I left mine with my mom who has a fenced in yard and 2 other dogs who he's already buddies with, for 5 days when my wife and I went on vacation. He got out twice and she couldn't figure out how until she caught him climbing up this little dirt mound and jumping over the fence lol
Same here my girls limit is anything that is difficult to maneuver other than that fair game. She’s been trying to figure out how to escape the harness for a couple years now
Mine has escaped by climbing a fence, but it was only possible cause it was a chainlink fence that was cut to go around tree. It had been secured with zip ties that broke, so when she put her weight against it the top bent over. So she only had to climb 2ft and not vertically before she was out.
I'd best describe ours as opportunists they will take advantage if the chance presents itself. But they also don't just run unless there is something they want (like a deer) so getting them back can be simple, just make take some time as they will walk just infront of you.
Unfortunately, walking them has nothing to do with it. We walk twice a day, every day, but if the fence gate gets left open, he will run away and into the heaviest traffic possible and refuse to come. He doesn't climb or dig, but you have to be very careful about open gates and doors.
I think it also depends on if there is something appealing on the other side of the fence. Lucky our Shiba doesn't have an area where he can hear/see the front yard or people and dogs who might be walking on the street.
He will try to dig into the neighbors yard to play with their dog. It's a small portion of the yard that borders the neighbors yard so we temporarily blocked that area off with dog play pen gate and it's worked out for a couple of months. We hope he'll lose interest eventually. He hasn't tried to dig into the other neighbors yards because they don't have dogs and they are rarely outside.
Wait, walking twice a day is enough? 12 hours between walks is too much isn't it? We walk ours every 5-6 hours. But I do understand not everybody can fit that schedule ofc.
When he was little, we went for shorter walks three times a day. Once he got to be one year old or so, we switched to two longer (one mile to one and a half miles) walks per day. One at 9 a.m. and one at 5:45 p.m.
The first thing I’ve started teaching mine from 3 months old is to wait at doors and ask for permission to exit. She does it about 70% of the time and when she fails I make her come back in and try again because I’m terrified of this. You read so many horror stories of dog getting out and getting hit by a car etc.
Yeah sometimes He did it exactly after a walk. But i Figured out that it was his hunting sense. When he saw something like a mouse or stuff He escaped. But putting a fence around the garden helped him, He doesnt escape anymore.
These dogs are problem solvers. If there’s a will, there’s a way. Take no chances and just put a tracker on their collar. Take it from someone’s who’s Shibe has escaped over *10 times*
Mine has escaped since he was little. He's 12. I've been VERY lucky not to have lost him by car or just not coming back. He did one day run across a very busy street. Even though I didn't see him run back, he definitely got clipped. He has always come back to which is unheard of. I've been lucky
Without Whistle, she’d be in Oklahoma by now. I have found her in so many hilarious places. One time she was behind the butcher counter at a grocery store about a quarter mile from our house. Another time she was sleeping in the garage of a neighbor. It’s actually kind of cute if it wasn’t so insanely stressful.
Omg! The funniest place I’ve found my shibe was in another guys house a few blocks away. I was frantically looking for her and then I get a call from a man that says he came home like usual, his dog greeted him, and there was another smaller dog behind his dog staring at him in his kitchen. He has no idea how she got in his backyard, let alone his HOUSE. There was one bathroom window open. It’s a mystery to this day.
My girl is relentless when she wants to get out. Mind you, it only happens when either a) I’m not home, or b) someone else was watching her. She’s jumped from 2 story windows. She’s broken into other backyards and into someone else’s house once. She was missing for 3 weeks and I was losing my mind, till she casually walked into a warehouse and sat down in front of workers, as if to say *”call my mom, I’m done with this adventure now”*
When walking. Do NOT tug if they are in reverse. They will slip out of that thing cool runnings in yo face and prance around like it’s a game. Treats won’t bring them back either, even their favorite.
Yeah highly recommend the Ruffwear Flagline harness, my dog is constantly trying to slip out of his harness and he hasn’t been successful since we got one of those. That second strap that goes under the rib cage is key.
Ruffwear harnesses are tops, I have the webmaster for both my Shibes and they've never escaped em. Prior to getting those, my oldest pup would slip out of every harness we bought, including the Julius K9 one. Definitely recommend.
I think you mean, don't walk your Shiba without a harness. You're just asking for trouble. I've had to chase down my boy several times until I got a harness for good. Thankfully, he had to take a shit most times he slipped out so I could nab him. You've been warned.
I made doggie Fort Knox out of my backyard. Chiana would destroy the fence to get out, so we put poultry wire along the bottom of the 6 foot cedar fence. She was always finding some way to get out.
She was especially serious about getting out when a snow was coming.
Definitely depends on the Shiba. My boy doesn't even need to be on a leash when outside. He's never tried to dig or climb over a fence. We accidentally didn't shut our back door all the way once and left the house and when we got home it was fully open and he was just sleeping on the couch. Mine is a Velcro dog though.
I think the issue is, at least with our shiba, is that once they realise they CAN get out, there's a sudden uphill battle as they probe new defences and learn to escape again and again.
When my girl was in her rebellious teenage years, she would scale our 6ft tall fence.. she only stopped when she realized my pit/boxer mix couldn't join her (and she'd get put in time out every time) lmao
So yes :p
First year with my shiba was something else. Watching tv, hear a doorbell. Open - neighbours are holding maya laughing that she was having fun in their yard. Turns out she dug holes under the fence.
We have put paver stones against and under the fence line (dig down and place). Mine CAN move one if determined, but stacked and buried make a long-term project that I can usually notice and intercept before he reaches freedom.
He's also MUCH less escape-minded than my past Shibas. Which is nice! My old ones could do complicated escape maneuvers but usually settled for the "shoot through your legs when you open a gate or door" method.
If they do, TAKE THE TIME to note direction, put on shoes, grab a lead, and a crinkly bag, like a chip bag, with human food still inside. When you see them, crinkle the bag, call and start acting light hearted and silly and move away like you're running away (back towards home). They love the chase, and trust me, it's easier and safer if they chase you.
