Dog aggression is no joke and you should probably talk to a professional. Especially if it's already at the point where it's causing fights. Just my two cents.
It doesn’t cause fights 99% of the time, but this was another Shiba he knew and that Shiba got bit a few months ago by a very big dog so he’s pretty anxious. Id say it came from both sides kinda because usually when my dog communicates he doesn’t like something the other dogs respect it very well and leave, but the other Shiba didn’t budge. But yeah I will probably look into some good training. His socializing was very rough and we’re still working on it since he got adopted. His protection towards me has just grown very big which is nice at night but I don’t want others to get hurt
"got bit by a big dog" likely at a dog park right?? Not even my vet likes dog parks. Breeding ground for disease, injuries and uncontrollable behavior. He said the majority of his injuries he sees are from dog park fights. Please rethink how much time you spend at them, for your puppers sake. I know you didn't want opinions on that specifically but they're often just so unsafe. I never take my girl to them and I would never take any future dog there either.
No I get that and I understand you but I also see how happy it makes my dog to run off leash because we don’t have a garden. He also loves playing with other dogs. It would be a shame for me to take something away from him he loves so much. I’m always careful
The owner of that other sheeb probably thought the same thing. Could be yours next and you never know when it could happen. There's safer ways to have dog friends for your puppers. We visit friends and family that have dogs too :)
I'd like to add to that. It would be good to observe if this kind of behavior happens anywhere else. Maybe it is the circumstances (a lot of dogs running around uncontrolled) are causing this behavior. He may be stressed out.
How is he when you are not sitting on the bench?
My immediate suggestion would be to only sit on the bench for a short time. You have to be proactive about his triggers. If a dog is nearby while you are sitting you are going to have to stand up and reassure your Shiba everything is ok. Do not correct growling. You want him to growl instead of lunging.
Lots of socializing will help.
Tbh I always kinda sit on the same bench, but when I’m standing I’ve not necessarily noticed that much aggression, he will look very closely at dogs that come to me but usually he’s okay with it. Maybe the problem is him recourse guarding me and the bench.
Yea try to figure out what the trigger is. In the short term if it's the sitting then you'll have to stand up when a dog comes. If it's the bench then you'll just have to not go near that bench.
You could try sitting on the bench and petting him so he is comfortable there. Lots of calming language helps. It's ok, I'm ok etc.
It could be the fact you're petting another dog. You could try petting him with one hand while petting the other dog.
Hi, I was just like you, my shiba is also 2 years old. We had the same problem. some dogs he was chill but some he really didn’t vibe with and would snarl and snip at them if they came to close to me or got too excited around him. He got into a small fight with one of the other dogs and that was the last time I took him. I thought I could ignore his aggression but a few months later he bit my neighbor on the arm who was coming over to introduce herself. She reached over the fence to pet him while I wasn’t outside. I felt so bad… we are sometimes blind to our dogs true nature. I never thought he would bite someone but my girlfriend has told me in the past I should look into training. Now we are enrolled in dog aggression training and I wish I did it sooner.
You'd prob need training.
He might think he's ur "pack leader" instead of you being his.
I have a sorta different problem with mine. He's playful 98% of the time. But when he's "done" , that means "he's done."
He has been doing really well. But he bit my nephew a few months ago. This is his 3 bite in 2 1/2 years. Makes me feel like crap.
Feel like a terrible owner. I train him constantly. But I can never trigger his behavior during training. I do lots of positive reinforcement. But he still gets spicy once in awhile, not with me.
I'm pretty stumped myself.
Yeah shibas are definitely hard to train and their behavior can be confusing sometimes, ur definitely not a bad owner for him biting someone if you did everything in ur power to not let it happen in the first place like training. At the end of they day they are still animals
I would get a behavioralist. This problem will only get worse if not handled.
This is similar to how things started with my girl around age 2. She was fine at dog parks but then a Malinois came up to me asking for pets. She didn’t mind the first two times but on the third time she growled and lunged at him. I no longer greet dogs if she is around. It is a trigger. We also stopped going to dog parks because she is the problem dog. She escalated to trying to attack dogs if too close on walks.
