Does anyone here have a Shiba Inu?

[HeLiXe]

I've decided to bring a dog into my family. I have always wanted a pomeranian because of their cuteness, but upon researching breeds I have totally fallen in love with the Shiba Inu. I have never owned a dog before, but many of my relatives have dogs and I've taken care of dogs many times before. I have been doing a lot of research into what dogs need etc., but of course still have many questions.

Does anyone here have a Shiba Inu? If so, can you tell me a little about your experience with him/her? I would like to know more about their temperament with people, children, and other dogs, training issues, and energy levels. I also wonder about nutrition. Many people in my family usually cook for their dogs and don't buy prepackaged food--but the ones who do this do not have this breed. Will the vet be able to assist me in working out the needs of the dog in regards to nutrition as I also intend to cook for the dog?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Shiba Inu

I had a friend with a shiba. They are spunky independent dogs. Very cute but not always have that loyalty because of their independence.

 

[I like Serena]

It appears that they can do some stuff:

http://www.dooziedog.com/dog_breeds/shiba_inu/images/full/Shiba-Inu-6.jpg

 

[HeLiXe]

Thanks Greg :) Some of the information I was reading detailed that the independence can also lead to dominance issues and if any aggression is shown to anyone within the household "strict discipline" needs to be given. This is a major drawback for me because I do not know how to give strict discipline to a dog...nor do i want to really. Do you know if your friend had any issues with this? There are several obedience schools around here, I don't mind going if it is needed.

 

[HeLiXe]

It appears that they can do some stuff:

http://www.dooziedog.com/dog_breeds/shiba_inu/images/full/Shiba-Inu-6.jpg

GAH! The link says the page no longer exists.

 

[I like Serena]

GAH! The link says the page no longer exists.

Huh? It exists for me...

 

[I like Serena]

Here's another...

 

[HeLiXe]

awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww <3 That is so cute ILS!

 

[Evo]

Look into Japanese Chin, they are bred to be companion dogs and have the sweetest dispositions.

My dog, The Fruit Bat, was a Japanese Chin.

Also, they do what is known as "The Chin Spin"



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCBpy4vNOlg

 

[jim hardy]

just my opinion:

i know some dog breeders. It is not an industry that i would support.
I hope you find one in a shelter that needs a home.

Having now outlived several family dogs , "pound puppy" is the breed for me.

 

[Evo]

just my opinion:

i know some dog breeders. It is not an industry that i would support.
I hope you find one in a shelter that needs a home.

Having now outlived several family dogs , "pound puppy" is the breed for me.

Yes, you can find many abandoned pure breeds in shelters. I won't pay the price breeders want.

Also, for many breeds, there are "rescue" societies that take the dogs from shelters and place them in foster homes until they are adopted.

 

[rootX]

I love golden retrievers but I am very biased :tongue2:

My family had two pomeranian when I was born. They were good and that might also tell that they are good with kids!

 

[HeLiXe]

Look into Japanese Chin, they are bred to be companion dogs and have the sweetest dispositions.

My dog, The Fruit Bat, was a Japanese Chin.

Also, they do what is known as "The Chin Spin"



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCBpy4vNOlg

Fruitbat! Those eyes just say it all. How big are they as adults?

just my opinion:

i know some dog breeders. It is not an industry that i would support.
I hope you find one in a shelter that needs a home.

Having now outlived several family dogs , "pound puppy" is the breed for me.

Thanks Jim. I actually visited the local pound and several websites but I did not feel the "click" with any of them. There is one black pomeranian that I saw on Craigslist that I would totally take home, but I have heard that they are not good with young children and I have one in the home.

Yes, you can find many abandoned pure breeds in shelters. I won't pay the price breeders want.

Also, for many breeds, there are "rescue" societies that take the dogs from shelters and place them in foster homes until they are adopted.

Yes the shiba inu puppies I was looking at are a little over my budget but I am willing to wait and save if I have to. They are so cute!

