Dog Breed Quiz

Shiba Inu

You dash nimbly along mountain trails and stay quietly close only to the people you've let in.

Always on the goClose to a chosen fewAt my own pace

The Shiba Inu (“inu” means “dog” in Japanese) has long been kept in Japan as a hunting dog for chasing small game and birds in the mountains. It's the smallest of the six native Japanese breeds designated as Natural Monuments — a national status for protected animals, plants and places. There are several theories about the name: that the dogs hunted by slipping through shiba, or brushwood, thickets, or that “shiba” was an old word for something small.

Upright, pointed ears and a tightly curled tail are its trademarks. Shibas are said to be loyal to their owners, yet many don't care to be fussed over. They dash along mountain trails on their own feet and keep a comfortable distance even from those they're close to. You're the kind of person who walks the path you've chosen, with just the few people you've let in.

Because you can act on your own judgment, you may stall when someone else sets the plan for you. Even with people who kindly offer a hand, you might want to shake your head and say, “I'll do it myself.” Tell them first how much you'd like to be left to handle, and the people helping won't have to guess.

Strengths

You can move quickly and nimbly on your own judgment
You value your relationships with the people you've let in, for a long time
You can stick to your own way of doing things without being swept along

Where you may stumble

When someone you're not close to gets too close, you find yourself backing away
When someone else sets the plan, it's hard to feel keen
Even when asking for help would be quicker, you try to do it all yourself

Sounds familiar, Shiba Inu?

At big gatherings, you find yourself next to the same one person every time
When someone offers, “Want a hand?” your first answer is, “I'm good”
With people you're close to, walking side by side feels more comfortable than talking

Where you shine

Errands you can decide and handle on your own, or teaming up with someone you know well. Your strength of moving nimbly on your own feet comes through.

Tips for “Shiba Inu”

When you'd rather not have help, say first how much you're happy to hand over
If someone feels too close, say a word before quietly stepping away
Now and then, walk a route you've never taken with the person you usually go with

Matches

See every match in the Dog Breed Quiz compatibility chart →

Easy together

Beagle — The Beagle is another hunting dog that trusts its own nose. The Beagle, who heads out cheerfully with anyone, finds paths the Shiba doesn't know. The Beagle's nose shows you the fun of side paths you'd never choose on your own.

Easy together

Chihuahua — The Chihuahua, too, treasures a chosen few. The Shiba runs about and the Chihuahua relaxes on a lap — you move in different ways, but you share the wish to stay quietly connected to a few people, and the Chihuahua never pushes to get closer than you'd like.

May clash

Saint Bernard — To a Shiba that wants to move nimbly on its own feet, the pace of the Saint Bernard, who settles in big and takes on whatever job comes, feels slow — while to the Saint Bernard, the Shiba seems unable to settle in any one place.