Japanese Shiba Inu

One of Japan's oldest native breeds, the Shiba's ancestors were used by hunters in the mountains of Honshu to flush birds and small game, and possibly wild boar, working in dense brush where a small, agile dog with keen senses had the advantage over a larger one. The breed nearly disappeared after the Second World War, when distemper, food shortages and the effects of bombing devastated dog populations across Japan, and it survived only through a concerted post-war effort to interbreed the few remaining regional bloodlines, including the Shinshu, Mino and San'in strains.

The Shiba is famous, sometimes notoriously so, for its independent, almost cat-like temperament; it is intelligent and alert but not naturally biddable, and many owners describe a stubborn streak that requires patient, consistent training rather than repetition-based obedience work. It is fastidiously clean, often grooming itself like a cat, and tends to be reserved or even standoffish with strangers and other dogs, a trait sometimes called "shiba-ness" by devoted owners. The dense double coat sheds year-round with two heavy seasonal blowouts, requiring considerably more brushing during those periods.

Today the Shiba Inu is Japan's most popular companion dog and has a substantial following internationally, partly amplified by its internet fame through memes and the "Doge" phenomenon. It suits owners prepared for a strong-willed, vocal, somewhat cat-like dog rather than one seeking easy, eager-to-please obedience.