[TreeBella]

Hello all, I was wondering if you could answer a question regarding Shiba Inu's? I have a friend who owns one and he telling me that this dog is eating his own fecal matter. He crates the dog and it will lay in his pee as well. He says it's like the dog doesn't care if he's laying in it or not. He says that the dog will go in the house too. This dog is 6mth old female. Can anyone help out there?

Thanks

[ILOVEDOGS:)]

Hi, This isn't really a normal behaviour for any type of dog. My guess would be that this dog was raised in these type of conditions in the beginning and does not know any better.
Where did the dog come from. If it was from a pet store, or even an ad in the paper he could of been from a Puppy Mill. Puppy mills are horrible places. They keep dogs in small confined places that are dirty with fecal, the dogs never recieve any attention, are never groomed or cleaned, and are just breed over and over until they can't breed any more. Puppies are taken and sold to pet stores, or in ads, or however they can sell the puppies, that's why alot of people don't suggest receiving a dog from a pet store, all pet stores say they only buy local dogs, but usually that's not true.
Alot of the time these dogs are also inbreed, or have not been breed to better the breed and carry alot of problems that will present themselves later in life. It's really sad what some people do.
But like I said that's just a guess.

[petshopgirl]

We have had some shiba inus where I work. They do have a different personality that other dogs. I have foud it normal for puppies to eat feces if they can help it --so try to clean it up ASAP. One possible explanation for this is that it is nature's way of getting bacterial enzymes in the stomach. Sometimes dogs like to roll in droppings as a way to get a scent on themselves. Maybe I am far off on the suggestion, but as I said--shiba's to me act differently than other dogs. They are a Japanese breed bred down from Akitas. I would suppose that means they are ancestors to the asian wolf.

I find that when we have a shiba in the store people are drawn to them because they are unusual. They look like soft cuddley foxes. They are nice but I don't think they are for everyone.

When I walk by the puppy rooms I notice while the other puppies are excited to see me, the shiba runs circles neurotically around the other dogs, much less interested in the person who feeds him. He also seemed very crushed when his best friend, a wheaten terrier, was sold.--Just my observations that shibas are different.

[emma_pen]

A few questions...

- How long is the dog left in her crate?

- What is she fed?

- Where did she come from?

- Is she speyed?