FAQ

🐾 Frequently asked questions about Jindo and Shiba 🐾

• Who is taller – Jindo or Shikoku?
  
  At first glance, both breeds are the same height, although Shikoku females are a little bit taller than Jindo females, according to the standards of both breeds;
  JINDO 

  Males: 50-55 cm

  Females: 45-50 cm
  SHIKOKU 

  Males: 49-55 cm

  Females: 46-52 cm
   
• Who is more stubborn? Jindo vs. Shiba
  
  Let’s start with the fact that both breeds ARE stubborn, or perhaps better term, independent.
  For me, the answer is very simple – SHIBA!

  Shiba has time, his opinion, his needs, his moods, his crayons and his world – and this is something we already know before adopting Shiba 

  Working with Jindo is much more enjoyable because these dogs are much more likely to work with humans. They learn more eagerly and faster – even if you think that the dog does not understand or is in a bad mood, he is watching and learning all the time. Best of all, if they learn something, they remember it, not pretend they don’t understand like Shiba.
  Jindos are very intelligent and intuitive dogs, but of course there are times when they would rather do something different.
   
• Is Shikoku the bigger Shiba?
  
  Practically Shiba and Shikoku are from the same family, so they have a lot in common, but they are absolutely not the same.
  Shiba Inus are small, active and slightly crazy dogs with a high opinion of themselves. We see many videos with funny faces or screaming as if someone was peeling them from the skin. Independent but funny dogs, right? They have different approaches to unfamiliar dogs, but often after a while they are able to stay with each other and even play. Most often, but not always(!), and I’m not talking about bringing a new dog home, but about walks, meetings, etc.

  Shikoku are different, a bit wilder, more dominant, very proud which can be seen in their movement and expression. At home, they are wonderful companion dogs, and they also have their own funny moments, but they are much more inaccessible to strangers than Shiba.
  Personally, I agree with the opinion that the Shikoku are closer to the most difficult of the Japanese breeds than the easiest. If someone disagrees with this, either he has found a very easy dog, or he likes living with a difficult dog without training but with excuses.
   
• Who is more willing to learn? Jindo vs. Shikoku
  
  This is another question for which the answer is obvious to me – JINDO.

  Not that Jindo is as meek as a lamb, but comparing the willingness to learn by Shikoku and Jindo, I think back to training with my Shikoku and the current training of almost 6 months old Jindo.
  I like working with Jindo much more, sometimes they have their opinions but they work more willingly and learn faster than Shikoku. As I mentioned in the previous answer, Shikoku is not the easiest breed in my opinion. Jindos are great for agility, various sports, and have even worked in the US police.
   
• Which breed is more noisy?
  
  Comparing the noisiness of that three breeds, I’ll start from the end.
  The quietest dogs in our house are definitely the Shikoku, they don’t bark for no reason and don’t make strange noises. Even when they are playing, they are quiet 
  I put Shiba in second place because, like Shikoku, they don’t bark for no reason (sometimes they don’t even care for the sound of the doorbell ), but when they play they make very funny and loud noises, some call it yodeling. For some it’s fun, for others it’s annoying 

  In the first place, which is the loudest breed, for me it’s the Jindo. All 3 dogs in our house are very alert and bark the most. Like the Shiba, they also make funny noises at times, especially when they yawn, go crazy at play, when they get excited, etc.

• Which breed is more dominant?
  
  When I look at my dogs, I immediately answer the Jindo. With this breed, the SSA (Same Sex Aggression) is the real thing. Better to assume right away that the male will not tolerate other males, or the female will not be friendly with other females, than lead to a tragedy later. These dogs are dominant and so is their nature. Of course, there are dogs who deny this, but I’m not going to colorize my responses.
  In terms of dominance, Shiba and Shikoku are a bit similar to each other, however, Shiba is a small dog that causes a lot of confusion and thinks he is as big as a Great Dane, but he finds himself perfectly in the pack. Males do not always tolerate other males, females do not always tolerate other females, but in my pack it is the Shiba who are the most tolerant of other dogs.
  Shikoku are much more proud, wilder in their nature and, like Shiba, are not fans of same-sex dogs. They are far from Jindo, but personally I think they are a bit more dominant than Shiba. From what I’ve noticed my male is picky but he doesn’t reject all males, but the other male has to be submissive.

