FluffyWA
Book

Positive training · From eight weeks

Shiba Inu Puppy Training Manual

From 8 Weeks

Harness, lead and reward pouch: build the Shiba Inu's voluntary cooperation alongside physical safety.

29 chapters · English / 中文

Watercolour illustration of a Shiba Inu puppy wearing a green harness beside a lead and reward pouch in a Japanese garden
Harness, lead and reward pouch: build the Shiba Inu's voluntary cooperation alongside physical safety.

Breed profile

Training group
Sled and spitz dogs
Origin
The Shiba Inu originated in Japan as a mountain hunting dog for birds and small animals.
Shoulder height
Approximately 35–41 cm
Weight
Approximately 7–11 kg
Coat
Harsh, straight outer coat with a soft, dense undercoat
Coat care
Seasonal coat shedding needs more frequent, short cooperative brushing sessions. Introduce coat separation, paw checks and dryer sound in tiny voluntary steps, pausing before vocal or avoidance behaviour escalates.
Drive keywords
Independent decision-making · Chase · Small-animal hunting · Environmental vigilance
Handling practice
During seasonal coat shedding, use frequent but very short sessions for brushing, coat separation and dryer sound, with a non-slip surface and a clear option to pause or leave. · During the 8–16 week window, arrange people with varied appearances, movement and voices at a distance where the puppy can eat, leave and recover. Do not require approach, touch or greeting.

General reference range only; individual dogs vary considerably.

Attention is the first cue

Name response & focus

Your puppy’s name has one meaning: “Look at me.” It does not mean “come,” it does not mean “stop,” and it must never become a reprimand.

The name game

  1. Say the name once Choose a random calm moment when the puppy is near you but looking elsewhere.
  2. Mark the turn The instant the puppy turns towards you, mark. Do not wait for a sit or a full approach.
  3. Reward and move on Deliver the reward, then return to normal life. Complete 20 repetitions each day, spread across the whole day.
Watercolour three-step eye-contact exercise using a food lure, marker word and reward
TREAT TO EYES = bring the reward beside your eyes; YES = mark the instant the dog looks; REWARD = deliver the food promptly.

Build voluntary attention

Engage–Disengage

Reward the look you did not ask for

Voluntary attention is more valuable than attention that appears only after a cue. Mark whenever the puppy chooses to glance at you, then gradually practise around a view through the window, another dog or children.

Look at that

Looking is allowed; returning attention pays

Let the puppy look at the trigger. When it finishes looking and turns back, mark and reward. This foundation later helps the puppy disengage from movement, unfamiliar people and social excitement.

Training with FluffyWA

Day school, board & train and private sessions are quoted after a chat, and boarding or daycare can be booked online with live prices.

Book a staySee live prices