Shiba Inu/Beagel mix?

Both Shibas and Beagles are hunting breeds; the Shiba is a small game hunter that can also work larger game, should the need arise (wild boar, for example), the Beagle, a scenthound, is an excellent pack hound, usually worked on rabbits and hare.

Thus, your friend has a combo of two tireless hunting breeds, dogs that generally have high prey drive and an instinct to track and chase. (That said, there are many Beagles being bred today that probably aren't being bred for hunting abilities, and even a few of my friends in the show world admit that their dogs have no interest in hunting).

Hunting dogs like both of these breeds tend to have "selective hearing" when they see their quarry - this means that if you are hollering "come," and that dog's caught a whiff of a rabbit, or seen a possum skitter by, 9 times out of 10, even with an otherwise excellent recall, your dog is saying "sayonara." If your friend doesn't have a fenced yard, I *highly* recommend one - reputable breeders in Shibas will not sell to someone that doesn't have a fence around their yard (I don't know about Beagles, as I don't own them).

Puppy classes are highly recommended too - both breeds are often categorized as "stubborn," (I just think of them as intelligent enough to ask why they should do something). Training sessions are short, fun, and creative - repetition bores a Shiba, and he'll quickly find a better game to play.

Lead training is notoriously a battle for Shiba owners (though I've met plenty in recent years that have no difficulty whatsoever with the leash). I've learned to be firm, though not unkind - lots of praise and impetus to move forward with me, the dog learns fun things happen when he cooperates.

As far as socialization, ensure that your friends get this puppy out there, meeting lots of other people and dogs (following appropriate vaccinations, of course) - while Beagles tend to work fine with other dogs, many Shibas are "dog aggressive," and need to learn in advance to tolerate, if not love, other dogs. A poorly bred and/or poorly socialized Shiba can also be aggressive and shy - not traits you'd want in a family pet, especially one whose ancestors hunted wild boar.

Even if you knew 5 other dogs of the same cross-breed, that wouldn't tell you much. Every time you mix breeds you get something a little different, depending on how the genes interacted.

Do research on both breeds involved, so you learn the typical behaviour of each. Then you can see which behaviour comes from which parent.

Warning: Shibas are VERY hard to train. They are stubborn little things. Bribery is your best friend.

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RE:

Shiba Inu/Beagel mix?

My friend just got one. Does anyone have any information on this crossbreed?

Probably really active and half independent/ half affectionate