Dog Breeds: The Shiba inu
The saying goes, “If you can’t decide on a cat or dog, choose a Shiba inu.” This breed is amazingly catlike in behavior, right down to its high opinion of itself. If you choose to bring a Shiba into your life, there is only one guarantee: you won’t be bored. You will, however, be driven to transports of rage or despair if you obtain a Shiba without educating yourself about the, um, “special” traits of this breed.
The Shiba inu resembles a small husky, with a thick double coat, pricked ears, and a tail that curls over its back. It weighs around 20-25 pounds and stands 14-16 inches at the shoulder. Its coat comes in red, red sesame, black and tan, and cream. The cream/white color, however, is not recognized by major kennel clubs. The Shiba build is compact and sturdy, as befitting its origins as a mountain hunter in its native land of Japan.
Shibas are intelligent, playful, and very clean. They are usually exceptionally easy to housebreak and their coat has very little “doggy odor” when compared with other double-coated breeds. They can be very good little watchdogs and take to travel well. But this is the good stuff. What you really need to know is the bad stuff, the issues that you may have to live with for the rest of your Shiba’s life.
Having been bred for millennia to hunt small game, like birds and rabbits, the Shiba has a very, very, VERY strong hunting instinct. If it cannot flush pheasants out for you to kill with your trusty bow and arrow, it will be quite happy flushing out the neighbor’s cat or disemboweling the toilet paper or protecting you from the dire threat of the vacuum.
The hunting instinct, coupled with a strong sense of independence, makes it a very bad idea to let your Shiba run loose. Let it run free, and the scrupulously obedient little dog you knew from your living room will disappear and Jack London’s Buck will take its place. “Sit?” Never heard of it. “Come?” Too busy.
Keep in mind that Shibas are a very intelligent breed. While you have been congratulating yourself on teaching your Shiba obedience commands in a matter of minutes, your Shiba will be comfortably reflecting upon the many advantages of quietly chewing through its lead while you aren’t paying attention. They also have apparently made a successful study of mathematics, as they can calculate precisely how fast they have to run to keep the ragged end of the leash trailing just out of the reach of your grasping fingers.
Shibas are quite startlingly athletic and if their chosen prey happens to be paillot de chevre, the kitchen counter will not be a sufficient obstacle. This breed can be happy chasing balls in a fenced yard, or going on a ten-mile hike. Whatever exercise is provided, the Shiba should have at least an hour of it per day and preferably more. This is a dog who will happily accompany you on jogs, bike rides, and cross-country skiing after it has attained a suitable age. However, keep in mind that this breed should definitely be on a leash for exercise in an unconfined area.
Shibas can exhibit dominance as young as 3 months and need an assertive leader to maintain control over them. Puppy and obedience classes, as well as heavy socialization, are seriously recommended for this breed, to prevent shyness and aggressive behavior. Shibas need to be taken in hand early and taught that they cannot get away with aggression toward people.
While many Shibas can and do learn not to chase and kill other family pets, they may never accept other animals after they become adults. Heavy socialization with other domestic animals is encouraged so that the Shiba gets used to behaving appropriately around them. A Shiba may accept family pets, but not accept new pets after the animals it grew up with die.
Many childfree people will be able to appreciate the Shiba’s attitude toward children. It is not a child’s dog and does not take kindly to poking and prodding from toddlers. It is reasonably tolerant of older, quiet, respectful children. Then again, aren’t most of us? The Shiba should be socialized early and often with people of all ages, but one should keep full control over situations where children are asking to pet the Shiba. One unpleasant incident is all it takes for a Shiba to decide that kids are bad news.
The thick double coat that the Shiba comes with will shed moderately throughout the year. This is largely controlled with weekly brushing. The semi-annual explosion, known as “blowing coat,” however, can only be controlled with a daily attack involving a couple of specialized tools – “slicker” brushes and grooming rakes. If the dog goes ungroomed for even a day during shedding season, dog hair will end up on your clothes, in your food, and lying in wait for your wet hands or body to emerge from the shower.
In conclusion, Shibas are a small northern breed of dog with a big attitude. Athletic, assertive people without children in the home are the ideal owners for this breed. If you want a small dog, but need a big dog’s attitude, the Shiba might just be what you’re looking for.
This is a basic overview of the Shiba inu. For more information, check out the following links:
National Shiba Club of America
The Misanthropic Shiba
Shiba Inu Canada
Copyright . Published 1 July 2008 in The Zone.
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