Shiba Inu questions - Page 1

Hello everyone!

Happy Shiba Inu owner from Argentina here.
Yoko is a female dog, almost 6 years old and I have a few questions.

Once or twice a year, she gets this "nesting behavior": whining, crying, and cuddling some of her toys.
She's definately not pregnant: Unfortunately, she's not very social and gets little or no contact with other dogs.

Of course I've been considering spaying, but I have to be 100% honest: I'm terrified about something bad could happen to her.
I couldn't find a place or a vet that makes me feel confident, and I know that as time passes, it gets even more dangerous for her.

I wonder if I try to find a mate and let her breed, would get things a little better...
I'd also like to have a puppy to be her companion, since she spends so many hours alone at home.
Will one of her own puppies be a good choice?

Let me know your opinions,

Thanks

As far as I am aware, being mated and whelped is no guarantee that any phantom pregnancies or other hormonal disturbances will never occur again afterwards; so I would not try to use that as a 'cure'. Also, if she has never had a litter before, she is getting a little older than most would like to see as the age for a first litter. This increases risks of something going wrong, so you might have problems - probably expensive for you, and upsetting for her, if that happened. (So really, the same worries as getting her spayed).

Aquiring a puppy to keep her company wouldn't necessarily stop the
'phantoms' either, although it could help by distraction. Doesn't have to be one of her own; depending on just how 'anti-social' / dog aggressive she actually is, it might well prove to be a good idea. It is certainly a good age to add another dog, she isn't getting too old and grumpy yet, so she may have the patience to educate and live with a puppy. Bitches are 'usually' fairly tolerant of new baby puppies coming into the family. This sort of thing is always a 'crap shoot' if you have one of those dogs who don't lightly tolerate their own species, but it can turn out very well. Try to have a back-up plan for rehoming the pup if you can't make it work, though. I'd recommend a male, with a view to getting HIM neutered in due course (a more straightforward surgery).

Watch that she does not get on okay with the pup but teach IT to be as anti all other canines as she is ! My other thought is that, at 6, you might still be able to improve her sociability with other dogs if you go about it the right way - so it may be worth your while to investigate getting Training / Behavioural help, rather than just accepting her isolating herself from other canine company. I know of people who keep Shibas in packs, it is not anything inevitable about her breed, and you might find there are things you can change about how you relate to her which will help. JMO.

Linda.

I used to own a Shiba years ago. Loved him but found out the hard way that they are not scocial with other dogs. I think you are going to experience heartbreak if you keep a pup back for a companion dog for your Shiba...they don't want a companion dog, human companionship is their need.
If there is a veterinarian available, I would have her spayed before she ends up with pyro.