The Shiba Inu is a small, agile dog that copes very well with mountainous terrain and was originally bred in Japan for hunting purposes. It is one of the few ancient dog breeds still in existence in the world today. This breed dates back to the 3rd century BC.
During World War II the Shiba Inu almost became extinct due to food shortages and a post-war distemper epidemic. There were only three surviving bloodlines left—the Shinshu Shiba from Nagano Prefecture, the Mino Shiba from Gifu Prefecture, and the San'in Shiba from Tottoriand Shimane Prefecture.
Post war all Shibas were bred from these three remaining bloodlines. The Shinshu Shibas had a solid undercoat, with a dense layer of guard-hairs, and they were small and red in color. The Mino Shibas had thick, prick ears and a sickle tail, unlike the curled tail found on most Shibas today. The San'in Shibas were larger than modern day Shibas, and were black, without the tan and white accents on modern black-and-tan Shibas.
These dogs are genetically very sound and do not suffer from the genetic defects other dog breeds are often diagnosed with. The life expectancy of Shibas is 12 to 15 years.
