The Shiba Inu
The History
The history of Japanese dogs dates back to the first archaeological findings of prehistoric settlements from the Jōmon period (7000 BC to 300 BC), these findings indicated that dogs and humans coexisted in the area since the Stone Age.
Later, more traces were found in the Nihon Shoki (Annals of Japan), an ancient historical document dating back to 720 AD, which reported the importation of dogs from the Asian continent and also indicated that hunting small animals and birds had been practiced since ancient times.
In 1571 the first western trading station was founded in Nagasaki, and the Japanese started trading with Europe. The Japanese began the first trade exchange with the Westerners, who introduced the first breeds of dogs from other parts of the world, starting the first crosses with the breeds found in the territory. Later, under the Tokugawa domain, the Shogun declared the Sakoku (closed country) policy, restricting every foreign contact; With this any form of contact between the Japanese population and foreigners was prohibited.
Only with exceptions the port of Nagasaki and the kingdom of Ryu Kyu were opened. Therefore, the small number of foreign dogs had no effect on the native breeds.
In the summer of 1853, Commodore Perry, on the orders of the then President of the United States, led a U.S. Navy expedition to Edo Bay (in old Tokyo) to obtain from the Emperor of Japan the opening of the country to trade with the West.
Within a few years, Japan signed several trade treaties with the major Western powers. This set in motion an intensive trade of goods of various kinds. A large number of foreign dog breeds, especially those with a strong hunting ability which were highly valued by the Japanese, were imported to Japan. As a result, native dogs were increasingly crossbred with breeds from different parts of the world, making the search for native dogs more and more difficult, and the situation worsened in the last years of the Taisho period (1912 – 1926).
As a reaction to this serious situation, some Japanese dog lovers were forced to preserve the native breeds. In view of the situation, the Japanese Ministry of Education established NIHON KEN HOZONKAI (Association for the Protection of Japanese Dogs), also known as NIPPO, in 1932 under the leadership of Dr. Hiroyo Saito.
He named the small dog from different parts of Japan “Shiba Inu”. In 1934, the breed standard was enacted and established. In 1937, the Japanese government designated the Shiba Inu’s as a natural monument. So the Shiba Inu was officially born.
With the start of World War II in 1941, the Shiba Inu’s faced the toughest test of their already difficult history. Due to the war, bombings, starvation and diseases, the Shiba Inu as well as other native Japanese breeds were threatened with extinction.
Thankfully, after World War I, some Shiba Inu fanciers established breeding programs. This with the few surviving Shibas recovered from remote areas of Japan. Therefore, they have brought a decisive contribution to the salvation of the breed.
The character
With its throbbing black nose, constantly in search of some ancient treasure to unearth, its magnetic and vigilant gaze, the small straight ears always rotating like radars, its proud tail wrapped on the back like a shark’s fin and a lunge worthy of the best one hundred meters runner, the Shiba Inu presents itself to the world conscious of being a superior entity.
Stalwart and corageous as a Samurai, fascinating and charming as a Geisha, and proud as a Shogun, the Shiba knows he’s an Emperor.
The Japanese call it “great dog in a small box”, and use three words to better decribe its nature:
Kan’i: strong spirit bravery and audacity combined with composure and mental strength
Ryosei: not translatable pure beauty and refined elegance recalling its primitive origin
Soboku: Nicht übersetzbare Eleganz, raffinierte und unberührte Schönheit, die an ihre primitive Natur erinnert.
It is a shame the majority of us western people only scrape the surface of the Shiba’s complex character, which more than often is seen as a cute tender plush with a teddy bear muzzle, incarnation of the Trudi bear. The embodiment of the bear makes you forget that he is an adventurous dog, stubborn nature and social climber. This sometimes leads to incorrect training methods that can lead to unpleasant episodes. That’s why with Shiba’s it’s all the more important to seek out a dog trainer who is familiar with the breed and can make important recommendations to the new owner.
The little emperor is aware of his superiority. He is opportunistic by nature, starting from the basic idea of “What’s mine is mine, what’s yours is mine too!”
Sharing only happens when it is beneficial, because the Shiba always knows what it wants. If he does not immediately pay attention to the owner’s call, it is because he has something better to do. The Shiba is narcissist, clean and often extremely fussy, so much that it purposely dodges puddles while having a walk,
or asks to be taken outside to do its bodily needs. Never would he do his potty in the garden of his own house.
A myth tells Shibas like to tidy up their personal space. I do not want to disagree with this myth but I would like to add the following: Shiba Inu’s have their own idea of order. In fact it can happen they’re suddenly taken by the frenzy of surrounding themselves with plushes or shoes, or that they just carry a toy from one place to another right before taking a new one, or again that they move their bowls to their original location becouse someone had previously moved them without their consent. That said, someone could ask me if this race actually has any pros. Well of course! It’s got lots and I’ll list some of them.
If correctly fed it’s got no smell at all. Not even the typical dog smell is noticeable. He is a very good watchdog and always barks for a reason. Would never dirty the environment in which he lives. Builds an incredibly strong bond with his family. When on walks someone moves away from the group, the Shiba tries to bring them back together. The Shiba is an active dog, perfect for owners who like hiking or other enterprises. Brings a lot of energy, is always up for a game. Even after short absences, he is happy to see the family members again. Many Shibas are indifferent towards strangers and often don’t trust them (and that’s not a bad thing). Conversely to other races it’s no destructive dog. He gives and needs respect, he’s never invasive or clingy, and is never jealous to his owner. If educated from birth it’s extremely polite and can accompany the owner to restaurants and pubs without causing trouble. They can also live very well with cats – but must be used to it from an early age. If he is trained properly and has strong skills he can also be trained to be an agility dog.
