It is a well-proportioned small spitz-type dog, muscular and agile, with a strong constitution and fast movement ; the coat is medium and made up of two types of hair: the rough and straight outer coat, and the soft and very thick undercoat, subject to periodic moulting. The colors allowed by the standard are red, black and tan and sesame, red sesame and black sesame. The height varies from 36cm to 41cm for a weight between 9 and 13kg, depending on gender. The Shiba is a very healthy breed, but like all breeds it also suffers from some "typical pathologies" such as:
- Hip dysplasia
- Oculopathies
However, it is a very long-lived dog that can even reach 16-18 years of age.
The Shiba Inu has a strong personality, endowed with great decision-making capacity and independence, they are very intelligent dogs but not always inclined to put their intelligence at our disposal; despite their size, they are very active and energetic dogs. Famous for being very clean animals and with practically odorless fur, they need daily physical exercise and decisive but never coercive education.
In recent years, especially in the USA and Northern Europe, they have also been employed in sports disciplines such as agility, achieving good results.