Quick Links: Table of Contents
- Shiba Inu Breed Overview
- History of the Shiba Inu Breed. Where Shiba Inus came from
- What the Shiba Inu Looks Like
- How Much is the Shiba Inu Puppy?
- Best Shiba Inu Breeders
- Adopting or Rescuing the Shiba Inu
- Shiba Inu Growth
- What Colors do Shiba Inus Have?
- The Temperament of the Shiba Inu
- Shiba Inu Litter Size
- How Fast Shiba Inus Can Run
- Good Names for Shiba Inus
- How Popular are Shiba Inus with New Dog Owners?
- Health Problems in Shiba Inus and How to Prevent Them
- How to Take Care of Shiba Inu
- Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Shiba Inus
- Other Things to Know About Shiba Inus
Shiba Inu Breed Overview
The Shiba Inu is a small-sized dog.
The adult Shiba Inu stands 13 to 17 inches tall at the shoulder.
The Shiba Inu belongs to the Companion Dogs group.
Dogs in the Companion Dogs group, like the Shiba Inu, were bred to be companions for humans. Their main goal in life is to be with people, and they will be very sad if left to themselves for long hours day after day.
The fact that the Shiba Inu belongs to the Companion Dogs group is one of the reasons why Shiba Inus have the personality and temperament that they have.
The temperament of the Shiba Inu is generally described as:
- Alert
- Charming
- Confident
- Faithful
- Fearless
- Keen
History of the Shiba Inu Breed. Where Shiba Inus came from
Shiba Inus are a ancient dog breed that is native to Japan.
They are one of the oldest and most popular breeds in their country of origin and have been around for thousands of years.
Shiba Inus were originally bred for hunting, and their name means “brushwood dog” in Japanese.
These dogs are known for their independent spirit and strong will, and they are considered to be one of the most challenging breeds to train.
However, Shiba Inus are also incredibly intelligent and loyal dogs that make wonderful companions.
Today, Shiba Inus are celebrated for their unique appearance and friendly nature, and they are becoming increasingly popular in the United States.
If you`re looking for a dog with a bit of an attitude but loads of personality, a Shiba Inu might be the perfect breed for you.
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What the Shiba Inu Looks Like
Shiba Inus are a small to medium sized breed of dog originating from Japan.
Shiba Inus have a thick coat of fur that can be red, black, tan, or cream colored.
The Shiba Inu`s most distinguishing feature is its triangular shaped face.
Shiba Inus are known for being intelligent, independent, and loyal dogs.
They are relatively easy to train but can be stubborn at times.
Shiba Inus are relatively active dogs and require daily exercise.
They are also known for being good watchdogs.
Overall, Shiba Inus make great companion animals and are a popular breed of dog in Japan as well as in the United States.
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How Much is the Shiba Inu Puppy?
The average price of a Shiba Inu puppy is $2130. The price of a Shiba Inu puppy ranges from $1600 to $2500.
A lot of factors determine the price of the Shiba Inu. These factors include what health records the Shiba Inu puppy has, the lineage of the Shiba Inu puppy, the US state the breeder is located in, etc.
To estimate how much you can expect to pay for a puppy Shiba Inu based on the many factors that determine the price of the Shiba Inu puppy, check out our calculator that lets you estimate how much you should expect to pay for the Shiba Inu puppy based on what you want in the puppy.
When looking to buy a puppy, look at buying a puppy only from well-established breeders that breed puppies primarily for the love of the Shiba Inu breed, and secondarily for profit. Do not buy a puppy from a puppy mill. Puppy mills mass-produce puppies in bad living conditions for maximum profit.
You may also consider adopting instead of buying a puppy. Adoption costs are very low compared to the price of a puppy.
Best Shiba Inu Breeders
We have researched reputable Shiba Inu breeders that you can buy a puppy.
Go to this page for our complete list of reputable Shiba Inu breeders in various states in the United States.
