I have read this post with Interest - as a Shikoku is a breed of dog I am interested in keeping in the future.
I have had 4 shiba inus - currently have 2. They are both off lead dogs - but only when I go to the beach and am confident that they will come back - I will never let them off lead at a new place until they know the route we will take - definitely not off lead in bush - as they will take off after Kangaroos - I once lost my last Shiba for over 24 hours in bushland cos he took off as I was tying him to a post cos he saw Kangaroos. Shiba's have a reputation to be hard to train due to their dominant and stubborn nature - but they are also HIGHLY food driven - so are actually very very easy to train - especially if you establish yourself as their boss. If you don't train them - they will be a nightmare - cos they are very very smart and will just ignore you if they don't want to do what you want them to do.
They are both people and other dog friendly - all four of my shiba's have been this way - very well socialised, but on the beach - they will just do their thing and walk past people and dogs, unless in a particularly playful mood. I find much of the advice about Shibas in books or on sites too be generalised and made by people that have clearly never owned one. While they may seem standoffish initially - once they know you are a friend - by way of pats - they will sit on your feet demanding more pats. But they are also not needy like some dogs that want your attention all the time - they will happily amuse themselves or sleep.
They are also super happy when I take them hiking - they love it, and even when we go for hours - when I get home - they still run around like crazy chasing their toys for 5-10mins - they are a very high energy dog for many many years. Yuki is 9 now, but she still loves hiking - just have to be a bit careful of her joints and large stairs now.
Definitely agree with the comment to get a Seasame Shiba - I think you will be very happy with your decision!
BTW - does anyone know if anyone has plans to bring Shikoku's into Australia?? They seem to be readily available in US/Canada - from Instagram....
