Mei is a beautiful red female Shiba Inu with a very soft spirit and a heartbreaking amount of fear that she is slowly learning to move through. She is not spayed but will be before she is adopted.
Born May 1, 2022, Mei weighs approximately 31.9 pounds. She arrived at Shiba Saviors with Kuro and Haru after the three dogs were surrendered from the same former breeder home.
Mei is the most timid of the three. She is housetrained, crate trained, food motivated, treat motivated, and gentle, but she is also absolutely terrified.
There is not an aggressive bone in her body. Her fear does not come out as anger. It comes out as flinching, hiding, freezing, and trying to escape situations that feel too big for her.
She moves like a dog who has never been safely touched.
Mei is not yet available for adoption, but she will be soon. Right now, we are working with her through gentle exposure, helping her stay present with people, routines, and normal household life while still keeping things kind and manageable.
She is making small improvements every day.
Mei is extremely timid, but she is also deeply gentle.
She does not show aggression. She does not try to fight. She does not try to threaten. When Mei is afraid, she tries to disappear.
She will hide in a dark crate or under a table if she can. She may flinch with every touch. She may freeze while deciding whether something is safe.
But underneath all of that fear is a beautiful girl who is trying.
Food and treats help open her up a little. When she feels safe enough to accept food, you can see the smallest little pieces of trust begin to appear.
Those moments matter.
Mei is housetrained and crate trained.
She is also very food and treat motivated, which has been helpful as we work with her through fear and exposure.
Mei is exit-seeking and will try to slip out doors. Doorways, gates, car doors, crates, and leash transitions must be managed carefully.
She is currently in the second stage of her gentle exposure training.
For the first week, we allowed her to retreat to her covered crate as she needed. This helped her decompress and gave her a safe place while she began adjusting.
Now, during the day, the crate is closed and Mei is present in the room with nowhere to hide until bedtime. This is being done gently and thoughtfully so she can learn that being near people and activity does not have to be dangerous.
She is improving.
Mei arrived with Kuro and Haru from the same former breeder home.
Mei was definitely bred at least once, and possibly more than once. Her body shows that history, and her fear tells us she has likely had very limited safe, positive human interaction.
We believe Haru may have been bred with her.
Mei deserves a life where her body is no longer used, her fear is respected, and her choices begin to matter.
Mei is still quite scared, but her confidence is steadily improving.
We are introducing her to new people and walking her daily for exposure. She is learning that movement, routine, leashes, voices, and household activity can be part of a safe life.
One of the biggest signs of progress is that her tail is now up when she walks.
That may sound small, but for a dog this fearful, it is not small at all.
She has also played with the two dogs she arrived with, which shows that there is still a playful, social side of Mei waiting beneath the fear.
Mei arrived with Kuro and Haru, and the three are bonded.
She has played with both of her “siblings” since arriving in rescue, and they are familiar comfort for her.
Another calm, stable dog may help Mei in a future home, but her adopter will still need to continue building her confidence as an individual rather than allowing her to hide behind another dog completely.
Daily life with Mei is about patience, softness, and small victories.
This is not a dog who is ready to march confidently into the world. This is a dog who is learning, one tiny step at a time, that the world may not be as frightening as she believed.
She needs people who understand that progress may look like accepting a treat, staying in the room, lifting her tail on a walk, choosing not to hide, or tolerating a gentle touch.
Mei is beautiful, gentle, and worth every careful step.
Mei would likely do best in:
Mei is a flight risk and is exit-seeking.
She will try to slip out doors, and when scared, her instinct is to flee or hide. She must be securely managed at all times.
She should always be leashed outside unless she is inside a very well secured area. She should not be left outside unsupervised, even in a fenced yard.
Mei will need secure leash handling, a properly fitted harness, careful door management, and adopters who take flight risk seriously.
Mei does not need someone who wants an instantly easy dog.
She needs someone who sees the worth in a terrified dog who is still trying.
She needs patience, quiet, routine, and kindness. She needs people who will not take her fear personally and will not punish her for being scared.
Mei has lived a life that made the world feel unsafe. Now she is learning something different.
In the right home, with the right people, this beautiful girl can continue to unfold slowly, gently, and safely into the dog she was always meant to become.
All Shiba Saviors adoptions require active GPS tracking.
Adopters receive a complimentary FI Mini device and six months of service. A $20 activation fee applies.
