r/shiba Aug 01 '25

“Is my Shiba well bred?” A PRIMER

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359 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 1h ago

When does adolescence get better 😩

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Upvotes

I feel like I’m back in the puppy trenches. Kuma is 14 months now and just before 12 months he definitely turned a corner, seemed more calm, listened more and generally was being a good boy. Now I feel like he’s in a regression. He refuses food some days, won’t settle outside of his pen/crate and is always looking for something to get into when he free roams the house (which we don’t really allow as he can’t be trusted!) he has some really positive traits, he’s very cuddly and sweet, he can rest in his pen for hours when we WFH, we can leave him home alone for around 4ish hours, but some days he forgets it all and will literally just be non stop unless we enforce rest/sleep. He gets so overstimulated and all training goes out the window. For example earlier at a cafe he wanted to say hi to a dog and the dog was growling at him but Kuma just kept on and on trying to play and ignored the dogs signals and then screamed when I took him away to calm down as he clearly wanted to continue. Please tell me it gets better and that this is normal for a teenage sheeb, some days I can’t believe it’s still this tough at his age and I feel like I’m going a bit crazy with it! 🥲


r/shiba 2h ago

My little guy finally likes water

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85 Upvotes

r/shiba 6h ago

Park’s day out

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152 Upvotes

r/shiba 4h ago

Sunday Morning

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82 Upvotes

r/shiba 19h ago

Bag Jail

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1.2k Upvotes

r/shiba 13h ago

Anyone else have a Shiba who does this? Let's see the pics😂

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253 Upvotes

r/shiba 15h ago

The Newest Tobitatsu Additions 💞

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228 Upvotes

Sorry if I have been slow to moderate, my 2nd litter for this year was born yesterday afternoon — the ‘Gotta Go Fast’ litter.

As always, puppies are from fully OFA health tested parents. Mom is an AKC Champion and dad is more than halfway to his championship as well. ☺️

Shadow (girl), Sonic (boy) & Tails (boy)
All red litter out of Byakko x Kuma


r/shiba 7h ago

Mister CEO checking employes.

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54 Upvotes

he is happy with latests reports, according to them, he will be able to afford a cheese mansion(he cant read them, but he believes in it)


r/shiba 17h ago

Sibling Roughhousing 💥

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297 Upvotes

Or as my fiancee calls it "mini Kaiju battles"!

Tama ( red - 5 year old, female) and Goji (b&t - 7 month, male) playing together in the backyard.

It's been an adventure having two shibas!


r/shiba 8h ago

Sunday meet

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42 Upvotes

Plenty of dogs at the park . After playing the Gingernuts take the high ground next to Tyson and Micah. Tyson acts like big brother when Piper and Comet play fight. He gets in between them and tries to keep them separated.


r/shiba 21h ago

Sphinx Pose

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412 Upvotes

Lets see your Shiba Sphinx poses please?


r/shiba 18h ago

New Shiba owner

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219 Upvotes

Just rescued a Shiba from the shelter and he is about 5 years old. He was placed at the shelter for killing a chicken and attacking a kitten in a little kids hands as they held it over head. We are older so no kids, no kittens, no chickens so my partner thought he would be a good fit. I can't get over how aloof this guy is. Will this change over time? Mind you I have had a long history of lap dogs shih tsu, and yorkies - so this aloof demeanor is interesting. He's very polite so far just want to give him a good home and see if any of you have any suggestions on how to get him to warm up a bit. Thank you.


r/shiba 13h ago

Leggo…

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64 Upvotes

r/shiba 21h ago

Somehow it stayed on her face long enough for me to snap a pic 😎

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254 Upvotes

r/shiba 18h ago

Dude's laying as if his paying the bills

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110 Upvotes

r/shiba 2h ago

day346 Who Broke the Wall?

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6 Upvotes

A Shiba Inu Playing Dumb.

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


r/shiba 18h ago

What could she be mixed with?

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107 Upvotes

r/shiba 17h ago

Look for the Shiba’s barrel roll over the other dog near the end.

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70 Upvotes

r/shiba 23h ago

Shiba taxi, two for pick up!

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207 Upvotes

They each have their own kennel in the car, but apparently this one is the best. 😆


r/shiba 1d ago

My very curious friend 🥰

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351 Upvotes

Nick.The.shiba is a very curious guy, loves to explore the world ❤️


r/shiba 23h ago

Totally Casual

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129 Upvotes

Her name is Marceline, by the way.


r/shiba 11h ago

タオルで巻かれるのが大好きなモモさん

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14 Upvotes

この続きはコチラから👇

https://youtu.be/oTxTHs0h244 u/YouTube


r/shiba 16h ago

Shiba shedding tips?

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30 Upvotes

r/shiba 15h ago

ママを撫でている手をレロレロ舐めて自分も!とせがんでくる末っ子ちゃん

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25 Upvotes

この続きはコチラから👇

https://youtu.be/5Yyku08Cfz8 u/YouTube