| General Information |
| Group(s):
Non-Sporting |
Height: 14-16 inches |
| Weight: 18-26 pounds |
Longevity: mid-high teens |
| Colors: red, black and tan, sesame (gold/tan) with minimal white or solid white |
Coat type: hard, coarse outercoat of short length that stands out due to soft dense undercoat |
| Recognized Registries: ANKC, CKC, UKC, AKC, TKC, FCI, NCA and others |
| Overall Appearance: Small well-balanced Spitz (curled tail over back, foxy face and pricked ears on square body) type dog. |
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| Personaility - Behavior - Training |
| Energy Level: rather high |
| General Nature: |
bold, charming, entitled and knows it |
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with Children: probably only good if heavily socialized and supervised with very well behaved children |
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with other pets: not reliable as they were developed to hunt birds and small animals |
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with dogs: generally not ideal with other dogs (especially intact males) |
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| Socialization requirements: very high: 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. |
| Ideal home characteristics: One that recognizes the very strong personality packaged in this exquisitely charming package. |
| Temperament Notes: Independent, entertaining, clever, cunning, bold, inquisitive. |
| Training requirement: moderate: very heavy socialization and consistent work on basic manners |
| Trainer notes: Training a Shiba could be a sign of a trainer's finest art. There is no doubt that Shibas are incredibly clever and perhaps even creative (judging from the incredible antics they do on their own) but harnessing that to the request of another in an entirely different endeavor. The Shiba is brilliant and with that is quite independent and easily bored. Not a combination that would sit well with "traditional" trainers. So the one that wishes to train a Shiba will need to embody an exceptional understanding of training theory as well as a heightened sense of fun and creativity (heightened beyond the Shiba's which would be an accomplishment in itself). This does not mean that the Shiba is not trainable by more standard methods but that the results will probably not be reliable due to the high distractability of the Shiba. |
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| Background Information |
| Year range of first recognition: around 600 AD the Emporer appointed an office to maintain records of Japanese Culture, information about their dogs was included |
| Country of Origin: Japan |
| Original Function: hunter of birds and small game |
| History: Closely tied to the region, the Shiba was the smaller of the native breeds of Japan. Exportation of the breed was unheard of until after WWII. |
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| Adoption Information |
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| Deviations from Standard: |
| Health Notes: hip and elbow dysplasia, eye problems, diabetes, hypothyroidism, cushing disease, addison's disease, epilepsy, patellar luxation |
| Health Testing: OFA, Thyroid Panel, CERF |
| Questions to ask Breeder:
How long have you had English Foxhounds?
Why do you have Shibas (show, performance, etc.)?
What do you consider to be the most important single characteristic of a Shiba?
What health issues have you seen in the breed?
What criteria do you set for your breeding stock?
Do you plan to keep a puppy from this litter?
How often do you have puppies?
Do you have a written contract and puppy guarantee?
At what age do you send your pups to their homes?
How would you describe the ideal Shiba?
How would you describe the ideal Shiba home?
Are your puppies whelped in your home?
What advice would you offer someone in raising and training a Shiba?
How do you assist or help Shibas in need of rescue? |
| Web Sites: http://www.shibas.org/rescue.html - National Shiba Rescue |
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| Other Resources |
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