Shiba Inu and Akitas have a resemblance to each other. They share height and coloring along with many other traits and characteristics. The Shiba Inu has a long history dating back more than a thousand years. This exhibits the prominent trait of strong independence as well as high intellect.



Of course this isn't indicative of disloyalty. It is quite the opposite. A Shiba Inu may be more loyal than other dogs. The problem is that it is difficult to earn their loyalty. You must be firm in saying "No" to the Shiba Inu. They do respond to positive reinforcement but they still need to know who their leader is, much like an Akita.

Unlike an Akita, The Shiba Inu breeders grow dogs smaller in stature, growing up to 14 to 17 inches from the floor to its shoulder. Its weight will be around 23 lbs. for adults.

Another breed with roots in ancient Japan is the Akita. Throughout the dog breeds in the world, the Akita is among the oldest, according to genetics. These are the second oldest breeds in Japan, the oldest being the Shiba Inu.

The Akita has a long and eventful history. Having gone through multiple wars, it was, at one point, nearing extinction. It was originally bred for hunting purposes where it was used to hunt down deer, Black bear and other animals. This is how they became so ferocious.

Before the First World War they were even used by samurais in dog fights to maintain their bloodlust at a time when there was no fighting. In time this ceased because of the fact that the emperor banned dog fighting in Japan because he wanted to stop animal cruelty.

In the post-war era, many dogs, including the Akita breed, were murdered in great numbers just to manufacture coats. The conquering Americans used their German Shepherds to breed with the remaining Akitas.

A few pure bred Akitas survived this decade.After this decade the love affair with Akitas was renewed and now they are considered national monuments in Japan.

Akita breeders’ dogs are known to have an undesirable temperament and reputation of hard headedness. Without serious and constantly reinforced training, the Akita breed is known to become violent and destructive. This accentuates how important early training is. Training should occur while the Akitas are still pups. This is where a responsible Akita breeder can do wonders for their dogs. If you are considering buying one of these dogs, keep in mind that it is imperative that you be able to give them the time and attention that they require.

An Akita is very loyal to its family and would do anything to protect its territory. The Akita's loyalty is such that once it has bonded with its owner family it will go to great lengths, even to the point of sacrificing itself to protect someone with whom it has bonded.

Both the Shiba Inu and Akita breeds are great dogs. Shiba Inu and Akita breeders must be certain that the dogs will be well cared for no matter where they are adopted.