Smallest of the Japanese spitz breeds and related to the Akita and descendant
of the Australian Dingo, this guard dog and companion was once bred by
the Japanese to assist in wild boar and small game hunts in their dense
highland forests.
It is also a dog that has been around for a long time. There have been
some archeological findings that have retraced the existence of the Shiba
Inu as far as 7000 years BC.