Lessons My Shiba Inu Has Taught Me

My Shiba Inu and I had an unconventional meeting, as in, I didn’t get to meet him as a puppy. Instead, he was nearly 3 years old and came from a breeding background of neglect, leading to a host of physical and mental problems. To make a long story short, he was overweight, fearful of human touch, and incredibly anxious, meaning our relationship has undergone some serious work from both ends, including patience, trust and an ability to provide endless love and understanding.

Four years have passed since I brought him home, and I truly feel honoured to have been able to watch him grow into a happy, silly and loving dog. Don’t get me wrong, he’s an absolute diva, but it’s made me realise that there is no other breed for me quite like the Shiba Inu.

In this article, I’m breaking down the lessons that owning a Shiba Inu over the past four (nearly five) years has taught me, with the aim of helping prospective owners discover if this breed is the one for them.

If you aren’t already aware, Shiba Inus have quite the reputation for being unique and quirky dogs. One Google search will result in a host of Shiba facts, one of the most common being that they are prone to being a tad stubborn, and I can certainly agree. This usually presents as them stopping in their tracks midway through a walk and demanding to walk in a different direction.

The truth is that most Shiba Inus like to do things their own way; if they’re not ready to eat dinner, they won’t. If they’re not ready to get out of bed, they won’t. If this is something you’ll struggle with, they may not be the dog for you. On the other hand, if you’re someone who’s happy to go with the flow, you might find that their temperament is one you can manage well.

I often describe Freddie as a cat in a dog’s body. What I mean by that is that he’s hugely independent and self-sufficient. I’m sure if he could feed and walk himself, he probably would. I can’t lie; at first, I found this quite difficult to adjust to. I’d grown up with Jack Russells, Bichon Frises and Yorkshire Terriers, the latter of the three the most snuggly lapdogs I’d ever met, so suddenly owning a dog who didn’t want to sit on my knee or be carried around was hard not to take personally.

But after a while, I began to understand that Freddie showed affection in other ways: a light brush past me in the kitchen, sleeping on my bed and curling up into my legs in the middle of the night, jumping up at me in excitement when I came home, popping his head around my office door throughout the day as if to check in on me, all of these things made me realise that he’s just an independent spirit, and that’s okay.

One of the most charming things is that he knows his routine as well as his mind. He knows to wait on my bed in the morning while I get ready for the day, that it’s breakfast time when we come back from a walk, and somehow exactly when it's lunchtime, as that means a walk in the park or the beach (his favourite place).

This independence was something I hadn’t experienced from a pet before, but one I knew must be respected. Just like us, dogs have boundaries, too, and choosing to ignore them can place a significant strain on your relationship with one another. What I mean by this is if Freddie wants to be left alone and is having some well-needed time away from me, I’ll let him. If he wants to lie down in another room, I’ll let him sleep without picking him up and bringing him to sit with me. These things might sound trivial, and I’ve had people tell me I “spoil” him, but I wholeheartedly disagree. It’s not breaking news, but dogs have complex feelings and emotions, and it’s important to nurture them just as we would with a human child.

Following on from my previous point above, some people just don’t get the relationship I share with my Shiba. Usually, they’re the kind of people who don’t let their dog on the couch or bed and have strict rules surrounding ownership. If this is how you pet parent, that’s great, but it’s not how I do things.

At the moment, I don’t have children, and I don’t know if I ever will. I don’t see Freddie as a substitute for a child, but I do feel like I treat him very well and know his needs. In this regard, if I decide to have children one day, I believe this relationship will, in some ways, prepare me for motherhood.

I go above and beyond for Freddie because I want to, but this doesn’t mean that I let him take control. He sits before receiving a treat, and I don't let him off the lead because I know he’s an escape artist (more on that later). If he pulls when we’re out on a walk, I’ll stop and correct him before moving on. Shiba Inus can be a demanding dog breed, but it doesn’t mean leaning into negative reinforcement, as this has been proven time and time again to be detrimental to a dog’s physical and mental health.

Like I take care of myself, I care a lot about Freddie’s health. He’s an anxious dog and most likely always will be; this means that we end up in the vets more times than typically expected. Sometimes, this anxiety shows as over-grooming, leading to sores and distress, so we’ll go and talk to our vet to see what can be done. I once had someone tell me ‘I’m over the top’ for taking him to the vet and to just ‘let things sort themselves out naturally’, but if I can manage his pain and reduce anxiety, I certainly will.

Shiba Inus can be quite a dramatic dog breed, and they require consistent care and understanding. So, as I say, some people just don’t get it, but that’s fine.

Shibas are notorious escape artists, and this trait runs deep in Freddie. It means that we have to go to secure fields for him to be able to run off-lead. If you’re hoping for a dog to walk alongside you in the park without a lead on, this isn’t the dog breed for you! Shiba Inus have a very high prey drive and will continuously be intrigued by squirrels, cats, and anything small that moves. If you’re not aware of this, you could be at risk of losing your dog, something no pet owner ever wants.

This means that every time we go on a walk, we use a carabiner and a martingale collar to prevent him from slipping out - something he’s tried to do many times. Because of this urge to run free combined with his anxious nature, I have to be very careful who I let walk Freddie for me (the list isn’t very long). One wrong move or careless action could result in him running away and being in danger.

Due to this, I find myself always being five steps ahead of Freddie: making sure front doors are locked, back gates are secure, and, if we visit someone’s house, their garden fences are completely intact! I’m always looking for possible escape routes, and truth be told, this was quite exhausting at first, but now it feels like second nature and truly cements my status as a Dog Mum.

Because I brought Freddie home as an adult, there were key moments we’d missed out on sharing together in his early development. However, I try not to dwell on this time and instead focus on the present and all the memories we’ve already made. This isn’t always easy to do, especially at times of high stress, but I know that we have each other during difficulties - and that’s what really matters.

Having a Shiba Inu isn’t easy, but it’s 100% worthwhile. After finding a rhythm and routine that suits you both, you can easily thrive and have one of the best canine companions out there. For me, it’s all the little things - the silly faces he pulls when his teeth get stuck on his lip, when his feet twitch in his sleep and it looks like he’s playing the piano, or when he randomly gets the zoomies and spins around in circles. I absolutely adore Freddie, and although he’s only been in my life for four years, they’ve been some of the best years of my life and for the exact reason that he’s been by my side for every second.

Whilst everyone's relationship with their pet is individual and every Shiba will bring their own joys and challenges (like my journey with Freddie), if you are thinking about owning a Shiba, you can learn more about their breed, temperament and health on our Shiba Inu Breed Guide.