Dog Breed Profile - Shiba Inu

The Shiba Inu is a small Japanese dog that looks like a miniature Akita. They are a very active, bold, and independent dog.

The Shiba Inu is an Asian breed that probably has a lot of Chow Chow and Kyushu in it. It was brought to Japan over two thousand years ago from China. Six dog breeds were created from this dog that was brought over. They are all spitz like dogs. The Shiba Inu is the smallest of these six breeds.

This dog was originally bred for hunting. They would hunt small game and would flush birds. The word shiba means red shrub or small. The word Inu means dog. It is thought that they were named this either because they would hunt in these shrubs or because the most common color of the dog is red.

The Shiba Inu comes in two colors, red or black. They have a double coat with a straight outer coat and a very dense undercoat. The undercoat sheds about two or three times each year. You'd be surprised at the amount of fur this dog can shed, given the size of the dog.

This breed is very intelligent and independent. Even though they are independent, they can also be very affectionate. Other qualities include confident, brave, trainable, and playful. They also develop a very strong bond with their owners.

This dog needs to be socialized very well as a puppy so that it will be able to get along with strangers. They usually do well with other dogs and cats if they are raised together. Be careful if you have another dog of the same sex though because they tend to get aggressive. Never trust this dog around small animals such as birds or hamsters. This dog was bred to hunt this sort of thing.

Whenever you are outdoors with your dog, it is very important that they be kept on a leash. They are runners by nature and will always be trying to take off somewhere. Also be careful during hunting season because this dog looks a lot like a fox and someone may think it is one.

You will find that the Shiba Inu is very easy to housetrain. They are very clean dogs that constantly maintain their own cleanliness. You will often see them licking themselves like a cat. They do not like their coats to be dirty at all and will even walk around puddles!

Shiba Inus are very healthy with only a few known health problems. These problems are hip dysplasia, glaucoma, cataracts, and food allergies.

Overall, the Shiba Inu makes a great pet. They are great with children and seem to really love their families!