Shiba Inu

The smallest and oldest dog breed in Japan, Shiba Inu means "bush dog" in Japanese and was originally used to hunt large game, but now they are used to hunt smaller animals. Shiba Inus can be found in cities, suburbs and villages throughout Japan. I believe many people have seen the movie "Faithful Dog" and moved by it, the movie is about the always loyal Akita dog (details) daily to send his master to and from work, the master has died, but it does not know, still every day will continue to wait at the station. Day after day, year after year, until his life comes to an end. Why do we talk about Akita? Because for Shiba Inu it is almost a smaller version of Akita, in fact in Japanese Shiba Inu means puppy.

The Shiba Inu is the smallest of the native Japanese dog breeds, and there is a big difference in appearance between male and female Shiba Inus. Males appear masculine but females look feminine.

The eyes are slightly triangular in shape with dark brown irises and black rims. The ears are triangular, small, firm and erect in proportion to the size of the head and body. The nose is straight, the nosepiece is black, the lips are tight and black, and the upper and lower teeth complement each other perfectly.

The neck is thick and strong, with a straight dorsal line. The carapace muscles are strong and powerful, the abdomen is firm and well contracted, and the forelimbs are strong and powerful. The hindquarters are strong, the legs are widely spaced when standing naturally, the upper part of the thighs are long and the lower part is short, with no overhanging grip.

The tail is thick and strong, sickle-shaped or curly placed on the back with a loose single curl or sickle-shaped strong pointing to the neck or nearly parallel to the back, the length of the tail is when the tail is extended to reach directly to the hock joint.

The outer coat is stiff and erect, while the undercoat is soft and thick and dense, with a cream, light yellow or gray coat.

The Shiba Inu is small, good-tempered, has a sense of refinement and dignity, and is loyal to respectful people, but is sometimes aggressive toward other dogs, but it will generally follow its owner's commands. Many people confuse the Shiba Inu with the Akita and the Chinese Field Dog. It is usually not recommended for first time dog owners to get a Shiba Inu. Because Shiba Inus are intelligent but do not always obey commands, training from an early age is essential.

If you are a beginner and really like the Shiba Inu breed. Before you get your little Shiba Inu, take some time to read more books about Shiba Inus and information on the internet. Or you can ask owners who have Shiba Inus at home to get more information about Shiba Inus from them. Every dog is different, and just because one dog hates the rain doesn't mean all dogs hate it. Shiba Inus are a very sweet and loyal breed, and I hope everyone can be responsible for their own little Shiba Inus or future little Shiba Inus