Thinking about a rescue dog, but unsure...?

Question

I have finally found a Shiba Inu from rescue that is quite near to me! Now I have a few questions, though, because the dog is said to have some problems, yet others disagree.

This dog is being given away by his owner because she feels her is highly territorial, agressive, and terrible with other dogs. She says he is untrainable and far too much to handle.

However, her vet and a local breeder have both evaluated the dog and said he is one of the best Shibas they have ever seen. They feel the woman is just making excuses to get rid of the dog because she feels a bit overwhelmed.

He is an older dog, so training him will be a little harder (especially since Shibas are already hard to train), but I'm willing to put the time and effort needed towards the training.

I'm just not sure if I can trust the vet and breeder. They've both never seen him with another dog or in his home enviroment, and I know that dogs act differently at home then they do when they are out.

Answer 1

The question is not necessarily trust of the vet and the breeder, but more of a question of what do you really want to do. Any dog, any age, can be trained, both for obedience and house rules as well as getting along with other dogs. It just takes consistency, patience, and time.

Many owners will make up stories to get rid of a dog, trying more to convince themselves that they need to rather than to convince others. If the previous owner has not had the breed before, she may just be saying things to ease her own conscious.

On the other hand, if the dog truly is aggressive, there are ways to work through this with the dog.

So search your own heart and mind, and don't put total stock in the vet or breeder or previous owner. Do you have the time and patience to work with the dog, and do you want to have a commitment for the next 8-10 years to take care of the dog. If these answers are yes, then go for it.

Answer 2

Personally, I've found that whatever the original owner tells you is just a big bunch of BS. They'll use any excuse to dump a dog. The true story is usually so much simpler: "I got a dog, I didn't bother to train it, it doesn't act the way I want it to, I'm going to dump it. I don't want to admit I'm an idiot who shouldn't have a gold fish, let alone a dog, so I'll make up a lame excuse for why I'm giving up the dog."

Seriously, it sounds like the original owner got a Shiba because "it's cute" and didn't do any research on the breed. When it behaved like Shibas do (especially untrained Shibas), she freaked out anddecided to dump it.

Most dogs that end up in rescue are not BAD dogs, they're just MISUNDERSTOOD dogs.

If it would make you feel better, find a behaviorist you trust and ask them to evaluate the dog.

Answer 3

Shiba's are known to have such a reputation. But you must also consider that a this dog may act in this manner because of the owner and it's environment. A behavioral test should be able to help you determine if a dog can be rehabbed. We took in a Jack Russell that was severely abused, bit me and a few other friends and family in the first two years and now he is a dream. We never thought people would want him, but here he is and it just took time patience and lots of training. If I had known he was such a problem dog, I would not have taken him home, but I flew all the way to Maryland to get him and I wasn't about to leave him in such a horrible home. If he is evaluated and you think you can work with him, make sure you have a knowledgeable trainer to help you, sometimes lack of resources can stop you in your tracks. Also make sure others who will be exposed to him are warned, and know how to work with him also. Just because someone does not live with the dog does not mean that they are not an important person when it comes to training. Good Luck : )

Answer 4

Get the dog and love him, and he will love you back. If he has problems, you can work through it in all probability. Somebody has to adopt the dog.

You said that you are willing to put in the time and effort so you are just the person for the job. I would lean toward trusting the vet and breeder. The current owner may be somewhat of a fuddy-duddy. Good luck.

PS - I have no idea what a Shiba Inu is, but you wanted one, searched for one, and finally found one so I'd say go for it.

Answer 5

I wouldn't trust what any other person says because my mom works for a vet and tells me stories. One of my cats came from someone who said that she is mean. They dropped her off when they were at lunch, outside, and were going to put her to sleep. My mom told me about it and I said, no, don't put her to sleep. I will take her. She was taken aback at finding her outside in a carrier but was glad because that gave her time to get to know the cat. She is so sweet. She is a persian mix so she has some of those traits. She gets jealous but gets along ok with my other cat. I've had her for almost 9 years now. I love her. She is not mean.
I would trust the vet and the breeder. They know these dogs.
Can you try the dog out? You should feel comfortable and optimistic. If you have any doubts, it will come through and things will most likely not work out. Can you spend more time with the dog? Is it possible to take her out for an afternoon or for an hour or two?

