The Basics - Shiba Inu
AKA: Brushwood Dog, Japanese Small-Size Dog
Group Classification |
Non-Sporting |
Country of Origin |
Japan |
Date of Origin |
600AD |
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Weight |
Height |
Life Expectancy |
13-15years |
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Male |
17 to 23 lbs |
15 to 17 inches |
Colors |
Red, Black and Tan, Sesame, and occasionally Cream (not desired coloring with breed standards |
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Female |
13 to 17 lbs |
14 to 16 inches |
Coat Type |
Double Coat, hard, coarse outer coat of short length that stands out due to soft dense undercoat |
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Recognized Registries |
ANKC, CKC, UKC, AKC, TKC, FCI, NCA and others |
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Overall Appearance |
Small well-balanced Spitz (curled tail over back, foxy face and pricked ears on square body) type dog. Smallest of the Arctic Breeds. |
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Personality – Behavior - Training |
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Energy Level |
High Energy needs space to run. |
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General Nature |
Bold, charming, entitled and knows it, what’s yours is mine and what’s mine is mine |
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With Children |
Probably only good if heavily socialized and supervised with very well behaved children. Best results occur when the Shiba puppy is brought into a home that already has children. Can be very questionable if the Shiba is already there before the children. Jealousy issues. |
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With Other Pets |
Not reliable as they were developed to hunt birds and small animals, however every Shiba is unique and depends on temperament and socialization at an early age. |
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With Other Dogs |
Generally not ideal with other dogs (especially intact males), see above. Most breeders are hesitant to place two shibas of the same sex together. |
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Socialization Requirements |
Strongly recommended at a young age. The Shiba is born with an exalted sense of him/herself. Socialization helps them balance this with sharing the rest of the world with everyone else. Although every Shiba is unique, they share similar characteristics with jealousy being fairly consistent within the breed. |
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Ideal Home Characteristics |
Most breeders recommend a home environment that does not have other pets. Owners need to recognize that they are owned by the Shiba, and are willing to accept their role in the world of the Shiba. |
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Temperament Notes |
Independent, curious, self-entertaining, clever, bold, and runners. Most Shibas must always be on a lead. |
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Training Requirements |
Moderate to extensive training sessions. Shibas are highly distractible making it a difficult process to train them. The combination of their cleverness, creativity, brilliance and independence does not sit well with “traditional” trainers, and makes the training somewhat frustrating. When training the Shiba, a person needs to have exceptional understanding of training theories, and a heightened sense of fun and creativity. They must be willing to accept that the results may not be reliable and always remember that the Shiba owns them, at least in the Shibas mind, and the Shiba is always going to be thinking “What’s in it for Me!” |
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Background Information |
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History |
It was around 600 AD that the Japanese Emperor called for the organization of all records related to Japanese Culture, within this information was included all of the breeds known to Japan. The Shiba was among the smaller of the native Japanese breeds. Shibas began to be exported after World War II. |
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Breed for Purpose |
Shibas were originally bred for hunting birds and small game. In some accounts Shibas were used in conjunction with larger breeds, the Akita and such, to flush out wild boar and larger game. |
Fast Facts Compiled By Jack Owens
How much is that Doggie in the Window? by Dave Boykin
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David Boykin and Tenshi |