Socializing your Shiba can sometimes be a difficult process. Shibas are not submissive and will not surrender even to a larger dog; Shibas like to play rough and wrestle; and Shibas will bully other dogs if they can get away with it. My Shiba gets along much better with larger, playful dogs, who also like to wrestle. I never let him play with smaller adult dogs because he will very quickly scare them. Puppies seem to be more tolerant, are more submissive, and are usually happy to play rough with him, so he has fun playing with smaller puppies. (To the left, my little Siberian puppy is showing my Shiba who is boss! ^.^) While socializing your Shiba, you must also deal with other dog owners, and many people are uncomfortable with the rough and tumble style of Shibas. A Shiba's playing style can sometimes appear to be quite fierce, with lots of teeth. It is best to keep your Shiba away from fearful people and their dogs as they will likely project bad energy that may trigger bad behavior amongst the dogs. It is important not to socialize your Shiba with unbalanced dogs and unbalanced owners, as they may teach/cause your Shiba to practice bad behaviors (e.g. biting and pulling another dog's collar, resource guarding, fearful aggression). Just as it is important to screen your children's friends, it is important to screen your Shiba's friends.

Shibas do not generally like having dogs come unannounced into their space. Many other guard breeds have the same issue, e.g., the German Shepard. If your Shiba has this preference, you should protect him from strange dogs. Tell other dog owners not to come too near because your Shiba is wary of new dogs. Suzanne Clothier describes this issue very well in her article "He just wants to say hi". My Shiba is reactive to other dogs so I am very careful when socializing him. He is always supervised when he is with other dogs, and he is not allowed to bully or hump. For reactive dogs, it is best to introduce them slowly to other dogs and to have one-on-one play dates, where it is easier to supervise and where there is less excitement and uncontrolled behavior. Some options for socialization include:

Dog playgroups are usually organized by training facilities or dog day care facilities. The advantage of a playgroup compared to the dog park is that these sessions are usually supervised, and owners are usually very conscientious about cleaning up after their dog and making sure that their dog is behaving properly. Dogs in these playgroups also tend to be more balanced because they are more socialized compared to the average neighborhood dog. The disadvantage is that playgroups usually only occur weekly or monthly, and at a specific time; whereas a dog park is open at all times. If you are uncomfortable having your Shiba in a group of dogs, it may be possible to set up one-on-one play sessions with a nearby training facility or SPCA.

My Shiba likes interacting with other dogs, but he is very hyper and reactive. As a result, many dogs are not comfortable with his somewhat extreme, puppyish, interaction style. It was just inappropriate to put him in with many new dogs simultaneously, so we set up one-on-one play sessions with our nearby SPCA. The SPCA had a nice supply of new dogs and they did a really good job in choosing dogs with playful personalities that would get along with my Shiba. The sessions were also supervised by one of their trainers, so it worked out well. The disadvantage is the cost of these sessions.

If you have a backyard, invite balanced dogs over to have one-on-one playgroups. My Siberian is a much more submissive and easy-going dog, so I use her as an ambassador to get to know other dogs and their owners. I bring her to playgroups and classes. If I meet someone that I think is suitable for my Shiba, I invite them over for a play date.

Dog Daycare

If you are going to be away all day, doggie day care may be just the thing for your Shiba. While Shibas may be aloof and independent, they generally like being with their humans. When you are away, consider putting your Shiba at a day care center where he gets to enjoy doggie and human company. This will also help to socialize your Shiba and increase his confidence when facing new people and dogs. Leaving your Shiba alone all day may cause him to get destructive, and bring about separation anxiety and under socialization issues. Note that daycare centers are very different from the usual boarding kennels because they have many playgroups during the day where your Shiba may interact with other dogs. They also have nicer facilities, and trained staff to supervise your Shiba. Make sure to thoroughly check out the daycare facilities and their staff before enrolling your Shiba. Ensure that the dog playgroups are not too large and are well supervised, otherwise bad fights may occur or your Shiba may get harassed by the other dogs. Also make sure that staff members do not use aversive training techniques that are inappropriate for your Shiba, e.g. collar corrections, alpha rolls, etc. Rather than helping to socialize your dog, these bad experiences may make your dog fearful and aggressive towards other dogs and humans. Finally, daycare centers have a large number of dogs. While they require dogs to be properly immunized, they are not always careful about separating dogs who have the cold or flu. Unless your dog has a strong immunity system, he may get sick. Daycare costs can also be somewhat high.

