# Obedience-Retrieving Shiba Someone asked, so here goes. Shibas can and do retrieve. Beebe just turned 1 year Aug 9th and she has been retrieving things since she was a baby-4-5 months. Obedience classes from an early age really paid off with her and we do controlled off leash work now (in secured areas), recalling (coming to… ## Thread In Behavior · started by lindsayt · 10 replies - **Category:** [Behavior](https://nihonken.org/community/c/behavior) - **Forum:** [Nihon Ken Forum](https://nihonken.org/community/) ## lindsayt · 2008-08-21T17:30:48.000Z Someone asked, so here goes. Shibas can and do retrieve. Beebe just turned 1 year Aug 9th and she has been retrieving things since she was a baby-4-5 months. Obedience classes from an early age really paid off with her and we do controlled off leash work now (in secured areas), recalling (coming to heel), heeling, novice agility, retrieves over jumps and the usual sit/down/stay for 3-5 minutes with distractions in large groups of dogs. Now, she has her own ideas about how and when she should do these things. She would rather be chasing the hairballs on the arena floor than paying attention. But her most favorite thing to do is go and find the retrieving dumbbell on command and race back over a jump and sit so pretty right in front of me until I take it from her. She is the only Shiba in her class that retrieves, but don't let that stop any of you ambitious Shiba people! Retrieving is a natural behavior and you just have to shape it a little to turn it into a more directed behavior. Then your dog will bring you anything it finds, keys, rat poison, cell phone, pill bottle, underwear, etc. Make obedience fun and your dog won't know it's working. We have an Obedience Fun Match comming up at the end of September and we'll give it a whirl. If it goes well, we are on our way to some Novice matches and hopefully a leg towards a title! There are many amazing Shibas with CDs and one or two with MACH titles in Agility. Retrieving is fun! ## JessicaRabbit (admin) · 2008-08-21T18:08:16.000Z She really is super cute. I am very impressed with your work with her. I know I could get my Shikoku to do obedience training. My shiba is too old I think for any major obedience beyond...sitting. ## sunyata · 2008-08-21T18:26:29.000Z Very pretty. I want to try and get Bella into the next agility class in our area, which is not until late next Spring. She loves to fetch... But not sure she would retrieve on command. We have tried with naming her toys and having her go get them. Sometimes she will, but most of the time she just looks at us like we are dumb. Maybe we will have better luck with Nola. ;-) ## Sangmort (moderator) · 2008-08-21T21:13:37.000Z So cute! She's a leggy girly huh? ;)~ ## lindsayt · 2008-08-22T00:29:09.000Z What are others' experiences with obedience/agility/rally work? I think japanese breeds are naturally agile and well suited to agility, I bet those Shikoku could kick butt at agility trials! ## JessicaRabbit (admin) · 2008-08-22T09:32:58.000Z Lindsay I think you are right about Shikoku and agility. Miko is only six months, but that might be something I look into for her. I think it would be SO fun for her. At my holistic vet I met an Akita named Jesse who did competitive agility (he is like 11 now and has since retired). I might ask his owner about it... Miko completed her first level of obedience started at nine weeks and graduated at 15 weeks old. I don't know if that means she is very obedient. Smart as a whip. Maybe obedient...one day. ## brandon_w (admin) · 2008-08-22T10:25:54.000Z Impressive work with your Shiba girl. I have a friend who has titled (is that the word?) her adopted shiba in obedience, and she got him when he was 10. He's like 14 now. I don't think I could get Nemo into retrieving, but I'm sure he'd get into obedience again. He used to be pretty good at it when we went all the time. I know he would be good at agility if the equipment didn't terrify him. ## Edgewood · 2008-08-22T10:54:42.000Z Congratulations! That is super given Shiba's independent nature. You should post some video of your Shiba. I know that my Shikoku also likes obedience. I haven't yet done the dumbell retrieving - but he is really good at retrieving frisbee and kongs. I think that he would like agility too - but he may be a bit timid about some of the obstacles (at first). ## lindsayt · 2008-08-23T20:09:55.000Z Here's a pic of her silly dumbbell. ## lindsayt · 2008-08-23T20:11:20.000Z "See I have my weirdo toy now can I have a treat?" ## Kaddy · 2008-08-23T20:18:33.000Z LOL Weirdo toy, too cute :o) --- **Navigate:** [Forum home](https://nihonken.org/community/?format=md) · [Sitemap](https://nihonken.org/community/sitemap.xml)