AtomicBono said:
We haven't found a breeder yet...I've been looking in the classifieds to see if anyone is selling shiba pups, but they're not the most common breed. I suppose I could search online for one. is there a way to make sure breeders are good and aren't running a puppy mill or anything twisted like that? also breeders are so expensive...i dunno if we can afford to buy a dog more than $500 what with all the other expenses in owning a dog...I don't care about it being totally purebred, really, I just want some sort of shiba-ish dog.
Check out my journal post. I just recently went off the hook ranting about irresponsible breeding. Honestly, any breeder that posts in classifieds is NOT an ethical breeder. Good breeders don't advertise like that and will screen potential buyers so they can match you with the right puppy based on what personality you are looking for. Unfortunately with dog breeding these days, breeders are either good or bad, there's really no gray area. Even breeders who mean well and are unintentionally ignorant are constantly flooding the gene pool with badly bred dogs.
Shibas are rare, but there are definitely dogs (even other Japaneses breeds) that are a LOT more rare here, so you should be able to find one at some point.
Here is the breed club:
http://www.shibas.org/
They should have a breeder directory of reputable breeders who have signed the club's code of ethics.
For any dog that is from a reputable breeder, bred of championed parents with proper health certs and an official pedigree, I would expect to pay $500-$1500. This will literally save you thousands in costs that can accumulate because a poorly bred dog has genetic health defects or a terrible temperament and needs a professional behaviorist. If you cannot afford a well bred Shiba, I'd consider looking into the Shiba rescue instead. Generally, you will find better quality of dogs through a breed's rescue than you will get from bad breeders who sell their dogs at pet stores and in classified ads.
Shibas can be difficult dogs because they were not intended to be house pets, so they require a lot of commitment. They are quite independent, high strung, escape artists. Training is more difficult because they are more "wild" and stubborn than something like a German Shepherd or a Lab. They were bred to hunt, not necessarily be companions. They will make a fine companion as long as they receive the right training. This is the same for all the Japanese breeds, though the dog aggression, prey drive, and dominance tends to escalate with their size (like Jindos and Akitas). The Shiba will be more manageable because of it's size, but size cannot be an excuse to ignore or reinforce bad behaviors (I see this way to often with small dogs).
I looked at this briefly, but it looks like a valuable article to consider:
http://www.shibas.org/newstand/doggie.html
Good luck! If you need more help, I'd join forum.dog.com. There is one girl there who has a really great Shiba and is starting research so that she can someday breed Japanese breeds. She'd be able to help you more since I am less familiar with Japanese breeds.
If you really like the look of a husky, but want a small dog, consider and Alaskan Klee Kai, a miniature version of the Alaskan Husky (similar to a Siberian Husky):
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/alaskankleekai.htm