Shiba Inu
The smallest of the Japanese native breeds and the most cat like: it grooms itself and picks its own company. The noise it makes when annoyed has its own name.
Photo by Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France, CC BY 2.0
Overview
The Shiba is the smallest of the six native Japanese breeds and a designated national monument. It hunted birds and small game in mountainous terrain, working independently, and it retains a great deal of the primitive dog.
It nearly died out after the Second World War, from bombing and a distemper epidemic, and the modern breed was rebuilt from three surviving bloodlines.
Temperament
Independent, confident and catlike. Shibas groom themselves fastidiously, they are famously clean, and they house train easily, which is unusual for a small breed.
They are not biddable. A Shiba considers a request and decides, and recall is genuinely unreliable. They can be dog aggressive and possessive of food and toys. They are also known for the Shiba scream, a piercing vocalisation of protest that surprises everyone the first time.
Care and grooming
A stiff double coat that needs weekly brushing and daily attention during the two enormous moults, which are dramatic for a dog this size.
Patellar luxation, hip dysplasia, glaucoma and allergies occur. GM1 gangliosidosis has a DNA test and is specific to the breed. Thirteen to sixteen years.
Living and exercise
An hour a day plus a very secure fence and a lead in open country, because the prey drive and the independence are both real.
They are a poor first dog for anyone expecting obedience and a rewarding one for someone who appreciates a dog with its own agenda.
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