The Rescue Shiba Guest columnist Debbie Wang and her husband, David Hoyt, have owned Shibas for 8 years, and have been involved with breed rescue for 4 years. Having fostered approximately 16 shibas, they’ve come to deeply appreciate some of the traits that make this breed so unique. Shiba Inu fanciers often appreciate the breed’s reputation for independence and being far less needy than other breeds. However, the flip side of this same temperament often makes it difficult for Shibas that end in up shelters to pass commonly-used sociability tests that help determine whether it is suitable for adoption or not. Through our participation in Shiba rescue, we have regularly run into situations where a Shiba has failed the shelter’s adoptability screening just for being a typical Shiba. By their nature, Shibas are aloof and reserved toward strangers. They are not particularly driven to please new people and it can take months or years before some Shiba are openly affectionate with its family. Unfortunately, the sociability tests tend to place more emphasis on the dog’s willingness and ability to engage positively with strangers soon after meeting them. This approach puts the Shiba at a disadvantage. For example, many Shiba are head shy and will duck or back away from strange hands reaching out to pet his head. This reaction may be interpreted as unfriendly or disobedient by those unfamiliar with the breed. Further, the Shiba may already be traumatized from being removed from his familiar home and placed in a shelter environment, complete with noisy dogs, containment in a new crate, and unfamiliar shelter volunteers. More often than not, when we arrive at the shelter to assess a Shiba that has already failed the sociability test, we find a confused, scared, and withdrawn dog. In more extreme cases, we have seen some Shibas even lose their appetites under this stress – no small feat for a breed that is so food-motivated. In our assessment of the Shiba, we look for how easily he accepts our petting, handling of his paws and mouth, and his engagement with toys and treats. While we take note of how reserved he is with strangers, his aloofness alone does not disqualify him from our rescue efforts. Once we determine that the Shiba is adoptable and not aggressive, we move him into a foster home and give him some time to adjust to a group of new people in a calmer setting. Moving from the chaotic shelter environment into a foster home can make a world of difference to the Shiba! Within days, our fosters usually become more confident, let down their guard, and begin to eat and play with toys again. The withdrawn Shiba fades away and the typical bold, independent, dignified Shiba takes its place. As more shelters become familiar with the breed, we find they are contacting breed rescue volunteers to evaluate Shibas that have failed sociability tests, resulting in more rescued Shibas that turn out to be great pets. We hope that through our breed education efforts, potential Shiba owners will know what to expect from the Shiba and fewer of them will end up in shelters at all.