Popular Dog Breed: The Shiba Inu

(Image source)

Hello, my fellow Steemers! This year 2018 is the Year of the Dog according to the Chinese Zodiac calendar and year of crypto currency. And what better to post about than the cute mascot of Dogecoin, the cryptocurrency featuring a likeness of the Shiba Inu dog from the "Doge" Internet meme as its logo.

The Shiba Inu is the smallest of the six original spitz dog breeds from Japan. The word “Shiba” in Japanese means brushwood and it is sometimes called the little brushwood dog. The word “Inu” means dog.

A small, agile dog that does well with Japan's mountainous terrain, the Shiba Inu was originally bred for hunting. It looks similar to other Japanese dog breeds like the Akita Inu or Hokkaido, but the Shiba Inu is a different breed with a distinct blood line, temperament and has a smaller size than the other Japanese dog breeds.

Their white markings combined with their coloring (red, red sesame, or black and tan) and their alert expression and smooth stride makes them almost move like a fox. They’re sturdy, muscular dogs with a brave personality to match.

They have a shoulder height of up to 17 inches and weigh up to 24 pounds when fully grown.

The Shiba may have been used as early as 300 B.C. as a hunting dog in central Japan. Although they were used mostly to hunt birds and small game, they were occasionally used to hunt wild boar. 3 main types existed and each was named for its area of origin: the Shinshu Shiba (from the Nagano Prefecture), the Mino Shiba (from the Gifu Prefecture), and the Sanin Shiba (from the northeast). After the Second World War, the breed was nearly lost, and many died by distemper disease in 1952. In an attempt to save the Shiba Inu, the different types were interbred, crossing the heavier-boned dogs from mountainous regions with the lighter-boned dogs from other regions. As a result, the Shiba survived as one breed, with some variations. The first Shiba came to America in 1954 and was officially recognized by the AKC in 1993. Since then, their popularity continues to grow.

The Shiba Inu is an alert, brave little dog. It is also loving, kind, and not easily trainable. The Shiba Inu is very clean and will avoid getting dirty if possible – and is easily housebroken. They aren't noisy dogs, barking very little. They are very playful and get along well with other dogs and older children. The Shiba Inu can be quite shy around strangers. Unfortunately, the Shiba Inu is mainly a hunter, and it shouldn't be trusted around small animals or other family pets. Care should be taken when letting this canine off the leash for it will chase cars and small animals. Also, handlers should always present themselves as firm, making sure the Shiba Inu knows who's the master.

Puppy of the breed (Image source)

Video upload by Ron Darby

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Sources: https://www.petfinder.com/dog-breeds/shiba-inu
wagwalking.com/breed/shiba-inu

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