Shiba Inus are the smallest of all other original spitz breeds that originated in Japan. These double-coated furry dogs are not so easy to train. They are extremely mischievous and are barely still in a particular place for long.
Shiba Inus were originally bred for hunting smaller prey like birds and small animals like rabbits. This is so because they are pretty small for hunting big prey. However, they can jump pretty high compared to their height.
How High Can Shiba Inus Jump?
Shiba inus can jump as high as four feet. This is the average jumping range for 15 inches tall Shibas. However, this entirely depends on Shibas with different characteristics and how well they are trained. Some of them can jump even higher with training while some can’t even reach that height level.
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Shiba Inus are harder to train than most other dog breeds out there. They are extremely restless and reactive to different situations. So, training them requires patience and time.
Fifteen inches is the average height for Shibas.
And jumping over four feet is high for their height. Also, they can even climb up to seven feet high walls. Climbing doesn’t require training because they can be swift at it and do it recklessly if they want to escape.
Can Shibas Jump?
Shibas are extremely playful dogs. They are often seen jumping, bouncing, and playing around on their own. However, Shibas tend to do things that only make sense to them and they feel comfortable with.
Shibas can jump over four feet if they are trained to do so. They can even go higher but this will require a bigger and stronger physique, nutritious diet, and proper training.
How High Can A Shiba Inu Dog Jump Over A Fence?
As the average height, a Shiba Inu can jump over four feet. It’s easy to understand that a Shiba Inu can jump over a fence that is within four feet height. Even for such, Shibas need to be trained. Fences over this range can be too high for Shibas.
In such cases, Shibas will not jump over the fences. Rather, they’ll climb up the fence and cross it.
How High Should A Shiba Inu Fence Be?
Considering the average height of the jumping range of Shibas, fences made for them should be over six feet. Four feet height is easy for the trained Shibas to jump over. If tried harder, there’s a chance of them jumping over even a five feet tall fence.
So, a fence over six feet high is an appropriate one for Shibas because jumping over such height is nearly impossible for them. However, we’re not saying that they won’t try. They will still try to jump over that height but the chance of them getting away is only a little!
Are Shiba Inus Escape Artists?
Shiba Inus are escape artists. As history dictates, Shibas’ early habitats were on the mountainous areas of the Chabu in Japan. So, it’s quite natural for Shibas that they’ll want to escape and roam free.
Also, if your Shiba is not trained well from an early age, it will want to run away from you even after growing up. If unattended for a while, they can escape without you even noticing. So, they need to be trained accordingly and socialized well.
As Shibas are too fastidious by nature, they can be pretty incommodious while training and socializing. However, with proper instructions and care, you can get rid of the escaping behavior of your Shiba Inu.
How Can I Get My Shiba Inu Dog To Stop Jumping Over The Fence?
Shiba Inus are extremely playful and restless dogs. They are not any creature who intends to listen and obey right away. They intend to jump over the fence or any boundaries put to keep them secure.
However, with proper training, this troublesome attitude of Shibas can be gotten rid of. There are a bunch of simple ways you can adopt to get your Shiba Inu dog to stop jumping over the fence.
Expand The Fence In Height
If you think that your fence is too reachable for your Shiba, try expanding it height-wise. Increasing the height will assure more security to your ground.
Your Shiba will not be able to jump over the fence no matter how hard it tries.
Omit The Climbing Assistances
There might be some climbing aids that’ll help your Shiba to escape. Sometimes even the fence itself becomes the climbing aid to the Shiba. So, try changing the material that your fence is made of.
There can even be chairs, a bench, woodpiles put near the fence. Try removing them and clear the area.
Attach Coyote Rollers On The Top Of The Fence
This is a very effective way of stopping your Shiba from escaping. Coyote rollers are just the rollers that start rolling whenever something is put them. Thus, that particular thing cannot move forward.
