Essential tools for Shiba Inu owners

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So, you have decided on getting a Shiba Inu. Your dream dog.  Your very own Doge. You have a perfect name picked out and ready to spoil him or her with a life full of long walks and butt scritches.  But before you bring your Shiba Inu home, whether that’s a puppy or an adult Shiba Inu, there are some essential tools for Shiba Inu owners that would help make your life with the Shiba a little easier. 

Related article: Haven’t decided on a name yet? Check out these cute Japanese names for your dog!

Use the list below to purchase everything your new Shiba needs or check against what you already purchased to make sure that you are ready to bring the little Sheeb home! 

Creating comfortable space for your Shiba Inu

• Crate – I’ve heard that the crate should not be too big for puppies to be potty trained properly.  But this one crate worked great for both of my Shibas.  It’s light enough to be portable to take on road trips.  Don’t use crates to “punish” the Shiba (e.g. don’t put them in a “timeout” and scold them once they are in the crate).  Being in the crate should be a positive experience.

• Crate liner – Something like this maybe be used as a bed while the they sleep in the crate.

• Potty pads – You may not need to start by buying a bunch of these.  Since Shiba Inus puppies are so easy to potty train, it’s very possible that you do not need many of them.

• Dog bed – Expect to have a few dog beds destroyed when they are young (at least the first year but maybe longer depending on the dog), especially if they are being left alone for any period of time.  Buy sturdy but less expensive ones to begin with. Then spoil them with a nicer bed as they get older! Because of their cat-like tendencies, they love these cozy beds that they can curl up in!

• Pet playpen/gate – It is convenient to have these playpens/gates to section your Shiba from places around the house that you don’t want them getting into or to temporarily contain them in a certain area. Note that most Shibas cannot be contained too long. They will figure out how to scale or even jump over these things if they want to get out of it bad enough!

Feeding your Shiba Inu

• Food/water bowls – These food/water bowls that are elevated are great, especially as they get older. It’s easier for them to eat and drink out of these.

• Dog food – Quality food is so important for dogs.  Poor quality food can lead to allergic reactions or something even worse over the years. 

Based on my experience and on online reviews, Chewy is one of the few online retailers I trust when it comes to dog food.  Make it easy on yourself by signing up for the autoship to have the dog food shipped automatically.  You can set and change the interval of how often the bag of dog food is shipped right to your doorsteps.  It’s one less thing to worry about. 

Training your Shiba Inu

Training a Shiba Inu, honestly, is one of the most fun activities for humans and the pups.  They love the challenge and learn everything so fast.  And you’ll marveled at their intelligence.  It’s the consistency of listening to commands they know that becomes the issue.  But since training a Shiba could be a book in and of itself, here are some of the basic training tools you’ll need for now:

• Training treats – For puppies, the treats need to be very small.  I mean grain-of-rice tiny.  You’ll want to repeat some things over and over until they get it.  So you don’t want them filling up quickly on the treats. These store-bought ones might do well but for more difficult tasks, you may need to up the ante by using some high-value treats.  These are treats that your dog would do absolutely anything for – like chopped up boiled chicken, boiled turkey dogs, or liver treats.  Again, cut these high-value treats into teeny tiny pieces for training.

• “Place” mat – We used one in a puppy training class so we got this for our house.  It’s a simple mat that a puppy gets a treat every time he sits and stays on it.  (Our command word for it is “Place” or “Go to your place.”) It’s a great tool to use to get him to sit while you eat your dinner so that he’s not in your face begging, to get him to sit to wipe his wet paws before coming into the house, or to make him sit there before you open the front door to reduce the risk of him running out the door!

• Bitter Apple Spray – It’s hard to predict exactly what Shiba puppies would chew (anything from socks, to chair legs, to dry walls!), you could have something like this that might deter them from chewing the same thing or spot. But the best thing is to not leave them unattended.  If you catch them chewing something they shouldn’t, just redirect to something that they could, like a toy. Then praise by playing with them.

Grooming your Shiba Inu

• Shampoo
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Brush – To manage the massive (I mean MASSIVE) amount of shedding, you will need to brush your Shiba frequently.  I initially owned another major brand with metal teeth. But then I started hearing that those weren’t great for their fur, especially as much as you need to brush them.  So I switched to this which works well dry or wet:

• Nail clipper – How to safely and properly cut your Shiba’s nails warrants an article of its own since many Shiba Inus do not like their paws handled, which leads to dangerously overgrown nails. For now, here are the two nail clippers that are recommended. 
  • Millers Forge Stainless Steel Dog Nail Clipper
  • Safari Professional Stainless Steel Nail Trimmer
• Nail file – To keep the nails short and to help recede the quick, you should trim or file their nails often, as much as once a week.  If your Shiba fears the nail clippers, you may be able to ease your way into it by filing their nails first.  Here is the recommended nail file to do the job.