On this page, you will see how much these breeders sell their puppies for, and how many puppies they have available.
A few of these breeders are listed below.
Candy Rocks Alaskan Malamutes
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Alex
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Sagebrush Kennels
Puppy Price: $2800
Dakine Shiba Inu`s Oregon and California
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Crystal Davis
Puppy Price: $3000
Adopting or Rescuing the Shiba Inu
You may consider adopting a dog instead of buying a puppy. Many dogs, Shiba Inus included, are currently available for adoption in your local dog shelters.
These helpless but adorable dogs are waiting in dog shelters hoping that someday someone will rescue them. Dog adoption costs are lesser than the cost of a new puppy. Dog adoption costs are usually around $300 or even less.
In addition to your local dog shelter, another good place to find dogs that are available for adoption is petfinder.com.
Below is an adorable Male Shiba Inu named Mochi that is currently available for adoption on Petfinder.com. You can find other lovely Shiba Inus like Mochi on pefinder.com.
Gizmo is the name of another Shiba Inu (Male) on petfinder.com that is looking for a new forever home.
You can find more Shiba Inus that are available for adoption on petfinder.
Shiba Inu Growth
New Shiba Inu owners need to know about the growth of their Shiba Inus. This will help them plan their living spaces accordingly.
Also, knowing the typical growth pattern of the Shiba Inu will help new owners catch the abnormal growth of their Shiba Inu early.
See our calculator for predicting how big your Shiba Inu puppy will get. You will also learn about the typical weight of the Shiba Inu at different ages and how to catch abnormal growth in your Shiba Inu
What Colors do Shiba Inus Have?
Shiba Inus come in the following beautiful primary colors:
- Yellow / Tan / Blond / Fawn
- Black
- Red / Chestnut / Orange
- Tricolor (Brown, Black, & White)
- Golden
- Gray / Blue / Silver
- Bicolor
- Brown / Chocolate
- Apricot / Beige
- White / Cream
- Sable
Shiba Inus come in the following lovely secondary colors in addition to their primary colors:
- White / Cream
- Yellow / Tan / Blond / Fawn
- Black
- Brindle
- Brown / Chocolate
The Temperament of the Shiba Inu
The temperament of the Shiba Inu based can be summarized as in the table below.
The table shows the scores of the Shiba Inu for 13 important dog behavioral factors.
We obtained these scores by analyzing raw data from the C-BARQ dog personality survey tool. The higher the score of a dog for a factor, the worse the temperament of the dog regarding that factor.
The C-BARQ tool was developed by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, and it is a scientific tool that is used worldwide for reliably measuring the temperament of dog breeds.
See our complete analysis of the temperament of the Shiba Inu here.
| Factor | Score |
|---|---|
| Prey Drive | 75.0 percent |
| Dog Directed Aggression | 66.9 percent |
| Dog Rivalry | 60.5 percent |
| Touch Sensitivity | 56.1 percent |
| Nonsocial Fear | 49.6 percent |
| Stubbornness | 47.9 percent |
| Energy Level | 44.4 percent |
| Stranger Directed Fear | 37.5 percent |
| Dog Directed Fear | 36.7 percent |
| Excitability | 29.5 percent |
| Separation Related Behavior | 29.1 percent |
| Owner Directed Aggression | 28.8 percent |
| Stranger Directed Aggression | 27.3 percent |
| Attachment Attention Seeking | 16.6 percent |
Shiba Inu Litter Size
Researchers from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science did a study where they counted the numbers of puppies in 42 different Shiba Inu birth litters.
From this study, the researchers found that the average number of puppies that Shiba Inus can have is 3 puppies. Also, the Shiba Inu can have as few as 1 puppies per litter and as many as 7 puppies per litter.
The number of puppies that the Shiba Inu will have depends on factors such as the age of the Shiba Inu, the method of pregnancy, etc.
Click here to see our calculator for predicting how many puppies your Shiba Inu will have and how the litter size of the Shiba Inu compares to the litter size of other dog breeds.
