Good breed of dog for Japan?

[dimwit]

We are in the progress of finishing our house and my son has decided that he must have a dog. In Canada, we have generally had border collies, shelties or mixes of the two. I don't know how well these breeds handle Japanese summers. Conversely my wife wants to get a shiba but I don't know much about them as pets (i.e. are they very trainable, how is their temperment). Does anyone own a dog here and if so what have been the problems that you've had to face.

[Charles]

[dimwit]

Good, but we are looking for one with a little more personality.

[GuyJean]

I don't know much about indoor dogs, but most Japanese in my neighborhood seem like they only have one breed of dog; golden haired, runted, chubby fox looking thing.. Can't recall the name.. They seem nice.

GJ

[dimwit]

Like this? This is a shiba.

[GuyJean]

Like this? This is a shiba.

Yep! Ha, ha.. Our neighbor has one, and she seems nice.. Seems like everyone has one in my neighborhood.

took a business trip
Down to Florida
I got a room at a Holiday Inn
There was an earthquake in California
Must be the reason why this place was shakin'
Down in the barroom it was
Loaded with servicemen
Elbow to elbow
I said: "Scuze me blood,
Just what is shakin'?"
He say, "Girls on the dance floor
Wrestling in jello"
And the joint was jammin'
From the pumpin' by the D.J.
They were rappin' and clappin'
When up steps Little Sheba
Chorus:
Little Sheba she's as tough as you find
She's the local color burnin' like a Florida Pine
They raise the girls on gator down here
Doncha know
Little sheba she's the favorite one
Everybody's got money on her 9 to 1
They raise the girls on gator down here
Doncha know
Into the ring steps her worthy opponent
A nasty little vixen with a New York vibe
Before Little Sheba could say,
"Welcome to Dixie"
She'd kick all her buttons
And punched out her headlights
And the crowd was reelin'
They were chomping and chanting
They can't believe what they're seein'
Didn't look good for Little Sheba
Chorus
Now to make a long story
Just a little bit longer
Little Sheba was humbled on that humid night
She returned from emergency
With a fistfull of fractures
Our fabled femme fatale
Spoilin' for another fight

GJ

[Greji]

Good, but we are looking for one with a little more personality.

Dimmer, I know you said you'd been the Shetland route, but I sure wouldn't trade!

Sakurako!

[halfnip]

Shiba-inu's are smart dogs and from what I hear are good with kids and trainable. I've personally only ever owned beagles, but although the little buggers have a great personality and are extremely great with kids, they will drive you nuts because their nose is constantly on the ground.

Why not go with one of those little rat dogs that everyone has so you can dress her up nice & pretty?

[james]

my wife has a retarded 13 year old grumpy shih-tzu that's shedding skin that i'd be more than willing to send you, i'll even pay shipping and give you a year supply of dog food for the little fucker.

[Catoneinutica]

Shibas are hands down the cutest breed ever in my book, especially Mame-Shibas, the mini Shibas. I really like their fox-like faces and very Asian almond-shaped eyes. One negative: because their tales curl up, you get to see their bungholes more than you'd prefer. Shelties are also cute, and very intelligent. With both breeds, though, you're talking serious shedding, and you and/or your wife will be spending a lot of time cleaning the vacuum filter and running one of those tape roller things over your clothes.

After a lot of debate, we finally opted for an Italian Greyhound, though it took a while because we wanted a breeder we were personally acquainted with and whom we more-or-less trusted not to be the kind of breeder to inbreed his dogs into oblivion, as is so often the case here.

[Mulboyne]

I've personally only ever owned beagles...

[Catoneinutica]

my wife has a retarded 13 year old grumpy shih-tzu that's shedding skin that i'd be more than willing to send you, i'll even pay shipping and give you a year supply of dog food for the little fucker.

Maaan, the appeal of any shih-tzu completely escapes me. Ugliest dog ever, and not in a comical way, like Chinese Cresteds, just an evil little pug face and and an underbite that remind of that Sacchi Nomura hag.

[halfnip]

Good for Uno........

[halfnip]

Shibas are hands down the cutest breed ever in my book, especially Mame-Shibas, the mini Shibas. I really like their fox-like faces and very Asian almond-shaped eyes. One negative: because their tales curl up, you get to see their bungholes more than you'd prefer. Shelties are also cute, and very intelligent. With both breeds, though, you're talking serious shedding, and you and/or your wife will be spending a lot of time cleaning the vacuum filter and running one of those tape roller things over your clothes.

