Does anyone own this breed? I've read a lot about them online - they seem really cool, but I am wondering if they'd be ok for a first-time dog owner. I have read that they can be a little bit ornery.

10/30/2006 3:08:08 PM

TKE-Teg has one

I want one, but can't afford it at the moment, they're great dogs from what I hear.

10/30/2006 3:13:39 PM

isn't that the same as a jap. akita?

10/30/2006 3:30:48 PM

its a smaller version - it was bred to be able to go though the underbrush and scare out the birds

10/30/2006 4:28:52 PM

much smaller version of an akita inu. they're both japanese.

btw, inu = dog in japanese.

14.5 to 16.5 inches at the withers for males, and 13.5 to 15.5 inches for females
~17- 23 lb

10/30/2006 4:34:28 PM

A friend of mine in Charlotte has one. It's a very sweet dog, and doesn't cause much trouble. It does have more energy than any other dog I've ever seen though.

10/30/2006 5:15:35 PM

There were a shit ton of them in Japan, I really think it's like the only breed people own there. All of the ones I was in contact with were very sweet, but I have heard that they can be a bit snippy. I wouldn't mind one myself if they weren't so small. I'm looking for something bigger that I can do activities with.

10/30/2006 6:21:24 PM

a couple of people i work with have them. they said they're definitely not in the "easy to train" category, but they're really fun dogs.

try getting a rescued one that's already a couple of years old, so it's already been trained.

10/31/2006 10:08:57 AM

Oh noes, tdub logo has come to life

10/31/2006 12:06:04 PM

I am a first time dog owner, and I got my Shiba puppy 5 weeks ago. He's around 4 months old now and is fantastic!



They are very playful, have a lot of energy, and have a good disposition. A dog's behavior for the most part depends on how you socialize him/her at a young age. A dog won't be "snippy" if its around a lot of people and other dogs on a regular basis. I've heard they can be difficult to train, but so far I've been able to teach him to sit, stay, and come. He's almost mostly housetrained, and goes to the door when he needs to go out. I say mostly b/c every 7-10 days at this point he has an accident. I currently leave him in the kitchen when I'm at work all day (roughly 8-6) and he never has any accidents there, always holds it till I return. Right now he's around 18 lbs and since he was the biggest of the litter the breeder said he might top 30 lbs.

And the reason you saw a ton of these dogs in Japan is b/c the Shiba Inu is the most popular breed in that country.

I definitely recommend one!

10/31/2006 1:37:11 PM

^ how are you socializing him? I don't have many friends with dogs.

10/31/2006 2:07:20 PM

F that, if a dog has good disposition you dont need to socialize it so it isnt "snippy"

if it becomes snippy it is cause you didnt train it right or they are generally snippy dogs by nature



[Edited on October 31, 2006 at 2:27 PM. Reason : bad spelling ]

10/31/2006 2:14:10 PM

well, shibas ARE snippy dogs by nature, hence the discussion of socialzatiuo

10/31/2006 2:20:00 PM

well that was my point, if a dog is generally snippy by nature how does it have a good disposition?

obviously they dont have the disposition of a rotty or pit bull (not good) they sure dont have a good disposition, such as a Lab or similiar

[Edited on October 31, 2006 at 2:26 PM. Reason : would classify it as in between]

10/31/2006 2:26:16 PM

Quote :

"how are you socializing him? I don't have many friends with dogs."

Walk him around campus. Or if you don't live near State, walk him in a downtown area. Go to a dog park. Go to a training class w/ other dogs/humans. Just walk him a lot and he'll get used to it.

It seems obvious but just go for walks around other dogs/people.

10/31/2006 2:32:46 PM

^ yea i was planning on doing that much - I was just asking in case that wasn't enough

10/31/2006 2:59:22 PM

We're getting the full-sized model.

10/31/2006 5:09:14 PM

I worked at a vet's office over the summer and met quite a few shiba inus... personally, i'll never own one because all of them except for one or two were incredibly mean. yeah, i know training and socializing helps, but its pretty bad when the owners can't handle their own dog, we can't get the dog in/out of a kennel, can't put a leash on it, and the dog bites it's owner's kids.... that happened with more than one dog. maybe it was because they were going to the vet, but i still wouldn't own one... granted, some dogs are like that in every breed, but i noticed it was more of a problem with shiba inus

however, i'm glad everyone else's are turning out ok!!