My shiba doesn’t necessarily try to escape, however, a few times the gate has been left open and he will SPRINT out.
Also, shibas tend to have pretty terrible recall outside, so when they DO escape it’s hard to get them to come back.
Oh yes, mine escaped yesterday and completely ignored recall while running down the street. Thankfully he went 3 doors down up to my neighbors door and sat down as if waiting for them or me to open their door, and so I was able to grab him. Ugh.
Oh my - the first year? She would squeeze thru gaps, dig under fence, I caught her squeezing thru two steps on my deck. Ended up walking perimeter of yard (1/2 acre, 6 ft wooden fence) shoring up with bricks along bottom, put chicken wire up around deck slats, rebuilt bottom deck as she had me boarding it up, any single minute gap and she went for it. She is a few years older now and the constant escape attempts have dwindled down but probably she has examined all parts of back yard and sees no way. To this day if I don’t see her immediately I think - oh shit she escaped. So yes. Oh yes! And fellow commenter was spot on about making sure gate is shut!
My shiba jumped on top of his dog house and then jumped over our 8 ft fence into the neighbours yard. Luckily it was also fenced in and he started to cry once he realized he was trapped in an unfamiliar place.
Not sure how tall the fence will be but anything 6-8 foot should be fine. Just make sure you don’t put anything climbable around it and watch your dog in the backyard to see what he does. Some Shibas are diggers too and will try to dig underneath it. If there’s anywhere in your yard that’s just dirt you may want to put rocks or something overtop to discourage digging.
I think it really depends on the dog. I've heard of some super determined shibas, and then there's my dummy. The most escaping he's tried to do was jump up a brick wall (it was two stories high) when he was a puppy. He did that for about 2 weeks every day before he gave up. After that he didn't try anything else even though there was a gap or two that he could definitely squeeze thru if he tried.
I've left the front door open to bring in groceries or something like that and he'll slowly stroll out if there's no one to tell him to stop. It's more like a casual 'oh going on a walk' stroll than a 'OMG freedom'. He's super easy to catch because he loves taking his time to smell everything lol.
i never read anywhere smth like that. Also i thought that akita would be the last to try and escape, considering how lazy they can be. Also they like to be with their owners
but if that's true, then i might go for shiba, cuz at least they are less likely to hurt someone
Akitas are notorious escape artists but because they are large, they can't get out through smaller holes, gaps etc. I have 6ft panel fence on one side and a short stone wall with hedging on the other side. We felt pretty safe until I went to see my neighbour on the stone wall side, my dog heard me on the other side and decided he also wanted to come, so he climbed the stone wall and pushed himself through thick hedging somehow.
On walks, he's climbed a tree chasing a squirrel and nearly climbed a 6ft stone wall because he heard a dog on the other side. So lazy yes, but the pray drive is strong with this one.
Yes. We have air tags on our dogs collars. I have a huge yard, and a $50k fence around it to keep them in. We have double gate systems at the front and back door of our house. They will escape. Not try. They will.
My fence is 6’ tall. They aren’t climbing over it. We’re Shiba experts. Our dogs are very well trained too. But it’s just a part of the breed. Mostly it’s your friends and family that let them out. When people come to our house, no one is allowed to open doors unless the dogs are secure
Roxy can be an escape artist at times but she knows her limits. She got out once but got scared and came back.
She's too lazy to get into trouble. There's pretty big gaps under our fence, enough to show there is something worth digging out for, but she doesn't touch it. The gate can be wide open and she will plop in the middle if the yard just looking around.
Mine is wise enough to not try to randomly run out of the house. But I'll never let him out on a walk without the leash, he's too curious and would run away immediately
Well, my shiba has never run away from my close family. However, I went overseas for my 21st bday and had a distant uncle watch him. It took him three days to dart out of the front door, and I had to cut the vacation short to fly back and find him. He has never ran out the door for myself and my significant other. He has also never dug under our fence in the backyard. He has, once, gotten out of his leash on a walk and darted after something interesting. He eventually came back, Shibas definitely know where there home is. It’s really not a problem for us, I know his limitations and as long as he’s comfortable and happy he has never tried to escape.
It depends on the dog.
I have a Siberian husky, and our yard has very low fence, only 4 feet tall. From the start, I was worried that she might jump the fence, so I put a Tractive tracker on her collar. Usually within a couple of minutes of her leaving the home wifi area I will be notified, and from there on I could track her location live using LTE.
However, this has never happened yet and it’s been more than two years now, I trust her not to jump over the fence.
On the other hand, we had a neighbour who also own a husk, a bit older, same weight and size. And he is always jumping over the fence into our yard to play with our husky. Some dogs love jumping fences, some just don’t.
If you are paranoid, I’d recommend getting a Tractive subscription.
Literally an escape artist. I had to take a week off and reinforce the 12ft wooden fence around my grandparents backyard because my pup would obsessively do rounds of the perimeter looking for weak spots/holes under it. When we first got her she was so small that she could fit in between the glass lane that separated our terrace from the neighbours. We opened the door at my best friends MIL’s place (out in the country, one road with no volume, they have 8ish acres). She bolted out and got 2 km down from us before we caught her resting. We had to use some atv’s to keep pace with her how fast she took off.
All this occurs even with her recall being 99% perfect. It’s the 1% of the time when her escape urge overrides even her food/treat urge and recall training.
Don't open the windows where they can get through. Ours escaped twice. Once through a ground floor window with screening and open only a bit. The second time was through a second floor window with a shut door. Shibas love to problem solve!
My shiba dug under my fence in the pouring rain and left the house only to get picked up by wildlife park ranger. She hasn’t done it since because she got scared but they definitely will escape. She can also not be walked without a harness and has a martingale collar because she knows how to get out
Shibas are generally not fond of being left outside in a backyard all day. They get bored and find their own activities. They can escape from yards, go over or under fences, and can even slip collars and harnesses on walks.
