Shiba for 1st time dog owner
I've read so many posts on this forum and other places that mention how Shibas (nihonken in general) are so much more of a handful than other dogs. Many people have said that only experienced dog owners should get one.
well, I had never had a dog growing up and my shiba is my first pup ever. To be honest, she is much less of a handful than I had expected haha. I was wondering if there are any other new parents out there with a nihonken fur baby and how they feel or comments in general
well, I had never had a dog growing up and my shiba is my first pup ever. To be honest, she is much less of a handful than I had expected haha. I was wondering if there are any other new parents out there with a nihonken fur baby and how they feel or comments in general
Comments
Nihon Ken can be monsters to people who want to treat them like, say, Golden Retrievers or Labs. They're a "primitive" spitz-breed type dog, & thus need to be treated like one.
Congrats to no trouble yet, just don't get thrown off by the rebellious phase! haha ~
If you were to just keep a shiba in the house for most of it's life, the odds are that they are just going to be a terrible dog to be around. Without the time and effort to give the pups lots of socializing and exposure to new things when they are young, they can be just a nervous wreck when it comes to new things.
I've also noticed many people say "They don't make a good first dog" about their breed in order to scare off people without dedication. Trying to protect their breed. ~
I was surprised that Honey was as easy going as she is. The only hurdle we really ran into was aggression at the dog park. She wasnt a "dog friendly" dog.
Now we have a second pup (Jack Russell named Squirt) and Honey just LOVES him. I'm not saying that Honey will now love ALL dogs. But it's progress. lol
Honey has been everything I've ever wanted in a dog and more. I think that if a person takes the time and puts in the effort in caring for a dog......and does research on the needs of a particular breed......and dog would make a good "first dog".
But out of all of these dogs, Tetsu was the easiest and best puppy I could ever have (This is of course not including Tikaani in the list). He did chew on anything (except my ankles), he was extremely easy to housebreak and crate train (once he stop getting the runs from worms), and was the greatest when it came to just bringing him everywhere and making him a temporary "accessory" dog. I even brought him to PC Richards while Tom's parents bought a huge Air-conditioner and he just slept in my arms the whole time.
Whenever I read anyone's comments on how their dogs were bad and did this and did that, all I thought was "great, this dog is just spoiling me, once I get another dog I'll be in for it".
I've taken both my guys everywhere, though, through out the time we've had them. And even then, there are still things that I have over looked that can really put Tetsu in a bad place (he hates motorcycle noises and beards). You'd never think that something so common place for you can just totally stress out your dog until he is in that situation.
Of course there are those that opt not to purchase from good breeders and the temperments of the dogs are a toss up, some social and well adjusted, happy by nature, others fearful and anxious requiring extreme amounts of time and socializing just to function.
Ike and Beebe are great examples of this. Beebe was, honestly, a very difficult puppy, always challenging the rules and is highly reactive. She was from a back yard scenario. She would have been a terrible pet for a first time Shiba owner.
Ike on the other hand, the breeder dog, has been bred for temperment. He is much easier to live with in large part because of his great breeding and rearing. Something like that would make a great first dog for someone who has done all the appropriate research. However, Ike's temperment and that of his kin are not at all typical of most Shiba available to the public from my experience.
It makes me think, "is there such a breed as a 'beginner' dog?" Aren't all the basic "Dog Laws" applicable to every breed? They all need a degree of exercise, stimulation, attention, discipline, grooming, patience, socialization, equipment, food... I don't think the demands of a Shiba are much different than any breed, especially a puppy, and if you are looking for a dog that doesn't need anything more than food and bathroom breaks, then maybe you should get a cat. Or a goldfish. I got dogs because I like the affection and attention that they give to me, and a basic principle to life and the universe is sort of "you get back what you put in." Just my couple of cents
PS- How is Kitsu doing? What are your opinions about a shiba for an inexperienced dog person? Hope you are enjoying the puppy phase!
