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Shiba Training - No, YOU Sit!
Shibas can learn an amazing variety of behaviors, but you will find that one of the most important is 'sit'. Beyond the basic need to establish that the human of the pair (That's you - in case you're wondering) is the alpha (leader), it has a number of practical benefits.
When a Shiba sits she's more attentive, making it easier to follow further commands. Her eyes are on you, the alpha.
As important as what the Shiba is doing, is what she is not. In a sit, she's more or less stationary, there are still those wagging tails, after all. That means she's not chasing squirrels, knocking over your Mom's expensive vase, running through the garden or out into the street.
First, take advantage of the Shiba's spontaneous behavior by observing her closely. The idea is to catch her in the middle of performing the behavior and say 'sit' and gesture. That way a Shiba associates the behavior with the command. Always associate a unique hand signal and tone with the command. Praise the Shiba lavishly. Hold off on food treats. Save the bribes until you really need them Fortunately, almost every Shiba Inu can, and will learn this basic move in fairly quickly, after all they are as smart as they are cute.
first the Shiba will have no idea why you're so happy. But Shibas tend to be happy when the alpha is happy, and upset when they are. With repetition comes understanding.
When you want to initiate a sit, stand and face the Shiba then issue the command, wait for the desired response. Some will get it after the first couple of tries; some will take ten or more. Some won't get it without further prompting. Now bring out the other techniques. With a treat or a favored toy, face the Shiba and place it above her head and slightly behind the forehead, but still visible. The Shiba will tend to look up and stretch its chin slightly backward. When you have Her attention move the treat slowly back toward the tail.
Some Shibas will respond by backing up. If so, try the technique near the couch or a fence where she has nowhere to go. When the Shiba starts to sit, give the command and hand signal. At the completion of the sit, praise lavishly and give the reward.
Voice commands aren't the only sound that will work. Many trainers use a 'clicker' - a small plastic and metal device that makes a 'click-clack' sound when pressed and released. I like clickers, I find that training is much faster, and your Shiba will find the sound very distinctive. Shibas can distinguish the sound over surprisingly long distances and amidst other moderate background noise.
As a last resort, for the stubborn or slow learner, give the command and at the same time push gently on the back near the tail as you lift her chin. Praise and reward anyway, even though you had to 'force' the sit. Take special care with young hips - don't force a completely uncooperative Shiba this way. Repetition, consistency (reward only for the proper action), and enthusiasm will quickly lead to learning the 'sit'. Don't be harsh, but don't give up easily either. And never let her train you.
I love dogs, especially Shiba Inu's they are absolutely wonderful little pooches. But any doggie become tiresome if they do not have at least some basic training. Do yourself a favor and get a copy Dog Training Secrets - Shiba Inu. It is the absolutely best training manual you will find anywhere, and fairly inexpensive. You will have a wonderful loyal, well trained companion.
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