Credits, Use & Permissions
National Shiba Club of America - AKC Breed Standard Study Guide
Draft working edition with temporary images.
Image status
- All images are AI-generated placeholders made for layout, review, and member-submission planning.
- Replace with member-submitted photographs only after photographer and owner releases are signed.
- Public captions may remain anonymous.
- Use illustrations for fault examples whenever possible.
Submission release checklist
- Photographer release.
- Owner/breeder release.
- Internal dog ID and public-anonymous caption choice.
- Permission to crop, annotate, overlay lines, and use in print/PDF/web.
Source note
Text is summarized from the AKC Shiba Inu standard. Verify final wording before publication. NSCA site reference: shibas.org.
Faults, DQs & Presentation
Disqualifications
- Males over 16 1/2 inches or under 14 1/2 inches.
- Females over 15 1/2 inches or under 13 1/2 inches.
- Overshot or undershot bite.
Serious faults
- Five or more missing teeth.
- Long or woolly coat.
- Cream, white, pinto, or any other unspecified color/marking.
- Aggression toward handler/judge or overt shyness.
Placeholder images only.
THE SHIBA INU
AKC Breed Standard Study Guide
General appearance
- Smallest native Japanese breed; originally developed for hunting by sight and scent in mountainous Japan.
- Alert and agile with keen senses; compact frame with well-developed muscles.
- Males masculine without coarseness; females feminine without weakness.
- The official AKC standard controls.
Temporary AI-generated image - replace with licensed ideal example.
