Much like the smaller Japanese Chin, Shiba Inus often display cat like behaviour, sometimes even rubbing up against owner’s legs and almost purring when stroked. They do however, like to chase balls and play just like any other dog; and are sometimes known as ‘big, small’ dogs as they enjoy playing rough and tumble. They are very clean when out and around the house, and like to wash and preen themselves. The dog is generally intelligent, but much like other small dog breeds, some owners may find training difficult. As a result of this it is important that obedience training is introduced from a young age, especially to hone the instinctive hunting recall. They will not react at all well to harsh training methods or even when there is a negative mood. They are perhaps not the best dogs to train for obedience training or for any other dog sports, such as agility. Altogether they are very bold and good natured dogs.