I have only put my Shiba into daycare twice, each time for about 8 hours. Both of those times he was really stressed and did not really enjoy himself. He also got sick and was depressed and reverse sneezing for days afterwards. For some Shibas (like mine ^.^) it is necessary to introduce them slowly to daycare. First, I am bringing my Shiba for 1-hour play sessions at the daycare center (where I will also be present). If that goes well, I may start leaving him there by himself for 1-2 hours, and then slowly lengthen the time. It is important to observe your Shiba carefully after putting him in daycare to see if he actually likes it.

Dog parks are free and open all day long. An enclosed dog park gives your Shiba the ability to have off-leash time in a fairly large space. Shibas really need to have off-leash time to do their Shiba running and get rid of excess energy. If you do not have a backyard, an enclosed dog park may be a good place for your Shiba to run free. On-leash walks alone (3 hours daily), were insufficient to drain my active Shiba. Unfortunately, it may be difficult to find a good dog park with responsible dog owners. Unless you find a good park, your Shiba may get into fights, get injured, or develop fear and aggression problems.

When involved in a dog fight, your dog may attack a person (usually when the person is trying to stop the ongoing dog fight), attack other dogs, or get hurt by other dogs. Once your dog has had some bad experiences with dog fights, he may become aggressive when he sees another dog. Dog fights usually occur because of irresponsible owners. The most common problems you may see in a dog park include:

• People who focus on socializing with others and pay no attention to their dog. When in a dog park, most of your attention should be on your dog. If any problems should start to arise, stop your dog from getting involved.
• People who bring dominant aggressive and fearful aggressive dogs. Some dogs are just not appropriate for dog parks. Dominant dogs can become aggressive when they perceive their dominance is being challenged. Fearful dogs can become aggressive when they think they are in danger, e.g. being surrounded by other dogs, body contact by other dogs, etc. If your dog has gotten aggressive with other dogs before (i.e. been in a fight or bitten other dogs), it is best not bring him to the dog park until he is fully rehabilitated. Fix dog aggression problems in a lower stress environment and not in a dog park. Even in the absence of aggressive dogs, problems may occur. Some dogs dislike rough play, some dogs dislike barking, some dogs dislike being chased, etc. A dog may just dislike another for no discernable reason. It is crucial to always be on alert and diffuse problems before they escalate into a fight.
• People who "correct" other people's dogs with forceful aversive techniques, e.g. neck shake, slaps, alpha rolls. DO NOT correct other people's dogs. If you do so, you WILL GET BITTEN sooner or later. If your dog gets involved in a disagreement (before it escalates into a fight) just separate your dog from the others. Make a loud noise to briefly distract the dogs, and remove your own dog from the group. Use your legs to body block the other dogs if necessary. If the dogs are already in a fight, then definitely DO NOT introduce more aggression into an already explosive situation by manhandling unknown dogs. Refer to How to Break Up a Dog Fight by Ed Frawley. Someone at the dog park once told me "You have to shake/slap the dogs when you separate them, to show them who is boss, or they will bite you." That is one of the most stupid things I have ever heard in my life! Doing so will definitely get you bitten, and you would deserve it!
• People who bring really young children who do not know how to interact with dogs. Young children often scare or attract the dogs by shouting at them and then run away like prey. Because of their size and their fast movements, small children may trigger prey drive in dogs. This may cause otherwise calm dogs, with good temperament, to chase and even nip or bite the child. For the safety of the child and the dogs, do not bring young children (below 10) to the dog park. If you want to bring your child, please make sure he/she knows how to interact with dogs. Absolutely no teasing and no running around. A small child may also be easily knocked over by dogs who are running or wrestling.
  

The quality of a dog park depends on the people who frequent the dog park. If you want to explore this possibility get all the information you can and make sure to visit the park before bringing your dog. I am not a big proponent of dog parks because all it takes is one irresponsible owner and his unbalanced, under socialized dog, to start a fight. If your Shiba absolutely loves playing with other dogs, then consider daycare, dog walking, or inviting dogs over to your house. A dog park can be very stressful on both you and your dog. If your dog just wants to play fetch with you, or if your dog is older and just wants some peace and quiet, please do not bring him to the dog park. Why subject him to the torture? In such circumstances, an off-leash trail, a large unenclosed dog park, or a large school field will probably make your dog much happier. 

