He looks just like a fox!
You have probably seen this foxy little dog, walking his little walk around your neighborhood. Or perhaps you saw him at the dog park, strutting his stuff,… or maybe it was at the dog show.
These little foxes are striking. They act like they are on show all of the time, and they stand out wherever they go.
What are they?
Sounds like Sheba Inu, Shibu Inu, Shiba Enu … the one and only Shiba Inu.
The Shiba Inu – What’s That?!
The Shiba Inu is a Japanese dog breed. There are six original distinct breeds of dog from Japan, and the Shiba Inu is the smallest one.
The largest in the group is the Akita. There aren’t many red and white Akitas in the United States, but the few that I have seen, look just like larger versions of the red Shiba Inu. And not in the Schwarzenegger-DeVito sort of way.
Between the Akita Inu and the Shiba Inu, are the medium sized Japanese dog breeds, including the Shikoku, Kai, Ainu, and Kishu. These six Japanese dog breeds have very similar appearance and temperaments. They all belong to the Spitz dog family.
Shiba Inu – What Does It Mean?
The Kanji or Japanese character for ‘dog‘, can be pronounced as ‘Inu‘ or ‘Ken‘. Therefore, Shiba Inu simply means Shiba dog. Sometimes, you will also hear the Shiba dog being referred to as Shiba Ken.
The exact interpretation of ‘Shiba‘, is less clear. It could mean ‘red shrub‘, for the red bushes that grow in the region, where Shibas come from. Alternatively, it could also mean ‘small‘.
The Shiba Inu is certainly a cheeky little red shrub, so both interpretations work out well.
Shiba Inu – What Does It Truly Mean?
I know that discussions of red shrubs are truly riveting, but you probably want to move on to what it truly means to be Shiba, am I right?
Well, you know what they say about red-heads and their fiery temper.
The same is also true of the red-headed Shiba Inu. You may think that you can get around this thorny issue, by getting a Shiba of another color, such as the red-sesame, black and tan, or cream colored versions. However, the Shiba God is indeed one step ahead of you.
Shiba Inus of all colors, have the same fiery red personality.
That is why they are also known as –
- The ‘devil dog’,
- The ‘not for everyone dog’, and
- The ‘honey, why the hell did you get this thing?! dog’.
Indeed, the Shiba Inu is not recommended for first time dog owners.
However, figuring I was smarter than everyone else, or mainly because of lack of research, I decided to get a Shiba as my first dog anyway. It was not an easy first dog experience, but after over a year, Shiba Inu Sephy and I reached a somewhat peaceful state of cohabitation.
My little red shrub still has some thorns, but he is growing some beautiful flowers as well.
Mame Shiba
Standard sized male Shiba Inus tend to range between 20-25 pounds, for an average weight of around 23 pounds. Female Shiba Inus are slightly smaller, and have an average weight of 17 pounds. There are always outliers though.
My male Shiba is a big boy, and comes in at around 30 pounds. He is not an overweight dog, just big-boned.
Recently, some breeders in Japan and the United States have started breeding Mame Shibas, which are essentially smaller sized Shibas. ‘Mame‘ means ‘bean‘ in Japanese, so these are bean-sized Shibas.
Mame Shibas are not recognized by any of the kennel clubs in Japan, or in the United States. As a result, the breeding of Mame Shibas is not regulated, and many of the breeders who sell them, do not breed for health or temperament.
Since the Shiba Inu is already a difficult dog breed to begin with, we want to try and get one that has a balanced temperament. Therefore, it is best to get a Shiba from an accredited club breeder, who has to follow strict breeding guidelines.
Jomon Shiba
The Jomon period is the time in Japanese history from around 14,000 B.C. to 400 B.C. The Jomon inhabitants reared hunting dogs that were a big part of their culture.
Archaeological sites have uncovered well-preserved skeletons of the Jomon dogs, which show that they have prick ears and a sickle tail. Scientists believe these dogs to be the ancient ancestors of the Shiba Inu, and the other five original Japanese dog breeds.
Some breeders in Japan have founded the Shibaho association, to breed dogs with physical characteristics that conform to the Jomon dogs of old.
The Jomon Shiba is a more feral looking Shiba, with a narrower head, and larger teeth. True to their even more primitive roots, Jomon Shibas are more stubborn and less obedient, than their domesticated Shiba Inu brothers.