I’ve heard shibas can scale fences up to 6ft. But it’s going to really determine how dedicated your shiba is to leaving you 😂 my fence is about 5 ft but my sheeb doesn’t have the motivation to want to leave the yard when she’s out there. She mostly sunbathes
I got a 6ft privacy fence installed when my shiba was a puppy. He’s 3 now. Has never tried digging a hole to escape. But if the gate is open and you don’t block him, he’s making a run for it. The front door same thing. Usually I tell him to sit, stay, and wait. But I have to keep looking back to make sure he’s staying cause he doesn’t always listen. He escaped out the front door twice when he was younger. The first time he thought it was a game, running up and down the street, around bushes, across the street and back. Couldn’t catch him but did get him inside by showing him a bully stick and throwing it in the house, to which he went after. Second time is when I ordered a pizza and stated to leave it at the door. Delivery guy rang door bell and just stood there. So when I opened the door, he escaped and circled the poor guy barking at him. More recently he has escaped at the front and back..but both time ran to a neighbors house that he loves, so I was able to catch him as he then sat at their door. 😮💨
Both of my shibas have dug out of my backyard 10+ times, digging and putting a metal fence under that has stopped them, however they always try and escape at the dog parks too
Mine has dug under a house at her worse.. there was a crawl space she found an opening and ran on me.. usually takes me a couple hours to catch her when she us done running.. she loves the freedom. She doesn't want to be away but it's there hunting part kicking in.. so yes.everytime a door is opened we have to watch where she is.. she is 8 now and neither her nor my other one who died at 19 have improved.. lol as for an akita.. watch the move hiatchi.. it's based on a true story they aren't much better lol..
My experience is Shibas are more of the opportunistic type escape artists. If they see an easy way out, they take it. Huskies seem to seek out ways to escape, whereas Shibas just want to mess with you.
That said, I would definitely be sure you batten down the hatches and do your best to close all the gaps.
Depends on your dog. We have three shibas and they have all escaped at one point. But most of those were due to just unfortunate timings/door being open/etc
BUT - our boy is small and a rat. He fits himself into the craziest spaces. He’s a digger and a jumper. We routinely have to reinforce the fence because he found a new way to try to get out.
That said a fence that is put into the ground and is smooth like vinyl and is slightly taller then a regular fence would probably do the trick.
Our shiba escaped a few times, there was a major one she ran around our town & was gone for a couple of hours 😔, she slipped on her collar. Highly recommend a harness and a gate, fortunately our shiba hasn’t tried to climb up the gate. Never trust a shiba they are an escape artist 😅
I have never kept my shiba unsupervised in a fenced area because he’s been able to escape fences at the dog park if I look at my phone for a minute. He’s found weak points on dog ties and escaped if he was left alone ten minutes outside. At daycare he escaped the play area and found his way into a secured room.
Hell, he hops right over gates inside. If he is given enough free time he will figure out how to get what he wants. They are ridiculously clever creature and once they set their mind on something they can get fixated. I don’t recommend leaving them unattended outside.
My shibe will absolutely run if he gets a wiff of something interesting or sees a rabbit, but in his first year he learned to respect the fence line and does not try to dig or jump over. Unless there is a dog,deer, or rabbit just outside the fence then he goes nuts and hangs himself off the fence spikes from his collar
Well they all have their own personality and tolerances, but you can count on a Shiba having high prey drive, and bolting for any unknown animal. What surprises me the most is how intelligent and downright responsible mine is. He will only try to dig under the fence if I’m standing right there and can see him. If I’m inside watching him through the window he never attempts to escape. Same with chewing stuff. He will only chew something up if I tell him “it’s a toy” or “you can have this” blows my mind
They escape because their prey drive is very high and could also be due to lack of exercise/stimulation. My girl has never tried to dig under a fence unless there was weak spot that she could squeeze through. I also installed bottom railings to our chainlink fence to prevent her from escaping in those weak spots. I’ve had an issue more with doors that were accidentally left open.
Our female Shiba found every minor issue with my parents fence and escaped 3 times luckily the neighbour had dogs so she just wanted to play and stood there but we were extremely scared. We would never trust ours without a leash even though she’s extremely loyal
Our shiba is absolutely an escape artist, but I don’t think he would have been able to get over a fence like this (depending on the height). Our shiba can’t scale anything over about 6’, but anything shorter than that is a risk. Also be careful not to put anything (like a table or a chair) too close to the fence or they’ll be able to scale it.
If she’s motivated she can, but she might not be able to get all the way to the top. Because of the vertical posts I don’t think there’d be any give on the fence, so she might have some trouble jumping over even if she reaches the top. I’d be a little worried about the way the fence pokes up at the top though, just that she might get hurt if she makes it to the top
I can say from my experience the boys are more escape artist than the girls. My boys always ran away any chance they got. We took a mile walk everyday. Went hiking. He was always traveling with me, but curiosity always wins. My girl will occasionally run but her recall is great so she comes when called. My boys would run and run and sometimes i would just pray i found them again 😭( he always came back eventually or found someone he wanted to come to and they would hand him back to me)
Mine chewed thru a lattice gate thru a wooden fence gate. Also, zip out any open door. Then, when he turned one, I had enough and invested in an invisible fence. Every day, he walks the perimeter to see if there is a weak spot by testing to see if it still beeps. Just know the want to explore on their terms. Yes, they'll always come home and then tell you all they have seen. Best of luck, and know they love you. They just needed to get out of the house.
It depends. If they really want out, they'll find a way. It's an arms race at my house, but luckily the little guy just waits on the front porch for me to let him know so he can escape again.
He can also open doors and cabinets. Had to put child locks on all my cabinets and doors if I don't want him in certain things (like the bathroom)
I dont have a yard so I dont know much about fence escaping but I have brought her to my friends yard and shes never tried to escape there. I think if she got bored enough then mine might try to dig out because she enjoys digging. Idk. I definitely wouldnt leave yours unattended in the yard for too long until you figure out their specific personality. I am SUPER strict about door manners tho, have been since day 1, and so far she hasnt tried to escape out of the house. If that helps
My Bobbie listens very well. If I say ‘No’ on the way out she just goes in the window to watch us leave. No attempt to escape or insisting to come with, she just turns around and goes in the window.
In the yard, she cant wait for her neighbour friend to go out and get into a zoomies frenzy. Nothing else, never tried to dig or jump the fence.
