07 Sep Interesting Facts about the Shiba Inu dog breed

In the past few years, the Shiba Inu dog has become very famous on social networks, and you must have seen many funny stickers, pictures, and videos of him. This dog, which is of Japanese origin, has become a famous pet dog all over the world because of his magnificent appearance and particular temperament. Today, in this article, we would like to introduce this dog breed and discuss his history, moral characteristics, nutrition, and maintenance. Stay tuned in the future.

History of Shiba Inu dog 

This dog breed was created to follow birds and play simple games. According to the reliable AKC dog breed website, this dog is one of the six pure Japanese dog breeds: Shiba Inu, Kishu Ken, Shikoku Ken, Hokkaido Ken, Kai Ken, and Akita Inu. The Shiba Inu dog is known for his lively spirit, compact and beautiful body, and his independent and cat-like behavior and personality. Today, this dog is more known as a pet dog in Japan and worldwide and has become famous on social networks!

Appearance characteristics of Shiba Inu dog

This beautiful dog looks like a fox, and many may even mistake it for a fox. The appearance characteristics of this dog are erect and pointed ears, turned-up tail, short hair, and double-layered fur, and it belongs to the category of Spitz dogs. Shiba’s body is very compact and muscular and is classified as a medium dog group. He has dark almond eyes, and his ears are smaller than his body. This dog is very similar to Akita’s and is considered smaller than the Akita dog.

Shiba Inu dog lifespan

The lifespan of a dog largely depends on factors such as nutrition and maintenance conditions. But in general, the Shiba Inu breed lives for about 13-15 years if he’s well taken care of.

Variety of colors and types of Shiba Inu dogs

Although we know this breed primarily as fawn color, different colors can be seen for them; However, most of them have white hands and feet, the tip of their tail and above their eyes:

• Sesame
• Red with a bit of black on the back
• Black and tan
• Cream

Temperament and characteristics of the Shiba Inu dog breed

This beautiful breed is brilliant and alert, brave and bold. Shiba Inu is very loving and kind and has a perfect and friendly relationship with everyone, including children, dogs, and even cats. Do you remember that we said this breed was created to follow birds and hunting games? So if you have small animals at home, such as rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, and small birds, we recommend you never leave them alone together! Also, when you go out for a walk, be sure to put a collar on him to have more control over his behavior; Because he may run after seeing a bird or any moving object. The Shiba Inu dog is very clean and has the habit of cleaning and licking himself like cats. So you can keep him at home without any trouble.

Shiba Inu is similar to cats, and that’s her pride and independent spirit. This morality makes him challenging to educate; Because he likes to have his rules and maybe a little stubborn in the beginning and not listen to you. But if you establish a good relationship with your dog and gain his trust and affection, you will see that he accepts you as the boss, and you can train him well.

Keeping in the apartment

This breed needs about an hour of activity and plays per day, and if he can release his energy every day, he can live a happy and good life in the apartment. However, Shiba Inu will be more satisfied if you have a yard. When you take your Shiba out, take care of him so that he’s never without a collar and leash; Because of the hunting instinct, he may follow any moving creature. A well-trained Shiba Inu dog can tolerate a few hours of solitude and doesn’t cause havoc. But since this dog establishes a deep relationship with his owner and family members, we recommend not to leave him alone for too long.

The principles of keeping a Shiba Inu dog

The Shiba Inus are independent, and maintaining them is a pleasure. However, like any other dog, it’s necessary to observe some health care and nutrition, so your dog is always healthy and cheerful.

Hair care

The Shiba breed has a double-layered coat and dense hair. This fur is a protective layer against heat, cold, dirt, pollution, and all kinds of bacteria and parasites! Shibas have short hair, and they always take care of their cleanliness. This cleaning makes your work more accessible, and you don’t need to brush Shiba’s hair daily. Keep in mind that the Shiba Inu breed sheds a lot of hair at the beginning of spring and autumn. Therefore, we suggest brushing his coat once or twice a week in these situations so that the extra and separated hair doesn’t fall around the house; In other cases, brushing 2-3 times a month is enough.

Washing and bathing

Bathing Shiba Inu is recommended when your dog is dirty; washing too much makes Shiba’s hair and skin dry and destroys the waterproof property of the fur.

Teeth brushing

Dogs need to brush their teeth to prevent plaque and tooth decay. In the case of the Shiba Inu dog, we recommend brushing his teeth at least 2-3 times a week with a toothbrush and toothpaste for dogs to prevent the formation of plaque and bad breath; it’s even better if you can do this every day.

Trimming nails

Trim Shiba’s nails 1-2 monthly to avoid breakage and other problems. Note that there are blood vessels in the part of the Shiba dog’s nails, and you shouldn’t cut his nails too much. However, with some care and practice, you can do this yourself; But if you are inexperienced, it’s better to go to a veterinarian or a dog groomer to trim his nails.

Nutrition

This breed of dog is energetic and active, so it’s necessary to provide his energy from his daily food. Shiba’s food should be very healthy and high-quality. Therefore, we suggest using balanced homemade food to feed him. Shiba Inus are prone to obesity, and you should be careful with their daily food intake. It’s better to give him his daily food in two meals and always provide him with cool and fresh water.

Dog’s overweight

Shibas are prone to obesity and should never have food available throughout the day. To find out if your dog is fat or not, touch his body. If you can quickly feel his ribs without pressing, then your dog has a suitable weight; Otherwise, your dear Shiba Inu has become fat, and you should consult your veterinarian to change his diet and the amount of food he eats daily.

Health status and diseases

Shibas are a robust and healthy breed and don’t have specific diseases. They can live for years without problems if their nutrition and maintenance conditions are suitable. However, the following diseases are more common in Shiba Inus:

• Allergy
• Hip dysplasia
• Progressive retinal atrophy
• Patella dislocation
• Obesity and overweight

Training

Shiba Inus are brilliant and quickly understands what you’re saying. But as we noted above, they have a bit of cat-like characteristics and are very proud and independent. They may be stubborn and resist training initially, But be aware that you can never teach them by force and punishment. To train your dog well, you must first earn his respect so that he accepts you as his owner and boss; That’s when he listens to you, and you can teach him all kinds of lessons.

Giving treats has an essential effect on Shiba’s trainability, but this breed is also prone to obesity, and you should be careful not to give him too many treats. It’s also necessary for the Shiba to be socialized from a young age and get to know other dogs and animals, as well as children and strangers, to have a friendly relationship with them as an adult. So, keeping and training Shiba Inu isn’t recommended for those who have never had a dog and have no experience supporting them. To train Shiba, you must know his personality traits and start training him in the right and moral way. 

To wrap up

The Shiba Inu dog is one of the oldest dog breeds in Japan. He’s a small, muscular dog that is used for hunting. This dog has been used to make birds fly, hunt small animals, and even hunt boar. Today, this breed is better known as a companion dog. This dog has a lot of energy and intelligence and can learn many commands. However, he isn’t very interested in following orders and usually prefers to do what he wants without paying attention to others. To have a healthy and lively dog, you need to pay attention to nutrition, activity, health, grooming, etc. You can prevent the disease and have a healthy dog in this case. In all these steps, you can count on the specialized team of MishkaGrooming. Our experienced and precise groomers have carefully and accurately groomed your dogs so they count the moments for the next session.