Dog Breeds > Shiba Inu
The Shiba Inu
The Shiba Inu is an active and fun-loving little Japanese dog that resembles a small fox. It likes to chase small animals to please its master. Surely, there are plenty of things that you and your Shiba Inu could share.
| Energy |
 |
| Playfulness |
|
| Intelligence |
|
| Grooming |
|
| Popularity |
|
|
|
Fascinating Facts
The Shiba Inu, also known as the Japanese Small Size Dog is a dog that is a native of Japan and considered to be the smallest in the country. Even if the Shiba Inu is small, its primary use was to hunt bear, wild boar and other small games such as quails and flush birds.
Physical Appearance
The Shiba Inu measures and weigh about 14 – 16 inches and 18 – 25 pounds respectively. This breed is a small and stocky dog. The head is proportionate to the size of the body. Its muzzle is round and ends with a small black nose. Its lips are also as black as its nose. The triangular shaped ears are standing on both sides of the head. The dark colored eyes have black rims.
The tail is thick and stands high. The Shiba Inu has double coat; the under coat is dense while the outer coat is hard and straight. The coat colors of the Shiba Inu are black, red, red with a little black marking, cream and gray. The markings can be found on its face, legs and chest.
Grooming
The coat of the Shiba Inu is very easy to groom. Use only brush with firm bristle to maintain the coat’s top condition and to remove the dead hair. Just like a cat, it regularly cleans itself. Do not bathe this breed for it would remove the natural oil in its body that makes its coat waterproof.
Mood
The Shiba Inu is a sweet, alert, fun-loving and confident small dog. This breed is very talented and easy to train. Unlike other dogs, the Shiba Inu barks only a little and only when the situation requires it. With proper training and early socialization, it can live peacefully with other household pets such as cats. However, it should not be fully trusted with small animals for it would surely hunt them down no matter what.
The Shiba Inu is an observant dog. It can tell if its master is weak-minded. If that is the case, the dog would certainly become independent and stubborn. The same can be said on spoiled Shiba Inu as well. Without proper disciplining, this breed can cause a lot of trouble because of its character.
With Children
The Shiba Inu is good with kids. This dog is very active, playful and fun to be with. It can also play for long hours without showing signs of getting tired.
Training & Exercise
Exercise is an important part of the Shiba Inu’s growth – physically and mentally. In order to properly spend its energy, give time it time to run and let its instinct guide it. Take it out on walk every once in a while.
Training would is not an impossible feat because it can learn fast enough. Make sure that you use gentle and kind words to properly motivate the Shiba Inu or else, it would surely do things on its own. You can use food-reward to improve its focus during training sessions.
Health & Life Expectancy
The Shiba Inu can usually live from 12 – 15 years. There are no known serious health-related issues that can occur on this breed other than hip dysplasia and Progressive Retinal Atrophy. Always visit your veterinarian to get health updates for your Shiba Inu.
Dog Breeds by Grouping | Dog Breeds A - F | Dog Breeds G - N | Dog Breeds O - Z |
