A Misbehaved Older Shiba?
I'm trying to figure out if I should go ahead and adopt this little guy I have been looking at. I don't know many Shiba Inu owners, so I figured this would be the best place to get some info.
The dog I am thinking of adopting is a 5 year old male Shiba Inu. He is not going through an adoption agency, rather he is being sold/given away by his owner due to the difficulty she has had with him. She had told me he is dog aggressive, cat aggressive, and food aggressive. He has never been to behavioral training, and I get the feeling that he has overwhelmed this family for far too long.
I have a dog, and 2 cats.. So I am wary of adopting him right off. Can a 5 year old Shiba be taught to function the same as a regular member of the family? Is he able to be taught not to bark and growl aggressively at visitors when they come into my home?
The flip-side of this argument about the dog is that Churchill has been evaluated by a local Shiba Inu breeder and his local veteranarian. Both of these evaluators have said that he is one of the best behaved dogs and they believe his manner is due to his territorial tendencies he displays at home.
Is this dog trainable??????? Should I adopt him and try to get him to behave better then his owner ever could???
Comments
Has he been in your home yet? How do you know all these behavior exists? Have you tried trial periods with him in your home? The people who evaluated him...do they have a personal interest in this placement or are they impartial? Any dog is trainable in some way, it is a matter of if you have patience, persistence and if all members in your family is ready for the commitment. Any shiba can and will be difficult...an untrained shiba even more. There are many who have rescued shiba's on this board and can better assist you on the realities of re-homing the babies.
Good luck on whatever decision you make!
He hasn't been in the home.. This is why I am skeptical. I am trying to figure out if she is just a frustrated owner who can't handle the poor guy anymore so she is making a big deal out of his small problems and making it seem like he's a terrible dog so she HAS to get rid of him.
I plan to meet him soon. I just wanted to make sure I didn't get in over my head and get attached to a dog who will kill me in my sleep or something!!
Before you make any decisions, introduce him to your pets. I have met so many people who have told me their dogs were vicious and territorial and then they are lovely when I get to meet them. And then I have met dogs that are supposedly friendly with everyone and they have some major behavior issues (for example the chocolate lab who bit me at the dog park and someone else a few days later). I would see if you can borrow him for a weekend.
Do you have any experience with dog training. Because even the best trained shiba will still be a bit of a handful. They are VERY smart, and absolutely have minds of their own.
I second everything everyone else has already said.
We have a dog-reactive male Shiba, he is 4 years-old. I have to say, it is very difficult living with a reactive Shiba, but some dogs Maui is fine with, others he is not. So I would introduce your dogs to this Shiba ASAP, and before you make the final decision.
It sounds to me like this lady has not treated this Shiba very well, or at least doesn't know how to handle him properly. As many have said on this forum before, Shibas will hold a grudge and if they don't like you, they just don't like you... It sounds like something happened to make this dog not like his current family - it could be anything, rough housing children, aggressive or none submissive dogs, or the Shiba could just be very fearful, or they could be yellers - Shibas don't like being yeld at - they want to be treated with respect (this is the cae with ALL Nihon Ken).
Whatever you do, take it slow. It sounds like you are on the right path by asking for advice here.
Also, welcome to the forum! :c)
I'd have to agree that something must have happened to upset this dog. The family does have children, though she hasn't yet told me the age.. And she did make a very bold yet stupid decision to buy a puppy when Churchill was about 3 and introduce it to the family when Churchill had never been properly socialized in the first place. This is the only instance of dog aggression she has to go by. She says he never bites, but his barking and growling can be scary... I'm wondering if she even ever says no..
And I do have some experiance with dog training, though not much. My dog is an extremely easy-to-train Great Pyrenees, and he was originally trained solely by my Grandmother before I took it up. However, I work at PetSmart, and so I get extra help from the trainer there for no extra cost, and also discounts on any training classes I'd like to join.
So many shibas end up in rescues because people get them for their appearance with no research or consideration for their temperament. Sounds kind of like this woman just didn't understand what kind of dog she was getting and is now paying the price.
I would love to hear how a shiba gets on with a Great Pyrenees. I just had to find a foster home for one this week. They are such lovely patient dogs, so he would probably be great for a naughty shiba. Especially if you are willing to get the little guy some obedience training .
Just try to get a trial weekend first. If he is too hostile especially with two males it can be a possibility. I wish you luck.
Do you know what she intends to do if you decide not to take him? Please try to stop her from bringing him to the the pound. And this dog deserves a thoughtful considerate owner such as yourself. Most people wouldn't be as smart as you are being about introducing a new dog to their family.