Japanese Shiba Inu or Brushwood Dog (which is the literal translation of his name) is by the FCI into the group of Asian Spitz and Related Breeds in the class of Spitz and primitive type dogs. It is the smallest of all native dog breeds from Japan. Main Shiba Inu characteristics are agility, boldness, alertness, possessiveness, loyalty, speed, intelligence, independence, stubbornness, and hardiness. His incredible stubbornness and independence will certainly make things harder when it comes to obedience training. His lifespan is between 12 and 16 years. Shiba was developed, in the first place, as a hunting dog, and as a consequence he possesses a very strong prey drive, which is why he’s very dangerous for cats and other smaller animals. On top of that, he has very large teeth for his size, so you got the point. Continue Reading →