Tell me about Shiba Inus please

[beowulf]

[QUOTE=GraceLikeRain;8220871]
I’ve met a lot of shibas. Everything from well-bed to rescues. They were all like cute stuffed animals. Puffy and zero personality. Several of them were a bit creepy by how little personality or excitement they exhibited. They just woke up, ate, did their business, slept, repeat. When asked they would go on walks or dutifully to their intended sport but there was no enthusiasm for life. Others were more engaged with their owner but very aloof towards everyone else.
Hopefully I’ve just met some exceptionally weird representations of the breed.[/QUOTE]

I think you’ve met weird representations… I would say the opposite, they have too much personality. It’s just that their personality is not geared to please you, say, like a GSD.

The ones I’ve met do the shiba scream when their owners come home, or say “let’s go for walks” or “no treats for you”.

[Countrywood]

Perhaps it is where they were originally bred and a culture that wanted more aloof, independent animals perhaps to live outside not inside. The fads of purpose bred dogs expected to act like household pets may be the problem. Maybe Shiba Inus were not bred to be pets the way we think of pets so in that case our expectation they be warm and cuddly is unfair.

[PaintPony]

Holy crap that scream! It sounds just like my cat when I trim her claws. (she’s a bit overdramatic).

[Foxtrot_s]

Reading back on this thread too - some of us are a bit harsh on the breed. There is good and bad in all breeds.
Good luck with yours FatCat - perhaps you can offer him the type of home he needs - space, other dogs, freedom to a point. I’ll pass on all that hair.

[HappyTalk]

Some of these Shibas sound atypical from what is described here. http://www.shibarescue.org/available-dogs/

[Dutchmare433]

@FatCatFarm Your Shiba is so cute! I had one growing up…she passed away a few years after I graduated from college. She was nothing like our yellow lab, but had tons of personality in her own way. She was cat-like in some aspects. She particularly loved me and my mom, slept in bed with me until I left for college, then slept in bed with my mom until she (the dog) passed. But she was really very friendly to most everyone. (She was abused by a man, had fear issues when she was young, as she aged there were only a few select men she strongly disliked.)

She was tricky in some ways up until about age 5/6–high prey drive, and had to watch the cats closely, recall was 100% on her terms, by the time she was older…maybe 7/8 she was pretty dang easy (one might even say lazy), and we definitely didn’t put a ton of time into training her beyond walking on a leash and sit/stay.

During Hurricane Sandy, my mom lost power, so packed up the dog and went to the hospital where she worked, and stayed in the on-call room for a few nights. The dog was a hit, really mellow. Slept on the bed in the on-call room while my mom worked, otherwise hammed it up with other staff and some of the more mobile patients.

[btswass]

I know a woman with two shibas. Does agility and rally with both and they are both certified therapy dogs. I think if you put in the time to train them they can be great dogs. I think people can get stuck with the dog training because they try to train them the same as any other dog. My dog looks exactly like a giant shiba. People are always so curious as to what he is. Our best guess is kelpie/akita mix. He’s been a blast to train though

[yankeeclipper]

My neighbors Shiba is neither food, play or praise motivated. She is very aloof, has no recall and my neighbor lives in fear (for good reason) that she is going to get loose and take off. Not a good first time dog owner dog.