It’s Nihon Ken, Not Nihon Can’t – The Versatile Shiba Inu

It’s Nihon Ken, Not Nihon Can’t – The Versatile Shiba Inu

The Shiba Inu, the smallest of Japan’s native breed dogs (or Nihon Ken), has a long history in its country of origin as a skilled and athletic hunter of small game. Nimble movement, well-muscled bodies, and intelligence bordering on cunning all combine to make these incredible little dogs extremely good at what they do.

In the United States, there is often a pervasive culture around the breed that they’re “stubborn,” or “difficult to train.” A popular piece of breed merchandise is a shirt featuring an outline of a Shiba not complying with a list of various cues (sit, come, shake, rollover). The last image on the shirt shows the cue “stay,” and in this case, the dog is conspicuously absent.

This reputation flies in the face of one of the tenets of the breed’s personality: “Ryousei,” which is loosely defined as a good nature and open disposition. Essentially, a dog that has mutual respect for their human partner. It is the mirror image of another necessary characteristic: “Kan-I,” which is spirited boldness. In a correct Shiba, one cannot exist without the other, and the keen dog sport competitor and breeder sees that these traits form the baseline for an excellent canine athlete.

I’ve taken the opportunity to speak with several successful Shiba exhibitors in a variety of sports, in hopes of inspiring current and future owners of this whip-smart athlete. The independent nature, intelligence, and self-confidence inherent in this breed are features rather than bugs, and the limits to what can be achieved with one are more often than not self-imposed by the handler.

Lindsay Tompkins: Flyball

Lindsay tried Flyball with her first Shiba Inu “Beebe” in 2009. Beebe was her first pet dog as an adult, and together they took the opportunity to try multiple sports: from Obedience to Agility to truffle hunting! In those early days, Lindsay was still learning about the breed, and the concept of her dog being “too stubborn” to try was foreign. She went into it with the expectation that she and her dog would have a good time.

When she had a chance encounter with the sport of Flyball at her local training center, she was struck by how much fun the dogs appeared to be having. This started the beginning of a love affair with the sport, and 16-plus seasons of competition with multiple generations of Masakado Shibas. She finds that consistency in classes is necessary, but so is a trainer’s ability to tap into what a very self-motivated dog will find reinforcing, especially when learning a repetitive sport (the answer is often cheese, hot dogs, or furry squeaky toys that can stimulate prey drive)!

Lindsay’s most visible star in the sport, “Farrah” (CH San Jo Lilith Fair FM MBX Iron Dog TF CA NF RN OA OAJ RATS CGC), completed her Flyball Master title as a member of the Seattle Flydogs, at 13.5 years of age. Farrah’s grandson “Polo” is currently in training.

Barb Berry: Barn Hunt

Barb Berry got started in Barn Hunt with her two Shibas, “Hudson” (CH Tobishi’s Hotroddin’ Hornet CD BN RM CAA FCAT RATCHX2 RATSX5 CZ8P3B CGCA TKN) and “Ember” (CH Tobishi’s Careful! I’m Sizzlin’ Hot! CD BN RA FCAT RATCHX20 CZ8PS CGC TKN), when the sport was in its infancy. She had noticed how often Hudson loved to hunt rodents on their walks, and assumed he would take to the sport naturally. She was right! He excelled in it. Ember followed, and was exposed to the basics of the game at eight weeks of age. She quickly surpassed her housemate, becoming the top Barn Hunt Shiba in the country with a qualifying run rate of 84%.

Barb notes that, by and large, Shibas as a breed are excellent at the sport, which requires good, independent hunting skills. Their human partner must have patience while the Shiba figures it out, and praising those efforts goes a long way. Taking a class is helpful for the human side of the team to learn the rules.

Jane Chapin: Rally Obedience

Jane started showing dogs as a child in 4-H. She’s competed in multiple sports with her Shibas, from Obedience to Agility to Rally, but considers Rally her favorite and encourages newbies to companion events to give it a shot.

One of Jane’s proudest accomplishments was having “Tux” (CH Hi-Jinx Black Tie Affair BN RA DCAT CGC TKN) invited to the National Rally Trials. He was one of three Shibas invited at the time!

Every dog she works with she views as an individual, carefully figuring out what motivates them. If she finds a dog truly isn’t understanding what she’s asking for, she takes a step back and breaks down the behavior in question into smaller pieces, or tries training the exercise in a different way. It doesn’t occur to her to blame the breed! Importantly, she also advises future Shiba trainers to have a good sense of humor.

Sandra Tung: Agility, Nose Work, Barn Hunt & More

Sandra Tung has been successfully competing in a variety of sports (including Agility, Nose Work, Rally, and Barn Hunt) with her Shiba crew. When purchasing a five-year-old Shiba from longtime breeder Leslie Engen, her contract stipulated taking an eight-week Obedience class. Like so many others, this was the hook. Sandra became fascinated with understanding dog behavior and how dogs learn.

While her dogs, “Maluko” (San Jo Chaka Khan BN RAE MX MXB MXJ NF THD), “Koji”(MACH5 San Jo Kumi Rock N Roll Banjo Boy CD BN RAE MXG2 MJS2 MFB TQX T2B3 CAA SWA SCE THD RATCHX CGC TKA), and “Taiyo” (Masakado Rising Sun CA ACT1 SWN SCA SEA RATCHX3), have titled in multiple disciplines, Sandra’s proudest accomplishment is the willingness her dogs have to compete with her. Sandra experienced being written off as a serious competitor due to the breed of her dogs, but as is evidenced by all of their exceptionally long names, those judgments were unfounded.

Sandra notes that while mechanical skills are an important factor in any competition, building a good relationship with your dog, and figuring out what motivates each individual, is the absolute key. She advises competitors interested in having dogs as versatile as hers to “look for positive people in your circle to guide you through
the jurney.”