Dog aggression can be one of the most difficult issues for owners to deal with. It is necessary to understand the root cause of any aggressive behavior to effectively address the problem. Aggressive behavior is usually caused by fear and stress.
Dog aggression is defined as unwanted, harmful, or marked aggression towards other dogs and people. Various forms of aggression are affected by a dog’s social environment. Dogs often display possessive aggression, when defending themselves or resources.
Shiba Inu Aggression
Shiba Inus are not as aggressive as other dog breeds. However, what they do have is energy, independence, and stubbornness fitted into every cell of their body. And without proper puppy training and socialization, these could lead to aggressive behavior.
The good news about all behavioral problems including dog aggression is that they can be corrected.
The Shiba Inu Temperament
Shiba Inu are great dogs, but one thing people should know about dog breed is that it has a particular disposition that potential owners should be made aware of.
Shiba Inus are from Japan and were originally bred to hunt small birds. As hunters, they were trained to independently operate from their owners. This is where their independence and stubbornness come from.
Therefore, approaching them with assertive training techniques might only increase or trigger their aggressive behavior.
When handling Shiba Inus, owners should be calm. Usually, positive reinforcement works best for them. Giving them treats and rewards for good behavior motives them instead of giving out rigid punishments.
Even if your Shiba hasn’t done any hunting activities, the natural instinct and drives to hunt are still in their genetics. So it is expected that this particular dog breed is most likely to show aggressiveness towards small animals, such as a cat or a bird.
Planning to train and socialize them, it is recommended to take these characteristics into account.
When dealing with Shiba Inus, remember these three things:
- They are independent, proud, and stubborn dogs.
- Do not use harsh punishments like choke chains, shock collars, and tough leash corrections. These methods are not effective for Shiba Inus.
- Shiba Inus have a strong prey drive, especially for smaller animals like birds, hamsters, and rabbits.
Why your Shiba Inu is aggressive?
Dog aggression is often associated with dogs biting, attacking, growling, and snarling at other dogs and animals, and even humans.
To correct this behavioral problem, the first step should be to determine why your Shiba Inu is acting in such a way. Certain factors could trigger aggression in Shiba Inus.
Resource Guarding
Shiba Inus, just like all the other dogs, can get quite protective and obsessive of things or places they consider high of value. This is could include them defending their territories, such as your home or your yard, or favorite things like bone, chew toys, and food.
Aside from these, they could also exhibit protection aggression, where they want to protect the family and any other being they consider a part of its pack. This can be seen in a mother dog with its pups.
Fear Aggression
Fear aggression is displayed when Shiba Inu feels scared and anxious. This is a natural dog reaction when they are cornered and they feel like they have no other way to defend themselves but attack. One of the most, if not the most, dangerous type of dog behavioral problem.
Prey Drive
Shiba Inus are originally hunting dogs, so by nature, they will show signs of classic predatory behaviors. Since they were bred to hunt birds, smaller beings like children or a rabbit around the house can be a victim of its aggressiveness.
How to Calm an Aggressive Shiba Inu
If your Shiba Inu is showing signs of aggressiveness, here are some basic but helpful tips that can help you calm them down.
- Be Calm
Your Shiba Inu will pick up your mood. When you are countering its aggressive energy with equally aggressive behavior, you are making the situation worse. When your Shiba Inu gets nervous, anxious, or aggressive, make sure you stay calm as possible.
Hopefully, this will lull the situation.
- Neuter or Spay your Shiba Inu
Dogs that haven’t been spayed or neutered are more aggressive and often display their dominance to others. If you don’t have any plans of breeding your Shiba, it is highly recommended that you spay or neuter them to calm them down and put a stop to any aggressive behavior.
- Give them lots of exercises
Shiba Inus are high-energy dogs and sometimes, when they don’t burn or use this energy, they would redirect it to aggressiveness. So it is a must to have an outlet to let all this energy out.
Take them out for a walk, let them run around an open field, socialize with other dogs, and play exciting games with them, like fetch or chase.
- Bring them to the vet
There are cases where aggressiveness stems not from anxiety, fear, or possessiveness. Certain cases will show this behavior coming from an underlying medical condition or when your dog is in pain. So if your usually calm Shiba Inu is suddenly aggressiveness, with no clear reason, take them to the vet and have them checked. There might be discomfort or a hidden injury you aren’t aware of.
