Dave - It's this Saturday at Lawrenceville Kennel Club, from 10 - 1. I plan to have Jazz with me, most likely in her crate while we are there. My board is the info on shibas and I'll have handouts on why the Shiba is probably not the breed for you if you are looking for a dog. For more info, go to https://www.lawrencevillekennelclub.org/Local_Matches___Trials.html
Brandon - I grabbed the first one from your flickr site because it was just awesome! I'm going to steal a couple more of them as just shots of shibas.
I've created the basic flyer and would like your opinions, please:
Why the Shiba is most likely NOT the best dog for you!
Most people encourage other people to get the same type dog that they have. They’ll extol all of the good features of their dog. “He knows his name, she comes on command, and He’s great off-leash” are just a few of the phrases I’ve heard when people talk about their dog. This is not the case for owners of a Shiba Inu. Most of us will try to persuade you to not own this breed of dog. Some might think it is because we want to own the cutest dog at the park or want to be able to spout off neat little details about this Japanese breed. In truth, it’s because we’ve seen too many of our Shiba friends come home and then go on to rescue or shelter situations because a family wasn’t prepared for their Shiba.
"Insert Brandon's pic here" - If you are looking at this picture in horror…then the Shiba is definitely not for you. The Shiba is a beautiful dog – it is protective, it is playful, and it is primitive. It may not be as primitive as other Japanese breeds, such as the Kai, Kishu, or Shikoku, but it still has many of those instincts. The Shiba will correct other dogs about appropriate introductions, interactions, and every other type of encounter. These dogs are simply communicating, not fighting.
I am honored to know several people with Shibas. In writing this, I asked these friends some questions. One was to answer the statement “Why this is not the perfect breed for you”. I got a lot of answers back. Some were quite funny, such as find a description of a Labrador and contradict everything it says, or If you like your things to remain your things and remain intact then...DONT GET A SHIBA! Shibas have the attitude-take a number and I will get back to you…maybe or, my personal favorite: to remind people that their creator (God, what have you) gave Shibas this irresistible face and beautiful markings because He knew without them, their owners would kill them.
These friends have educated me on owning a Shiba – when I have a question about some odd behavior – I go to them. At least two or three of them have been in the same situation with their Shiba. We’ve seen dogs that weren’t socialized near enough when they were a puppy (like my Shiba) who are fearful of other dogs and scared of many places. We’ve seen overconfident Shibas who are amazing with other dogs, but scared to death of humans. We’ve seen Shibas that have horrible medical conditions that threaten their everyday life because of breeders who don’t care about the breed or the standard, just the money.
We Shiba owners stick together. Most dog owners won’t understand the near paralyzing fear of an open door and the possibility of your dog on the loose for days or even weeks. The Shiba has a high prey drive – they’ve been known to kill a chipmunk or squirrel while on leash for their morning walk. Having a dog take over my house wasn’t what I had in mind when I got my furball, but she’s trained me to accept the fact and move forward. Shibas can do great with children, but children need to be educated on how to play with a Shiba. Also, a child should never be left unattended with a Shiba or any other type of dog.
For many Shiba owners, they have an aloof dog who will grant the rare cuddle moment just when you need it the most. The joy of having an all-over body tail wagging moment is well worth the expense of your baseboards, shoes, and remote control. This dog will steal your heart the very first time you see it, but know that this dog needs a whole lot more than a crate, a fenced yard, and a food/water bowl.
I agree, very well written. I have to be honest, it would totally make me want to have a shiba, but when I read something that tells me logically I shouldn't do something it just makes me want to do it more. So you've done your job with this. ;-)
Thanks! I'm looking forward to tomorrow - while Jazz will be in her crate a fair amount, I think it will be good - I'm just not sure of how the turnout will be.
After I do the RDOD thing, I'm heading over to a new place in Atlanta that is a dog food pantry to drop off some food. I think it is a pretty cool idea. If Jazz is up to it, we'll then head to the park for the other meetup (non-Shiba) group that I belong to.
Okay - I forgot to take my camera with me yesterday, so I don't have a shot of how it looked. I took the two shots below at home to give you an idea. The table went over the top of Jazz's crate and had her scrapbook, the sheet of paper on Why the shiba would not be the best choice, and a recreation about breeding your dog. The even was a modest success - helped greatly by the opening of a Dog/Cat Food pantry next door. Next year, we plan to try for a mall/shopping center or pet goods store.
Jazz did very well - not a growl out of her at all while we were at LKC. When we went into the ring, she did great. I think it was because there were cameras - she's a bit of a ham. She was in her crate about half of the time. She had no problems with the schipperke (sp?) that was on one side or the bloodhound on the other. When we lined up for the ring I got between these two and it was wonderful. Also, there was no drooling, itching, shaking, or low tail.
Then we dropped by a dog park for another meetup group that I'm a member of (non-shiba). Jazz was having none of it - she growled at every dog within 5-7 feet and was drooling like crazy. We left pretty quickly.
I think that's a good arrangement. Good job! It was cool of Jazz to behave, pity about the "I don't feel like socializing with those inferior breeds" :-P
I had about 15 people that I talked to about the breed. One told me that this was the breed they were getting for their 4 year old daughter. Wanna guess the breeder?
