Shiba Inu

I've taken another one of those fancies, as when mad for ferrets, and the object of my desire is the Shiba Inu, the smallest of the Japanese spitzes. In yesterday's Crufts coverage, a foxy-muzzled cinnamon Shiba Inu lost to a poodle (pah) as best in the Utility Dogs section. It was robbed.

Actually, I shouldn't be so hard on poodles. The few I've known have won over my biases against prissy dogs, as intelligent and fun-loving characters. Although I don't particularly care for their looks, their coat is hypo-allergenic. It's the toy category with whom I have a real problem.

Back to the Shiba Inu, and onto my shaggy dog story. Last Xmas honey and I were watching a re-run of Crufts 2003 on Animal Planet, and for both of us it was the Shiba that won the competition. A proper dog and not a mutant, but in a small, compact package. Apparently these little fireballs can jump 5 feet easily, and are prone to haring off after any prey due to their hunting heritage. The Japanese spitzes inc. the akita are thought to be amongst the most 'primitive' of dog breeds (relatives of Siberian samoyeds and Aleutian working dogs), and closest to the ancestral canine companion. In this case, 'primitive' is meant in an evolutionary sense in that generalisation as opposed to specialision is dominant, with common traits present that are subsequently lost in more narrowly-adapted dog breeds. A proper dog, like I said.

This week, honey tells me that his sister has acquired a puppy for her family, and guess what- it's a Shiba Inu bitch in a chocolate/cream colourway, now called Izzy (short for Isabel). As another coincidence, my daughter Nini (her nickname) was called Isabel for her first three days of life, and I love the name. Jen has very good taste in dogs and names.

Izzy sports the tight, high-held spiral of a tail common to all spitz-type dogs, and the same ridiculously fluffy butt of Noushka. Jen says when she gets scared the tail uncurls and goes straight. I think that it's these people who bred Izzy, and from whom she was locally acquired.

I've never owned a dog (being too responsible), although my folks have always had one, most recently in the form of Jake- a large, hairy, bearlike, unbiddable hunk of dogness, probably an alsation/collie cross. If I become irresponsible enough to acquire one, it will almost certainly be a mongrel from the local home, like my folks' dogs, or Noushka was. But if I had my choice and coulkd overcome my unsettledness about pedigrees, a sesame (black-tipped red coat as in the pic) or cinnamon foxy-faced shiba urajiro colourway would be most appealing.

More history of Japanese spitz-types here:
http://www.moellgaard.dk/English/Dogs/Akitas/Akitas_and_GJDs.htm
including a moving story of dog loyalty akin to Greyfriars Bobby.
More on urajiro colourway (ventral creaminess) here:
http://www.shibas.org/newstand/judge.html