The big Shiba decision
Hello all,
I'm a new member hoping to get some help/information on the decision to get a shiba. I have also never written in a forum before, so please excuse any wrong etiquette. So my boyfriend, Jeremy, and I recently purchased a home and were thinking of getting a dog this year. We decided to start researching breeds early since were not planning on getting one for a couple months and we would like to make the right choice. I have been a dog owner in the past (hunting bird dog breeds) and I am a volunteer at the local shelter, but Jeremy has never owned a dog. Jeremy is very nervous about being "a good dog daddy" and is wanting to lean towards a dog that is not very high maintenance. When we read about the shiba being somewhat independent we thought that may be good. We also have 2 cats so the smaller breed would be nice. We have a small yard and are fully prepared for daily walks around the neighborhood. We’re nervous about extreme energy needs since we both work 8 hours a day, but would also like something Jeremy could take jogging with him or biking with me occasionally. I've read that shibas are willful, but I was already planning on obedience training classes no matter which breed we choose. Unfortunately I have only seen pics online of shibas (they are adorable!!) but never seen one in person. I was attempting to find owners/breeders out here (northern California) to see if I can visit with a shiba, but I'm having difficulty finding any.
So basically to sum all of that up, we think a shiba would be a great fit for our family, but would like input from people with real experience owning one of these adorable dogs. I have read all I can find on the internet and now I'm looking for your input! Thank you in advance for any help!
I'm a new member hoping to get some help/information on the decision to get a shiba. I have also never written in a forum before, so please excuse any wrong etiquette. So my boyfriend, Jeremy, and I recently purchased a home and were thinking of getting a dog this year. We decided to start researching breeds early since were not planning on getting one for a couple months and we would like to make the right choice. I have been a dog owner in the past (hunting bird dog breeds) and I am a volunteer at the local shelter, but Jeremy has never owned a dog. Jeremy is very nervous about being "a good dog daddy" and is wanting to lean towards a dog that is not very high maintenance. When we read about the shiba being somewhat independent we thought that may be good. We also have 2 cats so the smaller breed would be nice. We have a small yard and are fully prepared for daily walks around the neighborhood. We’re nervous about extreme energy needs since we both work 8 hours a day, but would also like something Jeremy could take jogging with him or biking with me occasionally. I've read that shibas are willful, but I was already planning on obedience training classes no matter which breed we choose. Unfortunately I have only seen pics online of shibas (they are adorable!!) but never seen one in person. I was attempting to find owners/breeders out here (northern California) to see if I can visit with a shiba, but I'm having difficulty finding any.
So basically to sum all of that up, we think a shiba would be a great fit for our family, but would like input from people with real experience owning one of these adorable dogs. I have read all I can find on the internet and now I'm looking for your input! Thank you in advance for any help!
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Comments
Read through older threads on here in the shiba topics, you will learn a great deal about the good and the bad!
I love mine, I think I have found a breed of dog that I will love forever.
Is your back yard fenced in?
Here is a fair and pretty true explanation of shiba ownership:
http://www.bravewolf.ca/shibainu.html
Well first of all, you have to be ready for the fact that your shiba and cats might never get along because of the shiba's high prey drive. Make sure you have a cat sanctuary, somewhere the cats could get to but the dog cannot. Obedience training is a must and I don't think you guys working would be a problem as long as the dog is getting adequate exercise. In my opinion I think shibas are a bit high maintenance if you want them as house dogs but at the same time, I've never had shibas as house dogs. Dogs in Japanese houses are like throwing stones in glass houses.
Corina (a member on here) introduced me to Diana Smiley. She's in NoCal.
http://www.shibasofcopperdots.com/index.html
About the 'shiba meet-up', that would be great and I've tried to find something similar, had no luck. It just seems shiba are not too common of a breed. My neighbor said there is a man that goes to the local dog park that is a shiba owner. I was thinking about stopping by, but was fearing that may come off odd or rude.
Thank you for the link. I will definately read up on that.
So I have read that they are not the most affectionate of dogs, and definately not lap dogs. Does that tend to be true?