This is the very same way how it’ll stop your Shiba from running away. Even if the Shiba manages to climb up the fence, the moment it’ll put its balance on the roller, the roller will start rolling and the Shiba will not be able to cross it.
Instead, it’ll fall backward and its mission will fail!
Try Out Fence Landscaping
Fence landscaping is also a very effective way. You can start gardening across a small land area near the fence. This will make the Shiba take it as an obstacle to its way and therefore, it’ll not even try jumping over it.
Seal The Near Fence Area With Concrete
Some Shibas are fond of digging. Dogs with such characteristics can dig their way out of the fence and run away.
All you need to do to prevent such activity is seal the area near the fence with concrete. Thus, even no pro digger can dig their ways out of it.
Will An Invisible Fence Work With A Shiba Inu?
An invisible fence can sometimes be triggering for breeds like Shiba Inus. An invisible fence works with electric shocks. While most dogs tend to understand the barricade in such situations, Shibas react negatively.
Either they become all aggressive or they start losing their faith in the environment they grew up in. So, no, Shiba Inus don’t do well with an invisible fence. This sort of backfires in their case of them.
If things go wrong, and Shibas being as pain tolerant as they could be, they can straight ignore the pain from getting shocked and still cross the barrier if they are determined to do so.
So, if need be, use any other fence system but not the invisible fencing for your Shiba Inu dog.
How To Keep A Shiba Inu From Running Away?
The first and the foremost thing a Shiba Inu owner should do is never to let their Shiba stay alone at any cost. The more isolated they are kept, the more they grow the thoughts of escaping.
If however, you can manage to keep your Shiba accompanied, you can avoid such circumstances from happening.
Make your home Shiba friendly. Buy toys that your Shiba will love to chew and play with. The opportunities to play will keep them busy inside and keep their minds refreshed, deducing the possibility of them running away.
Also, always remember to keep your Shiba well fed. If they stay hungry for long, they’ll not function well in a secured place. They’ll want out.
Can You Train A Shiba Inu To Be Off-Leash?
Shiba Inus might be hard to train otherwise but training them to be off-leash is surprisingly easy.
This is easy while being a necessity because you cannot always hold on to them while you have other things like shopping bags or packages or a stroller to hold on to. So, training them to be off-leash is important.
Only if you’re patient enough while training your buddy to be off-leash, it’s about weeks till your Shiba is ready. Initially make sure that-
- Your Shiba is a baby because the grown ups tend to disobey more if not trained at an early age.
- You’re always giving your Shiba treats or its favorite food as rewards to make it feel cheerful.
- Use a high pitched voice to call your Shiba Inu and treat the dog with rewards. Continue the process repeatedly until it becomes a habit.
- Finally, try walking around your yard before doing it outside.
- If all are done well, your Shiba will be trained well to be off-leash outside.
Which Dog Can Jump The Highest?
There are a bunch of dog breeds out there that can jump real high; higher than the Shiba Inus. Some of them even have their names on the Guinness Book of World Records. Such dogs with their jumping ranges are-
- Australian Kelpie (9.6 ft.)
- Belgian Malinois (8 ft.)
- Whippet (8 ft.)
- Border Collie (6 ft.)
- German Shepherd (6 ft.)
- Vizsla (6 ft.)
- Greyhound (5 ft.)
- American Staffordshire Terrier (5 ft.)
- Jack Russell Terrier (5 ft.)
- Australian Shepherd (4 ft.)
Shibas are extremely energetic and feisty dogs. These cute little animals are not so cute in activity and so controlling them becomes hard if they’re already the adult ones.
Hence, we suggest the dog owners get a Shiba, only in case they want to get one when it’s a baby so that it’s easier to train it to keep it under control.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Human Foods, Fruits & Veg – What Can & Can’t Shiba Inu Eat?
Why Are Shiba Inus so Expensive?
Why Does My Shiba Inu Stare at Me?
Why Do Shiba Inus Act Like Cats?