They’re very independent and aloof toward strangers. I have been told they have a lot of cat like qualities.

I’ve had neighbors with up to four of them at once!

They’re very energetic and very intelligent, in a crafty, mischievous way. Many dogs are super-eager to please humans – these seem willing to charm humans, but out to achieve their own goals and interests, likely by out-maneuvering and/or out-smarting humans. They frequently escaped and went running about the neighborhood exploring and meeting neighbors, but wary that a human might grab them and take them home, so they stayed just out of reach.

They also feature fequent use of “the Shiba Inu scream!” Particularly when left alone at night outside. The audible range may be up to a mile or so away?

Hahaha omg!

I should note that the owner seemed to love their Shiba Inu quite a bit (they are cute), and even got more, though maybe that was to try to get them to scream less?

They were not contained by a sonic fence, and the neighbor eventually put up a huge fence all around their own place to keep them in… which they still somehow found a way out of sometimes.

I agree, they are escape artists.

A highly intelligent dog of a dominant breed. They are in the same spitz family as Akita and are Japanese breeds. I owed both Shiba and Akita in the past.
Highly intelligent, Affectionate, Independent-minded, Can be stubborn

Shiba is more likely than the Akita to be friendly with other humans and pups. That’s not to say they’re not incredibly friendly to all of the members of their family. The Shiba on the other hand, is often more tolerant of other dogs.

Like any dominant breed dog it is important to train them well. They will both flex Alpha on you at times. When that happened to me, I would just hold the sides of their face and stare them down until they look away.

I haven’t owned one, but trained a couple. Those experiences reinforced what you’ll find in the literature: they tend to be fiercely independent. Very little fawning over their humans. Very smart. Too smart, in fact, for the average person. They’ll climb, dig, and jump to escape. They’re usually distrustful of strangers and require a very knowledgeable owner to be happy. A lot of people get them for their appearance, but then end up with a dog who makes daily life difficult by refusing to be clipped onto a leash, escaping, lunging on walks, stalking smaller animals, and generally scoring low on agreeability. They can be great companions. But really, they’re more of a lifetime project than an easygoing pet.

@Forever_Free I guess that worked for you. Consider, though, that a dog who doesn’t feel like appeasing you will in that situation bite your face.

@longgone My comment was given as listed of my specific situation. Please don’t take it out of context as a one size fits all statement.
This technique is not used on all circumstances. It is taught in advanced obedience trainings any you should know your dog before even attempting. You ned to be properly trained and know how to look out for signs that wouldn’t make it prudent to perform.