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BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY
- The Shiba Inu has been a native
breed to Japan since the primitive ages. The
word "Shiba" originally refers to something
small, a "small dog". The Shiba's habitat was in
the mountainous area facing the Sea of Japan and
was used as a hunting dog for small animals and
birds. There were slight differences in the
breeds according to the areas where they were
raised.
As dogs like English Setters and
English Pointers were imported from England
during the period of 1868-1912, hunting became a
sport in Japan, cross breeding of the Shiba with
those English dogs became prevalent, and a pure
Shiba became rare, so that by 1912-1926 pure
Shibas confined to these areas became
exceedingly scarce.
Hunters and other educated
persons became concerned with the preservation
of the pure Shibas from around 1928, and the
preservation of the limited number of pure
strains began seriously, and the breed standard
was finally unified in 1934. In 1937, the Shiba
was designated as a natural monument, after
which the breed was bred and improved to become
the superior breed known today.
GENERAL APPEARANCE
- Small sized dog, well balanced,
well boned with well developed muscles.
Constitution strong. Action quick, free and
beautiful.
Important Proportions: The ratio
of height at withers to length of body is 10:11.
CHARACTERISTICS
- Utilisation: Hunting dog for
birds and small animals; companion dog.
TEMPERAMENT
- The temperament is faithful,
with keen senses (sensitive), and high
alertness.
HEAD AND SKULL
- The forehead broad, cheeks well
developed, and stop defined with slight furrow.
The nasal bridge straight and the nose black in
colour desirable. The muzzle moderately thick
and tapering. The lips tight.
EYES
- Relatively small, triangular
and dark brown in colour; the corners of the
eyes are upturned.
EARS
- Relatively small, triangular,
slightly inclining forward and firmly pricked.
MOUTH
- The teeth strong with scissor
bite.
NECK
- Thick, strong, and well
balanced with the head and the body.
FOREQUARTERS
- Shoulders moderately sloping,
elbows tight, seen from the forearms straight.
BODY
- Back straight and strong; loin
broad and muscular. Chest deep, ribs moderately
sprung, belly well drawn up
HINDQUARTERS
- Upper thighs long, lower thighs
short but well developed. Hocks thick and tough.
FEET
- Toes tightly closed and well
arched. Pads hard and elastic. Nails hard and
dark in colour desirable.
TAIL
- Set on high, thick, carried
vigorously curled or curved as a sickle, the tip
nearly reaching hocks when let down
GAIT/MOVEMENT
- Light and brisk.
COAT
- Hair: Outer coat harsh and
straight, undercoat soft and dense; hair on tail
slightly long and standing off.
COLOUR -
Red, black and tan, sesame, black sesame, red
sesame..
Definition of the colour sesame:
Sesame Equal mixture of white and
black hairs.
Black sesame More black than
white hairs.
Red sesame Ground colour of hair
red, with mixture of black hairs.
All the above mentioned colours
must have "Urajiro".
"Urajiro" = whitish coat on the
sides of the muzzle and on the cheeks, on the
underside of the jaw and neck, on the chest and
stomach, on the underside of the tail, and on
the inside of the legs.
SIZE
- Height at withers: Dogs 40 cm
(15¾ ins)
Bitches 37 cm (14½ins)
There is a tolerance of 1.5 cm (½
in) smaller or taller.
FAULTS
- Any departure from the
foregoing points should be considered a fault
and the seriousness with which the fault should
be regarded should be in exact proportion to its
degree.
Particular Faults:
1. Shyness.
2. Bitchy dogs, doggy bitches.
3. Malocclusion (overshot or
undershot mouth)
4. Numerous teeth missing.
Disqualifying Faults:
1. Ears not pricked.
2. Hanging or short tail.
NOTE:
Male animals should have two apparently normal
testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
Utility Group A.N.K.C. © January
1998 |
