# Lab/Shiba Inu Mix? New to dogforums and trying to figure our what our rescue dog is .



## Bella_2012 (Mar 7, 2012)

Hello,

On New Years Eve we adopted a dog from the local shelter. She was listed as a Lab mix but I am trying to find out what the other breed(s) might be ...

Bella is friendly with strangers but growls at other dogs, unless they are really small in size. She is very good and laid-back with our young kids, and good with our cats. She follows me everywhere, just like a velcro dog  She has very strong hunting instincts and goes crazy at the sight of a bunny rabbit 

I think she looks somewhat like a Shiba Inu, but she has very small and floppy ears, which can never stand up. In fact, they are kind of crinked, but so very cute nonentheless!

I would greatly appreciate any input about her possible breed mix. Thank you!


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## BellaPup (Jul 7, 2007)

Such a cutie! Love that smile! 

From the pics, my very uneducated guess would be lab (body type), Shiba Inu (coloring) & maybe Shar Pei (pinchy ears)....?


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## Bella_2012 (Mar 7, 2012)

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. It is rather interesting that you mention shar-pei, because the very first vet who saw her, said she might be Lab/shar-pei mix, and the second one thought she is a Lab/Jindo mix ...

After reading about and looking at photos of Akita, Korean Jindo Dog, and Shiba Inu, I decided that she looks mostly like Shiba Inu ... 

I am trying to find out the breeds in her because I want to understand better her temperament. She shows a little bit of aggression (like growling) towards other dogs, mostly large in size. Last time while in the park, though, she kept growling at this small and cute Pomeranean dog.

Do you have any ideas what I can do to make her a bit more friendly when around other dogs?

Thanks again!


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

Socialization is crucial to help her be friendly. Take it slow. When she is on leash and you meet other dogs, keep the leash loose so there is no tension. I recommend working with a trainer if she has aggression issues as it's very easy to make things worse. Also keep in mind that just as with people, not all dogs are social butterflies. But even if she isn't the friendliest, I think she should be able to tolerate other dogs and not become aggressive.

I think shar pei because of the ears and general structure. One of those asian dogs for sure.

Bone mouth (traditional) shar pei. They do come in that fawn color too.









shar pei


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## Bella_2012 (Mar 7, 2012)

Thank you for the helpful tips!

I have never seen the traditional (bone mouth) shar-pei. This is so interesting. 

As far as the socialization goes, I try to keep her on a loose leash when me meet other dogs but she pulls very hard while barking at them. I, too, have thought about giving her some training, but not so sure how much it will help since she is anywhere between 3 and 5 years old, according to the vet. 

Is it possible to train an older dog?

What's funny is that she is OK with smaller dogs - maybe she feels threatened by the larger ones? 

Also, I forgot to mention, that she has some spots around her nose and also on her legs ... Have no idea where they come from.

Thanks again for your thoughts!


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## dagwall (Mar 17, 2011)

Bella_2012 said:


> Is it possible to train an older dog?


Very much so, your dog can always learn new things. A good positive reinforcement trainer would be best. All you need to teach dogs something new is to figure out what motivates them and reward the good behavior.


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## Bella_2012 (Mar 7, 2012)

Thank you! Will have to find the time to take her to some training classes. Don't want people to think that she is an overly aggressive dog ... I think she is just being territorial and protective.


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