Are Shiba Inus Easy to Keep? Shedding and Downsides Explained
After watching a variety show on Hunan TV, people are sure to fall in love with the two little Shiba Inus on the show. Many people think Shiba Inus look very much like native dogs, and their expressions resemble a smile, so people naturally feel very close to them. So are Shiba Inus actually easy to keep? And what are their biggest downsides? Next, I will introduce them to you one by one.
Are Shiba Inus Easy to Keep?
1. Temperament: Shiba Inus have somewhat irritable tempers and share ancestry with Chinese rural dogs, so when walking them they are easily mistaken for native dogs.
2. Exercise: Shiba Inus were originally hunting dogs and retain a certain wildness. They cannot be kept indoors all the time and must be taken out for walks, running, jumping and other activities.
3. Hygiene: Shiba Inus are prone to filariasis. Owners who keep them outdoors should pay attention to the sanitation of the kennel and not let them develop the bad habit of lying down anywhere.
4. Socialization: From puppyhood, Shiba Inus should be exposed more to outside dogs and people, and trained and guided to develop the good habit of being friendly and tolerant toward people. If kept closed off all the time, they will develop the bad habit of being overly wary of people, or even treating them with hostility.
5. Coat: The Shiba Inu's coat is dense and handsome. Its coat should be brushed every day or every other day, and especially after coming home from activities, dirt and dust stuck to the fur should be removed promptly, and it should also be bathed regularly. The Shiba Inu's undercoat is the same as its outer coat, and it sheds twice a year. During shedding periods, brushing should be increased to boost blood circulation and promote smooth and faster coat metabolism.
6. Walking: Shiba Inus should normally wear a collar and be kept on a leash. When out, they must be held by the owner to prevent their wildness from breaking out.
7. Keeping alone: Shiba Inus are hostile toward their own kind and other animals, and the chance of them getting along peacefully is small. Overall, Shiba Inus are not difficult to keep.
Do Shiba Inus Shed?
Shiba Inus do shed, but they do not shed all year round. Shiba Inus under 3 months old usually do not shed at all, but from 3-4 months of age, they begin their first round of shedding. After shedding their puppy coat, Shiba Inus will shed twice every year thereafter, switching to undercoat in early summer and to long hair in autumn. In between, they shed continuously through the summer. You have to sweep twice a day. Shiba Inus have two fairly severe “shedding seasons” each year, and because of individual differences, the length of shedding also varies; it may be one month, or it may be two months.
What Are the Downsides of Shiba Inus?
1. Shiba Inus are stubborn
Shiba Inus are stubborn by nature, shrewd and sensitive, and especially love to go against their owner and deliberately defy them. Previously, on the streets of Japan, there were cases of Shiba Inus demanding to be taken out for a walk by their owners at past 4 in the morning, and also wanting to go out for a walk even in fierce wind and rain, and during walks they could not be pulled back no matter how hard you tried. This fully reflects the stubborn side of Shiba Inus.
2. Shiba Inus easily come into conflict with other dogs
Shiba Inus are strongly territorial and easily come into conflict with other dogs when out, and they tend to “let themselves loose,” so when going out with a Shiba Inu, you must keep it on a leash. First, this can prevent the Shiba Inu from fighting with other dogs, and second, it can prevent the dog from getting lost.
3. Shiba Inus do not like being touched
Actually, we see online that many people like to pinch Shiba Inus' faces, but Shiba Inus actually do not like being touched; for example, they are unwilling to have their nails trimmed or be bathed. If you want to bathe a Shiba Inu smoothly, you can do some training normally. Before bathing the dog, reward it with some small treats, such as chicken jerky or chicken and potato strips, and wait until the dog calms down before bathing it. If you want to touch a Shiba Inu, it still depends on its mood; if it is in a good mood, it may just let you touch it.
4. Shiba Inus shed
Shiba Inus have short hair and a double coat, and they shed very heavily. It is no exaggeration at all to say they shed twice a year, with each time lasting half a year, so getting a good vacuum cleaner is very necessary. A female dog is in heat for about 21 days; although the amount is far smaller than that of a Golden Retriever, it will still get everywhere. Besides seasonal shedding, a dog's shedding is also related to what it usually eats. Generally speaking, eating too salty food can cause shedding, so it is recommended to feed mainly a low-salt, light natural diet, and to brush the dog's coat every day to avoid shedding problems caused by diet.
How Should Shiba Inus Be Kept?
1. Drink plenty of water: When keeping a Shiba Inu, give it cool water suitable for drinking at all times, and change the water often. On average, it consumes at least 60 ml of water per kilogram of body weight per day, while puppies, nursing mothers, working dogs or dogs in hot weather consume more.
2. Gradual food changes: A Shiba Inu's diet should change gradually, with a transition period of one week, so that the animal's taste, digestion and metabolism can adapt. A dog's gut flora can adapt better than a human's to eating new food, so it can restore its function to digest the new food.
3. Regular feeding: A dog's feeding times should be basically fixed; it cannot be one meal early and the next late, or one meal present and the next absent. Regular timing can build a dog's conditioned reflex to scheduled meals, secrete gastric juice, increase appetite and promote digestion and absorption. Generally, feeding once in the morning and once in the evening is best. The amount of food should be relatively stable; the variety can be rotated, but the quantity cannot be constantly changing.
4. Control the amount of food: The size of each portion for a Shiba Inu should depend on the energy the animal needs each day and the calories contained in the food. The size of each portion should be recalculated often to avoid obesity, and it should also be adjusted as the Shiba Inu's weight changes.
5. Food choices: Choosing food is very important. First, nutritional balance should be considered. There are three standards for choosing food suitable for a dog: age, that is, puppy, adult, middle-aged or senior; the level of physical or physiological activity (active dogs, sport dogs and breeding dogs); and size (small, medium or large).
6. Reasonable feeding: The way you feed is just as important as the ingredients in the food, so when feeding commercial food you must strictly follow the manufacturer's instructions. When feeding homemade food, you should avoid some “taken-for-granted” ideas, such as “if I like eating it, my dog will like it too,” “my dog can eat anything,” or “my dog only likes fruit,” etc. These ideas can often cost your Shiba Inu its life.
7. Daily management: Shiba Inus love cleanliness and should be brushed and combed often. In summer they should be bathed once a week, and in autumn once every 10 days. Shiba Inus are active and should be taken out for a walk or activity every day. Shiba Inus must be trained with a method that is as suitable and correct as possible, otherwise the effect will be greatly counterproductive.
In the text above, we have gained a certain understanding of Shiba Inus. In fact, Shiba Inus are relatively easy to keep, since their size is relatively large and their ability to resist disease is also relatively good. They are also not very picky about their living environment.