Training the Shiba Inu By Guest Mary Engstrom Trainer and Owner of Agility Shibas Owner of Koshou “The Worlds First and Only Ultimate Weaving Shiba” I cannot tell you the number of times I have heard “You’re doing agility with a SHIBA?” Even more interesting is the fact that the comment was made by people who have shiba companions. I am grateful that, in my ignorance, I titled my first shiba before anyone told me it couldn’t be done. I would like to present a theory that it is not the shiba that cannot do agility (or obedience or rally for that matter), but rather it is the trainer that has not cracked the shiba code. Let’s compare what we know about shiba temperament from our breed standard with the characteristics of a good working dog. The shiba is alert and agile with keen senses. He has spirited boldness with an independent nature. He may be reserved toward strangers but is loyal and affectionate to those who come to earn his respect. Now, what characteristics does one look for in an agility dog? We want an agile dog of course – one who is adept at reading and reacting to signals from the handler at a high speed. We need a dog that is not afraid to jump or be afraid of heights, nor afraid to be out of sight of his handler. I guess an independent dog would be best for that. Finally, we want a dog that will focus on the handler rather than all of the people sitting ring side. If I’m not mistaken, these are ALL shiba qualities. So why are people surprised when a shiba excels at agility or obedience? I propose that it is because some have not cracked the shiba code. An important principle in training any dog for performance activity is that we need to inventory the dog’s strengths and weaknesses, and use the strengths to build compensations for the weaknesses. A shiba is not a Golden Retriever – that is to say, a Shiba will not perform the same task over and over just for the joy of pleasing you. I have also come to believe that while many dogs are very intelligent, Shibas are the Mensa members of the dog world. Therefore, your shiba needs to be intellectually challenged to hold his interest. Note to trainers: Avoid excessive repetition and build guessing games into your training to allow your shiba to play some mental games along with the physical. As stated earlier, Shibas are very loyal to those they have come to love and respect. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of playing games with your shiba that increase the dog’s focus on you. For example, my Shibas love to run full speed parallel to me and wait anxiously to see if I will send them to the left, right, ahead of me, in a circle or over an obstacle. They seem to thrive on running at breakneck speed just to see how quickly they can respond to my directional command. While this exercise is wonderful for refreshing directional commands, it is even more valuable as a focus and bonding tool. When in a trial, they do not look outside the ring for entertainment because they might miss the game they love with me. And what is the shiba code? I am not your dog