  My males don’t get along together for their own safety. Females, apart from Jindo, still spend time playing together and are great at it – I hope it stays that way. Female Jindo loves to play with males and loves them all. It’s hard for me to say how these dogs behave in larger packs of the same breed, I can only guess from what I see in videos from other breeders, but my answers are based on my own dogs, and as you know, I don’t have such a large pack.
  There was also a question about DA (Dog’s Aggression), apart from SSA, I think that a well-socialized dog of any of these three breeds, where the breeder also selects dogs in terms of psyche, will not show aggression towards people, etc. These dogs are absolutely not and should not be aggressive, they can be aloof or wary of strangers, they may not like someone, but they cannot be aggressive.
   
• Which breed is more friendly with strangers?
  
  Among our dogs, the kindest to strangers are definitely Shiba, on the one hand loyal to their family, but on the other hand very open and friendly to most people. When someone visits us or stops during our walk, they are always happy to be in the center of attention, they like contact with people. However, after some time they want to move forward, and at home they can move away in “English style”, until suddenly someone notices that the dog is not next to him anymore.
  Shikoku are less affordable for strangers. They do not joyfully jump on every person they meet, but they remain calm, distant and a bit suspicious. They feel best in the company of ‘their’ people. Of course, it happens that when they meet a good person they don’t mind touch, but for the most part they respect their space. However, once they let you into their pack, you will stay in it.
  The Jindo is the most aloof to strangers  Although Bucky denies it, he is 6.5 months old at the moment and loves every person he meets and almost all animals – time will show how his character will change. His parents feel comfortable only in the company of their household members, they don’t like contact with strangers, they don’t want to be touched by strangers. However, just like with Shikoku, if they let you in once, you’ll stay in the pack forever. Though the ‘acceptance process’ takes much longer.
   
• Which breed is more loyal?
  
  Well, I tried to answer this question a while ago, but I’m not sure how to do it. In terms of loyalty, all of these breeds are very similar, very loyal and close to their family. I have decided that I will not write much about each breed in turn, but I will do a quick summary.
  I took into account the attachment to the family, to one person, trust in the owner, independence – stubbornness or behavior around strangers.
  My list of places looks like this:

   JINDO

   SHIKOKU

   SHIBA
  Or
   JINDO

   SHIKOKU & SHIBA
   
• Which breed has more hunting drive?
  All three breeds were originally bred for hunting small and larger game. They all have a hunting drive, more or less it depends on the individual, but they differ only slightly from each other.
  From what I have seen so far, Jindo has the greatest hunting drive. Next is Shikoku, and third is Shiba.
   JINDO
   SHIKOKU
   SHIBA
• Which breed is more active?
  In terms of activity, these breeds are quite similar to each other, especially the Shiba and the Shikoku. They like long walks, playing with other buddies and owners. However, among my dogs, I observe that Shiba is a bigger couch potato than Shikoku which don’t like to sit in a place for too long and are always eager to do something.
  And now it’s time for the greatest lover of activities and sports – Jindo! This is an ideal breed for people who like outdoor activities like jogging, cycling with a dog by your side (it requires training to be safe), or just long hikes. They are eager to learn, they are great for agility and other forms of canine sport.

• Which breed is cleaner?
  
   JINDO

   SHIBA

   SHIKOKU
  Without a doubt and long thinking, the cleanest is Jindo. Not only do they keep their fur clean, but they don’t like getting dirty or getting wet. “Accidents” at home are unheard of, and if one does happen there must be a problem such as a stomach problem (but before anything happens, they alarm very loudly).

  Our puppies forgot about peeing / pooping at home from the first time they went to the garden, with one exception – rain, that was their limit of cleanliness 
  Among our dogs, Shikoku is the least clean. They don’t mind being dirty, they learned cleanliness / potty training quite late, which is why they are ranked 3rd in this ranking.