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When looking to pet a dog, everyone wants one that can show affection in various ways.
Now, if you’re a new Shiba owner or want to pet one, you might want to know whether they’re affectionate dogs or not. However, most studies about Shibas suggest that they have a cat-like personality and aren’t the best pets if you want affection.
As a result, you’d want to know, are Shibas affectionate?
Shibas are affectionate when they want to be and do it on their own time. They show affection in ways such as tail wagging, pawning, and kisses. If your Shiba doesn’t show you affection, you can make him do it by expressing more love and care. Male Shibas might be slightly more affectionate than female Shibas.
Let’s explore more about Shibas affection and show you how you can make your Shiba more affectionate to you.
Table of Contents
Are Shibas Affectionate?
As said above, Shiba Inus can be affectionate but only do it when they want. Therefore, don’t expect your Shiba Inus to show you affection all the time; it won’t happen.
Mostly, Shibas show affection when you’re back home from a long day out. That’s when you’ll get tail wags, zombies, and airplane-like ears.
Besides, your Shiba ensures to stay in the general vicinity when you’re around.
What’s more, they’re more independent dogs, strong-willed, and act based on their instincts. However, when your Shiba Inu feels like showing affection to you, he’ll walk straight up to you and do it.
Shiba Inus only show affection towards their owners and like choosing a favorite person.
On a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is the highest level of affection while 1 is the lowest level, I’d give Shibas a 7. That’s because they aren’t the type of dog you’ll cuddle with all the time.
At most times, Shiba Inus are aloof and independent and can ignore your instructions.
For example, when a Shiba Inu wants to cuddle and show affection, he’ll come straight to you, wagging his tail or looking at you in a friendly manner to suggest it. From there, you can begin to rub his belly.
When he’s tired of cuddling, he immediately walks away. I’ll confidently say Shiba Inus like balancing their time, in that they spend most of their time alone and some bit of time near you.
From my own experience, I can tell Shiba Inus shows affection from time to time. Besides, when they don’t feel like doing it, you can’t convince them either. Their decision is final.
Apart from Shibas affection, you might want to read our post on, are Shiba Inus loyal?
Are Shibas Affectionate: How Do Shibas Show Affection?
Shiba Inus show affection in several ways, which you might overlook if you’re not a keen guy. Here, we’ll show you some signs that your Shiba is affectionate.
- Showing Excitement When You’re Back Home
- Looking at You Direct in The Eyes
- Following You Around the Yard
- Licking and Leaning on You for Long
- Giving You Their Toys
Let’s explore each in detail;
1. Showing Excitement When You’re Back Home
Every time you come back home, the feeling of meeting your pet and hugging one another is exceptional. Besides, that’s one way you can tell if your pet is affectionate.
Therefore, if you walk into the house and your Shiba is first to run towards you, you both have a special connection. Shiba’s don’t pretend or fake it. If they don’t like you, everyone will easily know.
For that reason, if your Shiba acts friendly when he sees you, that’s a sign of affection.
2. Looking at You Direct in The Eyes
You probably don’t know this! When your Shiba Inu stares directly into your eyes with the head leaning on one side, that’s a sign of affection. Besides, that’s a sign of trust.
You can only relate the eye contact with affection when it’s mutual. At times, when your Shiba Inu feels threatened, staring at your eyes is a means of communication.
However, if he stares at you in the eyes and sits on his butt, that tells how affectionate your Shiba Inu is.
3. Following You Around the Yard
Shiba Inu are independent dogs and hardly follow what you’re doing. In addition, they’re good at ignoring you.
Nevertheless, when your Shiba Inus keeps following you as you move around your homestead, that’s a sign of affection. Most Shiba Inus would get bored and get back to their activities.
Following you is an act of companion that shows your Shiba feels comfortable and secure near you.
4. Licking and Leaning on You for Long
As said above, Shiba Inus find most things boring unless they choose what to do by themself. That means they hardly have time to stay close to you and start licking and leaning on you.
Therefore, if your Shiba Inus constantly leans on you while licking your toes or face, it shows he’s affectionate. It’s not normal for Shiba to stick around for long.
They only stick around for a short duration and rush away to do what seems interesting to them.
So, if you have your Shiba stay close to you for a longer duration, that’s simply a sign of affection.
5. Giving You Their Toys Shows Your Shibas Affectionate
Shiba Inus give their toys to only people they trust and possibly have affection for. Therefore, if you see your Shiba bring forth his toys, he has affection for you.
This action shows that he trusts you, for one, and second, he feels secure around you. Shiba Inus don’t just interact with anyone. They stay close to people they think are of no harm to them.
Also, this shows you they take you as the leader and want to show utmost respect to you. In fact, this is uncommon in Shiba’s; if you experience it, consider yourself lucky.
How To Make Your Shiba Affectionate?
Although there’s no perfect answer to this question, there are some ways you can boost the bond with your Shiba. A strong bond with him creates room for him to show affection.
They include;
- Engaging In Fun Activities Together
- Taking Him for A Walk Often
- Always Stay Calm Even When He Does the Wrong Thing
- Communicate With Him
- Be Consistent with Your Behavior and Fair All the Time
It’s time to dive into each;
1. Engaging In Fun Activities Together For Affection
You should engage in different fun activities with your Shiba Inus; this helps you bond and attract his affection. Some examples of fun activities you can play together are toss and fetch games.
