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Is a shiba inu a good dog for my dad and brothers?
My dad and brothers want to rescue a dog in the next week. It will be their 1st dog and i am trying to educate them about dogs (i own a yorkie) and their mentality and needs etc. They are also doing their own research. They are considering a brittany spaniel. I was wondering how a shiba inu would do under these conditions:
Fairly large house with a medium sized yard and large inground pool. Does the breed like to swim? We live in NJ so we have pretty hot summers and cold winters. My dad is at work from my brothers are at school from 8 to 2 during the school year. They are an active family very involved in sports and they will bring the dog to outdoor games like baseball. What kind of bad things about the breed are there? What good things? Also they want a medium small dog .. no toy or large breeds.
oh well forget about a shiba inu as i just read almost EVERYWHERE that they are impossible to train. What other kinds of dogs are good?
My father has a brittnay spaniel, and all I can say, is they need EXERCISE, this means real exercise, not just playing around. They are pretty energetic (hyper) and needs lots of attention, tend to be jumpy (like to jump on people), and are not the easiest to train.
If they want a medium sized dog that generally likes to swim, I’d suggest maybe a poodle (and no, they don’t have to get them trimmed into a show trim)… Your dad and brother also need to be aware that chlorinated water is not good for a dog’s coat/hair.
You mention the temps there, does that mean the dog will be living outside? Most dogs do better inside, but require lots of exercise to keep them stimulated (not bored- that usually leads to destructive behavior).
I don’t know if your family considers a greyhound to be a large breed, but they do pretty well with families with older children (ones that won’t pull ears/tails, etc.) and they like to exercise, but don’t need it in large amounts. They are also said to be good for those with apartments because they like to be couch potatoes when inside.
Shiba Inu’s can be difficult to train, and they also tend to have problems with socialization if not socialized at an early age.
If your family doesn’t mind doing the grooming, then I’d suggest a collie. There are short haired collies (which still shed quite a bit, but not like the long haired), they are called smooth collies. Collies are good family dogs, do well when socialized, and tend to be energetic enough to exercise with boys.
Belgian Shepherds are also good dogs, two of which have long hair and require grooming (brushing daily), but they are also easily trained. I recommend these dogs to families that want a good dog to stay with them indoors. Shepherds need pack and don’t like being kept away from their families. Definitely need to stay inside with their family. They are very smart, like to exercise (need it, in fact.), like to run (after they are old enough to do it), are usually really good around people, if socialized from an early age, and from a good breeder (or known to be very social from a rescue).
Personally, I’d recommend getting a dog that is already an adult (2 yrs. or older), then the temperment is known. The dog is usually already house/potty trained, and is already fully grown.
http://www.malinoisrescue.org
http://www.bsdrescue.com/
http://www.abtc.org/rescue.htm
Don’t know where you are, but here is a rescue which has some of the smooth collies (so you can see what they look like…)
http://www.dfwcollierescue.com/
Good luck.
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