Are Shibas really that hard to train?

If you have to ask then yes

Depends. My training mentor insists that they're ready to train, but I have heard otherwise. Its just hard to motivate them.

>>2082538
lol. This was my first thought. Shibas learn quickly, which can make them easybto train, but it also means they will quickly realize if you are a bitch and treat you as such.

I came to train my first Shiba after spending half a dozen years training a dog that learned things on the first couple of repetition, but had an independent streak a mile wide, a case of pig-headed stubbornness, and a rather unfortunate habit of redirecting frustration onto his handler. As he was 75lbs at a bony lean, having him turn around and come up the leash was something of a struggle.

I spent two years thinking the Shiba was dumb as a box of rocks, until I worked out how his mind ticked, and then I realised that he was an extremely biddable little fellow with a willingness to learn and work that far outstripped that other dog. Perhaps he is not as easy as a different breed would be, but because of my own personal experience working directly with an extremely difficult dog before moving onto the Shiba, I found that they're actually quite trainable.

My only issue was with teaching him recall, and I would not recommend off-leash time for a Shiba Inu except in an extremely controlled, fenced environment.