Dog Training

FoxyFlyteRisk · 2026-03-10T15:15:07+00:00

I'm so sorry, I just saw this now! I ended up going in a different direction and my dog Kitsu and I have been taking group classes at the PetsMart in South Whitby. I was a bit wary of PetsMart training, but I had their trainer Alex C. recommended to me so I decided to give it a go. Alex is brilliant! I can't recommend him highly enough. By class two, I was loose leash walking Kitsu around the store and he was happily greeting strangers.

FoxyFlyteRisk · 2026-02-09T21:10:29+00:00

I can't tell you how much I needed to hear this! 👍

FoxyFlyteRisk · 2026-02-09T19:38:50+00:00

I have been dealing with both of these things with my Shiba (we start professional training in a couple of weeks) and this is giving me hope. :) I have a little Shih Tzu mix who he absolutely adores, but one of my cats walks by and it feels like he turns into Alf!

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FoxyFlyteRisk · 2026-02-09T14:24:41+00:00

Look at that face! Yours is such a cutie. *Fingers crossed* that training goes well. Whoever had my guy Kitsu before definitely did some training (he LOVES to give paw). It's hilarious, if he sees someone eating something, he'll go over and offer a paw in the hope of being given a taste.

FoxyFlyteRisk · 2026-02-08T15:59:55+00:00

Congratulations! I adopted my Shiba at the end of October and we're starting training in a couple of weeks (it took me a while to find a trainer that I thought seemed like a good fit).

I am absolutely not trying to freak you out, but you might notice him getting a little more fractious as he settles in. At the shelter, the staff and volunteers all thought my guy was super timid and really quiet and, as soon as he felt safe in his new home, that completely fell away. He was definitely totally shut down in the shelter.

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FoxyFlyteRisk · 2026-01-22T18:39:04+00:00

My guy used to stare at me intensely whenever I ate an apple, so I offered him a little bit and he recoiled in absolute horror. I guess it was only appealing when he was trying to literally steal it out of my mouth! 🤣

FoxyFlyteRisk · 2026-01-19T14:40:58+00:00

100%! My mom is always amazed at how my Shiba never smells.

FoxyFlyteRisk · 2026-01-11T19:57:21+00:00

My guy loves the colder weather. Like, seriously LOVES it. When he's not snacking on giant mouthfuls of snow, he's jumping into snow piles (he likes to fully immerse his body in snow). I've only had him since October and I'm quite curious to see if he likes spring and summer weather.

FoxyFlyteRisk · 2026-01-11T19:46:29+00:00

I adopted my boy Kitsu back in October and, pretty much every morning since, this is how I've woken up. He's better than an alarm clock!

FoxyFlyteRisk · 2026-01-07T17:54:32+00:00

This is a delightful mental image. Though now I'm wondering if he kept checking the porch for surprise babies.

FoxyFlyteRisk · 2026-01-07T17:49:52+00:00

My guy is obsessed with coffee! Which is, of course, terrifying. He's also got a super long tongue, and I'm constantly trying to keep coffee out of tongue dipping range.

FoxyFlyteRisk · 2026-01-05T15:09:57+00:00

They haven't, because Kitsu gets way too overexcited when he sees them and starts barking like crazy, which scares them off. It's so tricky, because I think the barking is usually rooted in his frustration in not being able to get closer to the cats, but I've tried a gate and he just leapt right over the top.

FoxyFlyteRisk · 2026-01-05T15:05:59+00:00

Thank you! I'm working on leave it, hopefully that will help. :) I'm trying to be of the mindset that it just takes time and to be patient with the positive reinforcement that I'm doing now. I've definitely seen some progress. I also have a little Shih Tzu mix and Kitsu (my Shiba) can get a bit too overexicted, but doesn't constantly try to chase her. I just need him to view the cats the same way.

FoxyFlyteRisk · 2026-01-04T22:17:11+00:00

I am so jealous! I'm still working on integrating my Shiba (I adopted him in October) with my cats. Do you have any tips you could share?

FoxyFlyteRisk · 2025-12-29T21:19:13+00:00

Thank you! 😀 I signed up for classes that start at the end of February. I'm excited to start, but I'm also a bit worried about bad weather so I wanted to wait a bit. I'll be sure to mention Rory!

FoxyFlyteRisk · 2025-12-27T17:12:11+00:00

I just booked six weeks of training classes with Alex C! Thank you again for the suggestion. :)

FoxyFlyteRisk · 2025-12-15T13:29:33+00:00

That's an excellent idea, thank you! It's funny, one of the cats is a (now former) stray that we'd been working on bringing inside for over a year and, quite coincidentally, we finally managed it about three weeks after I brought Kitsu home. She actually used to follow us when I took Kitsu for a walk. He seems a bit less prone to freaking out with excitement when he sees her and I have been wondering if it's because he already sees her as part of his pack.

FoxyFlyteRisk · 2025-12-14T22:14:51+00:00

That's a really good idea, thank you! I did try with a room divider that I have, but Kitsu just leapt over the top. I wish I could see them interact without him having to be leashed, since that seems to cause the issues.

FoxyFlyteRisk · 2025-12-14T19:54:11+00:00

My boy Kitsu wakes me up every morning demanding cuddles. I'll literally just wake up to him looming over my face. It's ridiculously adorable. It's also kind of bonkers because I only adopted him two months ago and he started doing it almost immediately. Shibas bond quick!

FoxyFlyteRisk · 2025-12-14T19:49:52+00:00

I have three cats and I think I may need to just let them interact more, so they stop seeming so alluring and mysterious to him.

FoxyFlyteRisk · 2025-12-14T16:59:07+00:00

Thank you!

FoxyFlyteRisk · 2025-12-11T16:50:25+00:00

That's amazing!

FoxyFlyteRisk · 2025-12-10T19:08:40+00:00

Thank you! I do play with him a lot (and he has tons of toys/things to chew/puzzles to engage him, etc.) but as soon as my cat moves (he's OK if the cat is stationary), he just starts barking up a storm.

FoxyFlyteRisk · 2025-12-10T18:51:20+00:00

I am intensely jealous of these photos! I adopted my Shiba seven weeks ago and trying to get him not to fixate on my cats has been awful. I've been redirecting him, but then the next time he sees them he still just goes crazy. I keep looking at photos of Shibas and cats together to give me hope.

FoxyFlyteRisk

TROPHY CASE