(Also known as: “Not My Shiba.”)
If after scanning this website you are already shaking your head and thinking:
This section is for you. Please read it slowly. Preferably while your Shiba is present, observing you silently.
It is entirely possible that your Shiba:
We do not deny that possibility. Exceptional individuals exist in every species. You may have:
All are valid. We are not here to argue with your lived experience.
This is not a debate. There is no scoreboard. No one is trying to take your Shiba away. This information is written for:
When people say “Shibas are independent,” they are not accusing your dog of misconduct. They are describing a breed tendency, not issuing a curse.
Labradors are wonderful dogs. So are Shibas. They were bred for entirely different purposes. When people insist their Shiba is “basically a Lab,” what they usually mean is:
That does not make it the standard. It makes it the exception, or the context dependent version of the dog you see right now.
This page exists because too many people expect every Shiba to be that version and many dogs pay for that mismatch.
A Shiba with perfect recall still has prey drive. A Shiba who loves handling can still have limits. A Shiba who is obedient today can still change under stress, age, trauma, or environment.
Acknowledging risk does not diminish success. It preserves it. The most experienced Shiba owners are not the loudest ones. They are the ones who say:
This website does not hate Shibas. It defends them. It is honest because dishonesty is what gets Shibas:
If reading about independence, boundaries, and consent feels threatening, it may be because those concepts challenge how dog ownership is usually framed. That discomfort is not an accusation. It is an invitation to reflect.
If you have a unicorn Shiba, one who recalls off leash through squirrels, tolerates everything, loves everyone, and obeys joyfully, we do not want to take that away from you or discount your experience.
What it might do is:
And if none of that applies, you can enjoy the humor and move on. Your Shiba will still judge you fondly.
If your Shiba is truly “just like a Lab,” they will not be offended by this website. If they are not, the information on this website may someday keep them safe. Either way, read on.
The fox has opinions.
