Overview: The smallest in size of the native Japanese breeds, the Shiba Inu is a playful and energetic dog that likes to be with its master throughout the day. Loyal and affectionate to family members, it can be shy around strangers. It can tolerate some other dog breeds and animals but may be aggressive towards certain animals. It can be a little difficult to train this breed as it is not very responsive to learning knew things. It can make an excellent watchdog with decent protection skills. Grooming needs moderate attention normally in the form of weekly brushing. It is quite resistant to cold environments but doesn't like hot weather very much.

Temperament: A very self confident breed, the Shiba Inu can be quite bold and may act independent. Also it can be very stubborn when it wants to. It is excited and energetic outside, but calm and collected while indoors, that is if it gets its exercise in for the day. It may try to dominate other breeds and dogs of the same gender and it tends to chase smaller animals. It is shy around strangers and will alert its master if there is one nearby.

History: Dogs native to the country of Japan can be divided into six different breeds. It is believed that one of the more ancient of the breeds is the Shiba Inu. This breed has been named the Little Brushwood Dog for both its name, (Shiba meaning both small and brushwood) and for sharing the same color as the brushwood trees. While it is clearly of the Spitz family there is no record of when this dog came to be. It is speculated that the Shiba Inu was around even in 300 B.C. and was being used as a hunting dog. While usually this dog would flush out small game and birds it was also used for hunting wild boar. There were three types of Shiba Inu that could be found in Japan. The names differed depending on the geographical area it hailed from. The Shinshu Shiba was from the Nagano Prefecture, the Mino Shiba was from the Gifu Prefecture, and the Sanin Shiba was from the lands in the Northeast. After World War II the breed had almost become lost and it became even more scarce after the distemper in 1952. In an attempt to save this breed the different types of Shiba Inu were bred together resulting in one breed. The first of the Shiba Inu arrived in the United States in 1954 and was recognized by the AKC almost 40 years later. Since it was recognized, the Shiba Inu has gained loyal followers and the popularity has been growing. It continues to be the most popular companion dog in Japan.

Names: The Shiba Inu is also known as the Brushwood Dog, and the Japanese Small-size Dog

Groups: The Shiba Inu was formally recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1992 and assigned to the Non-Sporting Group.

Physical Characteristics: The average adult Shiba Inu can be 13.5 to 16.5 inches in height and can weigh between 17 and 23 lb. Among its features are erect ears, thick fur, curled tail and good strength. It has a double coat, outer coat being firm and straight while the undercoat is soft and dense. The color of the undercoat is cream, buff, or gray in color while the outer coat can be red, black, salt and pepper, black and tan, or white.

Care: Daily exercise is needed for this canine as it needs to use up its energy and stay in good physical condition. A long walk or a vigorous playing session outside should suffice. While it can live outdoors during colder temperatures it is best to let it live inside with access to the outdoors. The Shiba Inu needs to be brushed once or twice a week, and more so when it is shedding.

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