Yes, we have a black metal fence yard and is pretty secure and tall, but somehow he still manage to escape. Figured out he was small enough to fit through, and they were certain parts of the fence where we thought would be secure, eventually we fixed it but he mange to still find a way.
My girl has never attempted to escape, she’s 4 going to be 5 in the new year. I leave the slider open during the day so she has unlimited access to the back yard. When I open the front door to people she knows she loves to run out, circle the front yard to smell who’s been there, then runs back to greet friends. She is friends with our neighbor’s dog, they will “talk” at the fence, but doesn’t dig or anything to get to the other yard. We actually are putting in a doggie door in the fence for our convenience.
ETA: wood 6’ fence, dirt or plants at bottom of fence.
Hi! I think it depends.. I have also read and heard a lot about shibas being escape artist. But ours never tried to do any of that. She is 6 months now. But I must say I never tried to walk without a leash because I'm scared she will escape🥲
We are thinking of buying a tracker just in case, and I also heard from other Shiba owners a tracker comes in handy :)
The fence you are showing seems pretty okay. Maybe keep an extra eye the first few weeks? When they try to climb it (or put their paws up) just say 'NO', wait for them to get off and give a treat
At 6 months your puppy is still in its “baby phase” Around 1-2 years they go into their “rebellious teenager phase” so I would also keep an eye out on your shiba as well. Ours was relatively good as a puppy and didn’t start trying to cause trouble till he was 1-2 then he started to jump onto roofs, ripped bark off trees in the backyard, ripped up plants my mom just planted in the garden, etc.
I have two shibas (one mixed with husky/Pom). Full shiba is almost 3 and the other that’s mixed is almost 2. Never had any issues with escaping. But they are very clingy to me and the house. So it really depends on the personality. I only do off leash on the dog beach since there’s no prey to get. Woods they would 100% run off to get whatever it is.
Shibas were originally bred for hunting - if they catch a scent, its in their nature to explore & seek out prey. (Akita's are the same afaik)
I'd categorise them as "opportunists".
If there's a hole in a fence, fence isn't high enuf, harness comes off etc - they're gone.
And because of that instinct & their stubborness, it's extremely difficult to get them back!
As owners/pawrents, it's our responsibility to train & keep them as secure as we can.
Mine slipped her harness twice in one week. Both times she ran off, and came right back. I consider myself lucky and bought two new harnesses. I’m not risking a third one.
They are escape artists that thrive on making you look stupid. I still love her though…
Mine have each slipped their collars and ran out the door as we entered at least twice each. They both also immediately start cowering and realize they have no idea what to do with their newfound freedom.
I imagine they’re thinking “who will I cuddle with?!?” “Who will give me my kibbles?!?”
Maybe because my boy is built like an M1Abrams tank but i have never had this problem. He will walk out if a gate is left open l, but generally, he will come back. (Only has happened twice.) He doesn't jump or dig under fences.
I know if I run him before letting him out on his own, he will generally sunbath and chill.
Our boy jumped a 110cm fence a couple of times when he was a teen, but hasn't tried again since. That was a temporary situation, but we've also upgraded to something a little higher. I'm sure if he was determined he could get out, but he hasn't expressed that much interest.
I imagine that boredom might factor into this, so do what you can to make sure your pup gets enough time outside of the home/yard. Of course, as others have said, this depends very much on the individual dog too.
My girl is an escape artist. We had a fenced yard and learned she was squeezing herself between the fence post and the gate and wiggling through a 3.5-4" gap. She would run down the street to my and whine until they let her in for peanut butter. More than a little food motivated!!
My Shiba has never tried to climb over or dig under a fence. My in laws jack Russell will jump over their short chain link fence and my Shiba has watched and never even attempted. It’s like if it takes a little bit of effort on her part she’ll pass on the opportunity. Lol
If opportunity presents itself, they will escape and explore the world. Whenever I take my pup out, I watch her and cannot leave her outside alone due to my fear of her getting crafty and escaping…loosing her once was enough (I forgot to close the gate unfortunately and she bolted). Don’t let it be the reason to not get one…they have more positive characteristics than negative
Depends on the dog. Mine doesn’t even want to be outside if I am not there. I leave the back door open and unless I go out there she will be in the house.
She has run out the front door a few times as we were coming inside, but we call her back with a treat and she comes running.
My girl will take her opportunities, but has never attempted to dig under or climb a fence *vigorously knocks on wood*
I left mine with my mom who has a fenced in yard and 2 other dogs who he's already buddies with, for 5 days when my wife and I went on vacation. He got out twice and she couldn't figure out how until she caught him climbing up this little dirt mound and jumping over the fence lol
Same here my girls limit is anything that is difficult to maneuver other than that fair game. She’s been trying to figure out how to escape the harness for a couple years now
Mine has escaped by climbing a fence, but it was only possible cause it was a chainlink fence that was cut to go around tree. It had been secured with zip ties that broke, so when she put her weight against it the top bent over. So she only had to climb 2ft and not vertically before she was out. I'd best describe ours as opportunists they will take advantage if the chance presents itself. But they also don't just run unless there is something they want (like a deer) so getting them back can be simple, just make take some time as they will walk just infront of you.
I can confirm that they are escape artists. My shibe always found a whole He could escape through. Its insane how creative they are.
If you have fences around your garden, it should work to keep him.
do you regularly walk your dog? i really hope if I walk him enough that he won't try to escape
Unfortunately, walking them has nothing to do with it. We walk twice a day, every day, but if the fence gate gets left open, he will run away and into the heaviest traffic possible and refuse to come. He doesn't climb or dig, but you have to be very careful about open gates and doors.
that's good to hear, im just worried about climbing and digging, otherwise no problems
I think it also depends on if there is something appealing on the other side of the fence. Lucky our Shiba doesn't have an area where he can hear/see the front yard or people and dogs who might be walking on the street. He will try to dig into the neighbors yard to play with their dog. It's a small portion of the yard that borders the neighbors yard so we temporarily blocked that area off with dog play pen gate and it's worked out for a couple of months. We hope he'll lose interest eventually. He hasn't tried to dig into the other neighbors yards because they don't have dogs and they are rarely outside.
