If your Shiba isn’t a puppy, you can still train it! Just keep in mind that it will take a little extra patience and effort to train an adult. A Shiba Inu requires lots of mental stimulation to prevent boredom, which affects its attention span. Play with your dog regularly, take it on walks daily, give it puzzle feeders, and avoid leaving it alone for long periods of time.
Shibas are notoriously stubborn and strong-willed. They don’t respond well to punishment models of training that discourage behaviors with negative repercussions. Positive reinforcement works well for Shiba Inus because it gives them the freedom to choose what to do.
Make sure your dog really likes the taste of the treats and only use them for training. That way, your dog will associate that particular tasty treat with training and good behavior. Training treats are designed to be low in calories but high in flavor, so don’t worry too much about overfeeding your dog. Try to keep training treats on hand anytime you spend time with your dog. That way you can reward your dog for their good behavior when you are out together. [3] X Expert Source Ty BrownDog Trainer Expert Interview. 4 June 2020.
While “sit” works well as a first command, you can pick something else, like “stay,” “heel,” or “lay down,” if you want to.
For example, when you are taking your Shiba on a walk and you come to a stop at a corner, say the word “sit” right as the dog begins to fold its legs to sit. Do this every time you come to a stop to teach your dog the connection between the action and the word.
You can do training once per day or, if you want to work with your dog a little more, try 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening. Short, frequent training sessions also work well, such as during the advertisements while you’re watching TV in the evening. Doing reward training daily will create a very strong bond between you and your dog. Make sessions as fun as possible no matter how often you decide to train your dog. Never punish your dog for not doing things properly during a training session.
Remember to introduce new commands when your dog is already performing similar movements to help it understand. For example, when the dog starts moving towards you, call its name and say “come. " When it gets to you, give it a treat and praise. [9] X Research source
The clicker is a great way to transition your dog from treat training since extensive treat training could eventually cause weight gain.
When housebreaking a puppy, you need to keep an eye on it all of the time so you can act quickly. Crating works well because the puppy will not want to go to the bathroom in a small space like a crate. [13] X Research source
A grassy spot will work best for this.
Once your puppy is about 4 months old, let it out at specific times each day. Pick a specific time in the morning, afternoon, and evening and go out at those times no matter what. Be sure to take your puppy to the toilet spot every 20 minutes. This will increase the chances that they’ll be in the toilet spot when they have to go.
The dog’s body will get used to the elimination schedule if it’s consistent. If you take your dog out erratically, the dog’s digestive system will never have a chance to get on a reliable schedule. Stay on schedule on the weekend. Your puppy’s digestive system doesn’t know the difference between a weekday and the weekend!
If your puppy has already gone to the bathroom in your home, remain calm. Rubbing their nose in it or yelling will only confuse the puppy and build distrust.
Be consistent and do this every time you take your puppy out so the behavior will stick.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use a firm voice when telling your dog to stop a negative behavior. You simply need to stay calm while you are directing it.
It can be tempting to let bad behavior slide once in a while, such as if you’re tired or running out the door. However, when you don’t stop a bad behavior, that is as good as giving your dog permission to do it.
For example, if your Shiba is chewing on a shoe, find something else that is appropriate for your dog to chew on, like a chew toy or squeaky toy. Offer the toy and encourage your Shiba to chew on it instead.
For example, if you don’t want your Shiba to beg, don’t ever feed it when it begs for treats. Giving it a treat sometimes and admonishing it at other times will confuse your dog.
In the example of being unreliable off-leash, don’t try to train your Shiba to be a free-roaming dog. Instead, work on the “come” command, so that it’s safe if it accidentally gets off the leash.
