Shiba Inu

The Shiba Inu is an incredibly beautiful dog. If you look at them closely, you might see a bit of fox in their faces. The Shiba Inu's fur is second to none. It's soft and fluffy and wonderful. The tail is curly and just as beautiful as the fur is. These are ancient dogs from Japan. They're extremely loyal and loving and eagerly want to be part of the family. They're bold and confident and do well with children and adults. If you're looking for a relatively quiet dog that doesn't bark much at all, check out this breed. They do well in apartments as well as with larger properties.

Continue reading to learn more about Shiba Inus, an ancient hunting dog originally bred in Japan.

Popularity: Somewhat popular.

Trainability: As far as smaller dogs go, the Shiba Inu stands out from the pack. These dogs are highly trainable and fairly easy to housebreak. You will need to assert your dominance from time to time because this breed is highly confident and has very strong instincts. If you demonstrate your leadership, you shouldn't have any issues with keeping this dog behaving well and as expected.

Size/Weight: Small to medium sized dogs, weighing in at an average of 15-25 pounds.

Origin Location/Date: The Shiba Inu originated in Japan and was used as a hunting dog in thick underbrush. The name of the breed actually translates to "brushwood dog" in Japanese. First introduced to the United States in 1954, the American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1993.

Energy Level: Shiba Inus are relatively energetic dogs, but keep themselves in check if not exercised regularly. These aren't particularly destructive dogs, but dogs that really should be walked, run and played with every single day. The Shiba Inu loves play time and going for walks with its master, so take advantage of this personality to enjoy the dog.

Temperament: This breed of dog is extremely confident and sometimes stubborn. It's a highly trainable dog though, so you should be able to work through those characteristics if they become an issue. This is a wonderful family dog that's great with kids and other pets. It's very cute as a puppy, but can be demanding at times and even annoying if its assertive disposition isn't dealt with early on in life.

Necessary Space: Since this dog is relatively small and since it doesn't require excessive exercise, it would be suitable for apartment living. Its ideal habitat would be a larger home with a big fenced in back yard, but as long as you're faithful with walking, running and exercising this dog every single day, you should be able to keep it in smaller living quarters with you.

Talents: This is an all around great dog. It's highly adaptable and is good with kids and families. It can also handle many different types of environments to achieve its exercise requirements, such as mountains, trails in woods, parks and so forth.

Life Expectancy: 13-16 years.

Group: Non-Sporting Group.

A few terms and phrases to describe the typical Shiba Inu puppy and dog: sturdy, muscular, strong, bold, confident, friendly, stubborn, good with kids, good with families, good with other pets, highly trainable, good hunter, intelligent, smart, cute, and cuddly.

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