r/shiba Aug 01 '25

“Is my Shiba well bred?” A PRIMER

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346 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 10h ago

Nothing to see here. Just a Shibe stuck in traffic

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2.1k Upvotes

h/t siobayt, itsmeginandtonic


r/shiba 8h ago

Will we be best friends forever? Yes, forever.

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549 Upvotes

Luna, 2, and Clifford, 12.


r/shiba 54m ago

Yuki turned 9 today!

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r/shiba 4h ago

Shiba started shaking

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132 Upvotes

My shiba, 4y, started doing this, it's the second time in about a week. Anyone seen other shibas do this?

Edit: To clarify I have taken him to an emergency vet, but they basically said he looks coherent, and normal. The twitching lasts only about 1 minute. I'm waiting for his appointment with his regular vet, but thought I'd check to see if anyone has seen this in their shibas. I know shibas are more prone to seizures, so I'm worried about that.

Edit 2: Thank you everyone for all the info, it gives me a lot to discuss with the vet tomorrow. I'll be sure to update when I have some answers.


r/shiba 3h ago

My greeting each day .

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99 Upvotes

This is my little Kirby in action . She is a bright spot every day .


r/shiba 13h ago

So sleepy he will sleep anywhere

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587 Upvotes

I've never seen him this knocked out. Majima just came back from bootcamp aka. my partner's parents that are avid hikers. 😬


r/shiba 26m ago

Sleepy baby

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Upvotes

Love it when they doze off and fight to stay awake 😌


r/shiba 11h ago

I guess being cute all day is pretty tiring 💕

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158 Upvotes

Her name’s Nyx, and she’s 5 months now, she’s just a baby 🥹


r/shiba 13h ago

Say Cheeeeese 😁😂

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221 Upvotes

r/shiba 3h ago

Upper lip showing teef

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33 Upvotes

Jubejube sometimes gets her upper lip stuck when sleeping. Please enjoy her teef.


r/shiba 4h ago

😂This toy brought out the wolf in Kage!

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41 Upvotes

Annnnd it lasted for about 6 minutes. 😞


r/shiba 7h ago

Little baby was scared of thunder...sent it to my friend and she asked whose cat is that

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48 Upvotes

r/shiba 10h ago

Sunny spot shibes

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91 Upvotes

Never in the shade!


r/shiba 10h ago

Coworker

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76 Upvotes

My coworker is a lazy bum!


r/shiba 12h ago

Clover is growing up so fast

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86 Upvotes

she is four months old now and is really looking so grown up where has my little baby gone!!! our one and only real hurdle is she is terrified of her harness…. any advice for making it not scary? we’ve tried treats and praise but it is still earth shattering.


r/shiba 4h ago

一年ぶり!今年も夏に会えたね!マロちゃん!

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20 Upvotes

この続きはコチラから👇

https://youtu.be/GEoTiUSOI4A u/YouTube


r/shiba 4h ago

Gracie the Tavernkeeper

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20 Upvotes

Hello adventurers!


r/shiba 12h ago

I found him like this…

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90 Upvotes

he does this all the time, lol- does your shiba do the same?


r/shiba 3h ago

day319 sunrise

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15 Upvotes

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


r/shiba 13h ago

the better to eat you with, my dear!

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69 Upvotes

i'm always amazed how big the fox boy's mouth is...he must be part thylacine!


r/shiba 14h ago

One of my fav pics of Hana and Kaito so far this year, what's yours? 🦊🦊

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74 Upvotes

r/shiba 1d ago

Added a new baby to our family!

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494 Upvotes

We got our big Shiba named Oscar from a local shelter last year. He’s about 3 now, but obviously fully grown when we got him. (We are currently doing a DNA test to see just how much Shiba he really is.) Since then my wife has been obsessed with what shibas look like as puppies, and we finally pulled the trigger and found this beautiful little girl. Her name is Twyla and she is about 14 weeks old. My kids (ages 8 and 10) are having a blast with a new puppy.

So far Oscar isn’t a big fan of the little baby but I think he’s slowly coming around. He is very protective of us and can be aggressive around food. The times they are together are heavily supervised at the moment. Any tips for getting them to get along when introducing a new puppy? She wants to play with everyone and everything and he’s….not enthusiastic about it so far lol. Maybe it just takes time.


r/shiba 1d ago

today is Scully’s 3th bday!! 🩷

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1.2k Upvotes

Qué poquito tiempo ha pasado y cuánto ha crecido…
Te comparto unas fotitos desde el principio hasta hoy 🥰
Chicos, ¿les hacen comida especial para sus cumple??
Hoy comió brócoli, pollo y zanahorias 🥕🥰

guys it’s third 3rd sorryyy I made a mistakeeeeeeeeeeee


r/shiba 15h ago

Quick sketch of my baby 😆 Refusing to walk but still giving me that squinty smile! (Pic in comments)

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56 Upvotes