Shiba Inu

An animal of the order Carnivora and family Canidae in the class Mammalia. A breed of domestic dog, a small dog native to Japan. When the Japanese Dog Preservation Society was founded in 1928 (Showa 3), a survey was conducted in which native dogs were classified into large, medium, and small dogs based on their physique, and the standard for the Shiba Inu was created as a small Japanese dog. The Agency for Cultural Affairs has designated native domestic animals as natural monuments and is conducting a preservation campaign, and the Shiba Inu was designated as a natural monument in 1936. Formerly known as a small Japanese dog, the dog breed organization now refers to it as the Shiba Inu.

It is thought that Japanese dogs came from the north or the south. The Shiba Inu belongs to the southern group and is thought to have come from the southeast, and is considered to be close to the Pariah dog. The New Guinea Singing Dog, which currently lives wild in the mountains of New Guinea, is very similar to the Shiba Inu in terms of coat color, body shape, and build.

There are different strains in various regions such as Chubu, Hokuriku, Nagano, Sanin, and Shikoku, and they were named after the place of origin such as Mino Shiba, Echigo Shiba, Shinshu Shiba, and Sanin Shiba, but Shinshu Shiba became the mainstream during the period of improvement and popularization after World War II, and regional differences between strains are no longer seen. The origin of the name Shiba-inu is said to be because its coat color resembles that of a Shiba, or because it runs through Shiba. Although small, it is bold in nature, agile in movement, and has a strong constitution. Due to its reasonable size and ease of handling, it has gained a remarkable number of enthusiasts, and has made its way to Northern Europe and the United States, where its performance is highly regarded. Height is 35.5 to 41.5 centimeters. Coat colors include red, sesame, black and tan, and white.

[Mitsuko Masui]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

哺乳(ほにゅう)綱食肉目イヌ科の動物。家畜イヌの1品種で、日本在来の小形犬。1928年（昭和3）の日本犬保存会設立時に、在来犬を体格別に大形、中形、小形犬に分類し調査が実施されたが、柴犬は小形日本犬として標準がつくられた。文化庁は在来家畜を天然記念物に指定し、保存運動を行っているが、柴犬は1936年に天然記念物に指定された。以前は小形日本犬と称されていたが、現在は柴犬として犬種団体も呼称している。

　日本犬の渡来については、北方から渡来したものや、南方から渡来したものなどが考えられている。柴犬は南方系に属し、東南方面などから渡来したものとみられ、パリア犬に近いものと思われる。現在ニューギニア島の山地に野生するニューギニアシンギングドッグなどは、毛色、体形、体格などがきわめて柴犬に似る。

　中部、北陸、長野、山陰、四国などの各地方にそれぞれ系統があり、美濃(みの)柴、越後(えちご)柴、信州柴、山陰柴などと産地の名称をとってよばれたが、第二次世界大戦後の改良普及期に信州柴が主力を占め、系統別の地域差はみられなくなった。柴犬の語源については、毛色が柴に似ているからとか、柴をくぐって駆けるからとかいわれている。小さくとも性質は剛胆、動作は俊敏で、体質は強健である。手ごろな大きさと扱いやすさのため、著しく愛好者を増やし、北欧やアメリカ合衆国にも進出し、その性能を高く評価されている。体高35.5～41.5センチメートル。毛色は赤、胡麻(ごま)、ブラックエンドタン、白などである。

［増井光子］

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