Shiba Breed Standard

Japan Kennel Club

FCI Standard No 257

Adopted in Australia 1 January 1994

Revised 14 April 1995 - Revision adopted in Australia October 1995

Country of Origin:  Japan

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.
Appearance

Temperament

The temperament is faithful, with keenness in sense and high alertness.

Head And Skull:

  • Cranial Region: Skull:Forehead broad.
  • Stop: Well defined with slight furrow.
  • Nasal bridge straight.
  • Muzzle: Moderately thick.
  • Lips: Tight.
  • Cheeks: Well developed.

Eyes: Triangular, not too small, and dark brown in colour. The outer corners of the eyes are slightly upturned.

Ears: Relatively small, triangular, slightly inclining forward and firmly pricked.

Mouth: Teeth strong with scissor bite.

Neck: Thick, strong, and well balan

ced with the head and the body.

Forequarters:

  • General appearance: Seen from the front, forelegs straight.
  • Shoulder: Shoulder blade moderately sloping.
  • Upper arm: Forming a moderate angle with shoulder blade.
  • Elbow: Tight.
  • Metacarpus (Pastern): Slightly oblique.

Body: Back straight and strong; loin broad and muscular. Chest deep, ribs moderately sprung, belly well drawn up.

Hindquarters:

  • Upper thigh: Well developed.
  • Lower thigh: Well developed.
  • Hocks: Thick and tough.

Feet: Digits tightly closed and well arched. Pads thick 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: 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: Good mixture of black, red and white hairs in whole.
· Black sesame: More black than white hairs.
· Red sesame: Ground colour of

hair red, mixture with 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 and the underside of the tail, and on the inside of the legs.

Sizes:

Height at withers: Males 39.5 cm.  Females 36.5 cm.
There is a tolerance of 1,5 cm smaller or taller.