Did you know that the Shiba Inu is considered the oldest and smallest of Japan's dogs?.
Brought to America from Japan as recently as 60 years ago, the Shiba Inu is growing
in popularity in the West and is already the most popular breed in his homeland.
This Japanese native, with his alert expression and a smooth stride, looks almost fox-like.
But for a small dog, he’s a sturdy, muscular pooch with a bold, confident personality to
match.
Let’s get to know him.
Hi, I’m Leroy and I’m Rosie and this is Animal Facts.
Let’s get started.
But, before we start, take a moment to like and subscribe for more fun, fauna facts.
10.
The Shiba Inu is the smallest of the six original and distinct Japanese dogs.
The others are the Akita Inu, Shikoku Inu, Kishu Inu, Hokkaido, and Kai Ken.
The Shiba goes way back.
According to National Geographic, the Shiba Inu is the breed that’s most genetically
similar to wolves, suggesting that he's among the oldest domesticated dog breeds.
All of the ancient Japanese breeds were bred before the 19th century and are part of the
Spitz family of dogs, exhibiting pointy ears and a thick coat.
We publish Every Monday and Friday, so hit that notification icon to not miss a single
fact.
9.
He is perhaps one of the oldest dog breeds in the world.
The Shiba's ancestors probably accompanied the earliest immigrants to Japan way back
in 7000 B.C.
Archaeologists have found remains of dogs about the size of Shibas in sites that were
inhabited by the Jomon-jin people, who lived in Japan from 14,500 B.C. to 300 A.D.
The Shiba Inu is likely the result of breeding between the Jomon-jin people's dogs and dogs
that came to Japan with a new group of immigrants in 300 B.C.
8.
The Shiba Inu has been identified as a basal breed that predates the emergence of the modern
breeds in the 19th Century.
Basal breed is a term given to breeds which have far less mixed DNA than more “modern”
breeds whose true origins are difficult to ascertain for that reason.
Originally, the Shiba Inu was bred to hunt and flush small game, such as birds and rabbits.
Despite efforts to preserve the breed, the Shiba nearly became extinct during World War
II due to a combination of food shortages and a post-war distemper epidemic.
During World War II, Japan’s focus wasn't exactly on dog breeding.
All subsequent dogs were bred from the only three surviving bloodlines.
These bloodlines were the Shinshu Shiba from Nagano Prefecture, the Mino Shiba from Gifu
Prefecture, and the San'in Shiba from Tottori and Shimane Prefectures.
Today's Shiba Inu is most similar to the Shinshu, but all three contributed to the modern breed.
7.
In 1954, an armed service family brought the first Shiba Inu to the United States, but
little is known about the breed in the US until the late 70’s.
In 1979, the first recorded litter was born in the United States.
The Shiba was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1992 in the Miscellaneous group and
added to the AKC Non-Sporting Group in 1993.
He is now primarily kept as a pet both in Japan and abroad.
Today, he is the 46th most popular dog in America.
Because of his friendly nature and relatively long lifespan of 12 to 16 years, the Shiba
is currently one of the most popular and most numerous companion dogs in the Land of the
Rising Sun.
He was even declared a national treasure of the country in 1936.
Many Shibas have become Instagram and YouTube sensations in Japan.
At just five years of age Bodhi the Shiba Inu has achieved something that many aspiring
models never will - he’s become a successful male fashion model.
Bodhi lives in New York City with his owners Yena Kim (a former designer at Ralph Lauren)
and David Fung.
Now living the life of a high-flier, he has gained over 322,000 followers on Instagram.
Bodhi reportedly makes around $15,000 a month.
6.
The Shiba’s name is kinda mysterious.
We know the word "inu" means dog in Japanese, but we don't know for certain where the name
"Shiba" came from.
Shiba means brushwood in Japanese, so it's possible that the Shiba Inu was named for
the terrain where he once hunted.
It's also possible that the name came from the Shiba's coat, which is the same color
as the autumn brushwood.
A third explanation is that the name came from the breed's size.
An obsolete meaning of the word Shiba, in an old Nagano dialect, is little.
So his name could literally mean “little dog”.
Makes sense.
That’s why the Shiba Inu is sometimes referred to as the “Little Brushwood Dog“.
5.
His name might mean “little dog”, but most would say he’s conveniently sized.
He’s certainly neither a large dog nor a small dog at 13 inches to 17 inches tall at
the shoulder.
And he’s certainly not heavy at between 17 and 23 pounds.
His size makes him too large for the AKC’s toy group, but he places nicely in the Non-Sporting
group.
The Shiba Inu is a medium-sized dog with a compact, muscular frame.
4.
The Shiba Inu is known for a bold, fiery personality.
The Japanese have three words to describe the breed's mental traits and forgive me if
I mispronounce these: kaani-i (spirited boldness), ryosei (good nature), and soboku (alertness).
Combined, these traits make up the interesting, intelligent, and strong-willed temperament
of this breed.
Like a ninja warrior, the Shiba Inu moves quickly, nimbly, and effortlessly.
3.
You must stay one step ahead of the Shiba Inu, for he is both dominant and clever.
The Shiba is very challenging to raise and train.
A bold, high-spirited "big dog in a small body," he must always be kept on-leash, for
he has a high prey drive and quick reflexes and will pursue anything that moves.
He’s a true runner.
He can outrun and out-dodge any human....and frequently does.
2.
The little Shiba Inu is also an escape artist!
If bored or left alone, this dog will literally pull off some Houdini tricks in order to escape.
He is incredibly agile and flexible, and can easily climb over fences and squeeze through
narrow holes.
He is also an excellent digger, and can swiftly burrow under fences.
Now combine this with his brilliant mind, and it’s perfectly clear the Shiba can’t
be easily confined outdoors.
It is mandatory that you always supervise your Shiba and spend as much time as possible
with him.
This also applies if you keep your dog indoors.
Sure, he won’t escape as easily from an apartment, but he’ll discover other ways
to deal with boredom, such as destroying your furniture, chewing things into pieces, or
even ripping up your carpet.
1.
In 2004, an earthquake struck the village of Yamakoshi in Japan.
When her family's home collapsed, a Shiba Inu named Mari sprang into action to save
her puppies and her elderly owner.
She moved her puppies to a safe place and then found and woke her owner, who had been
trapped underneath a fallen cabinet.
He managed to free himself and was eventually evacuated from the area by helicopter.
He was forced to leave Mari and her pups behind, but when he returned two weeks later he found
that they were all alive.
Mari's story was made into a Japanese movie called "A Tale of Mari and Her Three Puppies."
Want more fun, fauna facts?
Go ahead and smash that subscribe button and hit the notification icon to not miss a single
fact.
If you like THIS video, go ahead and push the like button, or that other button also
works.
If you’d like to help us grow, consider becoming a patron on Patreon or clicking the
Paypal link on AnimalFacts.us.
And as always catch ya next time.