10/31/2006 8:03:42 PM

Well, maybe I should take back what I said about disposition. As in, how to have a good one. I've seen several breeders talk about how they breed it (or something like that?). The breeder I went to had a lot of loveable dogs, and all the adult dogs there seemed very nice and well behaved. So I think I will end up with a very well behaved dog (as long as I do everything properly with him has he grows up)

11/1/2006 1:08:33 PM

Disposition is in part influenced by genes, as I'm sure you'd suspect...meet the parents (both mom and dad) and watch how they interact with you (a stranger) and other dogs (if possible). Of course you can have both submissive and dominant pups in a litter...training will help out either way. A lot of breeders have the pups temperament tested too (check to see if this has been done). OR...just go for a rescue. It might be a little more work, but its worth the effort.

I had a choc. lab that was the opposite of the stereotypical lab (he was very independent and not a fan of other dogs)...and I've currently got a rescued mutt that loves anything and everything the world has to offer. Sometimes you just won't know until the pup grows out of that puppy stage.

Oh, and talk to other shibu owners and a number of vets. Try dogster too...great place to get information!

[Edited on November 1, 2006 at 2:08 PM. Reason : ]

11/1/2006 2:08:02 PM

I have an Australian Shepherd mix I got from a rescue as a puppy last year. She is extremely intelligent and learns everything I teach her. She has a ton of energy though and growing out of her puppiness slowly but surely. She is almost a year old and is potty trained and for the most part house broken when we leave her alone with our other dog. She’s only gone to the bathroom in my house I think twice but once was my fault for forgetting to let her out. Puppies have a harder time holding it when they are young. I would recommend to kennel train any dog. My dog loves her Kennel and knows this is her home inside our home.

The cutest thing is once in awhile she will get into something and play with it for hours on end when she is alone. It could be something like a bottle cap or a candy wrapper. She picks it up and throws it in the air and chases after it.

She was very friendly and outgoing when we first got her but a friend, who happens to be rather heavyset almost fell on her and ever since then she is really timid to strangers. You really never know what their personalities will be like but over time they change. We are slowly getting her used to having frequent visitors and strangers coming by and she is slowly opening up again.

I recommend saving your money for an expensive breed for your first dog and getting a rescue dog. There are plenty of puppies and IMO are sometimes smarter than the over bred pure-breeds. They will love you with great content and every pet deserves a loving family. Of course, do some research before getting a pet, it takes responsibility and is just a like a child. I live in Ohio currently and the rescue I got my dog from let me do a 3 month trial because we weren’t sure if she would get along with our other dog or if we couldn’t handle having her. But it worked out and we are happy with our decision.

11/1/2006 2:54:54 PM

^What does that have to do with a Shiba??

11/1/2006 3:19:38 PM

^

Quote :

"I recommend saving your money for an expensive breed for your first dog and getting a rescue dog."

[Edited on November 1, 2006 at 3:22 PM. Reason : ^]

11/1/2006 3:22:35 PM

^He's asking about people who have experience with Shibas though, not for people who bought a dog or rescued a mutt or something.

11/1/2006 3:35:17 PM

Quote :

"...seem really cool, but I am wondering if they'd be ok for a first-time dog owner"

Is why I responded.

11/1/2006 3:44:03 PM

Exactly.

there's no way I'm getting a rescue dog for my first.

11/1/2006 3:44:46 PM

^I can agree with you. As important as rescuing is, rescue dogs involve a lot of guesswork. They may need training and have problems to address, you can't meet their parents to predict temperament, and you don't ultimately know what size they will be.

11/1/2006 4:06:31 PM

Just b/c a dog is "rescued" does not mean there is a problem with the dog. i do rescue and most of the dogs don't have behavioral or health problems but they are a product of stupid people not doing research before they get a dog, or they are moving and "can't" take the dog, or they got a new dog or they had a baby.

There is a lot of ignorance and assumptions with rescue dogs and most of it is incorrect.

I personally don't believe in buying from a breeder but that is just my preference.

As far as Shiba's go, they are a energetic, dominant breed. there are some exceptions to the rule but for the most part that is the way they are. In the right home, their dominance will back down to the alpha human. But with all dogs, you should learn not only about the breed, but dog behavior, obedience, health care needs, nutrition, and general care for dogs. You will need to stay on your A game with a Shiba or else they will be the alpha and you will have serious problems. I would go ahead and find a decent vet and a good trainer (not petsmart) in your area and tell them what you are thinking. also talk to GOOD breeders (not back yard breeders) and to rescue groups. To find the good breeders and good rescues, look up the Shiba Inu breed club. They usually only allow reputable groups to be a part of their organization. Get as much info as you can BEFORE buying or rescueing a dog.