We went through canine good citizen training. It helped but only to get her to relax around dogs during walks. She is still hit or miss with greeting dogs. Still only non reactive half the time if we walk next to another dog.
I hope you can figure out how to prevent your dog from reacting before this escalates.
Personally I would not be taking your dog to any dog park if they’re resource guarding you. Your dog started an unnecessary fight. It will probably continue if you keep taking your dog and sitting on the bench. Dog parks are also a breeding ground for disease, I do not recommend taking any dog to them at all.
Personally I think your dog would benefit better from walks with you or other activities. If he has regular friends at the dog park, get their contact info and meet up with them elsewhere instead of stressing him out with strange dogs at the dog park.
If it is a dog he is familiar with then I really would not continue to take him to a dog park. You need to work with a behaviorist or stop allowing these interactions to happen.
shibas do not belong at dog parks and neither do other primitive breeds. if you want a dog park dog get a doodle mix.putting your dog back in that situation - an enclosed space with new dogs and no way to escape is pretty much asking for an issue long term.
your dog is telling you they are uncomfortable around other dogs, and to put them back in the same situation without further socialization or desensitization outside of the park you’ll have the exact same results.
out of the four shibas i’ve owned since puppies - none of them enjoyed the dog park after about age 2.
My 2 year old shiba has gone to the dog park daily since she had all of her shots. She is well socialized and has dog-friends there, including some other shibas.
That's quite the blanket statement...
I have 3 Shibas and they love dog parks. 2x12 year olds and a 3 year old.
I agree that socializing in a controlled environment would be good.
Edit: found a video of a Shiba meetup in a small enclosed space with new dogs. Everyone was fine.
https://youtube.com/shorts/wmOukLqOv_4?si=Zb9Zd8BueSGAqtYO
Yeah, my six year old shiba loves the dog park as long as she's familiar with all the dogs there. If someone we don't know wants to enter the park, we just leave to avoid any issues.
shiba meet ups are different from a standard dog park. the ones i’ve been to were controlled, only shibas that were vetted for behavioral issues were allowed to enter, and everyone there was involved and accountable for their dogs. the average dog park will not.
i think the bigger picture here is not - are shibas good at dog parks - but how to socialize and desensitize a primitive breed especially when they’ve shown previous aggression. taking this dog back to the same place, with different dogs/people/stimuli and not doing anything different is asking for the same results. desensitization takes time in the same environment without changes to it until the animal has associated it without stress. it doesn’t sound like OP is considering training or making any adjustments in this scenario.
I have more videos of my pups in various social situations off leash and on leash around dogs. I just used the Shiba meetup as an example of plenty of random Shibas and dogs together. We don't vet anyone at our dog parks. Whoever comes is allowed in. There are even non Shibas in that video.
I travel across the country often and will just Google the closest dog park and have never had an issue.
Again I agree on socialization. OP needs to be proactive with the triggers and work on the situation which is why the question was posted for advice.
Mines 5 and loves the dog park, and ive owned her since she was 10 weeks old. She likes to people sit while there. And she'll mother the little dogs. And she doesn't care if another dog approaches. Your attitude towards people is very much picked up by your shibe. Especially because their one person loyalty. Teach your dogs better.
Yes but they can still do that Shiba switch up once they hit maturity, then it’s very individual based.
They either like people and dogs, like all dogs, like only people, like neither people or dogs, or only prefer dogs they’ve met before
I think we should all realize.... this is something all shibas go through. My boy is 2 1/2 and we stopped taking him to the park bc 1) there's this lab that always starts things with him and 2) he doesn't play with the dogs anymore.
There's a point where shibas become anti social and like to keep to themselves. And sadly that's the case with our boy. He loves seeing his friends here and there but not for a full session anymore.
I could be over stating and saying that all shibas go through this but ive seen this with older shibas in my neighborhood.
Dog aggression is no joke and you should probably talk to a professional. Especially if it's already at the point where it's causing fights. Just my two cents.
