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Breed Guide

The Shiba Inu: What They Were Bred to Do

The work was moving through brush, finding birds and small game, and flushing them out.

What drives your dog?

Breed is a starting guess. Take the free drive test to see which job your dog actually runs on, with three ways to give them that job this week. We email you the result.

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Where the Shiba Inu came from

The Shiba Inu is a very old Japanese breed. Similar dogs appear in figurines from Japan's prehistoric Jomon period. Small hunting dogs in the mountains were used to flush birds and small game. Three local types existed: Shinshu, Mino and San'in.

Wartime food shortages nearly wiped out the breed in World War II, and disease after the war made things worse. All later Shibas descend from the surviving dogs of the three types. Japan named the Shiba a natural monument in December 1936.

The AKC recognized the Shiba Inu in 1992. Today they are small, bold, catlike companions.

  • Ancient times Small hunting dogs live in the mountains of Japan
  • 1936 Japan names the Shiba Inu a natural monument
  • 1992 The AKC recognizes the Shiba Inu
  • 2013 The Shiba Kabosu becomes the Doge meme

The job a Shiba Inu was bred for

The work was moving through brush, finding birds and small game, and flushing them out. The dog needed to be alert, clean and quick. At home that shows up as a bold, independent dog who does not like being picked up and may scream when unhappy.

Sports that fit a Shiba Inu

  • Scent work. It uses their nose in a low-pressure way.
  • Agility. Quick and athletic, though they decide for themselves.
  • Rally. Good for building focus.
  • Trick dog. Smart, if the reward is right.

Training tips for a Shiba Inu

  • Never trust off-leash recall. Practice on a long line.
  • Use high-value food and short sessions. They get bored.
  • Teach consent-based handling with treats for nails and grooming.
  • Avoid forcing them. Pressure makes them dig in.

Body and health

Shibas are athletic, but watch the knees and avoid big jumps. They shed a lot and heat up in summer.

Fun fact. A Shiba Inu named Kabosu became the face of the Doge meme, which began in 2013.

Breed is where we start

A study of more than 18,000 dogs found breed explains only about 9 percent of the differences in behavior between dogs (Morrill and others, Science, 2022). So your Shiba Inu is a starting guess, not a label. We find the drive your dog actually runs on, give it a job, and teach you to read them.

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Looking for a different breed? See what 75 breeds were bred to do.