The shiba inu is a japanese breed of hunting dog one of japan’s six native breeds shiba inu was initially bred to flush birds and small game and was occasionally used for hunting boars with their bright eyes plush coat and boldly curling tail bashiba is an official national treasure in japan now without further delay let us dive right into the top 10 interesting facts about the shiba inu.
- Their History
- There are several theories about their name
- They’re bold and alert
- They’re very loyal
- They have a big personality
- They’re loved in japan
- They are known to escape
- There are cat-like dogs
- They’re prone to certain health conditions
- They need minimal grooming
Shiba Inu – Top 10 Facts
1.Their History
The shiba inu is a basal breed hailing from japan that predates the emergence of the modern breeds in the 19th century. They were primarily used as hunting ducks to flush out small game and birds for hunters during the meiji restoration western dogs were imported and crosses between them and native japanese breeds became popular. As a result from 1912 to 1926 almost no pure shiba remained the second world war exacerbated the problem and the breed nearly became extinct. All subsequent dogs were bred only from the only three surviving breeds shiba inu were recognized in the american kennel club miscellaneous class in 1993 and the breed gained full status with the non-supporting group in 1997.
2.There are several theories about their name
There are a number of hypotheses for how the shiba inu got their name one explanation is that the word shiba means brushwood. The dogs may have been named after the brushwood bushes where they hunted another theory is that their fiery red color is the same as the autumn color of the brushwood leaves. A third idea says that an archaic meaning of the word sheba refers to the breed’s small size .
3.They’re bold and alert
The japanese have three words of the shiba inu’s mental traits kanye meaning spirited boldness rose meaning good nature and soboku meaning alertness. The three traits together make up the pleasant intelligent and strong-willed temperament of this breed shibas are strong-willed and confident dogs. They’re generally suspicious of strangers and they make excellent watchdogs .
4.They’re very loyal
While they can be a bit standoffish around strangers shibas are fiercely loyal to their families. mary ashiba inu set an example of her unwavering faithfulness after the 2004 chuetsu earthquake mary alternated between caring for her elderly owner who was trapped in his home and her newborn puppies. An airlift eventually rescued the man but the dogs had to be left behind fortunately they survived and when the man returned he found that mary was gaunt but her pups were plump and healthy. This amazing story of selflessness was adapted into a movie called the tale of mary and three puppies.
5.They have a big personality
Shiba inus may be small dogs but they tend to have big personalities they don’t like sharing what they think is theirs these dogs tend to guard their stuff including toys food or territory sometimes aggressively. They don’t always get along with other dogs either intact male shibas are usually hostile toward other intact meals .
6.They’re loved in japan
Shiba inus have more than just historical roots in japan according to the american kennel club shibas are the number one companion dog in the country .
They’ve even been declared as a national treasure of japan many sheba’s have also become instagram and youtube sensations in the country for instance marutaro a shiva inu who runs a department store in tokyo has amassed a total of 2.5 million followers on instagram and how amazing .
7.They are known to escape
Before owning ashiba you should know that these dogs can never be considered reliable off lead unless in a confined area no amount of obedience training can change that either they’re noted scape artists so make sure to provide them a securely fenced yard an open door an unlocked gate a moment of inattentiveness and your shiba may be gone forever so make sure to keep an eye on your dog .
8.There are cat-like dogs
Because of their independence dignity and reserve towards strangers shibas have often been described as cat-like. They’re relatively fastidious dogs and they feel the need to maintain a clean state they can often be seen licking their paws and legs much like cats do .They generally go out of their way to keep their coat clean which relieves you of having to bait them regularly .
9.They’re prone to certain health conditions
Like all breeds shiba and news are prone to specific health conditions you need to be wary of your dog developing allergies cancer epilepsy hip dysplasia and so on shibas are also prone to glaucoma cataracts and paddler luxation among others take your shiba to the vet regularly to ensure early detection of the infection and for better overall health. Always adopt your dog only from a reputable breeder who provides health clearances.
10.They need minimal grooming
Shibas are naturally clean and odor-free dogs all they need is brushing once a week or to remove dead hair and distribute oils twice a year. They do shed heavily and they need more brushing at those times shibas do clean their coat themselves but bathing them every three to four months as necessary .If they don’t wear their nails down naturally trim once or twice a month check their ears weekly for redness and bad odor and remember to check for sores rashes or signs of infection whenever you groom them. alright that does it for the top 10 interesting facts about the shiba inu .