Playing with your Shiba Inu

• Toys – Be forewarned that Shiba Inu puppies play bite!  Sometimes they bite hard until they learn how to “soft bite” to play.  The best thing to do is to redirect using toys.  So, plan to have a plenty of sturdy toys around. A play session can turn easily into a training session too! Give specific name to each toy (e.g. rope, duck, hedgehog) and you may be amazed that your Shiba will come to know which one you are asking her to fetch.  These are some of my Shibas’ favorites:

• Chew toy – To help them with teething, they need chewy toys that are appropriate for puppies.  These also give your hands and ankles some much needed break from those little sharp needle teeth! We put a little bit of creamy peanut butter in these and freeze them.

Walking your Shiba Inu

Walking a Shiba can be a physics class challenge.  But we’ll get to more on that later.  Here are the minimum things you will need:

• Poop bags – Choose from some of the eco-friendly options.
• Collar – You will want to get them used to a harness as soon as possible.  But you will need a collar with the dog tag right away.
• Dog tag – Here are some cute ones I love that you can customize with your dog’s information:

• Leash – The retractable ones can be unsafe, mainly caused by the operator (human) mishandlings.  Many vets and dog training classes will require you to use the 6’ nylon or leather leash instead. I personally feel like I’m more in control when I switched to the 6’ leash from the retractable ones. With Shibas, that’s a rare moment, so I take it in any way I can!
• Harness – As soon as your dog is a full grown, invest in a nice harness.  Don’t ever purchase those flimsy harnesses that your Shiba will slip right out of.  They are contortionists and if they are not fitted with the correct type of harness, you’ll be left holding onto the leash and a harness and no dog attached to it!  Here are some of the brands that I’ve heard good things about (I personally use Ruffwear):
  • Ruffwear
  • Julius K9
  • Pug Life
  • The Ruffwear Web Master is the kind that is recommended if your dog is an expert escape-artist, who also gets spooked easily.

Cleaning after your Shiba Inu

I have not needed a ton of cleaning products to clean up after my Shiba Inus, EXCEPT, I vacuum all the time!  Be sure to choose from the pet-safe cleaning products.

• Carpet cleaner
• Floor cleaner
• Surface cleaner
• Enzyme cleaner – To effectively get the scent out to prevent them from going to the same spot inside of the house to urinate, you need to use an enzyme cleaner. 
• Vacuum cleaner – As much as Shibas shed, you need a powerful vacuum cleaner that can effectively pick up fur, and a lot of it!  Shark Navigator is one of the more preferred brands for the job.

A quick PSA (Public Safety Announcement)! Recently, I’ve been hearing about multiple cases of Shiba Inus and other dogs suffocating because the dog found a bag of potato chips while the owner is out or out of sight.  Don’t leave a bag of chips, unopened, opened or empty, within the reach of the dogs, even in the trash bins! 

Other useful things to consider

• Running shoes – A happy Shiba Inu is a tired Shiba Inu. They should be walked frequently, especially if you don’t have a fenced in backyard that they can run around in.  Another reason you may need a good pair of running shoes is that you may be chasing after those suckers at one point in your life.  They are escape artists AND runners.  Fast runners.  Invest in a good pair of shoes.  You will need it.
• Microchip – Because…see above.  It’s best to have your young Shiba Inus microchipped so that if they do escape, and chances are they’d outrun you, you will feel a tinge better if your dog is microchipped to increase the odds of being able to find their way home.  Talk to your veterinarian about this.
• Bubble baths – Not for the Shiba Inus.  But for you.  After a day of being outwit, outlast, outran by a Shiba Inu, you are going to want to figure out a way to relax and rejuvenate…

Other essential services

Before you bring your Shiba home, you should look for the following services that would fit your needs:

• Veterinarian – Be sure to check the reviews.  The city vets might be more convenient but may be more expensive than vets in a more rural area.  If you are concerned about the cost, you might want to check a few vets to get price comparisons on basic services. 
• Puppy training class – Early socialization for your puppy and learning how to properly handle your Shiba Inu are two important lessons you’ll be able to gain from puppy training classes.  Start looking for some classes around town to understand the start dates and the required criteria to be able to enroll in one.
• Dog daycare – Ongoing socialization is extremely important for Shiba Inus.  If you have not started looking for a dog daycare, read these tips on how to find one that meets your needs.

IF YOU HAVE NEVER OWNED A SHIBA INU, be sure to read 7 things you should know before owning a Shiba Inu.

And welcome to the world of Shiba Inu Ownership!

Soon you’ll be crazy about your new Shiba Inu that you will notice you enjoy buying pointless crap, just because it has a Shiba Inu on it. Let’s get you started on that obsession. You are welcome.

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