I think if you get one as an indoor companion dog from a pup, or young enough to still be in that formidable year, you can certainly get a cuddly dog!
My Tsuki is very affectionate, but when she's had enough, she's gone. And my male cuddles when he wants, its rare, but he shows affection in other ways (he'll rub against our head or sleep at the foot of the bed with his head on your foot.. stuff like that).
I think if you catch the man with the shiba, and explain your predicament, he'd be happy to let you interact! A lady just stopped us at the petstore 2 days ago to inquire about what its really like to own a shiba inu, I let her interact with Tsuki (she's much more social that Kitsune) and get a feel for handling one and living with one. She asked us what the worse part about owning one is, and honestly, its that they are the un-dog. They have their own agenda. Like a cat. They respect a worthy pack leader but do not always have that desire to please their owner like most dogs. They are as close to a NINJA (right, Romi?) than any other dog, IMO. They are smart, persistant, agile, tireless, moody, animated, outgoing while still reserved, and did I mention smart?? Prepare yourself to be outwitted and patience tried on an hourly basis!!
Its not like having just any old dog that learns basic commands and is happy to just be with his person, this dog is nonstop. Needs something to entertain itself as long as its eyes are open. Everything belongs to your shiba - everything! And they are so selective in their following orders. And if its convenient to them, you don't exist, but when they want something, you have their "undivided" attention.. sorta.
I think my pups enjoy when I work and John is away for a few hours on call - they are probably just sleeping, but I think they enjoy their down time alone. They were housebroke in no time at all - our male messed in house once, our female took about a week.. and totally undestructive, provided adequate distraction (toys) are provided. I can leave them out of crate together alone for at least 9 hours (that was the longest, happened twice).
But when you connect and realize this dog loves *you* even if he/she is too proud to show or admit it, it is so worth it.
As for the decision, the fact that you are starting your research so early and are putting so much thought into it is awesome. Being owned by a Shiba can be somewhat high maintenance. They tend to be high energy, but they aren't working dogs so two or three good walks throughout the day will keep them pretty calm in the house. I walk my Shibas twice a day, for an hour in the morning and half an hour in the evening. Some days I'll replace the evening walk with an hour or two visit to the dog park. Early socialization with Shibas is very important to avoid aggression or confidence issues. Once mature, a Shiba should be able to jog with you for a few miles without a problem. My knees don't handle jogging but I walk at a pretty fast pace and neither of my Shibas have a problem keeping up.
Shiba are hearty little dogs with a big attitude. They demand respect and attention but will love you for it in return. They require a firm but loving hand and setting boundaries is a must. I think obedience classes are a great idea (although I've never done any with my dogs :-/). My suggestion would be to make sure the trainer has worked with Shibas before as their stubbornness can be a unique challenge to trainers unfamiliar with their temperament.
Most Shiba aren't lap dogs, but they can be very affectionate with someone they care about. I've had Lucy for almost a year and she frequently cuddles up against me on the couch (in fact, she's snuggling with me as a write this :-)). Joey, my 4 month old is still not into that yet, bug he does nap on me in bed before I put him in his crate for the night.
The tall fence is great for Shiba. They are escape artists and many can jump a 4 foot fence without even thinking about it. Even with the 7-8 foot fence, I would not be 100% comfortable leaving them outside unsupervised. As was mentioned, they have a high prey drive and a squirrel walking the top of the fence could be enough to entice them to figure out a way over the top. Because of the prey drive, early socialization with your cats will be very important. You will definitely find it easier with a puppy than an adult from a rescue, but that is no guarantee.
I am no doubt biases, but I think Shiba are just amazing dogs to own. The fact that you're putting so much thought into the decision to get one appears to be an indicator that you have what it takes to put the effort into owning a Shiba. Please don't hesitate to ask any questions you have and best of luck with the decision! Let us know how things are going, even if you don't decide to get a Shiba. Above all, we're animal lovers on this forum so we won't kick you off if you don't decide to get a Shiba. ;-)
I apreciate this help everyone, and if anyone can add anything to what was previously said, I appreciate that as well. Looks like my next step is more one on one research : )
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The good news is that every shiba comes with an advanced degree in primative dog ethology.
