|Introduction: Shiba Inu
| The Shiba Inu is a breed of dog bred from ancient times and one of the
six Japanese native breeds of dog designated as natural treasures of Japan,
including Akita Inu,Kai Inu, Kishu Inu, Shikoku Inu and Hokkaido Inu.|
the Japanese word for dog. There are various views on the origin of the prefix
The word shiba usually refers to brushwood. Shiba might have been
named because the dog was used for hunting, moving through the brushwood,or
because the reddish-brown color of the Shiba Inu is similar to that of
brushwood leaves, or because in old Japanese the word shiba means "small",
therefore this might be a reference to the small size of the dog.
Tracing the history of Shiba Inu, it is thought that Shiba Inus inhabited in many parts of Japan from the Jomon Period over 10,000 years ago.
The above fact has been proved by the bones of dogs discovered from the
ancient ruins in various parts of Japan, and it clearly shows that Shiba
Inus have been so much loved by people since the Jomon Period.
We can easily imagine Shiba Inus which, from ancient
times until now, have run quickly in the fields and mountainous areas, have
accompanied their owners with joy in hunting, have been good watchdogs as a
member of the family, and have been loved and taken good care of by most people.
|What is Jomon Shiba Inu
| With the change of the times from the Jomon Period with its hunting culture
to Yayoi Period with its farming culture, and through thousands of years
up to the modern age, there have been significant changes in the Japanese
dogs: Various non-native species of dogs have been brought from other countries,
and cross breeding of dogs had been widespread in Japan. To prevent such
a trend, Japanese scholars and leaders stood up and tackled the task of
preserving the Japanese dogs. In the early Showa Period (in 1937), Shiba
Inu was designated as a natural treasure of Japan, and since then the dog
has been positively protected.
|| Jomon Shiba Inu is so named, because the cranial bones of dogs found
in the ruins of the Jomon Period closely resemble those of dogs held by
our Shiba Inu Research Center.
At present, the Shiba Inus, which are sold by many breeders at pet-shops, are those Shiba Inus bred as toy dogs. On the other hand, the Shiba Inus kept at our Research Center have been fostered as a different breed from such Shiba Inus.
|Activities of the Jomon Shiba Inu Research Center|
| We are the circle of people sharing the same interest with the following
(1) We study how people and dogs should be through the life with Shiba Inus,and foster the Jomon Shiba Inus as "a species".
(2) Through the life with dogs, we think about our life and the natural environment to make them pleasant and good to live.