The first steps you should take in Shiba Inu training

If you got your Shiba Inu from a highly respected breeder, and there really is no excuse not to, they will have spent a lot of time playing and bonding with your pup. This is very important as it helps your puppy get acclimated to being handled and loved, something you will have no problem doing yourself once he is home with you.

Neither will be the other important steps needed in training your puppies, that of bonding with your pup. To do this, place them on their backs in a submissive position while you rub their tummy. A Shiba puppy will often be reluctant to do this initially, as it is in his nature to be defiant, but this is an important step to take to show your dominance in the pack. Another important thing to do in this regard is to hold your pup close to your face, making sure he is focused on you, while you speak softly to him and look into his eyes. All of these steps are necessary to show your puppy whose boss he is without him realizing exactly what you are doing, it will build his trust in you and should be done before the puppy is three months old.

This conditioning is essential as this particular breed has some interesting traits that can cause problems later in life. One of those traits is temporary, not literal, deafness. This is something your Shiba will practice on you from time to time as they get older so they can figure out who is in control. When this happens, you must ensure that you take decisive action, as your Shiba must be aware that it is you and not him who must handle the situation. If done correctly, it will be a pattern of behavior that he will learn to expect. Your Shiba needs to know that pretending to be deaf is not acceptable behavior and will only do this if you are always in full control. If your dog ever feels threatened, he needs to know that you are there to protect him.

You can build your Shiba’s confidence while he is still a puppy by using restraint. Try this by picking up your puppy and placing him on his back using a gentle restraint, but only for a short period of time. This will help your Shiba puppy understand that his restrictions must be accepted, he will obviously try to resist this at first and you must be careful to be firm without causing any fear to build up. Increase these restraint periods very gradually and make sure your Shiba knows exactly what you want him to do by giving him precise commands. Never confuse your Shiba puppy as this will make him decide that he should take over and you will lose his trust completely.

These are just the first of many steps a successful Shiba Inu owner must take to build a loving and trusting relationship with this sometimes challenging, but overall wonderfully rewarding breed of dog.