Three things to keep in mind when potty training your Shiba Inu | Things you should know about Shiba Inu habits

Have you heard of the Shiba Inu, the only small-sized Japanese dog?

When you think of the Shiba Inu, you think of its striking, perky ears, sharp features, and curly tail!

The Shiba Inu is the only small-sized Japanese dog, known for its brave and obedient nature. It's so devoted to its owner that it's become synonymous with loyalty!

This Japanese dog breed is designated as a national natural monument and is popular both domestically and internationally.

This article focuses on toilet training for Shiba Inu dogs.

When you bring a dog home, you want to teach it to use the toilet, but many owners find it difficult to do so.

Toilet training for Shiba Inu dogs seems to be a little different from other small dogs. Generally, small dogs' toilets are placed inside their playpen, which serves as their nest (sleeping area). However, for Shiba Inu dogs, the toilet needs to be placed away from their playpen.

First, let's take a look at Shiba Inu habits and where to install a litter box!

Shiba Inu Behaviors and Litter Box Locations

When toilet training a Shiba Inu, it's important to place the sleeping area and the toilet area far apart.

This is due to a habit in the dog's roots: if they defecate near their sleeping area, the smell of their excrement would attract predators, so they never defecate near their sleeping area.

Due to this habit, even if a toilet is installed inside an indoor cage, they will not try to defecate inside the cage because it will also be their sleeping area.

For this reason, toilet training often doesn't work well in cages where the toilet area and sleeping area are connected.

Ideally, you should have a separate toilet area from the sleeping area.

If you can't prepare a separate toilet area, create a space and surround it on all four sides to create a toilet area.

This will help your Shiba Inu recognize this space as the toilet and allow it to relieve itself calmly.

The best place to place a litter box is in the corner of a room, such as against a wall! Place it in a place where your Shiba Inu feels comfortable.

The size of the litter box should be adjusted to suit your dog's size and elimination habits, but it's okay if it's a little larger.

How to Potty Train

1. When your dog shows signs of needing to defecate, guide him to the toilet.

Examples of defecation signs

• Sniffing the floor and wandering around
• Running
• Circling around in place, etc.

While it varies by individual, they will usually take some kind of action. Dogs also often defecate after drinking water, playing, or exercising.

2. Call out to your Shiba Inu, such as "One, two, one, two" or "Shhhhh." He may not defecate right away at first, but be patient and wait.

3. Praise him profusely when he defecates! This will teach him that this is good behavior. After a few days of doing this, he'll start going to the toilet and defecate on his own.

Three Things to Keep in Mind When Potty Training Your Shiba Inu

1. Don't get angry if they make a mistake

Never scold them.

Your dog may make a mistake at first. When that happens, don't make a fuss or scold them, just quietly clean it up.

Even if you scold your dog for making an accident, it won't understand that you're scolding it because it did it in a place other than the litter box. Therefore, it will mistake the act of excretion itself for being scolded. This can lead to your dog holding in its pee or hiding its pee from you, making toilet training even more difficult.

Also, if your dog defecates somewhere other than the toilet, any lingering odor can lead to your dog mistaking that place for the "toilet," so it's important to completely eliminate the smell with a deodorizer!

Next time, make sure to prepare the toilet environment to minimize potential mistakes and pay close attention to signs of urination. Managing your Shiba Inu's behavior is also an important factor in successful toilet training!

2. Keep the litter box clean

Shiba Inu dogs are a little more sensitive than other breeds and are very clean!

As soon as your dog is able to use the toilet properly, replace the litter box with a new one.

During toilet training, leaving a lingering urine scent will help encourage your dog to use the toilet and help it recognize the place as the toilet, but Shiba Inu dogs are very clean and will find it difficult to defecate in a dirty litter box. Leaving the toilet unclean can lead to accidents. Also, puppies may accidentally sleep in the toilet, so keep it clean at all times!

3. Wanting to go to the toilet outside

Shiba Inu dogs naturally want to go to the toilet outside as they grow into adults.

Shiba Inu dogs are a breed that retains a strong wildness, so it's natural for them to want to go to the toilet outside. However, if you force them to go to the toilet outside all the time, this will become second nature and they will only be able to go to the toilet outside.

If your dog can only toilet outside, it will have to hold it in for long periods of time when you're away from home. Even in bad weather like typhoons, owners have to take their dog for walks outside to relieve themselves.

While excretion is a natural process and sometimes unavoidable, it's best for owners to try to control their dog's urination as much as possible to avoid it during walks.

For example,

• Let your dog use the litter box inside the house before going for a walk.
• When you go for a walk, avoid areas where the smell of dog feces is likely to accumulate.
• If your dog starts sniffing something like a telephone pole, gently tug on the leash to get its attention.

And so on.

Finally

The speed at which a Shiba Inu learns to use the toilet seems to depend more on the owner's teaching methods and the toilet environment than on individual ability.

Even if your Shiba Inu struggles to remember where the toilet is, don't scold him, just be patient and teach him!

If you keep trying without giving up, he'll probably remember!

Don't forget to praise him when he succeeds!