Do Shibas like water?
As a breed in general, no. Shibas are very cat-like in that they will not enjoy going outdoors in the rain, do not particularly like baths, and although they are spectacular swimmers, would highly prefer not to swim. However, I have had several Shibas who have enjoyed at least getting their feet wet and/or splashing around in shallow streams, puddles, or the breaking waves at the beach. Then again, I have heard of other Shibas who will refuse to go out even to potty if it’s merely sprinkling. Sometimes these two preferences will even occur in the same dog! Shiba thinks to itself “getting wet on my own terms for my own fun is ok, but rain? no thanks!” Despite all their water preferences, most Shibas will tolerate their baths just fine despite not liking them. All in all, while you can get your Shiba to be more water-friendly through steady exposure and encouragement as it grows up, if you’re looking for a dog to take out on a lake and retrieve balls from the water all day, I would say t
