A General Appearance of the Dog

The Shiba Inu can easily be mistaken for a fox if seen on the run, but his thick, powerful tail curls up over his back in a sickle or curled position. This small Japanese dog has somewhat deep-set, dark eyes which are rather triangular in shape and slant upward toward the ears. The eye rims are black. The Shiba Inu’s ears are triangular, small for his head and body, and pricked with a forward slant. His facial expression is good-natured with a strong and confident gaze. His back is straight and level to the ground. And his legs are thin but strong.

Coat Color

Urajiro, a creamy white color, is required in the following areas on all coat colors: on the sides of the muzzle, on the cheeks, inside the ears, on the underjaw and upper throat inside of legs, on the abdomen, around the vent and the underside of the tail. On reds, it is commonly found on the throat, forechest, and chest. On blacks and sesames, it is commonly found as a triangular mark on both sides of the forechest. White spots above the eyes are permitted on all colors but not required.

Color

Shiba Inus have intense, clear red - White markings restricted to eye spots, cheeks, under jaw, forechest, underparts and underside of tail and legs. No white marks should be present above elbows or hock.

Another coat color can be Sesame red - Red with an even overlay of black guard hairs; black to be not less than 25%, or more than 50% of normal red area. White markings in Red and Red Sesame restricted to eye spots, cheeks, under jaw, forechest, underparts, and underside of tail and legs. No white above elbows or hock. The white marking on the forechest resembling the shape of a bow-tie. Colour Eye spots in Red Sesame may be tan.

Another variety has Black and Tan coat with dull black with a bronze cast. Tan markings restricted to eye spots, cheeks, inside of ears, legs and tail. White markings as in Red and Red Sesame. Tan markings only occur between black and white areas.

One more variety is seen - which is mostly white - White coat with red or grey tinges. They have a White undercoat.

Coat Type

The Shiba Inu is double-coated with the outer coat being stiff and straight and the undercoat soft and thick. Fur is short and even on face, ears, and legs. Guard hairs standing off the body are about 1½ to 2 inches in length at the withers. Tail hair is slightly longer and stands open in a brush.

Height

Males: 14.5 to 16.5 inches
Females: 13.5 to 15.5 inches

Weight

Males: 20 – 30 lbs; ideally about 23 lbs
Females: 18 – 28 lbs; ideally about 17 lbs