I have had the privilege of sharing my life with Shibas since 1987.Some say they are not an easy breed. Perhaps so but once you own one you discover they are so different from other breeds. My husband and I have owned Borzoi, Akita and finally Shibas over the past 35 years. We have been ‘Shiba folk’ for 13. I started with a Kiskas bitch in 1977 and now we have seven Shibas. I am limited with space at home so breed rarely. Only if I want something to show or have sufficient folk waiting to warrant a litter. Therefore, I never have to advertise. Occasionally, I have an older dog for rehoming. Normally this IS a dog because shiba males tend to be dominant and when they get older, fight. I usually keep two males and my little shiba packs live one at the front of the house and one at the back. I thought I might have had a problem recently because I had a litter of three male puppies (I had bred for a bitch). I hadn’t intended keeping one but I fell in love with Red. Against all my rules I ran him with his father and the other ‘front of the house gang’. So far there has been no trouble. He is 13 months old now so we are fast approaching ‘fingers crossed’ time. Since writing this Little Red has gone to live with Kate Chellew. She wanted a puppy but both Kate and her family fell in love with him (who could resist him?) See MymsinHistory for the full story.
I recently visited a friend who has one of my Shiba males, a Leonberger and an Akita. I took two males and two bitches and they all played happily together off-lead in her field
Darcie and Amy
The Shiba is a delightful breed. They do however have their drawbacks. Shiba males are OK with dogs of other breeds but hate other Shiba males. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. One of my people has two males who are utterly devoted to each other but of course, he has no female to ‘upset the apple cart’ and only one is dominant. Another problem is moulting. You will no longer include black in your wardrobe. They have this incredibly soft undercoat which when it moults fly’s everywhere. One can easily comb out a bagful of hair. I find it easier to groom them every day. It then only takes a few minutes and the reward is wonderful. It takes forever to go for a walk. Folk keep stopping you to ask ‘Is it a fox?’ At first this is quite amusing after the twentieth time, it gets a bit aggravating. Shibas can be stubborn. Lead training a puppy is a very careful affair. After years I have found the best way is to put on the collar and a Flexi lead. Take the puppy out and place him on some grass. When he moves, follow him. Be careful NOT TO LET THE LEAD PULL HIS NECK, If you do, you will be treated to the shiba scream. This is a sound once heard never forgotten. Your blood will run cold and neighbours for miles around will rush out to see who is being killed! Make your training sessions short and always quit while you are winning. After two or three days you can encourage him with treats to follow you and gradually he will respond and you will have a perfect little gentleman on the lead.
One more point to remember about your puppy. The Shiba puppy motto is ‘If it is in reach, it is MINE’. There is no point in weeping about those expensive trainers or Gucci shoes that were eaten if they were left on the floor. If the article is precious to you, put it up and out of reach.
Shibas need a lot of socializing. They are a primitive breed and can easily be made nervous. Please don’t go for the first Shiba litter you see. The puppies are so attractive it is hard to resist them. See the parents. If one or both are timid (as opposed to aloof), forget it. They rarely improve and will just cause you heartache. Shibas (males especially) are very often aloof. They like to size you up. They can shy away from a stranger coming from above their head. They prefer to be tickled under the chin. This is another part of the primitive nature. In the wild, they would be attacked from above and grabbed by the back of the neck, so this is a sensitive area for them. Don’t force them into situations. Let them sit back and study and then they will investigate on their own volition.
The Shiba is not a noisy breed. If it barks it is well worth looking to see why. There is usually a very good reason.
They eat very little and sometimes it is a good idea to leave the food out at night, as this is when the young ones like to eat.
They are very clean and rarely have to be house trained as the mother does this in the nest.
Shibas come in three colours red, sesame (red with black tips to the coat) and black & tan. Red is the preferred colour in Japan but over here it is a matter of personal taste. There are also white and cream Shibas. In Japan this colour is known as ‘stained white’ because there are usually orange tips to ears, tail and sometimes the back. Cream can be confused with dilute which is a pale fawn colour and not to be encouraged because the dilute chinchilla gene can cause all sorts of problems with other colours when breeding. It can reduce sesame to agouti and muddy the smart outlines of colours in the black and tan.
Some can be let off the lead, some cannot. Of my seven, four can be let off, my oldest girl is OK until something worries her and then she runs for home so I don’t take the risk. The other two are fine until something takes their eye and then they take off. They don’t actually run away for good but when they have had enough they just sit down and wait to be found which is fine if I know where they are but can be a bit of a problem. A Flexi lead is the safest solution unless you are in an enclosed space. Shibas have a death wish when it comes to roads. Even if on a lead they try to throw themselves under the first car they see which is why mine are NEVER of the lead anywhere near roads.
Shiba puppies are usually very dark when born, sometimes the reds have black masks, which fade, as they grow older. It should have turned completely white by the time they are 18 months. They make extremely good mothers and do all the training and weaning for you. I leave my puppies with the mother as long as she wants. The litters are small. Normally they are between one and four pups. I am often asked ‘How much do they cost?’ How long is a piece of string? I can only say that some are horrendously expensive some less so. Some breeders charge less for pups without papers. All my pups are equally valuable to me so I register them all and they are all the same price, show or pet.
If you do decide on a Shiba. It is a lifetime investment. They are normally very healthy and live to about 18 years.
Good luck with your search and remember I am always available to help at any time.
It is worth studying the Shiba standard, which reads as follows
Japanese Shiba Inu
General Appearance Small, well balanced, sturdy dog of Spitz Type. Very slightly longer than height at withers.
Characteristic Lively and friendly.
Temperament Bright, active, keen and alert.
Head and Skull Head appears as a blunt triangle when viewed from above. Broad flat skull, cheeks well developed. Definite stop with slight furrow. Muzzle straight, of good depth, tapering gradually. Lips tight. Black nose preferred but flesh coloured acceptable in white dogs.
Eyes Relatively small, almond obliquely set well apart and dark brown.
Ear small, triangular, pricked and inclining slightly forward.
Mouth Jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e.
upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Neck Slightly arched, medium length, thick and muscular.
Forequarters Shoulders moderately sloping. Elbows set close to the body. Forechest well developed. Forearms straight. Pasterns slightly sloping.
Body Withers high and well developed. Short loin, level back. Deep chest. Moderate spring of rib. Belly moderate tuck up.
Hindquarters Long upper thigh, short, strong second thigh. Hocks strong and parallel when seen from rear, turning neither in nor out. Well developed. Slight but definite bend of stifle.
Feet Cat-like with firm, tight, well knuckled toes. Pads firm and elastic. Dark nails preferred.
Tail Set on high. Thick and carried curled or curved as a sickle.
Gait/Movement Light, quick and energetic.
Coat Hard, straight outer coat with soft dense undercoat. Hair on tail slightly longer.
Colour Red: Intense, clear red. Red Sesame: Red with an even overlay of black guard hairs; black to he not less Um 25%, or more than 50% of normal red area.
White markings in Red and Red Sesame restricted to eyespots, cheeks, under jaw, forechest, underparts and underside of tail and legs. No white above elbows or hocks. The white marking on the forechest resembling the shape of a how-tie. Eyespots in Red Sesame may be tan.
Black and Tan: Dull black with a bronze cast. Tan markings restricted to eyespots, cheeks, inside of cam, legs and tail. White markings as in Red and Red Sesame. Tan markings only occur between black and white areas.
Faults any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.
Note All animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
The Kennel Club Oct1997 Utility Group