Given the already high level of stubbornness and willfulness in a regular Shiba, it may be best to stay away from these Jomon dogs.
Shiba Inu – Why Not?
Truthfully, there are many easier and friendlier dog breeds than the Shiba Inu.
The Shiba Inu is independent and aloof. If we want a lap dog who likes to cuddle with us, then the Shiba is not for us.
The Shiba Inu is feisty and active. If we want a calm dog that just lies at the end of our bed, and warms our feet, then the Shiba is not for us.
The Shiba Inu is a dog rebel. If we want an obedient dog that follows our every command, and only lives to please us, then the Shiba is not for us.
Why Do People Get Shiba Inus?
Yeah, they are a bit nuts. Maybe more than a bit nuts. However, once we get beneath that fiery red temper, we will find a rich and deep Shiba soul.
The Shiba Inu is a trickster. He likes to play tricks, and he likes breaking rules. We will never be bored if we live with a Shiba, because he will always be up to something. Sometimes, it is even something good.
The Shiba Inu is a clown. He likes being the center of attention, and he will do much to get to that coveted spot. What he does, will be original, funny, and very entertaining. In fact, Shibas remind me of stand-up comedians. They can easily make others laugh with their crazy hi-jinks, but they have a very sensitive and fragile soul.
The Shiba Inu is a charmer. He can charm birds from the trees, if he wants to. Most of the time, he may not want to, but when he does, look out! It is simply not possible to resist those deep dark eyes, his infectious grin, or roguish charm.
The Shiba Inu is one of a kind. He is not like a regular dog. In fact, many people describe the Shiba as a dog that is more like a cat.
If we want a dog that is a bit different, a dog that will challenge us and grow with us, a dog that will surprise us in both delightful and sometimes non-delightful ways, a trickster, a prankster, and a rogue, but sensitive, deep, and surprising – then the Shiba Inu is the dog for us.
He is like Han Solo and Indiana Jones, except with more fur and without the hat!
Getting a Shiba Inu
Should we get a Shiba Inu puppy?
That would depend on our temperament, lifestyle, and the amount of time we can devote to a new puppy. The Shiba Inu is a challenging dog breed, because he is extremely stubborn, dominant, and smart.
Shiba Inu training is a must, and it can be a very time consuming and frustrating process, especially in the beginning.
Patience and time are two key ingredients, that we will need in abundance.
Shibas are inside dogs, that need the company of their people. A Shiba puppy that is constantly left in his own company, will become stressed, unhappy, destructive, and aggressive.
If you still want a Shiba Inu after all this – then get a puppy from an accredited breeder, or from a Shiba Inu rescue.
hi there. came across your site and just love it. you hit the shiba inu on the spot. Anyways i have a 8 month old shiba. his name is Dag. we think he might be a little of a runt. because of his size, he only weighs 20 pounds. he isnt fixed. and hes really cocky. King Dag. the only problems iv had with him is when he gets loose. and i play the chasing game… rain or shine. anyways does your shiba constantly whine? and holy heck does he cry when i touch his paws. like i was chopping them off lol.
LOL – yeah Shiba Sephy is a big whiner. The most annoying is when he wakes up early in the morning and whines to come out of his crate. He pretty much whines any time he wants something and isn’t getting it. 😀
Yeah Sephy is sensitive about being touched as well. After a lot of desensitization work, he is a lot better. Now, he even lets us grind his nails, wipe his paws, and brush his teeth.
Hi Shibashake!
I came across your site a while back just when I got my shiba puppy, Taiga and your information is super helpful =) I know you’re not a vet, but I just wanted some suggestions if you have any. Taiga is 19 weeks and is showing signs of humping and my breeder did mention maybe consider neutering him earlier at 5 months old. I was considering going to a vet for a checkup first to make sure he was ready. I was wondering if you knew how long it would take for a shiba to recover for a neuter surgery? He has several obedience classes scheduled for the next few weeks, so I was wondering if I should delay the neuter until he is done his classes? Any help would be great, thank you so much!!
Hello Shirley,
Sephy also got neutered at around 5 months. They did one of those dissolvable stitches thing. On the first night there was some leakage, then it was good after that. Sephy was a big biter though, so he had to have the Cone of Shame (the e-cone) on the whole time.