Anyway, I spent a lot of time talking with them about the problems and socialization issues. They told me that they had been assured the dog would be well socialized and they wouldn't have to worry about it all. In the end, they told me that they will do some more research before they put down a deposit. They took down some of resources I had listed and a copy of why not, so we'll see.
Wow LJ you put a lot of work. The poster looks great! Let's hope something sunk in for the folks who stopped by, particularly the ones wanting to get a dog for their 4 yr old. I hope they understand the responsibility falls to them and they can not expect a child of that age to walk or care for a dog regardless of the breed.
I got a call from the Conyers Kennel Club today about setting up a shiba board on their RDOD this Saturday. So, it looks like the poster will get used again! This is a new club that hasn't been around very long - if they start up some training classes, I may end up switching my membership over to them since there are much closer (18 mins vs 45 mins)
Comments
Tobi as well is really good looking one!
Brandon - I grabbed the first one from your flickr site because it was just awesome! I'm going to steal a couple more of them as just shots of shibas.
Steph - I'll definitely pull one down of Toby.
Why the Shiba is most likely NOT the best dog for you!
Most people encourage other people to get the same type dog that they have. They’ll extol all of the good features of their dog. “He knows his name, she comes on command, and He’s great off-leash” are just a few of the phrases I’ve heard when people talk about their dog. This is not the case for owners of a Shiba Inu. Most of us will try to persuade you to not own this breed of dog. Some might think it is because we want to own the cutest dog at the park or want to be able to spout off neat little details about this Japanese breed. In truth, it’s because we’ve seen too many of our Shiba friends come home and then go on to rescue or shelter situations because a family wasn’t prepared for their Shiba.
"Insert Brandon's pic here" - If you are looking at this picture in horror…then the Shiba is definitely not for you. The Shiba is a beautiful dog – it is protective, it is playful, and it is primitive. It may not be as primitive as other Japanese breeds, such as the Kai, Kishu, or Shikoku, but it still has many of those instincts. The Shiba will correct other dogs about appropriate introductions, interactions, and every other type of encounter. These dogs are simply communicating, not fighting.
I am honored to know several people with Shibas. In writing this, I asked these friends some questions. One was to answer the statement “Why this is not the perfect breed for you”. I got a lot of answers back. Some were quite funny, such as find a description of a Labrador and contradict everything it says, or If you like your things to remain your things and remain intact then...DONT GET A SHIBA! Shibas have the attitude-take a number and I will get back to you…maybe or, my personal favorite: to remind people that their creator (God, what have you) gave Shibas this irresistible face and beautiful markings because He knew without them, their owners would kill them.
These friends have educated me on owning a Shiba – when I have a question about some odd behavior – I go to them. At least two or three of them have been in the same situation with their Shiba. We’ve seen dogs that weren’t socialized near enough when they were a puppy (like my Shiba) who are fearful of other dogs and scared of many places. We’ve seen overconfident Shibas who are amazing with other dogs, but scared to death of humans. We’ve seen Shibas that have horrible medical conditions that threaten their everyday life because of breeders who don’t care about the breed or the standard, just the money.
We Shiba owners stick together. Most dog owners won’t understand the near paralyzing fear of an open door and the possibility of your dog on the loose for days or even weeks. The Shiba has a high prey drive – they’ve been known to kill a chipmunk or squirrel while on leash for their morning walk. Having a dog take over my house wasn’t what I had in mind when I got my furball, but she’s trained me to accept the fact and move forward. Shibas can do great with children, but children need to be educated on how to play with a Shiba. Also, a child should never be left unattended with a Shiba or any other type of dog.
For many Shiba owners, they have an aloof dog who will grant the rare cuddle moment just when you need it the most. The joy of having an all-over body tail wagging moment is well worth the expense of your baseboards, shoes, and remote control. This dog will steal your heart the very first time you see it, but know that this dog needs a whole lot more than a crate, a fenced yard, and a food/water bowl.
After I do the RDOD thing, I'm heading over to a new place in Atlanta that is a dog food pantry to drop off some food. I think it is a pretty cool idea. If Jazz is up to it, we'll then head to the park for the other meetup (non-Shiba) group that I belong to.
Jazz did very well - not a growl out of her at all while we were at LKC. When we went into the ring, she did great. I think it was because there were cameras - she's a bit of a ham. She was in her crate about half of the time. She had no problems with the schipperke (sp?) that was on one side or the bloodhound on the other. When we lined up for the ring I got between these two and it was wonderful. Also, there was no drooling, itching, shaking, or low tail.
Then we dropped by a dog park for another meetup group that I'm a member of (non-shiba). Jazz was having none of it - she growled at every dog within 5-7 feet and was drooling like crazy. We left pretty quickly.
It was cool of Jazz to behave, pity about the "I don't feel like socializing with those inferior breeds" :-P
Anyway, I spent a lot of time talking with them about the problems and socialization issues. They told me that they had been assured the dog would be well socialized and they wouldn't have to worry about it all. In the end, they told me that they will do some more research before they put down a deposit. They took down some of resources I had listed and a copy of why not, so we'll see.
Looks awesome LJ.
Snf