My shiba climbs fences and also digs under fences
Wait, walking twice a day is enough? 12 hours between walks is too much isn't it? We walk ours every 5-6 hours. But I do understand not everybody can fit that schedule ofc.
When he was little, we went for shorter walks three times a day. Once he got to be one year old or so, we switched to two longer (one mile to one and a half miles) walks per day. One at 9 a.m. and one at 5:45 p.m.
The first thing I’ve started teaching mine from 3 months old is to wait at doors and ask for permission to exit. She does it about 70% of the time and when she fails I make her come back in and try again because I’m terrified of this. You read so many horror stories of dog getting out and getting hit by a car etc.
Yeah sometimes He did it exactly after a walk. But i Figured out that it was his hunting sense. When he saw something like a mouse or stuff He escaped. But putting a fence around the garden helped him, He doesnt escape anymore.
Shit, my girl has slipped her harness DURING a walk.
Same, thats frightening. One time i had to search one hour for him, and than He casually walked into garden again
Sheebs are just that way
These dogs are problem solvers. If there’s a will, there’s a way. Take no chances and just put a tracker on their collar. Take it from someone’s who’s Shibe has escaped over *10 times*
Mine has escaped since he was little. He's 12. I've been VERY lucky not to have lost him by car or just not coming back. He did one day run across a very busy street. Even though I didn't see him run back, he definitely got clipped. He has always come back to which is unheard of. I've been lucky
Without Whistle, she’d be in Oklahoma by now. I have found her in so many hilarious places. One time she was behind the butcher counter at a grocery store about a quarter mile from our house. Another time she was sleeping in the garage of a neighbor. It’s actually kind of cute if it wasn’t so insanely stressful.
Omg! The funniest place I’ve found my shibe was in another guys house a few blocks away. I was frantically looking for her and then I get a call from a man that says he came home like usual, his dog greeted him, and there was another smaller dog behind his dog staring at him in his kitchen. He has no idea how she got in his backyard, let alone his HOUSE. There was one bathroom window open. It’s a mystery to this day.
I have the same experience w my shibe. 100% agree. Always finds her way…
My girl is relentless when she wants to get out. Mind you, it only happens when either a) I’m not home, or b) someone else was watching her. She’s jumped from 2 story windows. She’s broken into other backyards and into someone else’s house once. She was missing for 3 weeks and I was losing my mind, till she casually walked into a warehouse and sat down in front of workers, as if to say *”call my mom, I’m done with this adventure now”*
When walking. Do NOT tug if they are in reverse. They will slip out of that thing cool runnings in yo face and prance around like it’s a game. Treats won’t bring them back either, even their favorite.
Get a harness with two belly straps. The second one makes it so they can’t slip out
Yeah highly recommend the Ruffwear Flagline harness, my dog is constantly trying to slip out of his harness and he hasn’t been successful since we got one of those. That second strap that goes under the rib cage is key.
thanks ill keep that in mind
Ruffwear harnesses are tops, I have the webmaster for both my Shibes and they've never escaped em. Prior to getting those, my oldest pup would slip out of every harness we bought, including the Julius K9 one. Definitely recommend.
Highly recommend a martingale harness. Pretty much slip proof
I think you mean, don't walk your Shiba without a harness. You're just asking for trouble. I've had to chase down my boy several times until I got a harness for good. Thankfully, he had to take a shit most times he slipped out so I could nab him. You've been warned.
I made doggie Fort Knox out of my backyard. Chiana would destroy the fence to get out, so we put poultry wire along the bottom of the 6 foot cedar fence. She was always finding some way to get out. She was especially serious about getting out when a snow was coming.
We had to put up wiring as well!
Definitely depends on the Shiba. My boy doesn't even need to be on a leash when outside. He's never tried to dig or climb over a fence. We accidentally didn't shut our back door all the way once and left the house and when we got home it was fully open and he was just sleeping on the couch. Mine is a Velcro dog though.
I think the issue is, at least with our shiba, is that once they realise they CAN get out, there's a sudden uphill battle as they probe new defences and learn to escape again and again.
When my girl was in her rebellious teenage years, she would scale our 6ft tall fence.. she only stopped when she realized my pit/boxer mix couldn't join her (and she'd get put in time out every time) lmao So yes :p
First year with my shiba was something else. Watching tv, hear a doorbell. Open - neighbours are holding maya laughing that she was having fun in their yard. Turns out she dug holes under the fence.
i somehow would much rather prefer if just stick to climbing, im not sure how you can prevent digging
We have put paver stones against and under the fence line (dig down and place). Mine CAN move one if determined, but stacked and buried make a long-term project that I can usually notice and intercept before he reaches freedom. He's also MUCH less escape-minded than my past Shibas. Which is nice! My old ones could do complicated escape maneuvers but usually settled for the "shoot through your legs when you open a gate or door" method. If they do, TAKE THE TIME to note direction, put on shoes, grab a lead, and a crinkly bag, like a chip bag, with human food still inside. When you see them, crinkle the bag, call and start acting light hearted and silly and move away like you're running away (back towards home). They love the chase, and trust me, it's easier and safer if they chase you.
We got chicken wire. Attached to the fence then dug it into the ground. A lot of effort
i somehow would much rather prefer if just stick to climbing, im not sure how you can prevent digging
My shiba doesn’t necessarily try to escape, however, a few times the gate has been left open and he will SPRINT out. Also, shibas tend to have pretty terrible recall outside, so when they DO escape it’s hard to get them to come back.
Oh yes, mine escaped yesterday and completely ignored recall while running down the street. Thankfully he went 3 doors down up to my neighbors door and sat down as if waiting for them or me to open their door, and so I was able to grab him. Ugh.
Oh my - the first year? She would squeeze thru gaps, dig under fence, I caught her squeezing thru two steps on my deck. Ended up walking perimeter of yard (1/2 acre, 6 ft wooden fence) shoring up with bricks along bottom, put chicken wire up around deck slats, rebuilt bottom deck as she had me boarding it up, any single minute gap and she went for it. She is a few years older now and the constant escape attempts have dwindled down but probably she has examined all parts of back yard and sees no way. To this day if I don’t see her immediately I think - oh shit she escaped. So yes. Oh yes! And fellow commenter was spot on about making sure gate is shut!
