This Japanese dog is believed to have come from China with the first traveling humans, as evidenced by archeological findings. It dates back to between 6000 and 300 BC. This dog was significantly different from the European dogs of the time: it was small in size and, thanks to the special shape of its skull, it can be identified as a “Spitz” type dog. The immigrations of the YAYOI period (third century BC) contributed to the development of other characteristics: the dogs arriving in this age represented a specific type with pointed ears and curled tails. They were used for hunting: deer, bears, small game and birds were the prey animals. Hunting and game varied from region to region, so did the size of the dogs, but not their general characteristics. Despite Japan’s interesting iconography, the dog has accompanied man throughout history: the breed’s darkest hours begin with the end of Japanese isolation, the importation of foreign breeds becomes common in the nineteenth century, and the local dog is threatened with extinction. The reaction awaited until the beginning of the twentieth century. In parallel with a nationalist movement, in order to preserve the Japanese identity, some dog lovers are conducting a detailed and thorough census of native dogs (JI-NU). The geographical classification of the various Japanese dog breeds dates back to this era: Akita dog, Shikoku, Hokkaido, etc… The Shiba, on the other hand, is not nominally connected to any region; according to the interpretations, Shiba can mean a small dog or a bush dog. Thanks to this recognition, the breed is now considered not to be in danger, but the after-effects of the World War and the consequences of the horrors almost extinguished the existence of this breed. From 1948, with the resumption of NIPPO’s activities, Japanese breeders collected the surviving bloodlines to transform and save the breed. Date of publication of the valid original standard: June 16, 1992.
Use: hunting dog for birds and small animals, companion dog. Finally, in 1934, the breeding standard was unified. In 1937, the Shiba was declared a national treasure, after which the breed continued to be bred and developed to become the excellent breed it is today. The Shiba Inu (whose name comes from the dialect form of NAGURO province, meaning “little dog”) is the smallest and oldest of the Japanese Spitz, so much so that its origins can be traced back to between 6000 and 300 BC. The breed as we know it today is the result of the selection of small Japanese dogs from the mountainous regions of the country: strong subjects, trained in harsh climates, cold winters, and yet lovers of freedom, they are present in many prefectures such as FUKUSHIMA, NIIGATA, GUMMA, YAMANASHI, NAGANO and GIFU. Shibas used as a domestic animals have always been valued as a hunting aid, especially for small deer, but sometimes (like its cousin the Akita) they have even faced the bear! Their past includes the SAN’IN, MINO and SHINSHU bloodlines. The SAN’IN is a descendant of SEKISHU and IMBA, the even older breeds from SHIMAN and TOTTORI provinces. From GIFU came the MINÓK, while from NAGANO province, from the descendants of MIKAWA came SHINKU. These were still dogs with sensitive differences: for example, the former were larger than the current Shiba, the latter were significantly smaller and were characterized by the SASKI-O (hanging tail). The Shiba’s preferred color is red, even if the SAN’IN is dyed, with or without white socks. The stop refers to SAN’IN, MINO to his ears and eyes. The main colors of the Shiba are: red (Aka-Inu), sesame (Aka-goma), black-red, which carries white spots on the legs, chest, tail, black and black-sesame, which is red, white and black obtained from a mixture (Kuro-goma). The least loved and least appreciated at color at exhibition level, but still recognized, is white. Overall, these dogs should have a foxy appearance. They inherited a genetic defect from the past: the absence of teeth (the standard allows up to 4 missing teeth).