Page 276 - ShowSight - January 2020
P. 276

                  Non-Sporting Q & A
“I feel as a whole, the Shiba breed is finally moving away from the tiny statured, fuzzy coated, round eyed Shibas that look like little toys.
This is a smart, dry bodied rugged breed that would flourish without human assistance even to this day.”
 Leslie Anderson continued
I had two great mentors to start with and that mentorship was piv- otal in my success over the years.
My breed described in three words:
Kani: bravery and boldness combined with composure and mental strength
Ryosei: good nature with gentle disposition
Soboku: alertness with refined open spirit
(definitions taken from NSCA site www.shibas.org)
These are three traits bred for and desired in their home country
of Japan. Nihonken Hozonkai (NIPPO) is a preservation registry for the six national treasure in Japan. They are likened to Supreme Court Judges of the Shiba Inu breed. There is no higher authority on the breed and are considered experts as they only study those six breeds (Akita Inu, Hokkaido, Shikoku, Kai Ken, Kishu and the smallest breed, Shiba Inu.
These three traits are paramount for NIPPO to ensure the Shiba Inu stays true to their origins. So for Shiba Inu breeders we have an extra dynamic to include when making breeding selections.
How does my breed rank in popularity among other Non Sport- ing breeds? The Shiba Inu is a middle of the road breed among the Non-Sporting breeds. We are often referred to as the companion group but the Shiba has specific traits that make breeders be highly selective where they place their puppies. Shibas require a persistent- ly consistent owner who understands they mentally think they are a large breed trapped in a small package as well as thinking they are vastly wittier than their owner. Their beauty and size are very attractive to a broad spectrum of owners but this breed does best with experienced dog owners. First time owners can be successful but it requires a mentorship type of relationship with these types of owners.
Does my breed get its fair share of attention in the Group? I think with the vast improvement in temperament over the past years and the increased number of judges coming in, the Shiba is now starting to catch some eyes. I hope this trend continues as we move forward. The Shiba must compete against the flashiness of the Poodles and Bichon as well as the presence of the Bully breeds and other spitz type breeds, it can be hard to get noticed.
The biggest misconceptions is the Shiba Inu is simply a minia- ture Akita. The Shiba is vastly different from an Akita. The Shiba is a nimble, dry bodied breed with upward slanting eyes, a round muzzle and tight lipline. The Shiba is athletic and agile with a sporty body and a tuck up. The Akita is a warrior and the Shiba is not. They were a hunting breed but they flushed birds and other small game. Shiba would assist hunters one on one against game as large as wild boar. Shibas did not engage the boar in a fight but rather used its smarts, cunning and agility to occupy it until the hunter could make the kill. The Shiba and Akita are from the same country but are vastly different in almost all ways.
What can my parent club do to increase awareness and popular- ity of my breed? I think our breed is as popular as we can sustain. On a show front, I think our club has made some huge changes
to judge’s education material and have great people to mentor and perform seminars.
The largest health concern facing my breed today? I think the largest health concerns are allergies coming from the commercial and back yard breeding fronts. I think preservation breeders are routinely utilizing the companies offering genetic screening in addi- tion to already taking advantage of the CHIC program. I hope for the future we have access to early eye disease screening. That area could definitely use improvement for the Shiba breed.
Any trends I see in my breed that I believe need to continue or stopped? I love the trend of promoting “preservation breeding”. I feel as a whole, the Shiba breed is finally moving away from the tiny statured, fuzzy coated, round eyed Shibas that look like little toys. This is a smart, dry bodied rugged breed that would flourish without human assistance even to this day.
I owe everything to several breeders/mentors, it takes a village. But to pinpoint one who has been so helpful and a huge influence on my education, breeding and success is Yumi Hagiwara of Haouli Shiba. Yumi is a native of Japan and she brings that NIPPO eye to our breed. She spends endless hours educating breeders and judges if they are willing to listen. I cannot thank her enough for all she had done for me and others.
The biggest pitfall awaiting new and novice judges? I think the biggest pitfall is a preconceived notion about the temperament of the Shiba Inu. In the early days of acceptance into AKC our shibas were very primitive and could be difficult to hand and examine at times. I cannot stress enough how much all the breeders have worked to improve this part of the Shiba. Yes, they will never be like a Bichon but they have become amazing little living companions and we have changed those stereotypes.
The funniest thing I’ve ever seen at a dog show? On a personal note, in my “early years”, this novice entered her Shiba in a coming dog show. As the weekend approached, I groomed my dog, orga- nized my gear, packed my car and hit the road. All excited, I arrived at the hotel I had previously booked. On a side note, this was the first time I booked for my mentor and myself. Inside the hotel, I waited my turn and gave hotel clerk my name. He says, “I’m sorry but I have no reservation for you”.
I was instantly nervous and insisted I had a reservation. So, he looked again, and repeated, “I’m sorry but I have no reservation for you”.
I told him I was there for the dog show being held at the local fairgrounds up the street. He laughed and said, “let me look again.” He quickly smiled at me and exclaimed, “Oh...I do have a reserva- tion for you, next weekend!” Yep, I was a week early! I was so embar- rassed but laughingly said see you next week and quickly piled back in my car, turned towards home. I did confess to my mentor because it was too funny not to share.
Now here is the kicker—I did exactly the same thing, at the very same show, the following year, lol. But being a year wiser, I instantly recognized my error as I drove past the empty fair grounds, ugh, total novice.
 268 • ShowSight Magazine, January 2020








































































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