How to Groom Your Shiba

by Lynda Birmantas

Having had Malamute and Akitas for quite a few years, I find the shiba to be a very easy dog to groom. However, as I say to people asking about the breed at shows, everything is relative. If you're used to no hair, a shiba is going to shed a lot.

I bathe the shibas I show before every show. Obviously a pet is not going to require this much bathing. I do not believe there is any set timeframe to bathe your pet, whenever you think that your shiba requires a bath, give it one.

I used to bathe the shibas in the tub or got right into the shower with them depending on my mood! I use lukewarm water. I do not like a cold bath or shower and neither do they.


Since I moved to Wonder Lake, I have a washtub that stands in the shower that is in the "doggie suite" (my lower level) and I don't have to bend over at all. I just attached a shower massage to the shower head and I was in business. The laundry tub (purchased at a home improvement store for about $20.00) fits easily and can be removed for cleaning or to allow a human to use the shower. I also put in a small shower mat to give the dogs adequate footing and if you look closely (or click on the images to see the full size version) you can see the little haircatchers both in the tub and on the floor of the shower. One of my favorite little gadgets is the shampoo/conditioner holder so it's right there and I don't have to worry about the puppers knocking bottles over. Also note the wider "lip" on the tub, I like to have the dogs put their front feet on that for rinsing, that way the water just flows down their body.

Some people prepare their dogs for the bath by putting cotton balls in their ears to make sure no water gets in. Once I left it in and wondered why my dog was so unresponsive! ;) I am very careful to not let any water get in their eyes or ears by using a damp washcloth to wash their head and face. I do not run water directly onto their head.

I generally run some water into the tub before I soak my dog down. Using the sprayer attachment I carefully wet down the shiba. You have to work at it a little because the coat is sometimes quite thick and you want to get them wet to the skin. Once they're wet and they have shaken (QUICK! shut the shower door first!) then I lather them with shampoo. I use #1 All Systems or if they're a bit itchy sometimes I will use a coal tar/aloe shampoo which is very gentle to the skin and helps the itching. In the winter with the heat on, sometimes the shiba's skin gets dry just as yours might. Once they're lathered I let it sit for 3-5 minutes and then rinse it out. It is very important to completely rinse the soap out for it can cause itching and occasionally hot spots. Take special care at the base of the tail to get it completely rinsed. Sometimes I will also use a vinegar rinse (regular white vinegar, not wine) to rinse the soap if I am having a hard time getting it all out. I do not like to use a regular conditioner because that can soften the coat too much. Now you're ready to exit the tub!

Take care getting your shiba out of the tub, I do not like to let them jump out because of the danger of slipping on the wet floor. You know, of course, if they are entered in umpteen dog shows, that is EXACTLY when they will hurt themselves. I let the water run completely out of the tub and then squish their feet a little to get the water out. For some reason dog paws seem to be like sponges!

I put them up on the grooming table and give them a good towel dry to start. Depending on how much time I have and how warm it is in the house I may let them run around the house for about half an hour and that gives them a good start on the drying. I also do toenails and check teeth at this time.

Shibas hate having their toenails done, so it is important to teach this at a young age so that you do not have to wrestle with them when they are older. I use a nail clipper for large dogs because I have large dogs as well, but there are many different types of nail clippers so you will probably want to check out what works best for you. I also have an electric grinder, but the shibas I show do not really like it much. You may want to have some Quik Stop or other clotting agent handy in case you cut the quick (which hopefully you will NOT do, but it happens to me sometimes). In an emergency, flour can work well too. Pick up your dog's paw (if only it were this easy, I usually end up leaning on them to hold them down ;0) and hold it up to the light so that you can see the "quick". The quick is the dark line, sometimes reddish, that goes down the middle of the nail nearly to the end. If you nick it or cut it, it will bleed, depending on the dog, not much or quite profusely! If you do by some chance nick the quick, then apply a little bit of Quik Stop (or whatever you are using) to the nail and press for a few seconds. It will usually stop unless you have cut back way too far. I will assume that you have not practically amputated your dog's toe in which case you probably will want to seek a vet immediately. Do this for all the toes and you will be done with this step (easy said than done).

Then I check the teeth. I do not necessarily advise scraping your own dog's teeth because you can scrape off the enamel and that would leave the tooth vulnerable to decay. I am pretty experienced so I can do it. If you are experienced at tooth scraping then you can do it too.

I also check the ears to be sure there is no dirt. If you are experienced then you may want to clean the ear yourself. If not, I suggest this also be done at your vet and have him/her show you how to clean your dog's ear properly, because you can cause injury to the ear if you do not know what you are doing.

Then I line comb. This is a bit difficult to describe, but I will try. For starters, you should always have your dog damp or spritzed with water or some sort of coat finisher before you comb or brush because you can break the coat. So I am assuming at this point that your dog has not completely dried off from his/her bath. I like to lay my dog down on their side (left side usually) and I start at the head. I hold the fur down with my hand and comb a very small section against the grain (the way the hair grows). I do this all the way down to the rear of the dog. This takes longer than it sounds. Then I flip them over on the other side (this actually takes a little training, the dog I special falls asleep, but it takes a while to get to that point) and do the other side. This gets rid of any loose hair or at least it makes a really good start. Then I have the shiba sit and I work my way from the neck down the back to the tail. I do not usually line comb the tail because they hate it, but I do comb it through. Then, because this is Mickey's favorite part, I line comb his chest and belly. It usually results in all sorts of contortions and leg moving because I get all his favorite scratching spots.

Once I am done with combing, it is time for the dryer. I have and recommend a box dryer, I forget the brand, but it is a 10 amp dryer and it does not heat the air as it blows it onto your dog. I do not use any particular technique to drying the dog that I can think of. I just point and blow until they are dry. I also take special care to be sure that the area at the base of the tail dries because it is very easy to develop a hot spot if that area remains wet.

Show Grooming

I try to get to the show at least an hour or so beforehand so that my dog and I can relax before we show. I usually carry a grooming table with me or I sometimes groom on top of an airline crate if I know that the show site is very crowded.

After the bath and blow dry described above, there frankly is not much that NEEDS to be done at the show if your shiba is not blowing coat. But it relaxes me and gives me something to do so I do it.

I use a coat condition/finisher called Super Coat that is diluted with water and I spritz the dog lightly with it and line brush the dog (same as line combing, only with a pin brush). Then I line brush again with a slicker brush, all the while keeping the dog spritzed with water or Super Coat. Lastly I line comb with a Greyhound comb (I do not know why it is better than any other comb, but it is), the side that has the teeth that are closer together. After that I let my shiba get up and I blow on him which makes him shake. Believe me after a couple of days of this, your shiba will look great.

Some people also chalk (although I seldom do). I will give quick instructions for this as well. I would spray a little rinseless shampoo on the white parts of the dog; legs, feet, chest, etc. Then dry with a towel till the hair is nearly dry, then put some Chalkmate or Dippety Doo on the whites and brush them up. Then use a little brush (I use a soft bristle veggie type brush) to rub corn starch or prepared chalk (a mix you can buy at the shows) onto the whites. Let dry and then be sure to brush out completely before you enter the ring.

I do not cut whiskers. So this pretty much is your show grooming. I give a little spritz sometimes before I go in the ring and brush up the coat occasionally, but usually the dog looks just fine without it.

In the summer I will carry a bottle with water in it to the ring. It freshens the coat and also I can spray directly into the dog's mouth if necessary (but be sure you use this bottle ONLY for water or it might taste soapy!).

I hope this guide to grooming has helped you!

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