Shiba Inu - the good, the bad, and the ugly..

[jen0610]

The title says it all.

We have been looking into getting another dog. This breed seems to fit our wants. Smaller dog, but not to small. Easy grooming, have to brush, but doesn't reguire trips to the groomers. Has protective instincts, but not aggressive instincts. Does well with kids, not that they are babies, but even as teens the romp and rough house, which can stir up our other dog. I read that it is easier to mix them with another dog, if they are a puppy and not to put 2 males together.

We have a friend who's aunt is a breeder. She's got an almost 4 month old that she would let us have at a steal of a price, based on what I saw checking on-line. Before we jump, would like input from anybody who has input.

Thanks!

 

[luvwinnie]

I have never lived with one, but I've heard from a couple people who do they are "cat like" and quite independent.

 

[Debbiebee68]

I had a Shiba Inu (named her Sheba- no points for creativity LOL) for 16 years.

The good: She was absolutely gorgeous!!! When we got her, Shibas were not that common and everyone wanted to know what she was. People used to ask if she was a fox. Could not help but think- Do you REALLY think they would let me walk a fox on a leash through town???? Made for good laughs.
She also had a bladder and a colon of steel. If I got stuck at work, up until she was about 15, she would not make a mess in the house. She never jumped on guests and she was pretty quiet. She only barked at knocks at the door or the doorbell. She almost never barked at random noises. She took food so gently and you could take her food dish or a toy right from her and she NEVER fussed!

The bad: Shibas are like cats. They are kind of aloof and do not go out of their way to seek your attention like a normal dog. She liked to sit on your lap if you called her, but she would not look for much attention on her own. Don't let anyone tell you that Shibas require little grooming- you need to attend to their coats OFTEN. Shibas have a full double coat- come spring she would shed the undercoat and it was a brushing nightmare. Miss a day and you could pluck clumps of the undercoat out like feathers on a chicken. The change of season shedding was also a nightmare- we would have tumbleweeds of dog hair all the time! Shibas are also natural hunters and take off in a NY minute. Even show trained Shibas are not really trusted off of their leashes because their hunting instinct is so strong. Our Shiba never gave the kids the true "dog experience" the way others do- no wet sloppy kisses, no wriggle at your feet until you pet me... You get the idea. She HATED other dogs- she had to be kept apart in the vet waiting room- growled at an AKITA!! Could never take her to a dog park, or even a friend's house if they had a dog.

Bottom line- Despite the Shiba traits, we loved our Shiba through and through and we cried terribly when we had to put her down. (She started to go blind and became quite incontinent-with both #1 and #2. We had just put our house on the market and there was no way we could show it with the constant threat of random poop. She couldn't see it, she would walk right through it. We put it off as long as we could.) She was my fur baby before I had my kids and I will always cherish my time with her. We are not getting another dog any time soon because we are in a brand new house and want to enjoy the newness before we introduce an animal. I do want to get another dog some day while my son is still little, because every kid should have the chance to get those puppy kisses and the wriggles and tail wags of a dog that loves her family.

In my opinion, a Shiba is one of the most beautiful dogs you can buy. I loved to see my beautiful girl!! However, ff you are looking for the "true dog" experience, I do not know if a Shiba should be your first choice.

Please post and let me know what you decided.

Hope this long note helped!

Deb

 

[PatsGirl]

My brother has a 2-year old Shiba and they love her but....

I agree with other posters that these are not typical dogs. His Shiba is very jealous of other animals and people, very attention-getting. I dog sat for the family last winter and never again! The dog is neurotic. He sat by the slider for three days waiting for their car to reappear and refused to eat for nearly five days

Once he finally settled in, his barking at leaves dropping and the fridge purring was enough to make me bonkers. I'm used to having dogs around and have never had a dog so paranoid. Maybe it's this particular dog but two friends each have another one from the litter and neither of them is particularly thrilled with the breed, although they love their dogs and take good care of them.

Another small/mid size breed I would not get is the australian shepherd. I personally had one of them and is the only dog I could not train and eventually had to rehome. I have had several different breeds of dogs and whole heartedly believe a golden retriever is the perfect family pet

 

[yoopermom]

The other posters have explained Shiba temperament very well, so I'll just comment on the fact that it's a 4 month old. If it's been raised in the house and given plenty of personal attention, it may be fine HOWEVER if it was the "leftover" of the litter that no one wanted, and it hasn't had proper socialization, some critical periods have been missed that are extremely difficult to recover. We do rescue, and I can't tell you how many people want to rehome a dog at 4-8 months when they start being "teens" and stop being cute little puppies.

Good luck!
Terri