I wish you luck. I like shiba's and think that with the right owners they make cool dogs. They also are fairly vocal.

11/1/2006 4:15:29 PM

^I was not insinuating that rescue dogs have crippling problems for new owners to deal with. I'm insinuating that some have problems new owners might have to work with, ie separation anxiety, dominance issues, socialization, what have you, mainly because of the lack of care of a previous owner. If you get a puppy from a breeder it is a blank slate. If you go to a purebred rescue group it can help you determine size and all, but the dog might still have past problems to deal with. I'm not talking down on rescues, I plan on rescuing my next dog, and have never actually purchased from a breeder, I'm just saying there are pluses and minuses to every case.

11/1/2006 4:27:51 PM

Shibas are awesome. Really smart. Dominant, so bne consistent from the start.

11/1/2006 9:15:42 PM

I think rescuing dogs is awesome.

but i don't want to run the risk of dealing with a dog that was abused or neglected or in any way not pampered during its early weeks.

also, even more important, final size is a huge consideration for us

11/1/2006 10:01:32 PM

that tail is ridiculous

11/1/2006 10:16:05 PM

^Shultz, I'll probably be in Raleigh over Thanksgiving with my Shiba, if you want to meet him....that goes for you too, Excoriator, if you still haven't made up your mind.

Quote :

"As far as Shiba's go, they are a energetic, dominant breed. there are some exceptions to the rule but for the most part that is the way they are. In the right home, their dominance will back down to the alpha human. But with all dogs, you should learn not only about the breed, but dog behavior, obedience, health care needs, nutrition, and general care for dogs. You will need to stay on your A game with a Shiba or else they will be the alpha and you will have serious problems. I would go ahead and find a decent vet and a good trainer (not petsmart) in your area and tell them what you are thinking. also talk to GOOD breeders (not back yard breeders) and to rescue groups. To find the good breeders and good rescues, look up the Shiba Inu breed club. They usually only allow reputable groups to be a part of their organization. Get as much info as you can BEFORE buying or rescueing a dog. I wish you luck. I like shiba's and think that with the right owners they make cool dogs. They also are fairly vocal."

Thats all very true. I did a lot of research on Shibas before looking for one. They are a very dominate dog, so you really have to show them who's in charge from the get go. I didn't do a ton of research on my breeder, but from everything I could tell she seems like a great source of Shibas, and very knowledgeable. Bomber hasn't been too vocal yet, but he's done his fair share of "screaming" when I've taken him out with the training collar on, lol. He knows who's in charge though, and I intend to keep it that way.

11/2/2006 12:16:32 AM

when i lived in korea, we had several of those in our kennel. and since i know there's gonna be jokes, they were for protection at the temple my grandparents oversaw. they weren't a food source.

not sure if it's that same exact breed, but they look almost exactly alike. the ones in korea have slightly taller ears, from what i recall, than the ones in japan. i've always wanted to import one to the states, but i never knew the name of the breed. i always just knew them as "korean dogs". they are all over the place, and alot of them just roam freely in the streets.

i found pictures of the "korean dogs". apparently, they're called, "jindo".







here's a bunch of stuff on "jindos":
http://www.geocities.com/jindojunkie/JindoRescue/index.html

[Edited on November 2, 2006 at 7:31 AM. Reason : ]

11/2/2006 7:22:03 AM

^That white pup *kind* of resembles my dog, Sequoya. She's a rescue dog, and by no means a purebred of any kind (just look at her color) but she has the exact same body shape and she's got the pointy ears/curly tail.

She doesn't bark either.....do jindos?

11/2/2006 8:43:54 AM

yeah, jindos defnitely bark and they're pretty fiesty. i'm sure they can be trained not to bark though, just like all dogs. they really do make pretty good guard dogs. i don't know if it was just how my grandpa trained his dogs, but they would go APESHIT anytime someone they're unfamiliar with entered the courtyard.

i remember one getting into a fight with one of the rottweilers. the jindo split the rott's stomach open. i distinctly remember my grandpa pushing the guts back in and stitching the dog up himself. i was like 3 or 4, so i wasn't concerned about telling him to take the dog to a vet or anything like that (i was more fascinated with wtf he was doing). i also remember the dog dying a little while later, so it's not like it would've made the trip down the mountain and to a vet clinic anyways.

btw, your dog looks AWESOME. the coat and his/her shape is very pretty. and how much was the doggie backpack? i saw cesar millan, "the dog whisperer", use it in his show and think i should get one for my dog.

