If you got your Shiba Inu from a highly respected breeder, and there really is no excuse not to, they will have spent a lot of time playing and bonding with your pup. This is very important as it helps to acclimate your puppy to being handled and loved, something you will have no problem doing once he is home with you.

Neither will the other important steps required in training your puppy, that of bonding with your puppy. This is done by placing them on their backs in a submissive position while rubbing their tummy. A Shiba puppy will often show reluctance to this initially, as it is in their nature to be defiant, but this is an important step you must take to show your dominance in the pack. Another important thing to do in this regard is to hold your puppy close to your face, making sure he is concentrating on you, as you speak softly and look him in the eye. All of these steps are necessary to show your puppy whose boss without him realizing exactly what you are doing will increase his confidence in you and should be done before the puppy is three months old.

This conditioning is essential as this particular breed has some interesting traits that can get you in trouble later in life. One of those traits is temporary, not literal, deafness. This is something your Shiba will practice with you from time to time as he gets older, just to find out who is in control. You must ensure that, when this happens, you take decisive action, as your Shiba must be aware that it is you and not him who must handle the situation. If done correctly, this will be a pattern of behavior that you will learn to expect. Your Shiba needs to know that pretending to be deaf is not acceptable behavior and will only do so if you are always in full control. If your dog ever feels threatened, he should know that you are there to protect him.

You can build your Shiba’s confidence while it is still a puppy by using restraint. Try this by picking up your puppy and placing him on his back with a gentle hold, but only for a short period of time. This will help your Shiba puppy understand that his tethers must be accepted, he will obviously try to resist this at first and you must be careful to stand firm without causing any fear to build up. Increase these periods of restriction very gradually and make sure your Shiba knows exactly what you want him to do by giving him precise commands. Never confuse your Shiba puppy as this will make him decide that he needs to take over and he will lose his confidence completely.

These are just the first of many steps a successful Shiba Inu owner must take to build a loving and trusting relationship with this sometimes challenging, but generally wonderfully rewarding breed of dog.