My stepkids' mom is one of those people that people here describe. She bought a dog and didn't bother to research about it and didn't train it properly. At least she still has it and didn't give up. But she's a ditzy blonde.

Answer 6

Ask if you can meet with the dog first to see for yourself. I rescued a dog 6 months ago (best thing I've ever done) and the rescue organization let me see her before we actually adopted her (even though we adopted her on the spot). It has been rough with potty training, but that is one thing you will not have to deal with. Everything takes time. Not only does your dog have to get to know you, you have to get to know your dog. And since the dog is at a vet, maybe you could see her around other dogs. Make sure you let the dog know you are the dominate one right away. I do small things like make her sit and shake before giving her food. I always watch Aminal Planet for help. Like others before me have said--consistency and patience is so very important. All of your hard work will be worth it in the long run. You will have a wonderful companion and the wonderful feeling of knowing you saved a homeless animal. Good luck!

Answer 7

A lot of times dogs are given up as being aggressive, territorial, terrible with other dogs and untrainable when in reality the owner just has never really tried to train the dog or never used any consistency to train the dog. It's a sad fact that hundreds of dogs die every day labeled as 'aggressive' and 'untrainable' when in reality nobody ever gave them a chance. Age makes no difference when it comes to training. Often the older dogs are easier to train simply because puppies lack the attention span that an older dog has.

Are you able to meet and spend some time with the dog before making your decision? If so, you should so that you may make your decision better based on the behaviour of the dog itself.

Answer 8

To me, the things that the owner describes - territorial, aggressive toward other dogs - seem to be dominance related. Shibas, in spite of their relatively small size, are as a breed a very dominant dog. What frequently happens is that a dominant dog is brought into a household where the owner, for whatever reason, fails to take the leader's position. The dog then moves into this role, and that's when the problems begin.

Shibas are not easy dogs to train, and anyone who expects them to behave like an easy trainable breed is bound to be disappointed. However, it is essential that they be trained, as this is one of the primary ways you assume the leader's role. In training, you have to use positive methods with these dogs, if they're anything like their larger cousins, Akitas, which I believe them to be in many ways. Akitas do not respond well to harsh and aversive training, and I wouldn't expect Shibas to, either.

There is a book about training difficult breeds, entitled "So Your Dog's Not Lassie," by Delzio and Fisher. Look for it on the Dogwise site (http://www.dogwise.com ) as it wll give you some good insights into how to train a Shiba. Also, you might want to get a copy of the "Canine Aggression Workbook", by James O'Heare. It talks about the various kinds of aggression, and how to work with them. Also, read as much as you can about pack structure and dominance, as that can help you understand the dog's behavior.

Other suggestions: You might ask the breeder if they would be willing to help you evaluate the dog's interaction with other dogs, if they are someone who is knowledgeable about the breed, has bred them, owned them, etc. Also, it might be worth the cost of a couple of hours of a professional trainer's time, especially if you can find one that is knowledgeable about working with dominance related issues. Ask them about a NILIF (Nothing in Life is Free) program for helping gain control of the dog.

I really think Shibas are great dogs, and hope you can work through the issues with this one.

Answer 9

Why can't you go to see the dog where it is at now. get your own vet to take a look and bless your heart for being willing to take this dog. There are very few dogs that can not be trained with patience and consistency 99.9% of the time it it the human that is untrainable not the dog. For the dog's sake if you are not 100% commited do not take this dog.

Answer 10

make sure the shelter does a temperament test on him before you take him or make an agreement with the lady and tell her that if you are unable to keep him that she must take him back . You could also take him and arrange training classes for him and see if that works . You have several options just dont give up on him . he may turn out to be a great dog if given the chance . good luck .