Shiba dog is also known as Shiba Inu dog. A typical dog breed from the land of cherry blossoms. Not carrying a majestic body, the Shiba Inu dog has a beautiful and petite appearance. This is a pet dog breed that is very popular with breeders worldwide. If you are also interested in Shiba Inu dogs, important information related to the origin, characteristics, and ways of raising dogs is something that you cannot ignore.
The Shiba Inu is a typical Japanese dog breed. Of the 6 original dog breeds of the country of cherry blossoms, the Shiba dog is the dog with the smallest body size. They are known from the 3rd century BC, when people used livestock to hunt smaller animals.
Since the second world war, the Shiba Inu dog has declined rapidly in number and is in danger of extinction. To protect this breed, people have bred Shiba Inu dogs to breed more widely. Since 1954, the first Shiba dog has been exported to the United States. In 1992, Shiba dogs were recognized by the American Kennel Club and in 1993 they were classified in the AKC group (non-sporting group).
Characteristics of purebred Shiba dogs
As we all know, the most characteristic feature of purebred Shiba Inu dogs is their small body size. Dog breeds living in the mountains of Japan only grow in weight ranging from 8kg to 10kg. The height of the pet also only reaches a maximum of about 43cm. The reason why Shiba dogs have a modest height is that their skeleton is a bit small, but they have very high toughness.
Observing the head of the Shiba Inu dog, you will easily notice the long, pointed muzzle and the large jet-black nose. The dog’s eyes are medium in size and slightly slanted towards the ears. In a higher position are small triangular ears that are always erect.
Normally, Shiba Inu dogs have a 2-layer coat. Which, the outermost coat is 5cm long, both hard and long, with typical colors of red, black, brown, and sesame. The innermost coat is both soft and short, usually cream, buff, gray, and white.
In terms of personality traits, Shiba Inu dogs often have very independent personalities. They are always aggressive towards other pets. But they are very loyal and very loving to their owners. In particular, the Shiba Inu dog is one of the meticulous and clean-loving pet breeds. They are quite intelligent so they learn very quickly.
Classification of Shiba dogs
Currently, Shiba Inu dog breeds are divided into three main lines. Based on body size and coat characteristics, pets are classified as follows:
- The Shinshu Shiba is a dog breed from the Nagano region of Japan. Pets with small body size with red fur. Unlike breeds with soft fluff, the Shinshu Shiba has a thick, stiff undercoat. When you touch your pet’s coat, it will feel a little rough.
- The Mino Shiba is from the land of Gifu. Mino Shiba dogs often have thick, round ears. Meanwhile, their tail has a very special crescent shape. The feature of the tail is the main point to identify the Mino Shiba dog compared to the Shiba dog breeds that have a curled tail.
- The San’in Shiba dog originated in the Tottori and Shimane lands. This is the Shiba dog breed with the largest size compared to the two breeds mentioned above. The fur is usually jet black, but without the dark markings and white markings above it.
How to raise a Shiba dog
When raising a Shiba dog at home, you need to provide your dog with a diet in stages. Comes with a suitable training mode for pets. Soon, I will guide you in detail on how to raise a Shiba dog for beginners:
What do Shiba Inu dogs eat?
- For Shiba puppies from 1 to 2 months old: You should only give them soft rice, thin porridge or dry food from 4 to 5 meals a day. Because at this time, the dog’s intestinal system and teeth are still not fully developed. If pets are given solid food, they will be prone to gastrointestinal diseases.
- For Shiba Inu puppies from 3 to 6 months old: This is the period when the dog enters the period of fully growing teeth and starting to molt. Therefore, the breeder needs to add a large amount of nutrients for the pet to grow. Ideally, you should add to your dog’s diet beef, pork, chicken and even farmed fish. The number of meals should be reduced from 4 to 5 meals to two to three meals per day.
- For Shiba Inu puppies over 6 months old: At this age, Shiba dogs begin to enter the estrus phase. Therefore, they need to be provided with a huge amount of food every day. Specifically, you should feed your pet from 500g to 600g of food. The amount of food should be divided equally into three meals per day.
- About drinking water for dogs: People should give Shiba Inu dogs cooled boiled water to minimize the risk of pets suffering from gastrointestinal diseases. After your dog has finished drinking, remove the water bottle and leave no excess water inside the cage. Because excess water contains many risks of carrying dangerous pathogens for pets.
How to take care of a Shiba Inu. dog
- Shiba Inu dog’s habitat: Prepare a cool and ventilated place for your pet inside the house. Or outside in the garden. Where there is enough space for the dog to move freely. But it is more important that you provide a clean place for the Shiba dog. Because this breed is extremely meticulous.
- How to take care of the dog’s coat: The Shiba Inu dog has a short coat but often sheds a lot. Therefore, pet owners need to regularly trim and brush their pets’ coats every day. Once a week, bathe your pet and bring it out to dry in the morning sun. Or late afternoon for the dog’s body to dry.
- How to clean the body for Shiba dogs: Similar to other pets, the dog’s eye area, ear area and between toes are very dirty. To ensure the health of your pet, you need to clean the dog’s body every day. For the eye and ear areas, use a damp cotton ball to gently wipe. For the toes, farmers need to regularly check to detect parasites and destroy them in time.
- How to take care of Inu Shiba dog’s health: Immediately after the pet is born, you need to bring the puppy to be fully vaccinated to avoid infectious diseases. In the process of raising animals, people should regularly walk the dog so that the pet can exercise. When you discover that your Shiba dog has unusual symptoms, you should take them to a veterinary facility for examination.
How to train a Shiba dog
Training Shiba Inu dog to go to the toilet in the right place
- Step 1: Buy your Shiba Inu dog a cage just for you. Please place this cage in a fixed position and do not change during training.
- Step 2: Let the animals get used to their house within 1 week. At that time, Inu Shiba dogs will recognize their own dedicated place and they will never urinate indiscriminately. Because pets are very clean and dislike places with bad odors.
- Step 3: You need to observe your pet to recognize the signs that the pet wants to go to the bathroom outside. Some typical signs can include a dog barking loudly or running around inside its own cage.
- Step 4: Take the dog to the toilet at a fixed place. If they don’t cooperate, bring the pet back inside the cage.
- Step 5: Play with your pet for a few minutes. Or give them a little extra playtime outside as a reward when they go to the toilet in the right place.
Training Shiba Inu dogs to obey
- Sit command: Hold the bait near the dog’s nose → Raise your hand to let them watch → Command to sit down and then move the dish lower → If they do, pat the pet’s head and praise → Repeat step Do it 5 to 10 times per day for 30 days.
- Command here: Use a leash about 5cm long to hold the Shiba dog → Grab the end of the leash and move away to keep a distance from the dog → Hold the bait dish in your hand and give the command to come here → If they run close, You should pat their head, praise and let them enjoy the bait → Repeat 5 to 10 times a day, until the dog gets used to it, remove the leash.
- Command to stand up: You have the pet sit facing you → Hold the bait dish across the dog’s nose so they can sniff it → Slowly move the bait dish up and command the pet to stand up → If they do, you pat your dog’s head and pet him for approval → Give your dog some tasty treats to motivate him → Repeat the training step about 10 times a day for 30 days.
By now, you probably already know how to identify purebred Shiba Inu dogs and how to care for pets. At the same time, everyone also knows how to properly train pets to become obedient and obedient. But if you still have questions, please leave a comment in the article below.