I'd done quite a bit of research on the Shiba Inu before we agreed to get one and thought he was going to be a complete hassle to train. Not so. Conker has surprised me in how easy he's been to train so far. He sits, waits, lays down and comes almost every time we ask him to (provided the proper treats are on hand of course) and is pretty easy to walk. He learned fast what he is and isn't allowed to chew on or play with, a feat that took my Mom's Border Collie/Labrador Retriever mixes nearly a year to accomplish. He is pretty good around the apartment as well. He likes to fetch any of his toys (again, something my Mom's dogs still struggle with) and is getting better with the "Drop It" command every day. He isn't allowed in the bathroom and doesn't quite understand that yet but he'll get it eventually.
When we first got him we had to take him out every 10-20 minutes to be sure he wasn't going to "do his business" in the apartment. There were a few accidents but after that he began to understand that you only do those things outside and pretty much house trained himself. I guess being a Shiba, who are naturally clean, helped quite a bit on that one.
This all makes the Shiba Inu sound like a breeze, doesn't it? Well, he is a Shiba after all, and no dog is perfect. Sometimes he goes bonkers, spinning, barking and running around while on a walk and is almost impossible to calm down. He is fond of trying to get onto things he isn't supposed to (couch, bed). Conker also has this obnoxious habit of barking at us and running around if he thinks we aren't paying enough attention to him.
We keep a harness on him most of the time with a drag lead so he is easier to catch when he misbehaves, but he is quite fast and we don't always succeed. When this happens he thinks it's a game and runs around even more. He will also decide his food isn't good enough and bark at us to give him ours. Another thing that no dog should think is appropriate. We are trying to correct this behavior by ignoring him until he is quiet and calm, then he gets praise and a treat. If that doesn't work we put him in the baby-gated kitchen with no toys or anything fun (a Time Out) for 1-5 minutes, then we take him out again. If he continues to misbehave, he is put in for fifteen minutes. He usually gets it the second time.
Going on walks is very important for Conker. It gets him the exercise he needs and also helps wear him out so he is calmer and less obnoxious in the apartment. But that's not the only thing walks do for him. They expose him to many different sights, sounds and smells, all things that every dog needs to experience to help them become a balanced and sociable dog. Thanks to the walks and proper timing of treats, he isn't afraid of cars, trucks, motorcycles (if he sees them first) airplanes and other dogs. He still hasn't gone to a dog park but he is good with polite leashed dogs. The ones who jump on him or bark and snarl aren't so high up on his list of fun things so we ask people first about their dogs before Conker meets them.
People on the other hand are a different story. Conker warmed up to me almost instantly when I brought him home. It took him about a day to warm up to my boyfriend but strangers are a different story. He is very people shy, something that is difficult to deal with since he's such a cute little dog. Some of the time I am not able to stop people from trying to pet him, something he doesn't want them to do, and only makes everything worse.
We are working on this by walking to the local natural pet food store, buying a few of his favorite treats then sitting outisde of the bookstore. Every time a person walks by, Conker gets a bit of treat. The employees of the food store are also helping him get used to people by giving him treats when we stop in.
Tomorrow we are off to Chicago for Thanksgiving. Conker is going to meet some family members as well as their dog Riley. If all goes well Conker will be one step further in becoming a calmer and more balanced dog.
No comments:
Post a Comment