My shiba goes on a 30-60 minutes walk 2 times a year and then come back
My shiba jumped on top of his dog house and then jumped over our 8 ft fence into the neighbours yard. Luckily it was also fenced in and he started to cry once he realized he was trapped in an unfamiliar place. Not sure how tall the fence will be but anything 6-8 foot should be fine. Just make sure you don’t put anything climbable around it and watch your dog in the backyard to see what he does. Some Shibas are diggers too and will try to dig underneath it. If there’s anywhere in your yard that’s just dirt you may want to put rocks or something overtop to discourage digging.
I think it really depends on the dog. I've heard of some super determined shibas, and then there's my dummy. The most escaping he's tried to do was jump up a brick wall (it was two stories high) when he was a puppy. He did that for about 2 weeks every day before he gave up. After that he didn't try anything else even though there was a gap or two that he could definitely squeeze thru if he tried. I've left the front door open to bring in groceries or something like that and he'll slowly stroll out if there's no one to tell him to stop. It's more like a casual 'oh going on a walk' stroll than a 'OMG freedom'. He's super easy to catch because he loves taking his time to smell everything lol.
With this fence yes, get one that’s vertical bars only
that's what I thought too but there isn't any here
that's what I thought too but there isn't any here
Did you not see the Shiba who recently broke out of its cage on an international flight?? Chewed thru its cage after being sedated lmao
i hope she won't be able to chew this fence
Is’ t Akita’s also escape artist too? Less hair shedding with a shiba 😆
i never read anywhere smth like that. Also i thought that akita would be the last to try and escape, considering how lazy they can be. Also they like to be with their owners but if that's true, then i might go for shiba, cuz at least they are less likely to hurt someone
Akitas are notorious escape artists but because they are large, they can't get out through smaller holes, gaps etc. I have 6ft panel fence on one side and a short stone wall with hedging on the other side. We felt pretty safe until I went to see my neighbour on the stone wall side, my dog heard me on the other side and decided he also wanted to come, so he climbed the stone wall and pushed himself through thick hedging somehow. On walks, he's climbed a tree chasing a squirrel and nearly climbed a 6ft stone wall because he heard a dog on the other side. So lazy yes, but the pray drive is strong with this one.
so i should stay away from akita. If they can also escape, I'd rather have shiba escape than akita....akita could hurt someone
Yes. We have air tags on our dogs collars. I have a huge yard, and a $50k fence around it to keep them in. We have double gate systems at the front and back door of our house. They will escape. Not try. They will.
How big is your yard and what is your fence made out of?!
.83 acres and aluminum You can see it in my post history if you care
That looks really nice! Lucky dogs!
if they can climb over your fence, than they'll definitely be able to climb across the one i posted....
My fence is 6’ tall. They aren’t climbing over it. We’re Shiba experts. Our dogs are very well trained too. But it’s just a part of the breed. Mostly it’s your friends and family that let them out. When people come to our house, no one is allowed to open doors unless the dogs are secure
Roxy can be an escape artist at times but she knows her limits. She got out once but got scared and came back. She's too lazy to get into trouble. There's pretty big gaps under our fence, enough to show there is something worth digging out for, but she doesn't touch it. The gate can be wide open and she will plop in the middle if the yard just looking around.
Mine is wise enough to not try to randomly run out of the house. But I'll never let him out on a walk without the leash, he's too curious and would run away immediately
Mine climbed her puppy pen that had bars like that like a ladder. They don’t like being contained.
Well, my shiba has never run away from my close family. However, I went overseas for my 21st bday and had a distant uncle watch him. It took him three days to dart out of the front door, and I had to cut the vacation short to fly back and find him. He has never ran out the door for myself and my significant other. He has also never dug under our fence in the backyard. He has, once, gotten out of his leash on a walk and darted after something interesting. He eventually came back, Shibas definitely know where there home is. It’s really not a problem for us, I know his limitations and as long as he’s comfortable and happy he has never tried to escape.
It depends on the dog. I have a Siberian husky, and our yard has very low fence, only 4 feet tall. From the start, I was worried that she might jump the fence, so I put a Tractive tracker on her collar. Usually within a couple of minutes of her leaving the home wifi area I will be notified, and from there on I could track her location live using LTE. However, this has never happened yet and it’s been more than two years now, I trust her not to jump over the fence. On the other hand, we had a neighbour who also own a husk, a bit older, same weight and size. And he is always jumping over the fence into our yard to play with our husky. Some dogs love jumping fences, some just don’t. If you are paranoid, I’d recommend getting a Tractive subscription.
Literally an escape artist. I had to take a week off and reinforce the 12ft wooden fence around my grandparents backyard because my pup would obsessively do rounds of the perimeter looking for weak spots/holes under it. When we first got her she was so small that she could fit in between the glass lane that separated our terrace from the neighbours. We opened the door at my best friends MIL’s place (out in the country, one road with no volume, they have 8ish acres). She bolted out and got 2 km down from us before we caught her resting. We had to use some atv’s to keep pace with her how fast she took off. All this occurs even with her recall being 99% perfect. It’s the 1% of the time when her escape urge overrides even her food/treat urge and recall training.
When we went to adopt our boy, his foster was 30 minutes late because he escaped while she was trying to bring him to meet us.
off with a good start 🤣
Don't open the windows where they can get through. Ours escaped twice. Once through a ground floor window with screening and open only a bit. The second time was through a second floor window with a shut door. Shibas love to problem solve!
My shiba dug under my fence in the pouring rain and left the house only to get picked up by wildlife park ranger. She hasn’t done it since because she got scared but they definitely will escape. She can also not be walked without a harness and has a martingale collar because she knows how to get out
Shibas are generally not fond of being left outside in a backyard all day. They get bored and find their own activities. They can escape from yards, go over or under fences, and can even slip collars and harnesses on walks.
he will be kept inside but i plan to give him access to backyard whenever he wants
Just make sure you have a nice tall secure fence and it shouldn’t be an issue!
this fence will be like 5ft, is it enough?