The most challenging part was keeping a young Shiba occupied for those 2 weeks with no running and no jumping. Frozen Kongs were awesome during that time. I am also using them now on my hyper Sibe puppy. 😀
Let us know how it goes with Taiga.
Help! Advice for Ziva and her never ending shedding needed!! Her winter shed started in February but the coat blowing I expected has never completed the cycle. She has a few tufts here and there–then it stops blowing but keeps “dribbling off”. We bathe her and she sheds lots…but then it slows down. We brush…we Furminate….we undercoat rake….but still, it’s never ending. Don’t get me wrong, the shedding never really stops, but I was expecting a two week blow out–instead we’re getting a gradual avelance of hair. Any advice for getting this on and over with? Shiba Ziva and I would greatly appreciate it, as both of us are tired of having Shiba Undercoat in our eyes! We live in the Deep South, and temps are getting into the 70s and 80s and she’s about to be miserable if she doesn’t get rid of this winter coat.
Hi Brett,
Sounds like you are already doing all the right things so I am not sure what more I can add. My Shiba breeder told me that a bath and a blow-dry afterward gets the most hair out.
I have also noticed with Sephy that when I do more regular brushing during the year, he has a lighter coat blow. Last year I was less regular with his brushing, and his most recent coat blow was quite heavy and a big hair fashion emergency.
Try asking this question in the Shiba nihonken forum. Somebody there will probably have some good suggestions.
Your site has been incredibly helpful and is quite thorough and well made. Thank you for sharing all your advice with the rest of us.
One question, I am about to inherit a well behaved, if a tad cowardly, Imo-Inu from a friend. Do you have any experience with this hybrid? She’s supposed to be a 50-50 but seems to look and act much like a shiba
Hello Britton,
I don’t have any experience with the Imo-Inu.
However, like the Shiba Inu, the American Eskimo dog is also from the Spitz family, so the combination would likely be independent and stubborn. 🙂
I really love this breed, been eyeing it for years now, it’s just my work schedule that prevent me from getting one.
I’m usually off work from 7am to 5.30pm weekdays. Would that be fair for a shiba to have no access to human care for that long? If i get one, how do i make up for the time loss? would that even possible?
Hello Michael,
A possibility is to put Shiba in a dog daycare some days of the week or to hire a dog walker. I tried daycare and group dog walking with Shiba Sephy when he was young and both activities really tired him out.
However, it can be a challenge to find people who can properly handle a Shiba. Also, such services can end up being somewhat expensive.
I wouldn’t advocate it – but our Shiba is frequently home the whole day by himself. He is surprisingly nonchalant about it and doesn’t have any noticeable ill-affects. However, he is also a fairly mellow guy. We keep him in a play pen so he doesn’t eat the whole house with some toys, food and water.
When we get home, he is super happy and jumpy for about 20 minutes, we play a game to work off some of the excess energy (fetch or the kibble game), take him for a walk, and then he’s fine the rest of the night.
We do put him in doggy day care once a week for dog socialization and I take him in to work with me periodically to help keep him from getting too lonely. (He just sleeps under my desk – he’s kind of lazy).
I would talk to your breeder when you get the puppy. They can usually help determine if the dogs they are raising are going to be mellow or neurotic based on the parents (though it’s not an exact science!) and tell you if they may adjust to being alone or if they will go bonkers.