The bad news is that you earn the degree by trail and error.
They are great dogs, but they are hardly worry free. Budget time and money to train them, and consider getting health insurance as soon as possible. The only other suggestion I have is to acknowelge the fact that at some point you're probably going to want another one.
again, thank you all for your advice, support, and just all around welcoming attitudes! I will keep you all updated on our next moves. thanks!
Don't think I'm trying to talk you out of it. I have 3 cats myself
I was watching National Geographic clips of wolves howling and of course the first 2 mentioned ran up on top of my 3 foot high rabbit cage and was searching all over for the dangerous wolves lmao. My 3rd cat just continues napping where she was, not at all fazed with what was going on.
My shiba is almost 5 years old and I got her 9 months ago. Prior to her life with me, she was not around cats. I have three outdoor cats. While inside, Jazz will see one of the cats, whine a bit, and then come get me to be leashed so that she can rid the yard of these "vermin". When we go out, she walks up to the cats, sniffs and that's it. She has no more interest in them. The cats pretty much ignore her as well. Of course, they were used to a much bigger dog previously and deal with neighborhood dogs on the loose. Each dog is different - I liken it to each person is different. Some people like cats, some dogs, some snakes - people can change and adapt - so can dogs. Slowly introduce, reinforce good behavior and take it from there.
Even when we adopted Kitsune as an adult the two cats were still here and he definitely was curious but even he didn't chase them as much as Tsuki and the foster basset hound (we had at the time) did!
Those of us with shibas can tell you when they are puppies, the cats are bigger than them most of the time, and as adults, they aren't that much bigger than cats. If you've never met a shiba, its hard to imagine how small they actually are!! Most pics are close ups because if you took a picture of them farther away, they look way small in comparison to everything else!
Here's something.. my husband is 6 foot tall, the sesame shiba is bigger than the cream, but the preception is crazy
I don't think anyone should generalize the breed for an individual dog, especially if you are getting one from a pup - you will probably have great results! Yes their prey drive is high, but if the cats are bigger at first, and have a place to retreat, and the pup grows up with the cats, I don't think the cats would be considered kill-prey, just chase-game-prey.
Even an adult rescue dog can prove to be OK with cats - and even an adult shiba rescue can be OK with cats. By OK with cats, rescues and shelters usually mean they will probably chase and torment but not harm.
But then some people might tell you they have to pry their shibas off their cat. Thats a possibility too.. Your cats will need a retreat area that shiba cannot get to. When I had my two foster cats, I had bought a kitchen island on wheels to put in the 'play room' for their food which was a lot higher than the shibas could access and their litter box went under it facing the wall with an area to small for the shibas to fit into. It worked out nice.
Personally I think Shibas are a good breed to start as a pup with cats because they themselves are so cat like.
I have heard others say shibas are much smaller than you would assume from pictures. others say they are about the hight of a beagle, but with a smaller frame. I am very excited to actually meet one. we are thinking this week I can call around to set up a meeting for next weekend. Jeremy keeps having to remind me we are in no rush yet (we set a time no earlier than September to get a dog. allows us research time to be sure we dont rush into it) but I tend to get soooo excited. Im hoping just seeing the shibas up close will be a great experience!
Lucy (the one in the red harness) is just a hare on the small side for female shibas. She's 16 pounds. Joey, is 4 months old and the last time he was weighed two weeks ago was 15 pounds. In that time, he's surpassed Lucy in size and from holding him I'm sure he weighs more than she does by now as well.
So, I've gotta ask...what was it about the Shiba that drew you in? My list is a mile long. :-)
I cant wait to see a shiba in person!!! you're babies are soooo cute! thank you for posting a picture. Does anyone happen to know any shiba owners in the california bay area? (San Francisco bay area) Not that we would want to intrude on anyones space, but posibly they could direct us to a meet up group of sorts...
Looks like there are 2 - I don't know how close those are, but hopefully this will help.