How to Train a Shiba Inu to Come

The principle behind training your Shiba Inu to come is to give him the general idea that coming when called is likely to land him a big reward. The steps in this method will give you the basic starting point to teaching this behavior. Then, read on to the 'Advanced Skills' section to really get that recall strong and reliable.

The very first step is to associate your recall command with him coming to you. The trick is to get him running your way, and THEN use his recall command. You can usually get your dog to chase you if you start running away. Another trick is to just bribe him with food or a favorite toy. Repeat 10-20 times.

You want to gradually transition as your dog builds some confidence. Incrementally shift to calling earlier and earlier until you are calling BEFORE he is on his way. Likewise, fade lures and bribes. You want to get to the point you are standing still, you call your dog, and he comes to you. This will take some time, but once he has it, you can start adding some challenges to his recall drills.

Distance is the first thing you want to add to any recall drills. You can also move training outside to add even more distance. Make sure to use your long line for safety. Read the 'Advanced Skills' method for more on “proofing” your dog’s recall.

When first training recall, you can ignore failures and focus on making a big deal out of success. However, at some point you will need to add a consequence to a failed recall or your command will not be very strong. Once you make this shift, you will need to continue to enforce the recall every time. In other words, do not use your recall command if you are not prepared to enforce it. A good suggestion for a consequence is a 3-5 minute “time out” in a crate or isolated in a small room after retrieving your dog.

When you add games to your training regimen, it helps you and your Shiba Inu remember that there is no reason training can’t be loads of fun. In the context of training her to come, using games will help her to associate coming to you with fun and exciting vibes. This method will cover several ways to make a game out of your recall training.

With one or more helpers, do a little back and forth recall drill. Keep the tone engaging and exciting, running away at times to encourage a fast run while your dog is doing their recall. This is a really good game to enlist the kids to help learn some leadership with your Shiba Inu.

Once your Shiba Inu is a pro at the Monkey in the Middle game, try holding her at each stop, through the next recall, and for a few seconds after. This will get her wound up to play even harder. This will teach her that recall is most fun when done with some intensity.

A game of hide and seek pairs well with some recall training. Play inside by hiding behind doors or in a different room. Only call once and then you can give her some hints if she needs it. Or, put a long line on and try this game outside for an extra challenge.

This is an important skill to teach your dog: “Bring me what you have in your mouth and not only will you get a bonus reward, you can have your toy back!” This can be critical in an emergency if your dog gets into something she shouldn’t. Start close to your dog when she has a favorite toy. With a treat in your hand, ask her to “drop it” and if necessary, bribe her to drop it with the treat. Once she does, pick up the toy and reward her. Then give her the toy back. Start adding this game to your recall work and you will be teaching your dog a valuable life skill.

You want your Shiba Inu to come when called all the time, not just in your home, yard or regular training space. In order to do that, you will need to do what professional trainers call “proofing.” This will involve adding new environments, people and distractions to your recall practice. The following steps will help you make the most of your recall training.

Go out of your way to take your dog to as many new places as you can so he can work on doing recall training in new environments. Having other people join in on training drills and games will also further reinforce and strengthen this behavior.

It is likely that the most difficult distraction for your Shiba Inu will be small animals that may trigger his prey drive. There are a few ways to work on recall in the presence of such distractions. Always use a long line when working with your Shiba Inu outside. Take him to a large field where small animals are likely to be active in order to proof around potential prey. Another option is to have a cat or bunny in a small carrying crate, calling your dog past this distraction, using the long line to enforce if necessary.

If you have some treats stashed around the house, you can do a surprise recall drill any time of day and be able to reward it. When you practice recall outside of a formal training session, you are teaching your dog that even when he is not expecting a recall, it pays to come when called.

In order to get the fastest and most enthusiastic recalls, at some point you will want to start only rewarding the very best 10% of recalls with very big rewards. This will strengthen your Shiba Inu’s recall, as well as make it faster and reliable.