more time to learn things.
I think lab owners are reacting more to the shibas strong personality and lack of ease in the training department then shibas not showing affection to their owners. They are both completely different animals in terms of personalities. I am personally drawn to the rottweillers, akitas and bullmastiffs so the shiba isn't much different in terms of personalities. Lab owners may not see the attraction.
All I know for sure is this, Lily rocks. She is always doing things to make me smile and laugh.
Puppy/dog love, at least in my home, is not about having a dog jumping all over you and licking you until you're soggy - it's about just being around us. She's always keeps at least one family member within sight (she's on the sofa next to me now) and she'll ask to play sometimes.
Someone told me once "A shiba isn't like your baby; it's like a roommate whose just too cool for rent."
omg, i love it!
(1) I want to cuddle and love on you
OR
(2) I want to lay here and if you're here, so be it
I agree with the general consensus. Shiba's are loving but not excessively clingy.