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Shiba Inu Play: Fun Games to Play with Your Shiba Inu |
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Here are some important things to remember while playing with your Shiba Inu:
 1. Flirt Pole
A flirt pole is a simple pole/handle that is connected to a rope which has a toy at the end of it. You may create your own flirt pole or simply buy one (just do a Google search to find places that sell them). I made my own flirt pole by attaching rope to a wooden drain plunger handle. I then attached Premier Tennis Tail to the end of the rope. This Premier toy works well with the flirt pole because my Shiba Inu absolutely loves chasing the fox-like-tail on the toy. With the flirt pole, you may exercise your Shiba Inu while not having to overly exert yourself. Note that flirt poles are used to raise and train prey drive in dogs. Hunting dogs (i.e. Shiba Inus) will love this activity. However, flirt poles are also used to train fighting dogs. It increases their prey drive and coordination. As a result, please ensure that your Shiba Inu does not start misbehaving when you start using the flirt pole with him. If he starts showing aggressive behavior, then stop playing this game with him at once. 2. Water Hose
Just like the flirt pole, the water hose can also be used to create a fun chasing game for your Shiba Inu. Just set your water hose nozzle so that it shoots out a jet of water, then move the jet around for your Shiba Inu to chase. The big advantage of this game is that you can use it to give your Shiba Inu a bath. My Shiba Inu hates going into the bathtub. He is so stressed, he won't even eat food. In contrast, he loves the water hose game and doesn't mind getting sprayed with water while playing the game. Just make sure you spray it on him from farther away so that the force of the water is not too great. Stop from time to time and do some commands to make sure your Shiba Inu is not overly excited. Make sure he doesn't jump on you or the hose during the game. Naturally, if your dog doesn't enjoy water then this game is not for you. Note that your Shiba Inu may get somewhat obsessed with this game which has some similarity with the laser dot game. It is best not to play the laser dot game with your dog because he may develop behavior disorders. The water hose game is a bit different because the jet of water clearly comes from the hose and your dog can actually catch it, feel it, and drink it. Nevertheless, your Shiba Inu may still get obsessed with and want to attack the hose. If he exhibits any such attacking behavior then enforce strict game rules or stop playing this game with him. 3. Tug of War
I do not play tug with my Shiba Inu because he gets too excited and reactive even with stringent tug rules. My Shiba Inu will follow the rules during the tug game but after the game is over, he exhibits rough play behavior with me when we do other activities, e.g. walking. For example, he started leash biting again after I played tug with him. If, after playing tug, your Shiba Inu starts to play roughly with any member of your household, cease tug games altogether. The best tug playmate for my Shiba Inu is another dog. That way, my Shiba Inu knows that rough play is acceptable with another dog but never acceptable with a human. At the same time, he has an outlet for his rough play desires.
Catch: Throw a small ball to your dog so that he can easily catch it. Make sure the ball is small enough that your dog can easily catch it in his mouth, but not so small that he can accidentally swallow it. Once your dog gets the idea, you can make the tosses more difficult. You can also play this with a Frisbee, especially if you have a large play space. If your dog really enjoys playing catch, consider training him for disc dog.
Football/Soccer: Here you kick the ball away from your dog and get him to chase after it. Once he gets to it let him play with it for a bit, then kick or step it away from him again. It is best to use a larger ball that is not easy to puncture/deflate. I have found the soft-rubber Jolly balls to be quite durable. The larger size makes it difficult for your dog to keep the ball in his mouth and chew on it. It also makes it easier for you to tackle the ball away from your dog. Some dogs, like my Siberian Husky, prefer chasing after squeaky balls. You may also dab a small amount of peanut butter on the ball, to make it more desirable.
Firstly make sure your dog has a good Drop command. Give your dog a fairly low priority and safe toy. When he takes it in his mouth, bring a high priority treat to his nose and say Drop. Chances are he will drop the toy to try and get at the treat. As soon as he drops the toy, mark the behavior (i.e. say Yes), give him the treat, and give him back the toy. Let him play with the toy for a bit before repeating the exercise. If your dog is refusing to drop objects, then try using a higher priority treat. If instead he mouths on you, then do a time-out. Do not overtax your dog. End the session early and on a positive note so that your dog will be motivated to play this game again. Repeat this exercise until you get a good, reliable drop. Next, give your dog a toy. Once he holds it in his mouth, move a few steps away and call him to you. Give him a lot of encouragement for taking steps towards you, and praise him profusely for coming to you. Give him the Drop command when he gets to you, and give him many treats initially for doing this right.
