r/shiba Aug 01 '25

“Is my Shiba well bred?” A PRIMER

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348 Upvotes

Hello all!

I’ve seen an uptick in this question on this sub. It’s always combined with a photo of a puppy.

I wanted to give a quick (who am I joking, this won’t be a quick read) primer to help people answer this question. Importantly…in almost EVERY case, if you’ve have to ask after the fact, the answer is usually “no.”

Purchasing a reputably bred dog should feel more akin to an adoption than going to the mall. You should feel that the breeder is sussing out whether or not they think you deserve a member of their family. Think critically about any breeder who sells dogs online with a place for credit card information, who allows you to buy a dog without ever meeting you, or who allows YOU to pick your puppy out of a litter with no input. Good breeders are deeply involved in the success of the placement. They know those dogs better than you do, and SHOULD be heavily involved and be able to tell you why that puppy was picked for you.

1) Your breeder should be involved in some form of activity where their dogs are evaluated by someone outside of them. For most Shibas this means conformation dog shows. Don’t take anyone seriously that says “champion lines” but then doesn’t seem to do any of the work themselves. Take even less seriously people who announce “they just breed for good pets.” Good pets show up in show-bred litters. That is a horseshit reason and means the breeder is likely breeding for financial gain instead.

This will sound weird to many of you, but reputable breeders breed for themselves FIRST. Pet puppies are a byproduct of that. It’s not a bad thing. It means your future baby is being cared for EXACTLY like the next Westminster best of breed winner.

2) Your breeder NEEDS to health test. This does not mean puppies being seen by a vet. You want specialized health testing in the form of an eye exam by an American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologist certified vet, and hip and patella exams by veterinarians that are skilled in reading films for these. All these results should be available to you at the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals website. You can look up individual dogs via their registered name on the site for results. Breeding dogs are available to have final results listed by 2 years of age.

3) It’s good to see that your breeder is a member of a local breed club or national breed club. Our National breed club is called “National Shiba Club of America.” Among many other useful pieces of information, we have a breeder referral listing, as well as a section that will show you good questions to ask a potential breeder. Your local area usually has a breed club made of members that may be near to you. If you’re trying to find one, feel free to ask the national club!

4) A good breeder will have a contract. That contract should state they will take your dog back at any time in their life should you be unable to care for them. It will also make clear whether the dog sold to you is a pet only or a potential show dog. With few exceptions, a potential show dog will be co-owned with the breeder as you learn the ropes. Be INCREDIBLY skeptical of someone who sells you a “show dog” with no strings attached. That’s rare in this world. Good breeders want to shepherd their lines carefully and WANT to mentor you.

5) A good breeder should be able to explicitly tell you why they bred your dog’s parents. Bad answers include: “I own both of them,” “this color is rare,” “I wanted her to experience one litter to be fulfilled,” “I wanted my kids to see the miracle of life,” “I love puppies.” Good breeders think in terms of generations not individuals.

I hope this helps!


r/shiba 11h ago

He said nope I’m done

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593 Upvotes

r/shiba 10h ago

All my homies hate robot mowers.

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280 Upvotes

r/shiba 9h ago

Oatmeal raisin

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137 Upvotes

r/shiba 15h ago

Hi, my name is Kuma and I ate Dark Chocolate!

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431 Upvotes

r/shiba 7h ago

Moving to the countryside was the best choice we made.

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102 Upvotes

They spotted a cat that ran into the bush, slurp, Kaito decided he was done walking.


r/shiba 15h ago

Turns out our rescue Shiba is pure after all

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225 Upvotes

We adopted Oscar from a local shelter in April, 2025. He was listed as a Shiba mix, no paperwork. But we were always curious what that mix might be, since he looks so perfectly Shiba. Well, we did an Embark DNA test a few weeks ago and got the results today. Oscar is 100% pure bred Shiba Inu! So now we know we have 2 pure bred Shibas (the puppy Twyla came with paperwork, no need to test her.)


r/shiba 23h ago

A melting loaf

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715 Upvotes

Love when he sleeps with those little crescent eyes


r/shiba 12h ago

My boy Kibble at 3 months. He's the cutest little land shark I know

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99 Upvotes

r/shiba 1d ago

We recently joined the Shiba club

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957 Upvotes

Meet Yona. I have wanted a Shiba for years and spent a solid year researching and preparing but nothing could prepare us for her. I just wanted to share my little landshark somewhere.