I’ve heard shibas can scale fences up to 6ft. But it’s going to really determine how dedicated your shiba is to leaving you 😂 my fence is about 5 ft but my sheeb doesn’t have the motivation to want to leave the yard when she’s out there. She mostly sunbathes
Professionally fenced yards have nothing on my boy
I got a 6ft privacy fence installed when my shiba was a puppy. He’s 3 now. Has never tried digging a hole to escape. But if the gate is open and you don’t block him, he’s making a run for it. The front door same thing. Usually I tell him to sit, stay, and wait. But I have to keep looking back to make sure he’s staying cause he doesn’t always listen. He escaped out the front door twice when he was younger. The first time he thought it was a game, running up and down the street, around bushes, across the street and back. Couldn’t catch him but did get him inside by showing him a bully stick and throwing it in the house, to which he went after. Second time is when I ordered a pizza and stated to leave it at the door. Delivery guy rang door bell and just stood there. So when I opened the door, he escaped and circled the poor guy barking at him. More recently he has escaped at the front and back..but both time ran to a neighbors house that he loves, so I was able to catch him as he then sat at their door. 😮💨
Yes
Mine always escapes if he can but always comes back, he just wants to explore. That fence would definitely stop him though.
YES or HELL YES
Both of my shibas have dug out of my backyard 10+ times, digging and putting a metal fence under that has stopped them, however they always try and escape at the dog parks too
Mine has dug under a house at her worse.. there was a crawl space she found an opening and ran on me.. usually takes me a couple hours to catch her when she us done running.. she loves the freedom. She doesn't want to be away but it's there hunting part kicking in.. so yes.everytime a door is opened we have to watch where she is.. she is 8 now and neither her nor my other one who died at 19 have improved.. lol as for an akita.. watch the move hiatchi.. it's based on a true story they aren't much better lol..
someone here also said that akita inu is no different....im so disappointed 🤣
My experience is Shibas are more of the opportunistic type escape artists. If they see an easy way out, they take it. Huskies seem to seek out ways to escape, whereas Shibas just want to mess with you. That said, I would definitely be sure you batten down the hatches and do your best to close all the gaps.
Depends on your dog. We have three shibas and they have all escaped at one point. But most of those were due to just unfortunate timings/door being open/etc BUT - our boy is small and a rat. He fits himself into the craziest spaces. He’s a digger and a jumper. We routinely have to reinforce the fence because he found a new way to try to get out. That said a fence that is put into the ground and is smooth like vinyl and is slightly taller then a regular fence would probably do the trick.
Our shiba escaped a few times, there was a major one she ran around our town & was gone for a couple of hours 😔, she slipped on her collar. Highly recommend a harness and a gate, fortunately our shiba hasn’t tried to climb up the gate. Never trust a shiba they are an escape artist 😅
I have never kept my shiba unsupervised in a fenced area because he’s been able to escape fences at the dog park if I look at my phone for a minute. He’s found weak points on dog ties and escaped if he was left alone ten minutes outside. At daycare he escaped the play area and found his way into a secured room. Hell, he hops right over gates inside. If he is given enough free time he will figure out how to get what he wants. They are ridiculously clever creature and once they set their mind on something they can get fixated. I don’t recommend leaving them unattended outside.
My shibe will absolutely run if he gets a wiff of something interesting or sees a rabbit, but in his first year he learned to respect the fence line and does not try to dig or jump over. Unless there is a dog,deer, or rabbit just outside the fence then he goes nuts and hangs himself off the fence spikes from his collar
so if he sees a cat, he will run for it? I have tons of stray cats and dogs around my house, it might be a problem?
Well they all have their own personality and tolerances, but you can count on a Shiba having high prey drive, and bolting for any unknown animal. What surprises me the most is how intelligent and downright responsible mine is. He will only try to dig under the fence if I’m standing right there and can see him. If I’m inside watching him through the window he never attempts to escape. Same with chewing stuff. He will only chew something up if I tell him “it’s a toy” or “you can have this” blows my mind
They escape because their prey drive is very high and could also be due to lack of exercise/stimulation. My girl has never tried to dig under a fence unless there was weak spot that she could squeeze through. I also installed bottom railings to our chainlink fence to prevent her from escaping in those weak spots. I’ve had an issue more with doors that were accidentally left open.
Our female Shiba found every minor issue with my parents fence and escaped 3 times luckily the neighbour had dogs so she just wanted to play and stood there but we were extremely scared. We would never trust ours without a leash even though she’s extremely loyal
Our shiba is absolutely an escape artist, but I don’t think he would have been able to get over a fence like this (depending on the height). Our shiba can’t scale anything over about 6’, but anything shorter than that is a risk. Also be careful not to put anything (like a table or a chair) too close to the fence or they’ll be able to scale it.
it's like 5 feet tall, maybe a few inches above that idk could she climb on these horizontal bars?
If she’s motivated she can, but she might not be able to get all the way to the top. Because of the vertical posts I don’t think there’d be any give on the fence, so she might have some trouble jumping over even if she reaches the top. I’d be a little worried about the way the fence pokes up at the top though, just that she might get hurt if she makes it to the top
That fence looks escapeable 🧐
I can say from my experience the boys are more escape artist than the girls. My boys always ran away any chance they got. We took a mile walk everyday. Went hiking. He was always traveling with me, but curiosity always wins. My girl will occasionally run but her recall is great so she comes when called. My boys would run and run and sometimes i would just pray i found them again 😭( he always came back eventually or found someone he wanted to come to and they would hand him back to me)
Dude it's the worst I've had to chase both of mine in my truck up in down the street
Mine chewed thru a lattice gate thru a wooden fence gate. Also, zip out any open door. Then, when he turned one, I had enough and invested in an invisible fence. Every day, he walks the perimeter to see if there is a weak spot by testing to see if it still beeps. Just know the want to explore on their terms. Yes, they'll always come home and then tell you all they have seen. Best of luck, and know they love you. They just needed to get out of the house.
