Shiba Inu: Nutrition, character, training and much more about the Shiba Inu Dog

By Roland Berger

The Shiba is a traditional Japanese dog breed. It grows up to 40 centimeters and resembles a small fox with its colors and narrow head. Today, the pedigree dog can be found all over the world. But in Japan it is still one of the most popular dogs. They are also known for their stubbornness.

In this guidebook you can expect an introduction to life with a Shiba Inu. The guidebook is not only aimed at experienced dog owners, but especially at newcomers, as it also includes basic dog training, housetraining and the most important commands.

In this book you will learn the following:
- Everything about buying a Shiba Inu puppy
- Puppy training and basics for the first 5 weeks
- Puppy food and helpful puppy products
- Character and temperament
- Breed characteristics and typical diseases
- Education and commands
- Nutrition and Healthcare
- Helpful examples from practice

The Shiba Inu is a small and lively dog breed that will cause some changes in your life. Once you establish an intense relationship, you will gain a friend for life!

The Shiba Inu is in a class of its own! In this guide with over 10 illustrations, we will therefore give you the most important points about life with a Shiba Inu.

• Language: English
• Publisher: XinXii
• Release date: Apr 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9783986469030

Book preview

Introduction

The cuddly little dog from Japan sneaks into almost everyone's heart - the Shiba Inu. Besides its equally soft and beautiful Japanese representatives in the dog world, it is the smallest of the traditional breeds. Especially due to its size of max. 40 centimeters, it enjoys special popularity both in the city and in the countryside, and far beyond Japan. Although they are so small, Shiba Inus look very majestic due to their muscular physique and it is hard to imagine social media without them.

But the beautiful animals are also a very unique dog breed in itself. In their country of origin, Japan, in the cold mountains, you have retained much of their wolfish ancestors, which is still in them today. This makes them perfect companions for active, sporty and nature-loving people. However, this also leads to the fact that the small dogs have a strong will of their own and always show a certain independence.

Besides being odorless and fastidiously clean, the Shiba Inu's bushy, colorful coat is especially eye-catching. Nevertheless, he remains a challenge, even for experienced dog owners and trainers, and they are often not recommended for beginners. Now before you slam the book shut again disillusioned - it's all a matter of proper foundation and education. For beginners, this may be a little more difficult. But it can still be mastered.

However, there is no denying it - the Shiba Inu is a class all its own! This guide will therefore give you the most important points about life with a Shiba Inu on the way. Among other things, the following aspects are covered:

The history of the Shiba Inu and its origin

Character traits, breed traits and behavior

Raising a Shiba Inu, also with basic tips for command training for beginners.

Posture and optimal coat care

Everything about the puppy: from a good breeder to dog tax and vaccinations to puppy school and socialization.

Nutrition of a Shiba Inu and the principle of BARF feeding for beginners.

Thus, this guidebook wants to address not only experienced dog lovers, but also newcomers optimally and give the best support.

Origin and background

The Shiba is a traditional Japanese dog breed. It grows up to 40 centimeters tall and resembles a small fox with its coat colors and narrow head. The name is composed of two Japanese kanji, which together form the traditional Shiba Inu: 柴犬.

柴 Shiba has no fixed meaning in this context, but there are several theories about its origin in connection with the dog breed. On the one hand, it would be possible that it derives from the Japanese 柴赤 - shiba-aka. This is the name of a reddish brown shade, which is often associated with the coat of the Shiba Inu. However, an association with the place 柴村 - Shiba-mura in the Japanese area of Nagano would also be a possible explanation. Last but not least, it could also be derived from traditional Japanese and simply stand for 柴 - shiba, meaning something small, like a small dog. Since the Shiba Inu is the smallest of the traditional Japanese dog breeds, this explanation is very obvious.

犬 Inu in the Japanese writing system simply stands for dog. For this reason, almost all traditional Japanese dog breeds have an Inu appended to their name.

The first records from the year 300 BC prove that the small quadruped already existed at that time. Originally, it is native to the mountainous regions of Japan, but is also found at the nearby sea. Shiba Inus used to be used especially for hunting birds or small wild animals. The dogs have a graceful lightness of foot due to their slender build and can easily sneak up far on game. However, at the beginning of the 20th century, the dog population was significantly decimated and the breed almost died out. Due to the bombing raids, many of the animals contracted distemper, which is fatal if left untreated. Canine distemper is a viral disease that can also affect cats or small bears. High fever and severe damage to the nervous system are the result. After the massive extinction of the breed was noticed, the country of Japan began from 1928 to specifically breed a stable breed again from the remaining animals. In 1937, the Shiba was declared a Japanese natural monument.

Despite its comparatively small size, the Shiba Inu is an excellent and faithful companion. He is very lively, perceptive and intelligent. Over the years, the dog has proven to be an excellent guard dog, but also a family dog. Accordingly, a well-trained Shiba Inu is not a danger to children or other family members, but an asset in every way. Once you have asserted yourself as his pack leader, you can count on your dog's loyalty. With his own mind and temperament, he is a very independent dog. Like all Japanese dog breeds, the Shiba's genetic lineage to the wolf is very close. But also the fox can be recognized here, especially if it is an animal with a rather reddish or orange coat, this is more noticeable.

Today, the pedigree dog can be found all over the world, but also in Japan is still one of the most popular dogs. However, he can be found especially often in America and Europe. The spread of photos on social media like Instagram gave the cute four-legged friend an additional boost in recent years. However, he is still traditionally used to hunt birds and game. However, he has also adapted very well to city life.

Character

Shiba Inus are small, brave animals. They are full of pride and self-will. One should be aware of this before deciding for such an animal. The quadruped has a pronounced pack behavior and stands up for himself in case of doubt, if the pack leader does not. So he likes to try to take over the dominance and challenges his humans again and again. Even though he can be very playful and affectionate towards his confidants, you will have to earn this status first. Once you have done that, the Shiba is a good herding and guard dog. He will let you know immediately if a stranger is in the area of his pack. Otherwise, he is a dog that barks very little.

Shiba Inus are very bright and playful dogs from the start. They have a high intelligence and are very independent. Every now and then they are affectionately referred to as the cats among dogs because they are so different from the image of a dog that most people have. The Shiba Inu in itself has a very dominant behavior, which it will use against you over and over again. If you are not in control of every situation, he will just take responsibility for himself. Especially males can cause some problems here during socialization and there will be power struggles.

As already mentioned, the Shiba Inu is excellent as a