Personal Assistance Dog in the Making????

     Teddy Bear is a four month old Shiba inu puppy from Mountain High Kennels, breeders of quality shibas located in Skookumchuk.   He is the latest of their shibas to be sent to Shadowbar for conformation training and some obedience work.  

   We wanted to share this video of  Teddybear at 'work' making short work of removing a sock. 
Dedicated little creature......devious, too.  Do not be fooled by the cuteness of this breed.  They come from a history of hunting bore and other large game and they are extremely independent. 

   They cannot be intimidated  into doing a person's bidding and they know what 'just and reasonable' requests are.  Using their prey drive and love of food is the best way to train a shiba inu, if that is, indeed, what you call it.  I prefer to call it the fine art of negotiation.  Done properly it produces a willing worker.  Anything less and the end product falls far short of obedient.  

   These dogs can switch thoughts and direction at the speed of light and they are not a good choice for the first time dog owner as they are a small dog with a huge attitude.  Obedience instruction is a must for any shiba inu.  Love alone isnt' going to do it. 

  They can provide endless hours of entertainment and are amazing candidates for fast-paced canine sports like agility.  They can be taught to be team players, but ongoing socialization is recommended for all shibas.  "If a shiba inu didn't like another dog ten years ago, it won't like it now."  

They are like a smaller version of the Karelian Beardog, another wonderful big-game hunting dog with a bigger attitude than most people ever contend with in a dog.

   I attribute my success in training the shibas to my experience with the training of the Karelian Beardogs and their handlers in the Alberta Wildlife Management Program for grizzly bears.  I have to say that it was a bit of culture shock for someone used to working with the ultimate 'pleaser' dogs, German shepherds.  But thirteen years after the initial program of training, I smile to think that once again, I am employed to train a smaller but just as mighty canine in the form of a shiba inu.

   Strong-willed, independent thinkers, with raw instinct....... bottle that and you have quite a dog.

   "You talking to me????????"