Shiba Dog: What You Need to Know

The Shiba dog is one that is very popular in many households. It’s a small, compact dog with a big personality and a very loving attitude. It really does respond well to those who love it, and it’s one of the most easily trainable dogs around. For that reason, so many people want to bring home the Shiba dog to ensure that they can become dog owners without the stress of training a more stubborn animal. This sweet little dog is very friendly, and it’s a lot of fun. It also brings a lot to the table in terms of what to expect living with the Shiba dog. If you think that you’re ready to bring this particular dog home with you, go ahead and see what there is to learn about the breed so that you know what to expect and whether or not you have what it takes to own a Shiba dog of your own.

Personality and Temperament

The Shiba dog is a great one to have at home. It has a lot of features and characteristics that homeowners really love. For one, many homeowners are hesitant to get a dog of their own because they worry that their house will be a mess all the time. The Shiba dog, however, is not a messy dog. It actually doesn’t love to be outside when there are puddles, when it’s dirty and when they might not be able to stay clean. They’re also very quiet dogs that don’t spend much time barking. They’re very loving and bond quickly and easily with their owners, which makes them very loyal and very affectionate dogs.

The Shiba dog also loves to learn, so it’s very easy to train and very easy to housebreak. This is the kind of dog that you want to have at home if you love ease and living a life without much stress. The Shiba dog is also great for households in which kids are present, as they love kids. They’re also good with other animals that you might have, including other dogs and cats. The Shiba dog is just a very loving and very easy-going animal. However, it is not the kind of dog you want around any very small animals if you plan on leaving them alone. The Shiba dog might do well with the guinea pig or hamster when you’re present, but the chances that it might attack animals such as these when you are gone are very good.

Shiba dogs love to chase other animals, cars and people, so it’s very imperative that you not allow this dog off its leash when you are out. Additionally, if you do not have a fenced in yard that the dog cannot escape from, you will want to keep the dog in your sights and affixed to something when it is playing outside. You do not want your dog to suffer the consequences of a curious chasing mind by running out into traffic at any point.

Lifestyle and Expectation

No one wants to go out and bring home a dog that is not going to be around for a long time, or one that does not have a very good health history. Shiba dogs fit the long life expectancy bill with an average lifespan of around 15 years. They’re also relatively healthy dogs with very few health concerns. The Shiba dog is prone to hip dysplasia as well as something called patellar luxation and PRA. Otherwise, there are no real health concerns associated with the Shiba dog. Do not misconstrue that statement as a guarantee that your future dog will not be diagnosed with any number of health conditions. There is always a chance with any animal that cancer, tumors and other health issues might occur. However, there are not many high-risk health concerns associated with the Shiba dog.

These are not very big dogs, either. The Shiba dog is going to grow to around 16 inches tall and around 25 pounds. Males are a little bit larger than females in many instances, which means you might not expect that size if you pick up a female Shiba. They’re all right for apartment living, but not great. Despite their small size, this is a dog that loves to get up and exercise, and it needs the space to do that. The Shiba dog can become very destructive without much room to run around, so a yard is pretty much a must. It is also a dog that loves to spend time outside. However, it’s very adaptable, so as long as it has a daily walk to keep it moving, it’s not going to show too much displeasure if you are homebound for a day if the weather is bad or you are simply feeling under the weather.

Very easy to groom, you’re going to want to brush your Shiba dog once a week or so, and you’re going to want to bathe the dog only when it is absolutely necessary, which it will not be very often since the Shiba is very clean in general.

Breed History

From Japan, this is one of the smallest Japanese breeds to date. The Shiba dog is very much a hunting dog, and it was used to hunt small game and other animals of that nature. The second World War was enough to almost cause the breed to become extinct, but very careful breeding was used to ensure that the breed was actually permitted to make a comeback. It was originally used to hunt very small game in brush, such as boar and even to flush out birds from property. There were even times when this small breed was used to hunt bears. The Shiba dog has a very long history of hunting, but it’s not a dog that has to be out in the woods finding game to be a happy dog. In fact, it wants whatever it is that makes you happy, so it is very easy to adapt to this kind of lifestyle with this kind of dog.

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