After a lot of debate, we finally opted for an Italian Greyhound, though it took a while because we wanted a breeder we were personally acquainted with and whom we more-or-less trusted not to be the kind of breeder to inbreed his dogs into oblivion, as is so often the case here.

There's a lady in our mansion that has 2 italian greyhounds or maybe whippets. Only thing is those boys need to get outside and RUN. A simple walk around the block on concrete isn't enough..

Sexy looking dogs though..

[Greji]

Quote:
Originally Posted by halfnip
I've personally only ever owned beagles...

Beagles are quite nice with shoyu and rice!

[Catoneinutica]

There's a lady in our mansion that has 2 italian greyhounds or maybe whippets. Only thing is those boys need to get outside and RUN. A simple walk around the block on concrete isn't enough..

Sexy looking dogs though..

Run and jump. The little f*cker can jump more than his own height - straight up. He's mounted on springs or something, like Tigger.

[Takechanpoo]

[ttjereth]

We are in the progress of finishing our house and my son has decided that he must have a dog. In Canada, we have generally had border collies, shelties or mixes of the two. I don't know how well these breeds handle Japanese summers. Conversely my wife wants to get a shiba but I don't know much about them as pets (i.e. are they very trainable, how is their temperment). Does anyone own a dog here and if so what have been the problems that you've had to face.

I've personally never been fond of Shiba, and if you're not good with training dogs, it might end up being more trouble than it's worth. They can be overly energetic and even pretty aggressive sometimes.

Way too many of my in-laws own them, and they don't like gaijin either, a true Japanese breed (I'm sure it's actually from different smells and such, but I grew up around dogs and have never really had any significant problems getting a dog to like me, but some of the Shiba around me just hate me for some reason. I wouldn't put it past the in-laws or neighbors to be training them that way though ]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiba_Inu#Temperament[/url]

Shibas are generally independent and intelligent dogs. Some owners struggle with obedience training, but like many dogs, socialization at a young age can greatly affect temperament. Traits such as independence and intelligence are often associated with ancient dog breeds, such as the Shiba Inu. Most shibas must always be on a leash, but with the proper upbringing and training, some Shibas are able to be off leash. However because of their tendency to have a strong prey and hunting drive they can be very prey oriented and if it runs away they are very likely to give chase, often ignoring their owner's voice.

The Shiba is a fastidious breed and feels the need to maintain themselves in a clean state. They can often be seen licking their paws and legs much like a cat. They generally go out of their way to keep their coats clean, and while walking will avoid stepping in puddles, mud and dirt. Because of their fastidious nature, the Shiba puppy is easy to housebreak and in many cases will housebreak themselves. Having their owner simply place them outside after meal times and naps is generally enough to teach the Shiba the appropriate method of toileting.[8]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiba_Inu#_note-cratetraining
A distinguishing characteristic of the breed is the so-called "shiba scream". When sufficiently provoked or unhappy, the dog will produce a loud, high pitched scream. This can occur when attempting to handle the dog in a way that it deems unacceptable.[1][9] [10] The animal may also emit a very similar sound during periods of great joy, such as the return of the owner after an extended absence, or the arrival of a favored human guest.



Recent DNA analysis confirms that this is one of the oldest and most "primitive" dog breeds[11], dating back to the third century B.C.
Originally, the Shiba Inu was bred to hunt and flush small game. However, it is now primarily kept as a pet both in Japan and Abroad. [12]

Health

Health conditions known to affect this breed are glaucoma, cataracts, hip dysplasia, and luxating patella.[15] Shibas are also prone to food allergies. Epilepsy is also becoming common in several bloodlines in Australia and the USA. Overall; however, they are of great genetic soundness and few shibas are diagnosed with genetic defects in comparison to other dog breeds.[citation needed] Their average life expectancy is 12 to 15 years.[14]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiba_Inu#_note-5stardog

[dimwit]

That wiki entry on shibas is fun as dog intelligence is often defined by how trainable a dog is.

I had a beagle once. It was food friendly and spent most of it's going around the neighbourhood mouching for in between meal snacks.

A mutt is a possiblity depending on whether we can find a good one.