History and Origin: an ancient Japanese breed developed as a hunting dog to hunt by both sight and scent in the mountain regions of Japan. Capable of flushing game from the dense undergrowth. The breed is also a good watch/alert dog and a good companion. The name literally translated means brushwood dog. The Shiba Inu was recognized by the AKC in 1992. 

General Appearance: a small to medium sized dog , agile and alert,  strong and muscular,  compact with level firm back and  long  tail that is curled over the back.  Short fur is water/weather repellant.  The face has a decided fox like expression with triangular shaped eyes with black rims. Ears are small, prick and slant forward over back skull.  Nose is black. Bite is scissor. Moderate bone.  Cat like feet. Size: Males: 14-17 in   Females: 14-16in  Weight: about 18-22 lbs  

Coat and Colour: double coated with harsh and straight outer coat and undercoat that is soft and dense. Tail hair is longer and forms a curled bristle over the back. Only colours are red, sesame, and black and tan. ‘Urajiro’ refers to the creamy white ventral colour found on face legs abdomen etc on all three recognized colours. Easy care coat that only requires regular brushing to maintain. Dirt and debris tends to fall off. Does not mat and requires no trimming. Will shed copious amounts twice yearly. Bathing and combing will get rid of dead hair.

Feeding: a high quality balanced diet fed twice daily. Can be picky and might be prone to food allergies.

Training and Obedience: training requires patience and calmness. Fastidiously clean and easily housebroken.  The breed can excel in several performance areas including agility, barn hunt, coursing, fly ball, obedience, rally, scent detection, therapy, and tracking.

Activity: They are never to be off leash, High prey drive. Walks on lead, or running in a secure fenced area is recommended. They are able to scale walls and fences. Do dig and they are escape artists.  Be prepared for the Shiba scream if things aren’t to their liking. Doing their nails can be a challenge.

Temperament: Loyal, intelligent, loving companions but can be reactive to new or strange surroundings. May not get along easily with other dogs. Must be treated fairly with discipline, never babied. They are a hunting dog with an independent nature. This is breed is NOT recommended for a first time inexperienced owner.