Once you are comfortable with this exercise, try throwing the fetch toy for just a very short distance. If your dog just ignores the toy, then try using a more interesting squeaky toy, or try coaxing your dog towards the toy with treats and lots of praise. If your dog comes back with the toy, then awesome, but more often than not your dog will run to it and then come back without the toy. Your dog may even take the toy and go play with it somewhere else or tease you with it. Have patience and treat with a high priority item every time he goes in the right direction. If he comes back without the toy, you can try and give a non-mark (e.g. Uh-oh) as soon as he drops the toy. Then use the Take it command and offer the toy to your dog again. Once he has the toy in his mouth, walk a few steps back, call to him enthusiastically and make sure to praise when he moves towards you. If your dog runs off to play with the toy or decides to play catch me if you can with it, then a higher priority treat or item may solve the problem. Alternatively, you may try a lower priority fetch toy. Note that not all dogs like playing fetch. My Shiba Inu is not very interested in fetch. He may do it a few times but he very quickly loses interest, Listen to your dog, and do not force him to play the game if he doesn't really enjoy it. 5. Dog Competition Sports Getting your Shiba Inu involved in dog sports such as agility training, disc dog, flyball, and lure coursing can also be a lot of fun. It is a good way for your Shiba Inu to be around other dogs, but be focused on you and the activity, rather than the other dogs or the environment. For dogs who are more human focused and less dog focused, dog sports is a much better activity than taking your dog to the dog park. Your local SPCA will probably have some classes in dog sports. If not, check out the Association of Pet Dog Trainers to find a dog trainer near you who teaches dog sports. Choose a dog sport based on your Shiba Inu's temperament and preferences. Shiba Inus are hunting dogs, so they are generally more interested in prey games, e.g. lure coursing. My Shiba is totally uninterested in "fetch" so disc dog and flyball are out. He will do some agility, but only when he feels like it. Other fun ways to exercise your Shiba Inu and keep him happy and healthy include dog walking, dog parks, dog daycare, and obedience training. Remember that in all things, keep it fun and upbeat. This will make everyone happy, and enhance your relationship with your dog. A busy, and tired Shiba, is a good Shiba! |
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Copyright © Mei Chuah 2007-Present. All rights reserved. |
Note that if you want to play tug of war with your Shiba Inu make sure he follows clear tug rules because it is a dominance game. Make sure you control the start and end of the game. Start with a command such as Take it or Tug to indicate that it is fine to grab the toy. End with a Drop command. If during the game your dog should lose grip of the toy, make sure that he doesn't try to lunge or bite at it again until you give the Take it or Tug command. If he does so, give a non-mark (Uh-oh) then the Drop command to stop the game. Take a short break or do some obedience commands before restarting. If during the game your Shiba Inu gets his teeth on you, then give a non-mark (Uh-oh), and stop the game right away, followed by a short break. If your dog fails to drop the toy on a Drop command then stop playing with him. Hold the toy still, close to his muzzle, so you are not playing tug with him anymore. Eventually, it will become boring, and your dog will drop the toy. If he chooses to mouth on your hands instead, non-mark him (No), give him a 
There are a variety of fun ball games you can play with your Shiba Inu. Depending on your Shiba Inu's temperament, he may be more or less interested in the different games listed below. Try out a variety of games, so that you pick ones that your dog most enjoys. 
Fetch: Fetch is a wonderful obedience game. However, it is difficult to teach, and it is best if you go slowly and in small steps. It also is best if you already have some obedience commands in hand, including Drop, as well as a mark and a non-mark (a mark e.g. Yes, Good indicates that your dog is doing the right thing while a non-mark e.g. Uh-oh, indicates that your dog is going in the wrong direction). 