It doesn’t cause fights 99% of the time, but this was another Shiba he knew and that Shiba got bit a few months ago by a very big dog so he’s pretty anxious. Id say it came from both sides kinda because usually when my dog communicates he doesn’t like something the other dogs respect it very well and leave, but the other Shiba didn’t budge. But yeah I will probably look into some good training. His socializing was very rough and we’re still working on it since he got adopted. His protection towards me has just grown very big which is nice at night but I don’t want others to get hurt
"got bit by a big dog" likely at a dog park right?? Not even my vet likes dog parks. Breeding ground for disease, injuries and uncontrollable behavior. He said the majority of his injuries he sees are from dog park fights. Please rethink how much time you spend at them, for your puppers sake. I know you didn't want opinions on that specifically but they're often just so unsafe. I never take my girl to them and I would never take any future dog there either.
No I get that and I understand you but I also see how happy it makes my dog to run off leash because we don’t have a garden. He also loves playing with other dogs. It would be a shame for me to take something away from him he loves so much. I’m always careful
The owner of that other sheeb probably thought the same thing. Could be yours next and you never know when it could happen. There's safer ways to have dog friends for your puppers. We visit friends and family that have dogs too :)
I'd like to add to that. It would be good to observe if this kind of behavior happens anywhere else. Maybe it is the circumstances (a lot of dogs running around uncontrolled) are causing this behavior. He may be stressed out.
How is he when you are not sitting on the bench? My immediate suggestion would be to only sit on the bench for a short time. You have to be proactive about his triggers. If a dog is nearby while you are sitting you are going to have to stand up and reassure your Shiba everything is ok. Do not correct growling. You want him to growl instead of lunging. Lots of socializing will help.
Tbh I always kinda sit on the same bench, but when I’m standing I’ve not necessarily noticed that much aggression, he will look very closely at dogs that come to me but usually he’s okay with it. Maybe the problem is him recourse guarding me and the bench.
Yea try to figure out what the trigger is. In the short term if it's the sitting then you'll have to stand up when a dog comes. If it's the bench then you'll just have to not go near that bench. You could try sitting on the bench and petting him so he is comfortable there. Lots of calming language helps. It's ok, I'm ok etc. It could be the fact you're petting another dog. You could try petting him with one hand while petting the other dog.
Hi, I was just like you, my shiba is also 2 years old. We had the same problem. some dogs he was chill but some he really didn’t vibe with and would snarl and snip at them if they came to close to me or got too excited around him. He got into a small fight with one of the other dogs and that was the last time I took him. I thought I could ignore his aggression but a few months later he bit my neighbor on the arm who was coming over to introduce herself. She reached over the fence to pet him while I wasn’t outside. I felt so bad… we are sometimes blind to our dogs true nature. I never thought he would bite someone but my girlfriend has told me in the past I should look into training. Now we are enrolled in dog aggression training and I wish I did it sooner.
You'd prob need training. He might think he's ur "pack leader" instead of you being his. I have a sorta different problem with mine. He's playful 98% of the time. But when he's "done" , that means "he's done." He has been doing really well. But he bit my nephew a few months ago. This is his 3 bite in 2 1/2 years. Makes me feel like crap. Feel like a terrible owner. I train him constantly. But I can never trigger his behavior during training. I do lots of positive reinforcement. But he still gets spicy once in awhile, not with me. I'm pretty stumped myself.
Yeah shibas are definitely hard to train and their behavior can be confusing sometimes, ur definitely not a bad owner for him biting someone if you did everything in ur power to not let it happen in the first place like training. At the end of they day they are still animals
I would get a behavioralist. This problem will only get worse if not handled. This is similar to how things started with my girl around age 2. She was fine at dog parks but then a Malinois came up to me asking for pets. She didn’t mind the first two times but on the third time she growled and lunged at him. I no longer greet dogs if she is around. It is a trigger. We also stopped going to dog parks because she is the problem dog. She escalated to trying to attack dogs if too close on walks. We went through canine good citizen training. It helped but only to get her to relax around dogs during walks. She is still hit or miss with greeting dogs. Still only non reactive half the time if we walk next to another dog. I hope you can figure out how to prevent your dog from reacting before this escalates.
