Living With Shibas

This article was originally published in Showsight Magazine, January 2014 issue.

Living With Shibas

Shiba Inu is the smallest of the six related Nippon Inu (Japanese dogs), with the Shiba being the smallest and Akita the largest. The ancestors of these little treasures are believed to be the oldest, as skeletal remains have been found dating back to the Jomon Era (8000 B.C. or earlier).

The Shiba, as well as all the Nippon Inus, were originally bred for hunting. They were used on small game, and some Shibas have even been used to hunt boar, deer, and bear. They are a very popular dog in Japanese shows, with as many as 800 Shibas in a Nippon show.

Colors are red, sesame, black, tan, and cream. They stand 14-16 inches at the shoulder and weigh 18-23 pounds. Their natural stand-up (slightly tilted forward) ears and curled tail, along with their short double coat, make them an all-around beautiful, attractive little dog that can go anywhere with you.

This fox-like look, cat-like cleanliness, and their courageous, dignified, and obedient nature are what endeared them to the Japanese all these years. They are a real family house dog and a good kid’s dog.

Shibas originate from land-locked, mountainous parts of Japan where they thrive in cold weather. They are very adaptable. We are in South Carolina, and the heat doesn’t bother them. They race around even when it’s so hot you don’t want to move.

Our line of Shibas doesn’t have the canine health problems that affect many other breeds. Additionally, they are not hyper like many small breeds. They rarely bark unless it’s for a good reason. They are so intelligent you only have to show them once or twice what you want them to do, and they obey.

Shibas are easy to train if you do it all with positive training, praise, and reward—firm but fair. I find them to be one of the smartest and easiest breeds I know. One of our people has two golden retrievers, and she said her Shiba is by far a better retriever than the Goldens!

All our dogs and puppies start out as show dogs, standing and baiting even at 6 weeks old. We have bred our dogs and kept the look and type we like, with the showmanship bred into them. As one judge said about a puppy we had at a match show, “He was born on his feet in a show stack.”

This proud little dog is a joy to own and is a dog that anyone from children to senior citizens can handle. After breeding show dogs since the ’60s and top-quality Shibas for the last 33 years, we still love them as we did on day one.