Hi Shibashake, my name is Tara. I just came across your website while researching shock colloars for my dog. I have a one year old male black and tan Shiba Inu named Kelsey – he’s my baby and I love him, but we have reached a scary crossroad. Last night at a family birthday party he attacked a guest and drew blood in several places on the guests hand. Kelsey, just like all of the descriptions I’ve seen on your site, is sneaky, wild, aloof at times, and listens only when he knows it will be to his benefit. He is enrolled in obdedience traning with a well-respected trainer, but he’s smarter than the system – he performs in class and then thinks he’s the boss at home. This is not the first time he has drawn blood – he has a serious collar phobia (which he’s had since I brought him home at eight weeks). My dad was Kelsey-sitting for me while I was out of town and Kelsey slipped out of his collar; while trying to get the collar back on, Kelsey, who is terrified/hates the action, bit my dad and caused deep enough wounds to need stitches. My dad was broken-hearted and put the dog in his kennel without the collar on. After this experience my dad took Kelsey to see a dog behavior specialist, who deemed Kelsey “fear aggressive”. Not only is he aggressive, but he’s every inch the typical Shiba – steals food off the table, hides my laundry, barks at all other dogs, hates strangers, and trusts very few people. I don’t know what to do – I love my dog and don’t want to give up on him because underneath his bad behavior he is still a sweetheart… even though the sweetheart shows a little less lately than the werewolf. I don’t believe in shock collars and I swore I’d never use one on my dog (Kelsey is my first dog), but after what happened last night my family is scared of Kelsey and even I cannot trust him – my family is urging me to take a more aggressive appraoch if I want Kelsey to be welcome anymore. I desperately need wisdom from other Shiba owners, because Shiba’s are unlike any other dog. This experience is exhausting – please let me know if there’s anything I can do/try to save my dog from a life of isolation. Thanks, Tara
Hello Tara,
I had many similar experiences with my Shiba Sephy. When I went to pick him up from the breeder (10 weeks old), we tried to put a collar on him, and he ran away to hide. We cornered him under the table, and he bit us when we tried to put on a collar (so that we could take him home). He did not break skin, but he was really afraid of people handling him, especially strangers.
I started out with the “more aggressive approach” because Sephy’s breeder and our first vet tech recommended the more aggressive approach. I later realized that that only *deepened* his fear aggression and it made things worse. Every time he did something wrong, he got some kind of pain/dominance correction which included strong leash corrections, alpha rolls, or finger jabs. While these pain based techniques seemed to work for me initially, Sephy got quickly habituated to the pain, and he would fight back even more because he had started to associate people with pain.
Here is the story of Shiba Sephy and me –
http://shibashake.com/dog/my-shiba-inu-story
At the end, the “more aggressive approach” worked out poorly for Sephy. He became even more aggressive, even more aloof, and he did not trust us at all. At this time, I did consider using the shock collar because I was very afraid of Sephy and did not want to go near him. After doing some research on shock collars, however, I decided against it.
Here are some of the things I found on shock collars –
http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-shock-collar-good-bad
What ultimately worked out best for Sephy was to institute a lot of rules within the household as well as a fixed routine. However, I would enforce those rules simply by controlling his resources – I did not get physical with him at all. I made him work for everything – including his food, his freedom, and even my affection.
As for the collar, I desensitized him to it so that instead of seeing it as a negative object that gets forced on him, he started to see it as a positive thing that we put on before a fun walk outside. Here is what I did with Sephy –
http://shibashake.com/dog/train-your-puppy-to-walk-on-a-leash#collar-desensitize
Here is an article about the difficult period I went through with Sephy and some of the techniques that worked well with him –
http://shibashake.com/dog/pack-leader-to-an-aggressive-dog
Here are some other things that helped with Sephy at home –
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-obedience-training
Feel free to drop a comment anytime if you want to chat. The Shiba Inu forum can also be a great place to hook up with other Shiba owners.
http://www.shibainuforum.org/forum/
Dear shibashake could I please have your email to share the photos? Thanks.
Sure, I will send you an e-mail.
Timber is having his third birthday soon! Do you have any suggestions of what I could do for him on that one special day?
I usually make a cake with dog safe ingredients for Sephy. His favorite is the peanut butter, carrot, and honey cake.
http://www.dogbirthdaysandparties.com/dogbirthdaycakerecipe.htm
I only give him a very small piece per day so his tummy doesn’t get upset.
Here are a bunch of other possible dog birthday activities.
Make sure to take lots of pictures and share them with us! 😀
awww cute dogs 🙂
Shiba shake thank you! Your advice helped me a lot I carry and air horn with me now when I take Timber out it keeps unfriendly dogs away. I chose the air horn because I feared if I used the riding crop or the dog pepper spray I might actually hurt the dog or at least provoke the owner. Your advice has helped me a lot, and Timber gets better everyday.
Thanks Winton.
Glad to hear that Timber is doing well. You bring up some great points with the air horn vs. pepper spray and riding crop. I will probably write an article about this at some point.
A big Merry Christmas to you, Timber, and your family! Have a wonderful holiday!