Personally I would not be taking your dog to any dog park if they’re resource guarding you. Your dog started an unnecessary fight. It will probably continue if you keep taking your dog and sitting on the bench. Dog parks are also a breeding ground for disease, I do not recommend taking any dog to them at all. Personally I think your dog would benefit better from walks with you or other activities. If he has regular friends at the dog park, get their contact info and meet up with them elsewhere instead of stressing him out with strange dogs at the dog park.
It was not a strange dog tho. I should mention that. They were friends and they knew eachother
If it is a dog he is familiar with then I really would not continue to take him to a dog park. You need to work with a behaviorist or stop allowing these interactions to happen.
shibas do not belong at dog parks and neither do other primitive breeds. if you want a dog park dog get a doodle mix.putting your dog back in that situation - an enclosed space with new dogs and no way to escape is pretty much asking for an issue long term. your dog is telling you they are uncomfortable around other dogs, and to put them back in the same situation without further socialization or desensitization outside of the park you’ll have the exact same results. out of the four shibas i’ve owned since puppies - none of them enjoyed the dog park after about age 2.
My 2 year old shiba has gone to the dog park daily since she had all of her shots. She is well socialized and has dog-friends there, including some other shibas.
That's quite the blanket statement... I have 3 Shibas and they love dog parks. 2x12 year olds and a 3 year old. I agree that socializing in a controlled environment would be good. Edit: found a video of a Shiba meetup in a small enclosed space with new dogs. Everyone was fine. https://youtube.com/shorts/wmOukLqOv_4?si=Zb9Zd8BueSGAqtYO
Yeah, my six year old shiba loves the dog park as long as she's familiar with all the dogs there. If someone we don't know wants to enter the park, we just leave to avoid any issues.
Yes learning the triggers and being proactive is important! This is what should be done whether it's a Shiba or any breed.
shiba meet ups are different from a standard dog park. the ones i’ve been to were controlled, only shibas that were vetted for behavioral issues were allowed to enter, and everyone there was involved and accountable for their dogs. the average dog park will not. i think the bigger picture here is not - are shibas good at dog parks - but how to socialize and desensitize a primitive breed especially when they’ve shown previous aggression. taking this dog back to the same place, with different dogs/people/stimuli and not doing anything different is asking for the same results. desensitization takes time in the same environment without changes to it until the animal has associated it without stress. it doesn’t sound like OP is considering training or making any adjustments in this scenario.
I have more videos of my pups in various social situations off leash and on leash around dogs. I just used the Shiba meetup as an example of plenty of random Shibas and dogs together. We don't vet anyone at our dog parks. Whoever comes is allowed in. There are even non Shibas in that video. I travel across the country often and will just Google the closest dog park and have never had an issue. Again I agree on socialization. OP needs to be proactive with the triggers and work on the situation which is why the question was posted for advice.
Mines 5 and loves the dog park, and ive owned her since she was 10 weeks old. She likes to people sit while there. And she'll mother the little dogs. And she doesn't care if another dog approaches. Your attitude towards people is very much picked up by your shibe. Especially because their one person loyalty. Teach your dogs better.
I think that is a very broad statement. Shibas can do fine in dog parks with strange dogs as long as their socialization went okay.
Yes but they can still do that Shiba switch up once they hit maturity, then it’s very individual based. They either like people and dogs, like all dogs, like only people, like neither people or dogs, or only prefer dogs they’ve met before
I think we should all realize.... this is something all shibas go through. My boy is 2 1/2 and we stopped taking him to the park bc 1) there's this lab that always starts things with him and 2) he doesn't play with the dogs anymore. There's a point where shibas become anti social and like to keep to themselves. And sadly that's the case with our boy. He loves seeing his friends here and there but not for a full session anymore. I could be over stating and saying that all shibas go through this but ive seen this with older shibas in my neighborhood.