Dog breed guide
Shiba Inu
A small, clean Japanese breed with a double coat that is brushed with a slicker and comb about weekly. It sheds heavily about twice a year, and the coat drop can last up to a month. Dogs Victoria calls it intelligent and quick to learn but strong minded and stubborn, and well suited to indoors and outdoors.
Shiba Inu at a glance
- Adult weight, male
- 9 to 12 kg
- Adult weight, female
- 7 to 9 kg
- Size
- Small, under 10 kg
- Height
- 35 to 41 cm
- Lifespan
- 14 to 16 years
- Coat
- harsh, straight outer coat with a soft, dense undercoat
Ratings
Petboost editorial ratings from 1 to 5, drawn from the breed standard text under Sources. A breed with no basis in the sources for a rating shows none.
- Shedding
- Grooming effort
- Energy
- Trainability
- Suits an apartment
5 means it sheds heavily
5 means it needs the most grooming
5 means it needs a lot of exercise
5 means it learns quickly and eagerly
5 means it copes best in a small home
Comparisons
Next steps
- Find a local groomer or daycarePet businesses near you that take bookings online.
- Check a Shiba Inu puppy's weightWhere a puppy sits against the breed's adult range.
- Dog age in human yearsFrom a formula, not the seven-to-one rule.
Sources
- Petboost breed reference data, adult weight ranges (breed list snapshot).
- Dogs Australia, Shiba Inu Breed Standard, https://dogsaustralia.org.au/members/breeds/breed-standards/Shiba-Inu, read 5 Oct 2026 (height is 36.5 to 39.5 cm with a 1.5 cm tolerance either way)
- Dogs Victoria, Shiba Inu breed page, https://dogsvictoria.org.au/choosing-a-breed/browse-all-breeds/150/Shiba-Inu/, read 5 Oct 2026
General information about the breed, not veterinary advice. Speak with your vet about your own pet.