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Soo I'm convinced my 5 month old shiba Named Toby is a weird little fellow. Prior to getting him I would read about how shibas are clean like cats... They destroy their toys...they have weird eating habits...rarely like to cuddle. I'm not complaining but my dog is just the opposite ! Lol even though I give him showers he smells right after! And he's an inside dog..I have 3 other dogs and none of them smell doggy like Toby does. Toby also eats like a monster!! He's hungry all the time and will eat just about anything he can find ( he's eaten a live lizard once). Toby is also a big mommas boy he always wants to be on your lap. oh and he doesn't have any interest in birds or any urge to chase animals and he loves getting dirty. He's just not what i was expecting but I love him to death! Is anyones shiba non-shiba-like like mine? Lol
There are always individual traits that override generalized breed traits. My Shiba for example, is not a door bolter. There are other Shibas who do like to cuddle -- not mine! I would say though, that at 5 months, a large appetite is not that abnormal -- he still has quite a bit of growing to do, and I'll bet grew quite a bit in the last month. Also, the prey instinct becomes stronger when they get older. I recall that when I walked Koji at that age, he barely paid attention to birds and small animals. It definitely got stronger as he matured, but don't remember at what age that began to happen.
In short, yes. He is. Hahahaha. Kidding. Every pup is different. My guy, Mylo, eats twice a day like he hasn't seen food in a week lol. On the other hand, Mylo constantly cleans himself and rarely cuddles. We're working on the cuddling though =0)Cheers, Kyla and Mylo (shiba)
Ki (at 6 years old) is very clean (not to say he avoids getting dirty...at all...but he does clean himself), eats like he's starving at meal-time (although a lot of rescues never really shake that), and is a cuddle machine. He does have a strong prey-drive but isn't interested in most toys. He is also very protective of the house and his people (but not aggressive...only very alert). He's not a full shiba though. :) It's fun to see how each dog (even within a breed) is very different and how they fit or rebel against their expected traits. heheMy friend and e-friends call me Rainy and my dog is Kitsune the ginormous shibamutt. Typing with Paws
Lol haha I suppose so.. It's funny reading the different personalities our shiba have. This is my first time owning one and I adore my dog . Just this weekend I took him to a doggy festival in the Florida keys and everyone was going wild over him. Almost everyone down here in south Florida has never even seen the shiba breed. They sure are characters!
I had a dog that smelt bad, and it turned out he had allergies. I could wash him, and the next day he smelled. It was terrible. What are you feeding him?Tara surviving in the burbs with Koda & Maymay (Kai Ken)
Where is South Florida are you Brownie? I am in Ft lauderdale. Was asking if there was anyone else here for close by. My Shiba is typical so I am not able help you in that regard. Mine seems to do all the "normal" Shiba antics.
Haha....Mojo is like I read a shiba would be, but at the same time isn't. When he was a baby he wasn't into cuddling and laying by me. Now he is. His prey drive is strong and his desire to eat is equally strong (but he's finicky about what he eats). He is very cat-like...clean and aloof at times. Very independent..but then he becomes a mush, lays across my feet and loves to be massaged. This is also the first shiba inu I've owned as well, and I'm always surprised at something new with them. So entertaining, funny, smart and intriguing. I love the breed!!!!!!
Personality-wise Shiba's will be different. About the smell, like TJbart17, I'm wondering what Toby's diet is? My first thought was an illness or allergies. Can you describe his smell? How often do you bathe him?
Were feeding him the puppy BLUE brand.. The smell Is very doggy. It's hard to describe lol he smells like i would imagine a wild coyote would smell. I just gave him a bath 2 weeks ago and he already smells doggy again. I'm 21 so I still live with my parents and my mother is a major clean freak...we just don't understand why he's smelling like that . We have 2 other chihuahuas and a mutt and we rarely bathe them and they smell great.
Someone asked what part of s.Florida I'm from... I'm from miami fl
I would switch food personally. A bad doggy smell on a Shiba is quite odd. I am thinking that you can find a cause and a way to clear that upTara surviving in the burbs with Koda & Maymay (Kai Ken)
I know what you mean about a doggy smell. I find MoJo has that smell if he is outside running around alot and playing. I think it's a smell they give off like a perspiration. Some people are very sensitive to smells and to those people the smell is pronounced it seems. I spray MoJo with a doggy cologne and ruffle it into his fur and he's good again, lol. He's the first dog I've ever owned that doesn't have bad breath (unless he eats the cat's poop...ewwww)