You would make a great owner for a Shiba if you:

* enjoy running, walking, hiking and crawling through brambles while yelling your dog’s name at the top of your lungs

* picture the ideal mate as someone who greets you effusively when you get home from work, asks you about your day and then walks away and falls asleep on the couch

* like cats. Cats with curly tails and screams that can shatter glass

* have a fenced yard that could safely contain the inmates of a maximum-security prison

* have a high tolerance for humiliation, because at one point of your life or another, your Shiba will contrive to make you look like the world’s biggest idiot

Are You Prepared For A Shiba?

The goal of this page… well, it’s not to prevent you from getting a dog that screws up your life. It’s to prevent you from screwing up the life of a dog that has no control over where it goes or how it’s brought up.

Thou shalt not screw up the life of a member of my chosen breed.

You would think that people who agonize over buying a house or a car would exhaustively research the dog that they plan to add to their lives for roughly 15 years. As we all (should) know, the number of animals in SPCAs, animal shelters and rescues is evidence that this is not happening.

The Shiba is often underestimated, since it is a small, often cute, often charming breed of dog. The same characteristics that make it endlessly amusing when playing with a ball or other toys make it hell on earth for the unprepared owner.

Who is the ideal Shiba owner? All sorts of people, with different schedules, lifestyles, and levels of physical fitness own happy Shibas. If an owner is dedicated to their dog’s welfare, I think it’s possible to make a Shiba work out in most situations.

What I can definitely state is that the ideal owner for a Shiba inu is assertive, realistic, and educated about their chosen breed of dog. I would generally not recommend this for the first-time dog owner and would have reservations about a family with small children choosing a Shiba for their family pet.