Food and Feeding Manners for an Independent Shiba
Pack a Shiba Inu's food in labelled daily portions with a small reserve, and write the meal times and amounts clearly, because a sitter charmed by a fox-like face may not realise how firmly portions matter for a compact dog. Include the usual bowl and the treats you use for training, with a note that rewards work best when they are earned through the brief games your Shiba already knows.
Describe feeding behaviour honestly. Some Shibas eat neatly and walk away, while others guard a bowl or a high-value chew with real seriousness. State your household system plainly: where the dog eats undisturbed, when the bowl is picked up, and the trade you offer for a dropped or treasured item. A sitter who follows your exact method avoids turning an ordinary chew into a negotiation with a very determined small dog.
A Harness a Shiba Cannot Slip, and Door Discipline
Escape prevention leads a Shiba Inu's packing list. Pack the harness you have fitted and tested, because Shibas are renowned for backing out of loose collars and taking themselves on solo expeditions.
Add a note about gates and visitors. A Shiba who appears to be ignoring an open door may still move through it with surprising speed when something interesting passes. Ask the sitter to treat doorways the way you do at home, with the dog held, gated, or on lead during deliveries and arrivals. Include a clear recent photo of your dog in the paperwork pocket too, a simple precaution that costs nothing and helps enormously if a description is ever needed quickly.
Coat Care During a Shedding Week
Pack the brush suited to a Shiba Inu's dense double coat, and explain what the sitter should expect. Note that the coat should not be shaved or trimmed, however warm the dog looks.
Add wipes for muddy paws and a note that many Shibas are fastidiously clean and dislike being messy, which can work in the sitter's favour after wet walks. Mention nail checks only if a trim is genuinely due and your sitter is experienced; otherwise that job waits for you. Ask the sitter to report repeated scratching, bald patches, or a coat change that seems sudden, since skin news is worth hearing during the week rather than discovering at pickup.
Handling Boundaries a Sitter Must Respect
A Shiba Inu's sitter notes should explain the breed's social style without apology. Shibas are often reserved with strangers, selective about affection, and happiest when allowed to choose contact.
Describe how your particular Shiba shows enjoyment and how it asks for space. Include visitor and child guidance too: calm introductions, no chasing for cuddles, and supervised time together. A sitter who respects those boundaries usually ends the week with a Shiba who has quietly chosen to sit nearby, which is high praise from this breed.
Routine, Contacts, and a Settled First Night
Pack the bedding your Shiba Inu sleeps on at home, unwashed for its familiar scent, plus the toys that feature in normal evenings. Note favourite walk routes if the sitter is local, and any dogs or places you prefer to avoid.
Finish with vet details, an emergency contact, and written permission for urgent care if you are unreachable, plus watch-outs worth a same-day call: a Shiba who refuses food beyond the first reserved day, repeated digestive upset, a swallowed toy piece, or limping after a jump. Recording those handling rules and routines in KinsLe as a Care Pass means the sitter can reread exactly how your Shiba likes life lived, right when a boundary is being tested.