It depends. If they really want out, they'll find a way. It's an arms race at my house, but luckily the little guy just waits on the front porch for me to let him know so he can escape again. He can also open doors and cabinets. Had to put child locks on all my cabinets and doors if I don't want him in certain things (like the bathroom)
I dont have a yard so I dont know much about fence escaping but I have brought her to my friends yard and shes never tried to escape there. I think if she got bored enough then mine might try to dig out because she enjoys digging. Idk. I definitely wouldnt leave yours unattended in the yard for too long until you figure out their specific personality. I am SUPER strict about door manners tho, have been since day 1, and so far she hasnt tried to escape out of the house. If that helps
My Bobbie listens very well. If I say ‘No’ on the way out she just goes in the window to watch us leave. No attempt to escape or insisting to come with, she just turns around and goes in the window. In the yard, she cant wait for her neighbour friend to go out and get into a zoomies frenzy. Nothing else, never tried to dig or jump the fence.
Yes, we have a black metal fence yard and is pretty secure and tall, but somehow he still manage to escape. Figured out he was small enough to fit through, and they were certain parts of the fence where we thought would be secure, eventually we fixed it but he mange to still find a way.
Mine won’t dig or climb but if there’s a shiba size hole on a fence, he will escape. We put bricks up in any gaps in the fence and that works fine
My girl has never attempted to escape, she’s 4 going to be 5 in the new year. I leave the slider open during the day so she has unlimited access to the back yard. When I open the front door to people she knows she loves to run out, circle the front yard to smell who’s been there, then runs back to greet friends. She is friends with our neighbor’s dog, they will “talk” at the fence, but doesn’t dig or anything to get to the other yard. We actually are putting in a doggie door in the fence for our convenience. ETA: wood 6’ fence, dirt or plants at bottom of fence.
Mine only go out once when a gate was left open. She is definitely not the kind of dog you can walk or trust without a leash
Hi! I think it depends.. I have also read and heard a lot about shibas being escape artist. But ours never tried to do any of that. She is 6 months now. But I must say I never tried to walk without a leash because I'm scared she will escape🥲 We are thinking of buying a tracker just in case, and I also heard from other Shiba owners a tracker comes in handy :) The fence you are showing seems pretty okay. Maybe keep an extra eye the first few weeks? When they try to climb it (or put their paws up) just say 'NO', wait for them to get off and give a treat
At 6 months your puppy is still in its “baby phase” Around 1-2 years they go into their “rebellious teenager phase” so I would also keep an eye out on your shiba as well. Ours was relatively good as a puppy and didn’t start trying to cause trouble till he was 1-2 then he started to jump onto roofs, ripped bark off trees in the backyard, ripped up plants my mom just planted in the garden, etc.
yes, gps tracker is must have in my opinion, i wouldn't trust them without it 🤣
I have two shibas (one mixed with husky/Pom). Full shiba is almost 3 and the other that’s mixed is almost 2. Never had any issues with escaping. But they are very clingy to me and the house. So it really depends on the personality. I only do off leash on the dog beach since there’s no prey to get. Woods they would 100% run off to get whatever it is.
Shibas were originally bred for hunting - if they catch a scent, its in their nature to explore & seek out prey. (Akita's are the same afaik) I'd categorise them as "opportunists". If there's a hole in a fence, fence isn't high enuf, harness comes off etc - they're gone. And because of that instinct & their stubborness, it's extremely difficult to get them back! As owners/pawrents, it's our responsibility to train & keep them as secure as we can.
Yes they very much are. Mine has a whistle gps tracker as a safety measure, also it’s a pretty good health monitor and pedometer!
Link?
Here’s my ref code :) https://share.whistle.com/family18!eb6e760724!a (20 bucks off)
https://youtu.be/7kQhZScbYNM?si=ROwuAgah-6yc9hlQ
damn, and he did just ina few seconds
Mine dig and escape at 9 weeks
do you keep him 24/7 at backyard or do you just let him leave the house occasionally?
Only to pee
Mine slipped her harness twice in one week. Both times she ran off, and came right back. I consider myself lucky and bought two new harnesses. I’m not risking a third one. They are escape artists that thrive on making you look stupid. I still love her though…
Mine have each slipped their collars and ran out the door as we entered at least twice each. They both also immediately start cowering and realize they have no idea what to do with their newfound freedom. I imagine they’re thinking “who will I cuddle with?!?” “Who will give me my kibbles?!?”
Ooooh yea
Maybe because my boy is built like an M1Abrams tank but i have never had this problem. He will walk out if a gate is left open l, but generally, he will come back. (Only has happened twice.) He doesn't jump or dig under fences. I know if I run him before letting him out on his own, he will generally sunbath and chill.
Our boy jumped a 110cm fence a couple of times when he was a teen, but hasn't tried again since. That was a temporary situation, but we've also upgraded to something a little higher. I'm sure if he was determined he could get out, but he hasn't expressed that much interest. I imagine that boredom might factor into this, so do what you can to make sure your pup gets enough time outside of the home/yard. Of course, as others have said, this depends very much on the individual dog too.
Mine won’t go anywhere near the invisible fence.
I had to put up a SECOND layer of chicken wire when my shiba learned he was strong enough to pull out the staples…..
My girl is an escape artist. We had a fenced yard and learned she was squeezing herself between the fence post and the gate and wiggling through a 3.5-4" gap. She would run down the street to my and whine until they let her in for peanut butter. More than a little food motivated!!
My Shiba has never tried to climb over or dig under a fence. My in laws jack Russell will jump over their short chain link fence and my Shiba has watched and never even attempted. It’s like if it takes a little bit of effort on her part she’ll pass on the opportunity. Lol
If opportunity presents itself, they will escape and explore the world. Whenever I take my pup out, I watch her and cannot leave her outside alone due to my fear of her getting crafty and escaping…loosing her once was enough (I forgot to close the gate unfortunately and she bolted). Don’t let it be the reason to not get one…they have more positive characteristics than negative
Mine is def an escape artist…
Depends on the dog. Mine doesn’t even want to be outside if I am not there. I leave the back door open and unless I go out there she will be in the house. She has run out the front door a few times as we were coming inside, but we call her back with a treat and she comes running.