As a kid, we had a golden retriever and a chocolate lab. The retriever was great, but the lab came second and still kind of took over as everyone’s favorite between the two.
Can’t really go wrong with either.
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Appreciate you. I am thinking forward too about which breed would best help me as a service dog. I have a debilitating disability and can have some pretty bad meltdowns. Looks like labs and retrievers are at the top of the list for service animals 
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Is this a common perception? Every Shiba I’ve ever met is a complete asshole that instigates shit in the dog park.
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Labs in my experience are friendly/sociable, lots of energy which i liked as a kid but now I’m a little more low key. Very trainable i could see why they’re a popular service dog. They love swimming and fetching in water, my parents current lab will jump off a dock for her toys or a stick until she drops dead if you let her.
Ours weren’t big on cuddling up next to you on a couch but idk if that’s normal for the breed or not.
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In my experience, Shibas love to roughhouse. They make noises and tackle other dogs in a way that seems like they’re fighting, but the Shiba is just having fun. Which, to your point, is what goes into an asshole dog. It takes a special dog like a pug for the two to delight in that style of play.
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I know big2k4 mentioned it, but herding breeds are a lot, man. You hit the jackpot as a kid, I adopted an aussie-border mix and she’s a complete nutjob. We’re doing a lot of training, but hoo boy she is a handful. Simply does not have an off switch. Does not respect my wife and kid nearly as much as me, very stubborn. We’re getting there, but it’s taking a lot of time and effort.
Stupidly beautiful dog, but the world’s greatest criminal.
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In my experience training the dog is one thing, training the other people in my house is quite another.
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This is absolutely a good chunk of the problem.
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When you included pugs in that roughhousing group, I start to understand a little more. Many pugs are rabble rousers and they absolutely love getting messed with.
My German Shepherd’s personality is very much that of a cop, as much as I hate to say it. He doesn’t like roughhousing or loud barking (especially in his face), unless he’s the one doing it. Thankfully he’s so fetch-focused it doesn’t usually matter for us.
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Heh nice. Well as long as your German is happy, Fred 
Yes that’s it about pugs. The Shiba I knew couldn’t get enough of my sister’s pug, who would get the biggest puppy smile whenever the Shiba flipped her over and held her down. Like two six year old boys letting loose. Other dogs and their owners would interpret that style of play as an act of war lol.
Stoic and detached (rather than friendly and affectionate) from but loyal to their owners. Cold and unfriendly toward outsiders and (sometimes) other dogs.
When I first stayed with my host family in Japan, they had a shiba, who only lived outdoors. I went to pet it. They said: “She loves us, but don’t try to do that or she’ll bite your hand off.”
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In fairness to the coyotes, the raccoons also appear to be eating well.
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oh wow, thats a fat fucking racoon.
El Diablo on the scene.
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I’ve trapped plenty of Raccoons. That’s no raccoon. It’s F’n waddling.
Coyotes are fast.
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Had a pet fall ill while on vacation. An elderly amd chronically ill cat my partner adopted 10 years ago. … i learned to give him insulin shots and we introduced my cat when we moved in together last year … went from airpkrt to vet hospital and now scrambling to arrange an in home emd of life visit … if anyone has advice my girlfriend is pretty wrecked (as am i) but my focus is on them spending soke time together back home. … ugh sorry this post is a mess but so am i rn…
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Ugh I have no advice but so sorry. It’s so hard when these things happen.
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Three nights ago my wife’s dog had diarrhea during the night in his crate, which is in our room. I’ll spare the gory details but you can imagine.
The next day he was fine and made normal poops. That night was fine, as was the day after.
And then last night (a few hours ago I guess, I’m so tired I barely know my own name) it happened again.
I think it has to be something my wife is feeding him after I go to bed. I can’t think of any reason for him to only have diarrhea during the night. He loves his crate, it’s not fear or nerves over that.