I love golden retrievers but I am very biased :tongue2:

My family had two pomeranian when I was born. They were good and that might also tell that they are good with kids!

Really rootx? I heard that they are prone to bite small children. Maybe I can get 2 dogs :D

 

[Evo]

They're very small 9-11 pounds as adults. My cat was bigger than he was.

 

[rootX]

Really rootx? I heard that they are prone to bite small children. Maybe I can get 2 dogs :D

They weren't my favorite and were annoying but I don't recall ever getting bitten by them. It might have been because we were living in a very open space. Maybe dogs get agitated and bite when you lock them in small room space :uhh:

A small dog like Evo's might be a good choice if you don't have enough space IMO.

 

[jim hardy]

Yes,

Evo - we agree on something ?
Thanks. I'll cherish this day !


old jim

 

[HeLiXe]

I think I might have found my new babe. There is someone who needs to sell her shiba inu. He is three years old, well trained (even obeys commands) and is good with kids, other people and other dogs. I am probably going to meet him on Friday to check out his temperament and see how well we get along, and then I may just have a new doggie to show you all :D He is a red shiba inu and looks similar to the dog in this pic
http://all-puppies.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/shiba-inu-puppies-pictures.jpg The only difference is he needs to be groomed so his fur is a little more thick and his face is somehow sweeter lol

 

[Evo]

I think I might have found my new babe. There is someone who needs to sell her shiba inu. He is three years old, well trained (even obeys commands) and is good with kids, other people and other dogs. I am probably going to meet him on Friday to check out his temperament and see how well we get along, and then I may just have a new doggie to show you all :D He is a red shiba inu and looks similar to the dog in this pic
http://all-puppies.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/shiba-inu-puppies-pictures.jpg The only difference is he needs to be groomed so his fur is a little more thick and his face is somehow sweeter lol

Awww, very nice Helixe, I hope you get him!

 

[lisab]

I think I might have found my new babe. There is someone who needs to sell her shiba inu. He is three years old, well trained (even obeys commands) and is good with kids, other people and other dogs. I am probably going to meet him on Friday to check out his temperament and see how well we get along, and then I may just have a new doggie to show you all :D He is a red shiba inu and looks similar to the dog in this pic
http://all-puppies.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/shiba-inu-puppies-pictures.jpg The only difference is he needs to be groomed so his fur is a little more thick and his face is somehow sweeter lol

Sweeter than that - nice! Congrats!

Why is she selling him?

 

[HeLiXe]

Awww, very nice Helixe, I hope you get him!

Thanks Evo!

Sweeter than that - nice! Congrats!

Why is she selling him?

Thanks lisab :)
I asked her the same question. She is very recently divorced and now a single mom and is moving back to where her family is. I think she said her son has special needs and she feels she cannot properly maintain him (the dog) financially in her circumstances.

 

[AlephZero]

...and she feels she cannot properly maintain him (the dog) financially in her circumstances.

There are various reasons people want to get rid of 3yo dogs. One reason is they never trained them, and they have given up trying to live with a wild animal. But that's a better reason, assuming it's genuine.

MInd you, "even obeys commands" sounded more like a red flag than a recommendation...

Don't get suckered into buying the photo and the sob story, before you've seen the actual dog!

IMO the best way for dogs to learn not to bite is lots of interaction with other puppies, and with their parents, in their first 2 or 3 months of life. If they don't form good habits young, they probably never will.

Make sure you have enough time for this new venture - dogs are high maintenance pets, if you look after them properly. And it's a 365 days a year job, as well.

 

[QuarkCharmer]

I recently (past few months) got a Shiba Inu puppy. She's a great dog, and I think much of the nuances of the dog comes from how it's raised. As a sort of breed generalization, I've noticed that she is much quieter than your typical puppy, every one of the pups I have seen in fact. As far as training is concerned though, she is very pig-headed. Training is much more of a hassle than it was with my Corgi. You had better be on top of things when/if you get the dog, and make sure you have the time to train it properly or they can get unruly (I am told).

