Shiba Inus: Everything about Purchase, Care, Feeding, Behavior, and Housing (Barron's Complete Pet Owner's Manuals) [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

This book is a ton of value for your money. A book like this was needed because of the growing popularity of this breed. It gives a good description of the breed as a pet, what to expect and what would be expected of you - the prospective owner. I've read through other Shiba books and most of them are geared more for those who are interested in competition/dog-show/breed history. This book will save you 'surfing' on the net. I'm sure all those Shiba puppies will be grateful to this author for prepping their new owners!

My family and I researched dogs through a breed book for almost a year before we settled on the Shiba. We went to Northern CA Shiba Club picnics and dog shows to get a look at these dogs. After meeting with several reputable breeders, we decided, these dogs were a great fit for our family of 4 (husband, wife, 2 girls that were 5 & 6 at the time of getting our Shiba.) The sire came from another state 3x to get mom pregnant. Finally, she did. We got our black/tan Shiba, Yoshimatsu, when he was approx. 10 weeks old. Everything I was able to learn at that point about Shiba's was through owners, breeders, and online websites. I couldn't find a book on these little guys. Well, what do you know, this book could've prepared me or at least explained a lot about why a Shiba is the way it is. This dog was my first dog, but the 3rd for my husband who had an Akita in his younger years. Since the Shiba is bred down from the Akita, my husband noticed many similarities and explained certain attitudes or actions were normal for the breed (cat pounce stance, cat pouncing, inquisitive, playful, fast learning, and defiant). But, Laura Payton's book was the best source of information all in one place, shy of having a breeder come stay with me for a week to tell me everything. The glossy pages with color photos is nice. This book is written so that anyone can understand it. I already knew a lot about the Shiba, but, I learned more from Laura. She writes with a good sense of the reader, it's not written like statistics.
Of course you hear that Shiba's are like no other breed and may scoff at that. But, it DOES take a special owner to handle this breed. The Shiba is NOT FOR EVERYONE. This book can make or break the decision for you. If digging bothers you or the thought of your dog jumping 6 ft. in the air from a sitting position, or if you don't want to take the time to train/keep the dog trained or spend time with this pack oriented breed, don't get this dog. You'd be doing yourself and the dog a disservice. If you love a playful, inquisitive, fast learning, macho, catlike, stubborn, smart, coatblowing, protective, fun dog, then read this book to decide if the Shiba is right for you and your family. This book goes in depth, no nonsense, goes straight to the point for information about this dog...easy read, beautiful pictures, just a great book all around!

Helpful Shiba information....
I've had my Shiba for about 2 years now. I trained him the best I could and recently got him a personal trainer for $500. For an $800 pet quality dog, that I want to be the best little guy, the price was fine. Because Shiba's are still a bit rare, we get stopped and questioned A LOT! This dog can easily appear to be aggressive like a rot. We always get comments like: He's so cute, look at that tail, what a beautiful coat, look at those teeth! So, train your dog. They shouldn't jump or nip at people! This scares others and having a dog is a liability. Having a well behaved dog makes us feel good and we've never had someone say bad things of Yoshi. Finding a dogsitter, groomer or trainer may be difficult. Shiba's are considered a semi-primitive breed. In my town, we have about a dozen Vet's, but only 3 have or have had a Shiba as a client. Try to get one with experience.

Update: Nov. 13, 2006
Yoshi has done wonders with a personal trainer (training us, the family) on how to train our dog to obey commands. Shibas are VERY smart. I was dismayed to read that someone was not satisfied with this book for training purposes. This is an owners manual, not a training manual. I believe in the world of dog books, there are manuals for the breed/s and there are manuals for training, at least in the bookstores I frequent like Borders, Walden Books, etc. This book seems to be more geared towards those who own a Shiba or those thinking about owning a Shiba. If you want to train a Shiba, look elsewhere or get a personal trainer familiar with this breed.

Since we've moved to the mountains, we are surrounded by what we call "moon dust" dirt. We have this moon dust directly around our house where it's "defensible" (fire safe) space. When Yoshi's time is up outside, we've taught him to "shake" to get the powder off. We say "shake" and/or take a relaxed hand and fingers pointed in his direction and "shake it all about" (as in the Hokey Pokey dance/song.) We've also taught him to use his nose (not a paw as this would scratch surfaces) to hit a bell on a string tied to the sliding glass door handle whenever he wants to go out. Later, we tied one in the Class A RV on the stair handle just inside the door step area...he saw it and used it right away! These "tricks" took about a month to teach him. If you are consistant, your dog will learn many commands/tricks. Of course, Yoshi looks away, giving you the "I no see you, you not there" or "I'm not looking at you, you're not talking to me" looks/attitude. Deal with it. It's how these dogs can be. Work with it. They learn! They know what you want. (Of course anytime I have a treat in hand, he miraculously understands ALL commands the first time they are given.) Yoshi also understands multiple commands for the same thing. For instance, Sit is also cop a squat. He also understands the difference between bone, toy and ball when we tell him to get one. I got a few training books. I pick and chose what I wanted to teach my dog. I did not do the "click" method in fear that should another owner use this, he'd look to them for commands. K.I.S.S. Guide to Living with a Dog was fun to read. What is my dog thinking? by Gwen Bailey was helpful. Communicating with your dog by Ted Baer was very helpful. Our personal trainer was the best!

The Complete Pet Owner's Manual series, published by Barron, is a nice general reference for dog owners of any breed, and this book is no exception. It couples readable text with bright and attractive photographs, and it would make a good place to start researching if you are interested in owning a Shiba Inu of your own.

That said, though, do not expect this book to become your bible of Shiba Inu information. Like many books of this sort, this 'complete' manual focuses on the positives of Shiba Inus, without giving proper attention to the challenges inherent with the breed. For example, no mention is made anywhere of the breed's tendency to nip when excited even well past the puppy ages, or to do anything and everything (door-dashing, fence climbing, etc.) to escape and seek adventures beyond their yard. The book describes Shibas as a breed requiring 'moderate energy' and claims that a Shiba generally gets enough exercise playing in the house. Anyone who has owned a Shiba knows that this is not true; Shibas are easily bored when they are not exercised well, and when bored they will dig, chew, and otherwise destroy their environment.

All told, it's an okay book. It offers practical (if basic) advice on choosing a puppy, housetraining, introducing a Shiba to other pets and children. An overview of the breed history and standard is included, but most of what is found here could also be found in any book about any dog breed. The only leg up it has on other breed-specific books is that the pictures are very attractive and plentiful.