Shiba Inu

The Shiba's frame is compact with well-developed muscles.[5]

The Shiba Inu is double coated, with the outer coat being stiff and straight and the undercoat soft and thick. Fur is short and even on the foxlike face, ears, and legs. Guard hairs stand off the body and are about 4 to 5 cm (1+1⁄2 to 2 in) long at the withers. The purpose of the guard hairs is to protect their underlying skin and to repel rain or snow. Tail hair is slightly longer and stands open in a brush.[6] Their tails are a defining characteristic and make them stand apart from other dog breeds.

The cream color is considered a "major fault" by both the Japan Kennel Club and American Kennel Club.[6] It should never be intentionally bred in a show dog, as the required markings known as "urajiro" (裏白) are not visible; "Urajiro" literally translates to "underside white".[2] Conversely, a white (cream) coat is perfectly acceptable according to the British Kennel Club breed standard.[7]

The urajiro (cream to white ventral color) is required in the following areas on all coat colors: on the sides of the muzzle, on the cheeks, inside the ears, on the underjaw and upper throat inside of legs, on the abdomen, around the vent and the ventral side of the tail. On reds: commonly on the throat, fore chest, and chest. On blacks and sesames: commonly as a triangular mark on both sides of the fore chest.[8]

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  A "white" (also called "cream") Shiba Inu
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  A sesame Shiba Inu
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  A black and tan Shiba Inu with urajiro
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  A red Shiba Inu with visible urajiro on the muzzle, cheeks, ears and throat

A Shiba Inu puppy

Shibas tend to exhibit an independent nature.[5] From the Japanese breed standard:

The dog has a spirited boldness and is fiercely proud with a good nature and a feeling of artlessness. The Shiba is able to move quickly with nimble, elastic steps.

The terms "spirited boldness" (悍威, kan'i), "good nature" (良性, ryōsei), and "artlessness" (素朴, soboku) have subtle interpretations that have been the subject of much commentary.[9]

The Shiba is a relatively fastidious breed and feels the need to maintain itself in a clean state. They can often be seen licking their paws and legs, much as cats do. They generally go out of their way to keep their coats clean. Because of their fastidious and proud nature, Shiba puppies are easy to housetrain and in many cases will housebreak themselves. Having their owner simply place them outside after meal times and naps is generally enough to teach the Shiba the appropriate method of toileting.[10]

They are not known to be friendly and prone to attack other dogs when not trained properly. Shiba is not suitable for first time dog owners. A distinguishing characteristic of the breed is the so-called "shiba scream". When sufficiently provoked or unhappy, the dog will produce a loud, high-pitched scream. This can occur when attempting to handle the dog in a way that it deems unacceptable.[1][11][12]

A fragment of a Jōmon period dogū with pointed ears, unearthed in Aomori Prefecture.

The Shiba Inu has been identified as a basal breed that predates the emergence of the modern breeds in the 19th century.[13] Dogs with a similar appearance to the Shiba Inu were represented in dogū made during the prehistoric Jōmon period of Japanese history.[14]

The Shiba Inu was bred to hunt and flush small game, such as birds and rabbits. Shiba lived in the mountainous areas of the Chūbu region. During the Meiji Restoration, western dog breeds were imported and crosses between these and native Japanese breeds became popular. From 1912 to 1926, almost no pure Shiba remained. From around 1928, hunters and intellectuals began to show interest in the protection of the remaining pure Shiba.[15]

Despite efforts to preserve the breed, the Shiba nearly became extinct during World War II[5] due to a combination of food shortage and a post-war distemper epidemic.[1] All subsequent dogs were bred from the only three surviving bloodlines.[16] These bloodlines were the Shinshu Shiba from Nagano Prefecture, the Mino Shiba from the former Mino Province in the south of present-day Gifu Prefecture, and the San'in Shiba from Tottori and Shimane Prefectures.[17]

The Shinshu Shibas possessed a solid undercoat, with a dense layer of guard-hairs, and were small and red in color. The Mino Shibas tended to have thick, prick ears, and possessed a sickle tail, rather than the common curled tail found on most modern Shibas. The San'in Shibas were larger than most modern shibas, and tended to be black, without the common tan and white accents found on modern black-and-tan shibas.[17]

When the study of Japanese dogs was formalized in the early and mid-20th century, these three strains were combined into one overall breed, the Shiba Inu.[17] The first Japanese breed standard for the Shiba, the Nippo Standard, was published in 1934. In December 1936, the Shiba Inu was recognized as a Natural Monument of Japan through the Cultural Properties Act, largely due to the efforts of Nippo (Nihon Ken Hozonkai), the Association for the Preservation of the Japanese Dog.[17][18]

In 1954, an armed service family brought the first Shiba Inu to the United States.[16] In 1979, the first recorded litter was born in the United States.[16] The Shiba was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1992 and added to the AKC Non-Sporting Group in 1993.[1][19] It is now primarily kept as a pet both in Japan and abroad.[20] According to the American Kennel Club, the Shiba Inu is the number one companion dog in Japan. In the United States, the growing popularity of the Shiba Inu is evident as the American Kennel Club Registration Statistics ranked the breed in 44th place in 2016, a rise from 50th place in 2012.[21]

A Shiba Inu photographed in Italy in 2008.

Overall, the Shiba Inu is a healthy dog breed.[22][23][24] Health conditions known to affect this breed are allergies, glaucoma, cataracts, hip dysplasia, entropion, and luxating patella.[25] Periodic joint examinations are recommended throughout the dog's life. Eye tests should be performed yearly as eye problems can develop over time. By two years of age, Shiba Inus may be considered fully free from joint problems if none have previously been discovered, since at this age the skeleton is fully developed.[26]

As with most dog breeds, Shibas should be walked or otherwise exercised daily.[27]

Despite not being a popular dog breed outside of Japan, the Shiba Inu has become popular on the Internet. Doge is an Internet meme from 2013 including a Shiba Inu and broken English. A popular cryptocurrency, Dogecoin, is named after this meme and its logo bears an image of the Shiba Inu. According to Jamie Cohen, an assistant professor of media studies at Queens College of the City University of New York, the Shiba Inu breed has had a significant presence in online culture since at least 2010.[29]

Another Shiba Inu dog that went viral was a dog known as 'Cheems'. He had gone viral during the COVID-19 pandemic and had gained worldwide attention. Cheems died during cancer surgery on August 18, 2023 at the age of 12½ years.[30]

• List of dog breeds
• Japan Kennel Club
• Mameshiba
• Nihon Ken Hozonkai
• Shiba Inu Puppy Cam

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shiba Inu.

• Shiba Inu at Curlie