I was reminded of this after reading the kids and dog parks thread. I have been lucky not to have any bad experiences with kids/dog and fortunately my dog loves kids despite not being around them often. A little neighborhood kid asked to pet him and I said ok, so he stood there awhile petting and uncurling my dog's tail - trying to get it to stay down. He looked at me all matter of factly and said, all serious, "Your dog has a hole in his butt." My husband just about laughed himself breathless. Yep. Shibas have a hole in their butt.
I can maybe (not really) understand people asking if Sagan's a husky, but the most retarded I have heard of people asking, is if he's a German Shepherd or a Rottweiler. I seriously facepalm whenever I hear this, and it's been on multiple occasions.
Lauren, living with a 4 y/o Shiba named after a scientist. ☆
Someone I know calls dogs like Shibas and Basenjis "butthole dogs" because of the way their tails curl and keep their ... anatomy... constantly exposed.
After dog-sitting a Hungarian Puli, let me tell you HOW BENEFICIAL those unobstructed buttholes really are! You have't dealt with a dangler until you've pulled it out of dreadlocks.
My wife, a petit Japanese woman, always says that Ponta's best point is his asshole, and yes, she uses that exact term. "His asshole is so small and neat," she will often brag. "It's really cute."
Friend of mine: I think your dog has a bad case of EBS Me: WHAT?! WHAT IS THAT?! WHY DO YOU THINK HE HAS IT? Friend of mine: Exposed Butthole Syndrome. Me: *faceplant*
I had a pet store employee ask me if Zach was mixed with a Pomeranian? Seriously...he looks nothing like a pom. Oh well...she then asked me to write down his breed so she could do some research! LOL
@esiepiela He's right. If someone says my shiba looks like a husky I point out that they are both spitz types. I met someone at the dog park the other day with a Finnish spitz and it was remarakable how close in size and shape the two breeds are. It's almost like a red shiba without the urajiro.
@mandu...LMAO... I usually get " Is it one of those bigger ones or those smaller ones?" (Uh blank stare....) Translation...Are they akitas or shibas?? Most recently one lady talked to Sox in Japanese and expected a response!! Ummm....
Many people asked me the typical questions: is that a husky? is that a fox? But the most original: is that a coyote?. Once I had a discussion with a men that told me that Suki was a Chihuahua. When I tried to explain him that was not the case he told me that I did not know what I was talking about. lol
@umi-san Geez what nerve! As if you don't know your own dog!
I usually get asked "OMG what kind of a dog is that? How old is he? How big will he get? OMMGG SO CUTE!" It was nice at first, but answering the same questions three times per walk, when I walk him three times a day, just gets really really tiresome. And I've only had my pup for 4 days =/
You know what's funny? Having a Shiba and a friend who's got an average looking dog. Watch your friend start hating your dog because random kooks jump out of the woodwork OHMYGOD WHAT A CUTE DOG IS HE A FOX IS HE A WOLF HE LOOKS JAPANESE WITH THOSE SQUINTY EYES HE IS ADOOOORABLE while totally ignoring your friend's pooch.
Yes, the dog with the conspicuous asshole. Umi is quite protective about her well-advertised o-ring. Sometimes she meets other dogs and even they seem somewhat startled by this little black hole in a fluffy bed of white fur. You can see them thinking "Holy cr*p! Check THIS thing out!". But she whips around quick smart when they start to examine it out too closely and gives them a faceful of attitude, which dampens their curiosity somewhat.
@tatonka yeah that is one of the best feelings ever (kinda makes me a jerk but whatever I'm proud of my dog). My roommates 7 month old lab used to get a decent amount of attention everywhere we went, but now people don't even know he is there when we go walking and every single person asks to pet onyx and asks questions about him saying he is the cutest thing ever. It has caused a bit of jealousy and I'm starting to think his lab (Midas) is catching on too, because he has started acting differently!
During at least 1 walk a day someone calls her a little fox or tells me she is so foxy looking and has been called a Pomeranian a few times.
@tatonka My Mother-in-Law has a Catahoula mix named Gambit and calls Kyoko his wingman because everyone avoids him because apparently he looks like a 75lb pitbull (even though he really doesn't) from a distance but when we walk together everyone wants to stop and say hi because he can't be mean if he's hanging out with this little fox dog.
@Bootz Wow that is just sad, lol. Kids these days. I'm loving reading all of these, I wish I had something funny to add, but not really. Most of the kids in my neighborhood, have played Nintendogs, and knew what a shiba was so we don't really get many questions just, "Awe! Look at the cute Shiba!"
I get the husky puppy question all the time. Also no one in central IL seems to know what a Shiba Inu is. I just tell them Akita minus 100 lbs and they go "Oh ok". Lol
My favorite comment was overheard on campus when I was walking my Shiba. I heard someone say "Is that a fox? That must be a fox!" and then third person walking by said "no, Shiba Inu, Japanese hunting dog."
lol often get-hmm what kind of dog is that? It looks like as Shiba Inu but the color is all wrong!
But I think the comment that annoyed me the most was from someone who had a shiba mix at the dog park. He was sitting with his girlfriend they were talking about Yuki and he was telling her that Yuki obviously was the runt of the litter. Now, Yuki is 23 pounds and has out grown the standard size requirements and I think she still has a little more growing left (just a little though...). I'm not quite sure why this annoys me so much but I think it has a lot to do with it annoys me when people talk out their butts...
My puppies, especially Xavier, always get the "Omg he looks like a lil fox" comment... always... lol occassionally the mini akita comment and once a lady came up to.me with her Pomeranian wanting to breed to what she though was "a female Pomeranian " but was actually Xavier.. Grrrr. Haha
Shiba Mom of Two (Xavier 1 1/2 red male) & Argo ( 6 month red male)
@shibamistress I had an identical situation the other day, and I was the student that clarified it was the shiba. I heard a couple girls staring at a shiba someone was walking and calling it a fox. I went to them and told them the breed, and started going on about the traits. (And they stood there listening to me intently the whole time! hah!)
This morning, walking with my friend who has a Standard Poodle and knows Bear is a Shiba, says to me is a Shiba a type of Akita, like a toy poodle. I love her, but it got in my skin. I found myself quickly reminding her the AKC recognizes a Shiba as a unique breed, not a variety of a breed like her poodle.
This thread is amazing! I just so happen to come across it. I always get the 'he looks like a fox.' When kaito was very young his hair was so short I had like 2 people call him a chihuahua. That was so insulting. I get basenji a lot also. One time a mother didn't allow her child to pet kaito because she was convinced he wasn't a dog. People are so funny. And I agree with u guys when people guess right they really do deserve a high five ;)
A baby called ken a cat the other day, but his mum pointed out what made him a dog, it was cute. However I once had guys ask me, at a whisper, where did I get such a big cat, and how did I get him to walk on a lead.
Then there was the dingo incident, and some people are convinced he is part wolf/fox no matter what I say. It doesn't surprise me though. If I walk my ferret outside on a leash, they ask me what breed of dog he is. Seriously, the ferret they consider a dog, and the dog they consider to be anything but that x.x