It's hard to open up a laptop these days without running into the wildly popular and perplexingly hilarious Doge meme. Such style, many fashun, says text in multicolored comic sans over the image of a dignified, adorable looking fox-dog with an intelligent face. But is the Shiba Doge's ubiquity translating to increased interest from prospective pet owners? But that's not a bad thing. While the Doge meme might be relatively novel and still kind of funny, the Shiba Inu breed is very, very old — experts have dated the Shiba's DNA to the 3rd century BC. Although they're small, topping out at only 25 lbs, Shibas are strong, brave, fast, and very clever, an appealing combination for people who like to fancy themselves strong, brave, fast, and clever (I swear this isn't excerpted from my 2nd grade book report on DOGS). They're also very fastidious, sometimes grooming their front paws like a cat, and thanks to a low maintenance coat, don't need to be groomed or bathed very often. Not to go all pet-hipster on you guys but: I've been 100% convinced that I would someday adopt a Shiba Inu for years.

On my old block in Chicago, I'd always see a man walking his two Shiba dogs — one black and one fox colored — and imagine how perfect his dog-owning life must have been with his two matching, adorable, alert-looking dogs sleeping beside him on an area rug, curling up in matching caterpillar balls at the foot of his bed, waiting patiently for food in matching dishes. For some reason, in my imagination, he had trained them to ring a silver bell when they needed something. It was an elaborate asexual dog-related fantasy that formed over the course of the 5-plus years I lived in the same apartment, okay? I don't even remember what the guy looked like. I'd frequently visit Shiba Inu rescue organization websites during my free time, minimizing the window when my cat walked across my laptop like she can read and would be jealous of my looking at dogs. So when the Doge meme began taking over the internet and my brain and my roommate Hayley's and my text messages ("Many pipe, such flood," I texted her when she told me that a pipe had literally exploded in the second floor of our building.

So ocean," she texted me when I sent her a picture from my vacation.), I was pretty sure that interest in the dog I'd long ago become kinda infatuated with would translate to an increased interest in owning them. Sphynx Kittens For Sale CoCurious, I contacted the National Shiba Club of America for what I told them would be a light hearted story on the effect the meme was having on interest in the breed, and was invited to speak with a delightfully no-nonsense-almost-to-the-point-of-cranky breed advocate named Nancy Stines. Rubber Floor Tiles Atlanta GaI asked Stines if she'd seen an increase in interest in Shiba Inu puppies in recent months, and she responded that, in fact, there'd been a downtick in interest in Shiba puppies, and fewer litters were being born. Patio Homes For Sale Daphne Al

When I asked if this was bad for the breed, this is how Stines responded. We absolutely do not want people wanting Shibas because we think that the journalists are doing a disservice to the breed because I feel as though they're publicizing these dogs when, as we say, this is not the breed for most people. If you like a cat, they're a dog. There are cat people out there. If you want a dog that's a cat, yeah, okay. If you really want a challenge and you want to drive yourself crazy. If you want to spend thousands of dollars repairing the damage your puppy has done, then yeah, go ahead! There are lots of crazy people on the planet.Remember, Stines is a breed advocate. And when a breed advocate says "DO NOT GET THIS KIND OF DOG UNTIL YOU MEET ONE AND ARE SURE," it is probably a good idea to listen. Stiles added that the Shiba dog is best enjoyed from the comfort and safety of the other side of a computer screen, and made an oblique reference to "make believe games," which may or may not be a reference to Cowboy Bebop.

In other words: Many meme. Adopt a Shiba Inu Original function:hunting and flushing small game Average size of male:Ht: 14.5-16.5, Wt: 20-30 Average size of female:Ht: 13.5-15.5, Wt: 20-30 Other names:brushwood dog, Japanese small-size dog Shiba Inu Dogs Available on Petfinder Right Now Shiba Inu Dog Temperament Bold, independent and headstrong, the Shiba is brimming with self-confidence. He is lively outdoors, yet calm indoors, as long as he gets daily exercise. He may chase small animals. He is a hardy breed, ready for adventure. Some tend to be headstrong and domineering. He is territorial, alert and reserved with strangers, ingredients making for an excellent watchdog. He is quite vocal; some bark a lot. Shiba Inu Dog Care The Shiba needs a daily workout, either in the form of a vigorous game in the yard, a long walk or a good run in a safe area. He does best when allowed to divide his time between inside and out. His double coat needs brushing one or two times weekly, more when shedding.

Shiba Inu Dog Health Dogs Related to the Shiba Inu Interested in the history of the Shiba Inu dog breed? Native Japanese dogs are divided into six breeds. Of these, the smallest and probably most ancient is the Shiba Inu. In fact, one theory about the name Shiba is that it simply denotes small; however, it may also mean brushwood in reference to the brilliant red brushwood trees that so closely matched the breed's red coat and through which they hunted. These theories have resulted in the Shibas being nicknamed the 'little brushwood dog'. The origin of the Shiba is unclear; but is clearly of Spitz heritage and may have been used as early as 300 B.C. as a hunting dog in central Japan. Although they were used mostly to flush birds and small game, they were occasionally used to hunt wild boar. Three main types existed and each was named for its area of origin: the Shinshu Shiba (rom the Nagano Prefecture), the Mino Shiba (from the Gifu Prefecture), and the Sanin Shiba (from the northeast mainland).