 

[leroyjenkens]

just my opinion:

i know some dog breeders. It is not an industry that i would support.
I hope you find one in a shelter that needs a home.

Having now outlived several family dogs , "pound puppy" is the breed for me.

There's so many homeless dogs that are perfectly fine that I don't understand why people would pay a lot for a dog simply because it's a pure breed dog of some random choosing. The dumbest dog I've ever met was a pure breed dog, so it's not like they're better than other dogs. It's like instead of adopting a child without a home, you look around the internet for a specific nationality you like, and you find two of those people, and pay them to have sex and make you a baby.

 

[HeLiXe]

There are various reasons people want to get rid of 3yo dogs. One reason is they never trained them, and they have given up trying to live with a wild animal. But that's a better reason, assuming it's genuine.

MInd you, "even obeys commands" sounded more like a red flag than a recommendation...

Don't get suckered into buying the photo and the sob story, before you've seen the actual dog!

IMO the best way for dogs to learn not to bite is lots of interaction with other puppies, and with their parents, in their first 2 or 3 months of life. If they don't form good habits young, they probably never will.

Make sure you have enough time for this new venture - dogs are high maintenance pets, if you look after them properly. And it's a 365 days a year job, as well.

Thanks Aleph. I am going to meet him tomorrow before buying him. I also wonder about the training with him. Big red flag the other day she told me that I cannot take anything out of his mouth because he is a command dog..i just have to tell him "drop" so I asked her what happens if you take the thing out of his mouth and she told me he thinks its a game and starts chewing on whatever he's holding and his teeth might catch your fingers. So my guy friend said he will test that to see what happens. I sort of feel discouraged about it now but still hopeful.

I recently (past few months) got a Shiba Inu puppy. She's a great dog, and I think much of the nuances of the dog comes from how it's raised. As a sort of breed generalization, I've noticed that she is much quieter than your typical puppy, every one of the pups I have seen in fact. As far as training is concerned though, she is very pig-headed. Training is much more of a hassle than it was with my Corgi. You had better be on top of things when/if you get the dog, and make sure you have the time to train it properly or they can get unruly (I am told).

Yeah I was reading the same about them.

 

[Evo]

Thanks Aleph. I am going to meet him tomorrow before buying him. I also wonder about the training with him. Big red flag the other day she told me that I cannot take anything out of his mouth because he is a command dog..i just have to tell him "drop" so I asked her what happens if you take the thing out of his mouth and she told me he thinks its a game and starts chewing on whatever he's holding and his teeth might catch your fingers. So my guy friend said he will test that to see what happens. I sort of feel discouraged about it now but still hopeful.

I hope it's not that bad. If you can, check how he is around small children and other dogs. Evo Child got a dog from the local shelter that they named "Sweetheart" and advertised as "wonderful with small children and other pets". Truth is she wanted to eat small children and other pets. Luckily the little girl wasn't harmed since the dog was intent on killing the little girl's dog. The police let us off with a steep fine. We paid the vet fees and luckily the dog recovered. She had to give him to her ex boyfriend that had a house with a large fenced yard.

 

[lisab]

*wondering how the meeting went*

 

[HeLiXe]

I hope it's not that bad. If you can, check how he is around small children and other dogs. Evo Child got a dog from the local shelter that they named "Sweetheart" and advertised as "wonderful with small children and other pets". Truth is she wanted to eat small children and other pets. Luckily the little girl wasn't harmed since the dog was intent on killing the little girl's dog. The police let us off with a steep fine. We paid the vet fees and luckily the dog recovered. She had to give him to her ex boyfriend that had a house with a large fenced yard.