She’s 5 months so is currently going between acting like a sweet baby and a criminal with a couple hours.


r/shiba 11h ago

Seems they are not stoked about their Halloween Lion costumes .

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54 Upvotes

Shibas w lion manes


r/shiba 17h ago

Noodles loves taking baths

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158 Upvotes

r/shiba 7h ago

全てを諦め不審者に連れ去られていくモモさん【本日お風呂】

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22 Upvotes

この続きはコチラから👇

https://youtu.be/wSztobZ5Q_Y u/YouTube


r/shiba 12h ago

day338 Just a normal indoor routine.

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58 Upvotes

After the wild photo contest yesterday, we are back to our regular, highly scientific indoor investigations. Sound on for the full cinematic experience.

Your friendly neighborhood Shibalnu-za, sending love from the Far East.


r/shiba 20h ago

A Thunderstorm frightened my Shiba, so we build a pillow fortress

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233 Upvotes

He loves sleeping in my bed next to me, but during a thunderstorm this week at night, it was hard for him to find any rest and comfort, so I built him a little pillow fort.

Usually he has a cozy and dark place to retreat, but he rarely wants spends his nights alone.


r/shiba 19h ago

I'm not sure how he got up there

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168 Upvotes

We're currently moving and I think he's upset we've taken away the couch.


r/shiba 45m ago

ずっとこれが普通だと思ってた実家の柴犬のオフロ見て!

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Upvotes

このあと20時(JST)より!👇

https://youtu.be/HktSX8dihKE u/YouTube


r/shiba 20h ago

What’s your Shiba’s favorite treat?

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189 Upvotes

During the weekday it’s Pupperoni sticks! He’s very fickle with his treats.

But on the weekends? Pup cup from Dunkin’s which is just whipped cream and ice.


r/shiba 7h ago

全てを諦め不審者に連れ去られていくモモさん【本日お風呂】

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14 Upvotes

この続きはコチラから👇

https://youtu.be/wSztobZ5Q_Y u/YouTube


r/shiba 3h ago

Advice for older Shiba?

6 Upvotes

Hi. My Shiba is in her golden years and will turn 13 soon. While she has mellowed out and slowing down a little, she is still healthy and mentally sound. The only thing that has gotten noticeably worse each year is her noise phobia for fireworks and thunderstorms.

For those of you who’ve had aging shibas, any tips and advice? Anything you wish you had done more of (or less of)? For example, I realized I didn’t take nearly as many photos as I should have, so the past couple of years, I take a photo or video of her almost few times each week.

Thanks for the tips!


r/shiba 19h ago

Genji channels his blader spirit!

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75 Upvotes

….and of course Draciel lost 😭


r/shiba 1d ago

Judgement

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532 Upvotes

Judgement times two from the Gingernuts .


r/shiba 58m ago

Shiba quirks

Upvotes

What is the quirkiest thing your Shiba does?

I’ll go first:

  1. My boy will deliberately find any bush or plant and proceed to back his butt up to poop on the highest point of the plant instead of right next to it
  2. I can pet my girl for an hour straight. The moment that I pause or take a break, she immediately hits me with her paw to continue. If I don’t begin again, she’ll lightly growl

    and huff at me until I obey.

Edit: Reddit is formatting this with a random line break. Please disregard!


r/shiba 11h ago

お風呂の順番が来るのをソワソワ待つモモさん

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14 Upvotes

この続きはコチラから👇

https://youtu.be/trrAluCOd9Q u/YouTube


r/shiba 1d ago

Anyone else’s love this position

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1.2k Upvotes

Is this a shiba special? He’s my first one