Fast forward 15 years and 12 years of marriage and several cats – we were firmly in the cat-person group. Our shiba Ichiro was our first dog. We went the impulse route, somewhat… we saw a shiba on TV and fell in love with their looks and independence (see cat-person above). Then we got smart and started doing our research. After reading a lot of material we thought – ok, we are up for a challenge!
We found a (maybe sketchy) breeder in Iowa and pulled the trigger. Here we were, $550 later with our very own dog. In January… In Chicago… Right by the lake… During the COLDEST winter I’ve ever lived through, and I’m a Midwesterner. We bought new parkas and said bring it on!
Well of course Ichiro was more than a little skittish, even for a shiba. We put ourselves in his paws and thought about moving from rural IA to the Chicago Loop. Yeah, garbage trucks, buses, SIDEWALKS all freaked him out. We just did our best to not react and gave lots of treats and encouragement.
Fast forward 18 months. Life with one shiba was finally settling down. Ichiro still has an irrational fear of things that are square, like boxes and throw pillows; but he’s a really good mellow dog. Even other shiba owners are perplexed by his mellow demeanor sometimes. The only issue that we still had (aside from the square thing) was that he would not leave another dog alone if out on a walk, he HAD to play! What to do? Get him a puppy! Enter Akira from our local shiba rescues – SIRA.
Akira has been a joy thus far. However she's a little more excitable. That’s nothing that I can’t dust off the previous knowledge and apply. Thankfully, this forum has such great resources and posts. I am actually enjoying the puppy phase, knowing how soon it will be over and she'll go from our crazy little tater tot to another couch potato like Ichiro.
So from zero to crazy in under two years.
Would I recommend a shiba for a first dog, perhaps. Depends on the family and the amount of frustration you can handle or want to deal with on a daily basis. For instance, my mom LOVES dogs but she never warmed up to Ichiro because he never warmed up to her. I generally ask people – do you want a dog that greets you at the door and is happy to see you? Yes? Then don’t get a shiba inu. (This conversation usually coincides with Ichiro looking over his shoulder and huffing at me to hurry up.) Their faces fall for a moment, but I think it does take someone who knows what they are getting into or researching what they somehow got to find happiness with a shiba inu.
Your milage may vary.
My first official shiba, Tsuki, was the first dog that I raised from a (approx) 3 month old pup. I literally swore off raising another because she was such. a. handful! And yet, after we adopted 1 year old Kitsu, I realized what a good job we did with Tsuki... she's open to meeting and greeting strangers, she's fabulous with all other dogs, loves to get good and dirty on a hike, swims.. and really is a great dog in general.
I wouldn't suggest a shiba inu as a first dog, for someone looking for a dog-dog. I'd want them to really understand the quirks that make the breed distinctly different from other breeds. In all honesty, I think 'cat people' have a better time adjusting to a shiba than do 'dog people'. Worked for my husband!
My mother should be getting into another place soon. She's looking into getting a dog as well:
- something not too big but not too small
- something cute
- something trainable
- gets along with cats
and
- something that will tolerate the kids no matter how much they "torture" the dog (i.e. hugging, playing, heavy petting, running around like maniacs).
She seems to like "spitzy type" dogs. I suggested to her, "When you're ready, why don't we go check out various animal shelters and see if we can find a dog that'll suit you."
There truely are plenty of awesome dogs out there. Unfortunely, they ended up in a bad situation and not always through the fault of their own. I suggest that you vist as many animal shelters & rescues as you possibly can. Talk to the people there who work with those dogs. Make an evaluation of the dog yourself, "Is this dog a dog you can deal with?" Write a list of all the dogs that you visited that REALLY made an impression on you. Your dog will find you that way. Usually by some sort of invisible connection -smiles-.
Good luck!
Let me put it this way...
When I told my Dad I wanted a Shiba with: pointy ears, furry fur, fluffy tail, would hang around me outside while I do yard work, would not chase cars in the front yard, not noisy...
He said "That sounds like our cat. You don't even have to leash her in the front yard. Why do you want a Shiba emu (yes, he says Emu not inu) for all that?"