KITSUNE is a spayed female Shiba Inu. DOB is 07/10/2009. She is very small for her breed at only 13 pounds. She used to be very dominant, until Juju came into the picture. She is very "weird." She'll just stare at you, and if you don't give her affection, she'll throw a little fit. She'll squirm around on the ground, while she grunts. She is very food motivated, and will sometimes whine because she gets so excited over treats. She knows how to: sit, lay down, stay, come, give you her paw, give you a high five, and back up. She's very good on a leash; barely any pulling. When we're at home, she is submissive to her younger Shiba-sibling. When we're out, she is the more dominant one. She loves all people. She approaches people in a very sweet way and will ask for pets. She is an attention-hog and wins the hearts of many. She's good with kids; they can pull on her tag, be rough with her, but she remains sweet and calm. She used to be so good with all dogs (big or small) and went to the dog park five days a week--she ran around with the Rottweilers, rolled around with the Pit Bulls, and race the Grey Hounds & Whippets. One day last summer, she got attacked by five dogs (Pit Bulls and Labs--nothing against either breed, just mentioning so you can get an idea of the size difference) and lost a lot of confidence. She used to be very skiddish and snappy towards other dogs. Slowly, her confidence is coming back, but she is still weary of new dogs. She tenses up around other dogs very easily, and tends to snap if they get "in her face." Overall, she is a very affectionate (towards people) dog, good with tricks, but still unsure of other dogs.
JUJU is a spayed female Shiba Inu. Her DOB is 02/22/2010. She is 17/18 pounds and built more stocky than her Shiba-sibling Kitsune. She is the more dominant dog, at home. She plays very rough (which Shiba owners say is very typical for the breed) and is very vocal. She is the more obedient dog of the two--with or without treats. She is food aggressive, and possessive of her toys. If she is playing with a toy, and Kitsune tries to take it, she will growl at her. During feeding time, whether separated or together, Juju growls and lunges at her Shiba-sibling on a daily basis. When we're out, she becomes very shy towards new people. She does not like to be pet by strangers, and will back away, but never bites. I've noticed that she will watch Kitsune to see how she acts towards people, and will sometimes copy her behavior. She is very affectionate with people she knows, but when people come over, she gets so excited that she jumps up on them and nips their butt. She pulls like a sled dog on walks, but is very responsive to a firm "leash tug." She is curious when it comes to other dogs, but a bit shy. On walks, if we run into another dog, Kitsune's energy tends to rub off on her. Overall, Juju is a very cuddly dog (to people she knows), shy towards strangers/new dogs, and "bad" (for lack of a better word) during feeding time.
I love both my girls equally. Both of my 'inus' have been through beginner & obedience class, and I exercise them vigorously. I have read many books, many dog magazines, am a part of many Shiba Inu groups and forums, and looked up numerous websites regarding these quirky behaviors, but remain frustrated. I work so hard to train them, but it seems like it's always "1 step forward, 2 steps back" with them. I am trying to stay positive and not lose hope, but that's easier said than done. They are my babies, my world, but when they act up, especially in public, I get so embarrassed...
I love them!
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