Shiba Inu advice: breeder recommendations, training, etc (in Toronto)

Hi everyone!

I've finally decided this year is the year we're getting pets and after much much much research on breeds it has come down to a Scottish Fold kitten (which is coming home next week!) and a Shiba Inu puppy sometime this fall.

I found 2 breeders from Ontario, but I would love to hear some recommendations. I'm also willing to work with a breeder from Vancouver as I'm going for a visit in December so I could pick up the puppy myself from there and bring him/her back.

I love this breed, even more so for the fact that they require a strict leader and are quite active while able to adapt to apartment life. We live in a high rise downtown Toronto, but this building is VERY pet friendly to the point of having a huge grass/tree area just for the animals to come out and play with their owners. It's something very unique in such an urban area otherwise.

I would also like to take the puppy to training, if anyone has recommendations for trainers in Toronto area I'd be very happy to hear.

Also, any good books to read in preparation? While the boyfriend has experience with many cats and dogs (lucky him!), I'm a first time owner and will definitely be the main dog person in our house. As such, I really feel like I should read a lot so I can set the puppy up right from the get-go. I want a dog that will have a happy and long life with us.

Thank you very much for any advice you can give!

Most obedience places *that I have checked into* require the puppy to have all of it's shots and a certificate of health. But that doesn't mean that you can't start training at home. If you plan on flying with a puppy make sure you call the airline and get the specific's that they need for proof of vaccination's and so fourth. I personally have never bought any books but have spent hours on line researching different style of training. I personally believe that from the get go a puppy should not be carried/allowed to sleep in the bed or be allowed up on the couch. Establish boundaries from the get go no matter how big or small the dog is. My chi's have the same rules as my lab. they sit and wait for their food, they are not allowed to jump on the couch unless they are invited they are not carried around ect.... I also think you should look into crate training. A lot of people think that crate training is mean because for the first few nights the puppy will whine and cry. All of my dogs are crate trained and they love their crate. It will also come in handy if you ever need to kennel your dog if you are going on trips and also to keep your puppy safe while you are doing things where you can't keep an eye on your puppy at all times. I still crate my dogs if I am gone to work or running around. Some nights they even chose to sleep in their crates. There are a lot of knowledgeable people on this board that are willing to offer tons of advice. i am a bit far from the toronto area but i do have family there. I will see if they can give me any info that i can pass on to you.

Thank you very much, I'm definitely reading up online so I can start home training early on. I already planned to crate train the dog because I think it's very useful. You're so right though, discouraging bad habits like jumping on the bed early on is so much easier than trying to get them to stop doing it later on.

This website alone is a wealth of information!

I'm in Vancouver so I can't offer specifics, but I strongly recommend you contact the Toronto Shiba Meetup and Shiba GTA rescue for recommendations.

http://www.shibarescuegta.com/
http://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Shiba-Family/

I also live in a condo. We trained our Shiba puppy to use an outdoor "potty" (cat litter box!) by 9 weeks (placed it on the deck). This is a pretty easy thing to train a Shiba for.

Some reading:
http://books.google.ca/books?id=MxmVOXYa3kEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=shiba%20inu%20book&source=gbs_slider_thumb#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://books.google.ca/books?id=cGaiPAAACAAJ&dq=shiba+inu+book&hl=en&ei=eFAqTPG7KMjnnQe0653WDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CEIQ6AEwAw

If you have any further questions, let me know!

*What Vancouver breeder were you working with??? Let me know, there are a few dodgy breeders out here masquerading as good breeders (not a typical BYB but dodgy nonetheless). My breeder is out here too in Vancouver, I can't recommend them enough. Their lives revolve around producing top quality Shibas. Long wait list, but well worth it. I'm not sure if she is willing to send Shibas without in-person interview.

Lemaitre Kennels
http://www.lemaitrekennel.com/