[Edited on November 2, 2006 at 9:40 AM. Reason : ]

11/2/2006 9:34:24 AM

You'd do much better to rescue a dog that's about to be put down, rather than pay top dollar for a top dog. You might feel better about yourself too.

11/2/2006 9:48:32 AM

how about a breed rescue?
i'm sure there are shiba Inu breed rescues around

the great thing about adopting from a rescue is that usually the animal has been in foster care.
Foster parents can tell potential adopters every little detail about that animal. they've taken care of it, observed it interact with other people, children, dogs, cats, etc.. they know how it acts in different environments. they know what it's apprehensive about (thunder, car rides, etc).
they know its personality. if it likes to chew on your shoes, carpet, the walls. how housetrained it is. what commands it knows. if its an alpha dog.
etc.. etc..
this gives the adopter a great advantage. a lot of the guesswork is already done. you should know what type of dog you're looking for and this is a good way to get what you want.

puppies personalities and behaviors are constantly changing. a sweet mellow submissive puppy at 10 wks could turn into a dominant alpha that turns your world upside down.
I've fostered tons of puppies and have seen over and over again how much they change in just a few weeks or months.
sure, the parents personalities help. I wouldnt want a puppy from an aggressive bitch. but genes only go so far.

I have a shar pei which is supposed to be a very dominant, stubborn, one-person dog that doesn't like other dogs. she's the most submissive dog and would lick a stranger to death. (and she lives with 4 dogs). Breed stereotypes only go so far.

anyways, just do the research- which it seems like you're doing. maybe look up a breed rescue. if they dont have what you're looking for - perhaps they can give you a reputable breeders contact info.

[Edited on November 2, 2006 at 10:22 AM. Reason : n]

11/2/2006 10:21:53 AM

The Korean Jindo dog is the one who almost ripped out Cesar's throat!!

11/2/2006 11:43:03 AM

how do i find a "breed rescue"?

11/2/2006 1:42:53 PM

go to the breed club or do a google search. give me a minute and I will find you the shiba inu info.

11/2/2006 3:42:42 PM

http://www.shibas.org/
http://www.shibas.org/rescue.html
http://national.shibarescue.org/links.htm
http://www.shibarescue.com/shibalist.php


with the more "rare" breeds, it might be difficult to find a shiba in rescue. You can search http://www.petfinder.com and type in shiba inu and see what comes up.

11/2/2006 3:48:07 PM

Petfinder.com and just put a specific breed.

11/2/2006 5:14:41 PM

Quote :

"The Korean Jindo dog is the one who almost ripped out Cesar's throat!! "

i want to see that episode.

jindos defnitely have a mean streak. like i said, i saw a jindo fuck up a larger rottweiler, so i know they're no joke.

Quote :

"puppies personalities and behaviors are constantly changing. a sweet mellow submissive puppy at 10 wks could turn into a dominant alpha that turns your world upside down."

like with all dogs, especially aggressive and dominant breeds, you've got to make sure to let them know that you're the boss from the onset.

11/2/2006 6:14:04 PM

jindo's are like a cat that can hunt large game and drag it back to you.

they can jump tall fences and are quite intelligent.

they are different than the shiba's in the fact that they weigh less and are a bit more agile.

their lineage is the same though.

11/3/2006 7:43:54 PM

jindos are bigger than shibas. jindos grow to be about 45lbs, and shibas only get to 23lbs. also, it could be that they share a common ancestor, but it would have to be waaaaaaaaay back. jindos were only found on jindo island off south korea for centuries.

here's another website that has a ton of info on the breed:
http://www.kang.org/Jindo.html

a female jindo with a male shiba:


a male jindo with a male shiba:


[Edited on November 3, 2006 at 8:30 PM. Reason : ]

11/3/2006 8:22:33 PM

Shibas get bigger than that.

11/4/2006 12:07:43 AM

^Not according to the AKC they don't.

11/4/2006 12:18:53 AM

I always wonder about the name endings!! I know there is a Tosa Inu, but they are very different from the Shiba. Tosa Inus' are used in Japan as fighting dogs due to their size and strength. Shibas' look more like the akita breed.

11/4/2006 1:24:51 AM

^^I'm aware...but they do

11/4/2006 1:28:14 AM