FCI-Standard N° 257

SHIBA

ORIGIN:
Japan

DATEOF PUBLICATION OF THE OFFICIAL VALID STANDARD:
30.06.2016

UTILIZATION:
Hunting dog for birds and small animals. Companion dog.

FCI-CLASSIFICATION:
Group 5 Spitz and primitive type.
Section 5 Asian Spitz and related breeds.
Without working trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY:
The Shiba has been a native breed to Japan since the primitive ages. The word << Shiba >> originally refers to something << small >>, a << small dog >>. The Shiba's habitat was in the mountainous area facing the Sea of Japan and was used as a hunting dog for small animals and birds. There wereslight differences in the breeds according to the areas where they were raised. As dogs like English Setters and English Pointers were imported from England durring the perion of 1868-1912, hunting became a sport in Japan and crossbreeding of the Shiba became rare si that by 1912-1926 pure Shibas confined to these areas became exceedingly scarce. Hunters and other educated person became concerned with the presevation of the pure Shibas from around 1928 and the preservation of the limited number of pure Shibas strains began seriously, and the breed standard was finally unified in 1934. In 1937 the Shiba was designated as a << natural monument >> after which the breed was bred and improved to become the breed known today.

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 and withers to lengh of body is 10:11.

HEAD

CRANIAL REGION:
Skill: Forehead broad.
Stop: Well defined with slight furrow.

FACIAL REGION:
Nose: Black. Nasal bridge straight.
Muzzle: Moderately thick.
Lips: Tight.
Jaws/Teeth: Teeth strong with scissor bite.
Cheeks: Well developed.

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

EARS:
Relativey small, triangular, slightly inclining forward and firmly pricked. 

NECK:
Thick, strong, and well balanced with the head and the body.

BODY:
Back: Straight and strong.
Loin: Broad and muscular.
Chest: Deep, ribs moderately sprung.
Belly: Slightly tucked up.

TAIL:
Set on high, thick, carried vigorously curled or curved as a sickle, the tip nearly reaching hocks when let down.

LIMBS

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.
Forefeet: Digits tightly closed and well arched. Pads thick and elastic. Nails hard and dark in colour desirable.

HINDQUARTERS:
Upper thigh: Well developed.
Lower thigh: Well developed.
Hocks: Thick and tough.
Hind feet: Digits tightly closed and well arched. Pads thick and elastic. Nails hard and dark in colour desirable.

GAIT/MOVEMENT: 
Light and brisk.

COAT
Hair: Outer coat harsh and straight, undercoat soft and dense; hair on tail slightly long and standing off.

Colour: Red, black and tan, black sezame, red sezame.
Definition of the colour sezame:

• Sezame: Good mixture of black, red and white rairs in the whole
• Black sezame: More black than white hairs.
• Red sezame: Ground colour of hair red, mixure 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.

SIZE AND WEIGHT:
Height at withers: 
Males: 39,5 cm
Females: 36,5 cm
There is a tolerance of 1,5 cm smaller or taller.

FAULTS:
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the faul should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its effect upon the health anf welfare of the dog.

• Lack of sexua dimorphism
• Slightly overshot or undershot mouth
• Numerous teeth missing
• Shyness
• Pinto colour

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS:

• Agresive or overly shy
• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abmormalities
• Extremely overshot or undershot mouth
• Ears not pricked
• Hanging tail, short tail

N.B.:

• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into scrotum
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with typical conformation, should be used for breeding.

The latest amendments are in bold characters.