Begin With Escape Rules and Independence
A sitter caring for a Shiba Inu needs the security rules on the first page, because this breed combines a cat-like independence with a genuine talent for slipping collars, doors, and fences. A Shiba who gets loose can be remarkably difficult to recapture, since she may treat pursuit as a game and strangers' grabbing hands as something to dodge.
Follow with temperament, so the sitter does not misread her. Shibas are often aloof with unfamiliar people, loyal but undemonstrative at home, and particular about their space.
Feeding, Motivation, and Daily Routine
Give your Shiba Inu's feeding times, exact amounts, and treat rules, and explain her motivation honestly. Describe her toilet routine, her usual walk times and routes, and the pace she prefers, which often includes long investigative stops and a firm opinion about direction.
Note her cleanliness habits, because Shibas are typically fastidious and may refuse a dirty toileting area or hold on in heavy rain rather than use an unfamiliar spot. Tell the sitter where she prefers to go, what happens in bad weather at home, and to keep her toileting area clean through the stay. Add her sleeping arrangements and evening routine, plus what she does when left alone and the longest stretch she normally experiences, so the sitter can plan the day around a realistic pattern.
Coat, Shedding, and Handling Preferences
Coat care needs clear instructions for a Shiba Inu, especially if your trip falls in shedding season when her dense double coat releases an astonishing volume of undercoat. Describe your brushing routine, the tools you use, and where she tolerates grooming and where she does not, so the sitter works within her patience and stops before it runs out. Note your bathing rule — most Shibas need little bathing — and the products you supply if one becomes unavoidable.
Handling specifics matter with this breed. Explain how you put her harness on, how she feels about paw wiping, ear checks, and being examined, and the calm approach that works: brief, matter-of-fact, and finished with a valued reward. Shibas hide discomfort well, so a sitter watching for small changes is genuinely useful.
Visitors, Other Dogs, and the Safety Net
Describe how your Shiba Inu handles the social world so the sitter can manage it her way. Note her manner with other dogs — many Shibas are selective, particularly with dogs of the same sex — and your rule for greetings on walks. Mention any guarding around food, chews, or resting places, and how you manage exchanges by trading rather than reaching.
Finish with the safety net: your contact details and how you prefer to be reached, a local backup contact, and your veterinarian's name, address, and number. Include a note of her identifying details and what to do immediately if she ever does get out — who to call, which direction she tends to run, and that she should be approached calmly and low rather than chased. That contingency paragraph, written while you are calm, is the one a sitter will be most grateful for if it is ever needed.
Respect Her Nature in Writing
A Shiba Inu has a good stay when the sitter was briefed to work with her independence instead of against it: doors latched, lead always on, handling unhurried, and rewards that actually motivate her. Putting that in writing before you go means her rules survive your absence intact. With KinsLe, the Care Pass you share gives your sitter temporary access to your Shiba's care routine and key details while you travel, so her security checks, walks, and quiet routines stay precisely as you described them.