How Fast Shiba Inus Can Run
How fast a dog breed can run is a good measure of how athletic the dog breed is.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) regularly conducts dog running competitions. The AKC records the running speed of competing dogs in these competitions. These competitions are open to all dog breeds.
Based on our analysis of the speeds of 125 different Shiba Inus, the average speed of the Shiba Inu is 22.2 mph (35.7 kmph).
The fastest speed on AKC record that the Shiba Inu ran in a race is 29.35 mph (47.2 kmph) and the minimum speed on record in a race for a Shiba Inu is 3.39 mph (5.5 kmph).
Click here to see how the speed of the Shiba Inu compares to the speed of other dogs and other mammals such as cats, horses, humans, etc.
Good Names for Shiba Inus
Here are some really good names that are typical for the Shiba Inu ranked by popularity:
- Hiro
- Kenzo
- Akio
- Gonzo
- Enzo
- Mochi
- Dexter
- Cooper
- Charlie
- Smitty
How Popular are Shiba Inus with New Dog Owners?
Every year, the American Kennel Club (AKC) publishes information on how popular a dog breed is in that particular year. The AKC gets the popularity information of a breed from how many dogs of that breed the owners register with the AKC every year. The AKC collects this data for about 200 dog breeds.
The graph below shows the popularity trend of the Shiba Inu.
The popularity of the Shiba Inu averaged over the years is Number 44 out of about 200 dog breeds.
Do not get a dog breed just because it is a popular dog breed. And do not reject a dog breed just because it is an unpopular breed.
Health Problems in Shiba Inus and How to Prevent Them
Every dog breed has its own set of health problems that it tends to develop. There is nothing like a perfect dog breed.
The Shiba Inu is prone to certain genetic health conditions. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is an organization that keeps track of genetic health problems in dog breeds.
From the extensive records that the OFA keeps, the OFA knows what health problems each dog breed is naturally prone to develop.
Hence, the OFA recommends which health screening breeders should perform on a dog breed to make sure that the breeders won`t breed `defective` dog parents that can pass down defective genes to their puppy offspring.
If you want a Shiba Inu puppy that will grow up to be healthy, make sure that your Shiba Inu breeder screens your puppy or your puppy`s parents for the health problems that the OFA recommends for your puppy`s breed. This will increase the chances that your puppy is free from genetic defects.
The following are the health tests that Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that breeders should screen Shiba Inus for:
You can find out more about OFA`s recommended tests for Shiba Inus here.
How to Take Care of Shiba Inu
To take good care of your Shiba Inu, you need to make sure that you groom your Shiba Inu regularly.
Secondly, you need to find a veterinarian in your area that will routinely check the health status of your Shiba Inu regularly, and give you appropriate recommendations on your Shiba Inu`s preventative care.
Thirdly, you need to commit some time to exercise your Shiba Inu daily. Regular exercise helps improve the health and quality of life of your Shiba Inu.
Also, you need to feed your Shiba Inu high-quality dog food, and the food should be of the right amount to prevent your Shiba Inu from getting overweight or underweight.
See our recommendations on what to feed the Shiba Inu and how much food to feed the Shiba Inu at different life stages.
Finally, you need to make sure that your Shiba Inu has access to clean water all the time. See our recommendations on how much water your Shiba Inu needs to drink at different ages.
Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Shiba Inus
If you have not made up your mind on which dog breed to get, you may also want to consider some other dogs similar to the Shiba Inu.
We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds that have similar behavior and temperament as the Shiba Inu:
- Manchester Terrier (72 percent match with Shiba Inu). Learn more about the Manchester Terrier here.
- Cardigan Welsh Corgi (74 percent match with Shiba Inu). Learn more about the Cardigan Welsh Corgi here.
Other Things to Know About Shiba Inus
Here are some of the very important characteristics of the Shiba Inu that you need to know about the Shiba Inu breed: