Shiba Inu education

The first piece of advice is to start early. At 8 weeks you can begin the important process of socializing your dog. This early stage of the puppy's development is crucial. When you make an effort to socialize your puppy and expose him to various stimuli, the results are usually excellent. On the other hand, if you fail to adequately socialize your puppy during a critical developmental period, you will likely have a very difficult Shiba as an adult. Not only will you have a Shiba who is difficult to train, but you will also likely have a dog who is anxious and unsociable with humans and other dogs. Anxiety can lead to other problems such as aggression, so do everything you can to socialize your puppy early and consistently. “Socializing your Shiba Inu is the most important aspect of training your dog.” ​ To train a Shiba Inu, think like a Shiba! To properly train your Shiba Inu, it is important to understand what motivates your dog most. To cut to the chase, many Shiba Inu are motivated by food. They are not particularly keen on being rewarded by playing, as they are not particularly playful dogs. Secondly, they are not keen on receiving affection as a reward because they are not affectionate dogs either. However, they love food! So it would be best to train a Shiba Inu using a reward system. Additionally, it is important to establish a bond of trust with your Shiba. If you have just introduced an adult dog into your family, don't start training right away. You need to take enough time to earn your Shiba Inu's trust. Due to the aloof personality of the Shiba Inu breed, this process may take some time. During this period, you must assert yourself, remaining firm but fair. Every Shiba Inu is different and some may need more time than others. The key is to learn to be balanced, consistent, firm and fair. If you are training a puppy, make sure he is in a good state of mind and that the sessions are short and positive. Before the session, let your puppy play for a bit to practice and encourage a positive mood. ​

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You should also be in a good state of mind. No training session should be started if you are in a hurry or stressed. Dogs, as well as small puppies, are very perceptive. Training your Shiba in a bad mood will negatively affect your future training sessions, as your Shiba Inu will eventually associate your bad mood with the sessions. Start with very simple commands, such as sit and lie down. Reward them with small treats and lots of praise! It is not ideal to give your Shiba Inu a treat every time he carries out a command. If you do this, they will expect a treat EVERY TIME and will and will choose not to follow a command if they notice you don't have a treat with you. Training basic Shiba Inu obedience commands such as sit, stop and return are all important for the long-term safety of your Shiba Inu and others. Shiba Inus have a natural penchant for hunting and are known for their poor recall when off leash. ​ Because the Shiba Inu is a primitive dog breed, some wilder traits, such as eating aggression, may appear more frequently than in other dog breeds. It is important to teach your Shiba Inu that food guarding is not acceptable behavior. The method for training your Shiba Inu not to be aggressive towards food depends on many factors. The main thing is to make sure your Shiba Inu understands which behaviors are acceptable and which are not. Shiba Inu can be very stubborn, so patience and consistency are essential.