Shiba Inu. Photo: Pexels
One of the dog breeds that often makes it to people’s wish lists is the Shiba Inu. This Japanese breed has many positive traits that make it a great pet.
Check out 10 fun and interesting facts about this breed:
1. An Ancient Breed
It’s believed that the ancestors of the Shiba Inu arrived in Japan with immigrants around 7,000 BC. Archaeologists have found dog remains with Shiba-like traits in settlements inhabited by the Jomon-jin people, who lived between 14,500 BC and 300 AD.
2. A Winning Crossbreed
Dog historians believe that the Shiba Inu is likely the result of a cross between the dogs of the Jomon-jin people and dogs brought to Japan with a new wave of immigration around 300 BC.
3. Useful Dogs
Originally, the Shiba Inu was bred as a hunting dog, chasing small animals such as birds and rabbits in the mountainous areas of the Chūbu region in Japan.
4. A Mysterious Name
The origins of the name “Shiba Inu” are unclear. ‘Inu’ means dog in Japanese, while ‘Shiba’ means bush, so some think it refers to the terrain where they were bred, while others believe it refers to the dog’s coat color.
Another theory is that “Shiba” refers to an archaic usage of the word, meaning “small.”
5. Internet Meme Sensation
The Doge meme, featuring a photo of a Shiba Inu, became a popular internet sensation in 2013. The meme consists of a photo of the dog accompanied by multicolored text representing an internal monologue in English. It even inspired the creation of the cryptocurrencies Dogecoin and Shiba Inu.
6. Three Became One
Before World War II, there were three recognized types of Shiba Inu: Mino, Sanin, and Shinshu, each named after the Japanese regions from which they originated. Today, they have merged into a single breed that incorporates characteristics from all three types.
7. Arrival in the USA
The first Shiba Inu arrived in the USA in 1954, brought by a military family. The first registered litter in the US was born in 1979, and it wasn’t until 1992 that the breed was officially recognized by the American Kennel Club.
8. Clean Dogs
The Shiba Inu is a meticulous breed, often spending hours grooming by licking its paws and legs. This is one reason they are often compared more to cats than to dogs.
9. A Heroic Shiba
In 2004, a Shiba Inu named Mari became a national hero when an earthquake struck the Japanese village of Yamakoshi. When her family’s house collapsed, Mari carried her puppies to safety and then woke her owner, allowing him to escape from a fallen cabinet.
A Japanese movie was made based on the rescue, titled “A Tale of Mari and Three Puppies.”
10. War Survivors
The bombings in Japan during World War II, combined with a particularly virulent strain of distemper, nearly drove the Shiba Inu to extinction.
A post-war breeding program saved the beloved breed, with most of the surviving dogs belonging to the Shinshu variety.
Photos: Pexels. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
