shared from original post at http://www.kihakushibas.com/blog/2014/4/30/going-to-bat-for-shiba-inus
RECENTLY UPDATED - See update at the bottom.
Originally published in the National Shiba Club of America "Shiba E-News Magazine: December 2013"
"Shiba Inus as a breed, sometimes get the unfortunate reputation of having aggression issues. This reputation seems to be the case especially regarding aggression around other dogs. However, dog to dog aggression is something that can plague any dog, regardless of breed. It is my observation, that Shiba Inus do not have a genetic predisposition towards aggression but instead, grow up to have poor reactions around other dogs due to problems with upbringing, improper socialization and inappropriate training.
The vast majority of aggressive dogs are actually exhibiting fear based aggression. This aggression is generally referred to as “reactivity.” The reactive dog, when in the presence of something it feels is threatening, will choose to use its fight instinct rather than flight instinct. The dog chooses to growl, lunge, or to bite the threat rather than running away. It is important to note that most dogs find fighting to be dangerous and therefore are not choosing it because they want to, but rather because they feel trapped, helpless and threatened.
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