There’s enough time to get along with one another as you play. Therefore, consider playing once to thrice every day with your Shiba Inus; it builds a strong bond.
As your Shiba Inu learns to enjoy your company, his affection towards you grows more and more.
2. Taking Him for A Walk Often
Do you take your Shiba Inus out for a walk when you’re free and have the time? It’s one of the essential activities Shiba Inus owners ignore.
Don’t be like other people; take your Shiba Inus for a walk frequently. That way, you get time to bond and understand his behavior better.
Besides, your Shiba Inus gets to learn many things through you.
From there, your Shiba Inu always considers you an essential and trustworthy person in his life.
3. Always Stay Calm Even When He Does the Wrong Thing
One thing we mess up is showing anger to our dogs. You shouldn’t show anger to your dog at any given time.
Also, never yell at your Shiba Inus or punish him. Take time and be patient enough with him. Don’t be all over jamming if your Shiba doesn’t seem to get your training.
Stay calm and exercise patience. If you’re calm with your Shiba Inu, he’ll also remain calm and try to adhere to your instructions.
4. Communicate With Him (Boost Your Shibas Affectionate)
Communication is essential when handling your Shiba Inu. Remember, when you fail to communicate, your Shiba won’t understand how you want him to behave.
As such, make communication essential and use a specific command for a particular action. Don’t mix up commands when instructing your Shiba Inu.
Instead, ensure to guide him using your hands on what to do as you attempt to communicate.
5. Be Consistent with Your Behavior and Fair All the Time
Consistency is important when it comes to handling Shiba Inus. Only through consistency can your dog learn your intentions.
Therefore, if you’re consistent with something, your Shiba Inu will be quick to catch up with you. Also, maintain the same energy when handling your Shiba Inus.
Shiba can feel your energy through the leash. So, train yourself to maintain the proper energy when handling him. Don’t have fear or anger in you when doing the training.
That way, your Shiba Inus can tell you have no bad intentions. So, the affection between both of you keeps growing.
If you live in an apartment, you might want to read our post on, are Shiba Inus good apartment dogs?
Are Male or Female Shibas More Affectionate?
I find male Shiba Inus easier to handle and more affectionate. Besides, they’re more outgoing, giving you a chance to bond with them more and enhance affection.
If you’re a new or aspiring owner of Shiba Inus, you’d better go for a male one. Female Shibas have territorial issues and sudden attitude changes, which require experience to handle.
Due to their friendliness and social nature, male Shibas have higher chances of showing affection than females. But, don’t forget that males are more aggressive with other dogs.
Unlike males, female Shibas are more aloof, especially with strangers. Besides, they’re more curious and less bold than males.
Female Shibas are the exact copy of cats. They shy away from people and easily fall victim to the slightest distraction.
From my experience, female Shibas show you love and affection as long as their nothing more interesting around.
Do Shiba Inu Like cuddling As A Sign Of Affection?
Shiba Inus can be cuddly; however, it all narrows down to the personality. As we all know, Shiba Inus aren’t the supper cuddly dogs.
However, Shibas tend to become cuddlier as they age. Therefore, expect your Shiba to become more friendly and calm as the years pass. When young, Shibas hardly show affection since they don’t even calm down.
Moreover, others have their Shibas cuddly without any training efforts.
Therefore, it all depends on your Shibas personality. If you’re looking to own one soon, you need to look for the best breeder. Most breeders currently target the visual appeal and forget about the traits.
Take away message here is that you can’t force your Shiba Inu to be cuddly when he doesn’t feel like it. You can only join in when he becomes incredibly sweet and starts jumping up on the couch.
So, when you attempt to cuddle your Shiba, and he walks away, leave him alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Shibas clingy?
Shiba Inus can sometimes be clingy, especially when begging for your attention.
For example, your Shiba might soon want to join you inside the house a couple of minutes after you leave him outside.
However, note that your Shiba might be clingy and not want you to touch him at the same time. Shibas become clingy due to the sudden change of environment or when they want you to do something for them.
Are Shibas Friendly When Affectionate?
Shiba Inus are super friendly and have a lot of energy with them. So, they’re so close to their owner and the family members.
However, they aren’t friendly with strangers. I’d say it’s because they’re territorial and possessive hence fear strangers.
Do Shiba Inu Like to Play Fetch?
Yes. Although Shiba Inus are cat-like and have a mind of their own, they’re super active and like playing fetch games.
However, Shibas fall victim to slight distractions around. Therefore, they’ll likely lose interest in the fetch game and start doing something of their own.
How Often Do Shibas Like to Cuddle in A Day?
Shiba Inus like to cuddle but not all the time. Depending on your availability, they do it when they feel like it, once a day or so.
Be keen to let your Shiba show you signs that he wants to cuddle. This can be laying beside you with the belly and legs up or sleeping on your lap.
Concluding Sentiments on, are Shibas Affectionate?
Shiba Inus are affectionate; however, this depends on their willingness to show it. They’ll only show affection when they feel like doing so.
As such, you don’t have to force your Shiba to be affectionate. Besides, some Shiba breeds don’t show affection at all. If your Shiba Inu shows affection, reciprocate this act of kindness.
So you know, Shibas show affection using several actions such as tail wagging, curling around you, jumping up and down the couch when you come back home, and staring at you with airplane years.
Thankfully, if you’re friendly, loving, and caring to your Shiba, then he’ll often show affection.