This is absolutely terrible Evo. I thought the shelter could not sell dogs like that

*wondering how the meeting went*

Well I met the little cutie and I have to say AlephZero

One reason is they never trained them, and they have given up trying to live with a wild animal.

is spot on. Spot freaking on. He is not aggressive and obeys commands but other than that he is terribly trained and extremely hyper. He nipped me and broke skin a little, jumped on a child that was there and knocked him over--the child was not amused. I think he can be easily corrected. He was obeying my commands and after the first time of trying to jump on me and I corrected him, he did not try it again although he kept doing it to his owner? He is sweet though and I probably would have taken him and went through obedience school with him if there were only adults in my home. So still looking for a pet :(

 

[Evo]

He is sweet though and I probably would have taken him and went through obedience school with him if there were only adults in my home. So still looking for a pet :(

It's a good decision, even if it was hard. I know from what we went through with "sweetheart" when we discovered that although she became instantly and lovingly attached to us, she saw everything else as something that needed to die. It was heartbreaking to give ger up, but she was too dangerous to be taken out on walks, we would have to yell at people that were tempted to come towards her (she was beautiful) to get back.

I'm sure that you will find your love dog soon.

 

[lisab]

I agree with Evo - it was a good decision. Cute can't make up for hyper.

 

[HeLiXe]

she saw everything else as something that needed to die.

I know that this is really a terrible thing but this line made me laugh so much.

I agree with Evo - it was a good decision. Cute can't make up for hyper.

Thanks lisab and thanks Evo. I ended up getting a mixed doggie...bichon/maltese mix. Oddly though he is 3/4 bichon but looks almost like a full maltese. I need some batteries for my cam but will post a pic later. He is 11 weeks old and the cutest thing evar! He is also the sweetest doggie I have ever met. Today is my third day having him. The first day I got him I actually had to sleep on the floor with him to stop him from crying. Poor babe. But he is adjusting well now. He was doggie door trained, and I do not have a doggie door so he had a few accidents, but has been going outside all day today, not one accident.

 

[Evo]

It sounds adorable helixe, my ex sister-in-law had Bichon Frises and you had better not call it a poodle if you didn't want a lecture. We'll be waiting for pictures!

 

[Monique]

[..] "strict discipline" needs to be given. This is a major drawback for me because I do not know how to give strict discipline to a dog...nor do i want to really. Do you know if your friend had any issues with this? There are several obedience schools around here, I don't mind going if it is needed.

I was going to say: don't get a dog if you don't know how to discipline it.

He is not aggressive and obeys commands but other than that he is terribly trained and extremely hyper.

This is why.

The first day I got him I actually had to sleep on the floor with him to stop him from crying. Poor babe.

Not a good idea to comfort a dog like that, better to ignore it and let it come to you. Realize that dogs need a leader and that leader needs to be you, make sure they get proper discipline. Of course you should enjoy each other, it's exciting that you've found a new mate and I hope you'll make an excellent pair

I grew up around many different breeds: German Shepherd, Chow chow, Poodle, Bouvier, Leonberger, American Eskimo, Samoyed, Springer Spaniel. They were great friends.

 

[HeLiXe]

It sounds adorable helixe, my ex sister-in-law had Bichon Frises and you had better not call it a poodle if you didn't want a lecture. We'll be waiting for pictures!

lol they are cute. His mom is pure bichon and I got to meet her. Oddly she is as big as he is at 11 weeks! I thought maltese was a small breed.

I was going to say: don't get a dog if you don't know how to discipline it.
This is why.
Not a good idea to comfort a dog like that, better to ignore it and let it come to you. Realize that dogs need a leader and that leader needs to be you, make sure they get proper discipline. Of course you should enjoy each other, it's exciting that you've found a new mate and I hope you'll make an excellent pair

I grew up around many different breeds: German Shepherd, Chow chow, Poodle, Bouvier, Leonberger, American Eskimo, Samoyed, Springer Spaniel. They were great friends.

Thanks Monique. Yes my encounter with the Shiba Inu let me see how important discipline is. I have been reading a lot of literature on dog discipline and have been using methods on this one. Wow you really have been around a great variety. I have been around german shepherds, rottweilers, pitbulls, and poodles.