Which dog breed is the best companion to a Shiba?
Hi
I have been wondering lately about which dog breed will make out a good companion to a Shiba. I've seen mine getting along best with Chows, Border Collies, Golden retrievers and the odd Husky.
What are your experience regarding this?
I have been wondering lately about which dog breed will make out a good companion to a Shiba. I've seen mine getting along best with Chows, Border Collies, Golden retrievers and the odd Husky.
What are your experience regarding this?
Comments
My Shiba gets along with polite dogs of all sizes and breeds, except Setters. For some reason he hates Setters. I have noticed that he tends to like medium sized or dogs smaller than he, but for the most part it depends on that dog's personality and how "rude" they are when meeting him.
When I moved back in with Mom, he was fighting constantly with one of her dogs, Juneau, who is a Border Collie Labrador Retriever mix. Now the two of them get along fine. He generally just needs time to adjust to the dog. He's only met a couple that he couldn't stand, and those were usually dogs who tried to fight right off the bat or got up in his face. No particular breed, except for Setters.
But I do now that Akitas and Shibas have been known to get along. To be honest, I think it is situational, varying from dog to dog, but that is just my opinion.
We have had some Shiba meetups at the same time as the Westies and the two breeds seem to get along well.
Another option would be a Jindo. (Korean spitz type dog)
My Shibas have gotten along with some corgis and not others as well as Spaniels, JA's, a few Jindos, a German Shepherd and Dobermans. Notices the herding breeds (Aussie, Border Collies) can be a bit much sometimes and well as Terriers who can't seem to keep the edge off. That's our experience over time with many Shibas.
Snf
Second what SnF says. It depends on the dog and their tolerance level and reactivity. I would not pair a more reactive Shiba with most terriers or herding dogs, or a very serious grumpy Shiba with anything boisterous or "in your face".
Actually, I would say that Kai Ken might make a good match, because they seem more able to get along with other dogs than some of the other NKs and can probably work around some Shiba snark.
Sound arbitrary enough? Because it sort of is.
In the end, I picked the Basenji as a companion breed to the Shiba because *I* like them. It was just fortunate for us all that Bowdu doesn't seem to dislike them, but it took a long time to stumble across one with a compatible temperament.
We also had to find the right dogs. While I do think Kai Ken are often non confrontational enough with other dogs to make a good companion, it would still depend on the Shiba. As for the others, we had to search a lot to find the right dog (and we also got puppies, because I knew we'd have a better chance integrating a puppy). Still, I had to search for an Akita that would likely be ok temperamentally (and at least that is ok with Oskar--he has other issues, but he's pretty mellow with the dogs he lives with).
People think it's so cute this husky has like 6 tennis balls laying with her, but that's not funny to me when she gets snarky with dogs for walking by..
Saya doesn't like boxers only ones she liked are Bella our boxer, Mollie one boxer at the dog park who loved playing with Saya she never played with other dogs except for Saya, and the two boxers in our neighborhood. Rest she avoids or tells to back off if they bother her.
She doesn't like great danes or too many giant dogs..
She tends to get along with dogs her size or other shiba even then she might get bit snarky.
She takes while to get used to new dogs.
Of course, come to think of it, perhaps that's a good reason to get another dog now while he still likes other dogs! *lol* But my main point is you're likely to see much less tolerance of other dogs as he ages.
Saya loves being outside too we spend at least one to two hours outside maybe bit more or less.. She loves her inside the house time nothing like laying on the top of the couch.
Saya is so pretty! Sounds like she's living the good life!
Mine was rehomed to me from her second owners. I just had to go with the flow from day one. We did umbilical training for about 4 months to build up her trust with me, and she will never be housebroken due to some strange litter training by her first owner and being locked in a kennel all day and night by the second owners. She is paper trained, though and adjusted quite well to my chi and the cat in record time (I still think she likes them better than she likes me). I wouldn't trade her for the world! Best of luck with your new fuzzy baby!
my neutered males do well with one another, btw. My neutered Akita was a bit edgy with my Kai when he was intact, but now he's better. And my Kai gets along with everyone, including my neutered male Shiba who hates all dogs. (well, I wouldn't say they hang out or anything, but we're working on getting them together more).
I do think Kai Ken are the most likely dogs (of the NKs) to be easily integrated into a household of other NKs, even snarky Shibas. (Yours may not be snarky. Ours are!)
Mya is a weird Shiba though, she is super friendly and loves everyone. Well, except for my friend's pit bull... Mya started a fight with her and we had to break it up before Mya became a snack!