I have brought my Shiba a fair number of times (> 20 times) to 4 different dog parks. He was always very closely supervised in the park and we always stopped him from humping and other anti-social behaviors. It was difficult to keep an active Shiba out of trouble. Sometimes, our Shiba would redirect and mouth on us when we tried to separate him from other dogs. In all our dog park experiences, our Shiba only got into one almost-fight with another male Shiba. There were no injuries, and no breaking of skin, but it was an unpleasant experience for everyone involved. Even though we had already gotten hold of our Shiba, the other owner grabbed him by the scruff and wanted to shake him. We, of course, made him stop. My Shiba is quite reactive and I have decided to stop bringing him to dog parks. Given his personality and his interaction style, it is just too dangerous to have him mingle with a large number of unknown dogs and sometimes irresponsible humans. Also, he was learning bad habits (e.g. redirecting and mouthing on us). Unless your Shiba is very balanced and you have good off-leash control of him, a dog park is generally a bad idea, IMHO. It is much better to go with the playgroups, daycare, and group dog walking if you want to socialize your Shiba.

Group dog walks may be a good way to socialize your Shiba if he is uncomfortable being in a large group of dogs. Dog walks usually have a maximum of about 6 dogs per walk and is therefore a less stressful social environment for your Shiba. This smaller group also makes it less likely that your Shiba will get sick (unlike daycare and dog parks). Walks are also a lot more structured, well supervised, and conducted in an interesting environment (e.g. an outdoor park). This means that your Shiba has other things to focus on, and he need not obsess on the other dogs. It is also good training for your Shiba to walk together with a pack of dogs. The most important thing to ensure in these group walks is the skill and personality of the dog walker. Make sure that the dog walker is able to handle your Shiba without resorting to forceful aversive techniques. Make sure the personality of the walker matches well with that of your Shiba. Unfortunately, most dog walkers use aversive training techniques and/or are unable to control a difficult Shiba without resorting to force. I have seen many dog walkers who alpha roll their dogs, and insist on using choke chains (which are especially dangerous for Shibas because they have short tracheas and a choke chain correction may injure your Shiba).

I have tried group dog walking once with my Shiba. Unfortunately, during that time, I was still using aversive training techniques, so I picked a walker that also practiced such techniques. Needless to say, things didn't go well. The walker was unable to control my Shiba, and my Shiba hated the constant punishments used. My Shiba started behaving badly with us as well as with the walker. After 2 weeks, the walker wanted to switch to using a choke chain from a prong collar. Note that even though a prong collar may look like an extreme torture device, it is much safer to use than a choke chain. In any case, it is best to not use collar corrections on your Shiba and stick to a nice cotton collar. Since then I have talked to several more dog walkers, but they all say that aversive techniques are necessary in dog walking. They tell me that when controlling 6 dogs, the walker does not have enough time or attention to use anything other than time efficient aversive techniques for dealing with a misbehaving canine. Here is an article from the San Francisco SPCA on choosing a good dog walker. If you cannot find a good walker, it is best to stick to the doggie playgroups and daycare. Just make sure that the playgroups and daycare do not also use aversive techniques ^.^ . The incident with the dog-walker cost me some big trust points that are very difficult to earn from a Shiba.

Neighborhood walks are a great way to socialize your Shiba to people. Walking can also help with obedience and bonding. You may walk your Shiba on a loose leash or in a heel position. It is best to keep your Shiba on a loose leash for most of your walk and to only put him on the heel position when you need greater control (.e.g. when you see another dog; when you see a cat, squirrel, or other small animal; when young children are around; or during any other situation that your dog may be reactive to). Shibas enjoy roaming around and smelling social markers (dog urine) left by other dogs, and they can easily do this on a loose leash. Being on a heel position all the time is probably more boring than death for a dog. For a fun walking experience for both you and your Shiba, keep him on a loose leash.

In addition to neighborhood walks, it can also be lots of fun to go hiking with your Shiba. Note that different parks or different trails within a park may have different leash rules (on-leash or off-leash). Shibas should always be on-leash but the type of trail you are on will determine whether other dogs can freely come up to your Shiba or not. You may need to try out several different parks and different trails within the park before finding one that suits you and your Shiba. Hiking can also be a great, low stress, way to socialize your Shiba to both people and other dogs. Unlike enclosed dog parks, hiking parks are larger and have a lower density of people and dogs. In hiking parks, owners are usually close to their dogs and are better able to control them. Hiking trails also offer an interesting environment for your Shiba to explore.

Getting your Shiba involved in doggie sports such as agility training, disc dog, flyball, and lure coursing can be a whole lot of fun. It is a good way for your Shiba to be around other dogs, but be focused on a different activity than just playing. Doggie sports can also improve your Shiba's obedience and strengthen your bond. It is also a great way for your Shiba to burn off extra energy. For dogs who are more human focused and less dog focused, doggie sports is a much better activity than taking your dog to the dog park. Your local SPCA will probably have some classes in doggie sports. If not, check out the Association of Pet Dog Trainers to find all the dog trainers near you. Also check out the American Dog Trainer's Network for more on doggie sports.

Shibas 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!