American Eskimo Dog vs Shiba Inu

An American Eskimo Dog
Photo: Christmas w/a K
A Shiba Inu
Photo: Raita Futo from Tokyo, Japan

Side by side

American Eskimo Dog
Shiba Inu
Adult weight
2.7–16 kg (6–35 lb) (breed club figure)1
Males 8–11 kg (18–24 lb); females 7–9 kg (15–20 lb) (breed club figure)2
Height
Males 22.9–48.3 cm; females 22.9–48.3 cm3
Males 38–41 cm; females 35–38 cm (breed club figure)2
Lifespan
12–14 years4
Median 14.6 years5
Fully grown
10 months, both sexes6
Group
Non-sporting (AKC)
Spitz & primitive7
Coat
No sourced figure
Double coat7
Shedding
No sourced figure
Moults most as the seasons change
Grooming
No sourced figure
A brush once a week
Exercise
No sourced figure
A moderate amount
Class
Companion
Companion

Which suits you

Size
The American Eskimo Dog comes in a wide range of sizes, 2.7–16 kg (6–35 lb) as an adult, against 7–11 kg (15–24 lb) for the Shiba Inu.
Temperament
They differ most on independence (American Eskimo Dog: keen to work with you; Shiba Inu: decides for itself) and on affection (American Eskimo Dog: affectionate on its own terms; Shiba Inu: likes its own space).
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
Take the breed matcher

What they're like

American Eskimo Dog
Non-sporting · Small

True to its watchdog ancestry, the breed is alert and quick to raise the alarm, and it tends to be reserved with strangers.

Shiba Inu
Spitz & primitive · Small

In temperament the Shiba is alert, bold and independent, and reserved with strangers. It is fastidious and is often said to groom itself like a cat.

The American Eskimo Dog page →The Shiba Inu page →

Breed traits

Day to day
American Eskimo Dog
Shiba Inu
Activity
A good daily walk and play
A good daily walk and play
Intelligence
Differs
Needs daily brain work
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Differs
Needs steady training
Needs an experienced owner
With people
American Eskimo Dog
Shiba Inu
Affection
Differs
Affectionate on its own terms
Likes its own space
Loyalty
Differs
Sticks close to its people
Bonded to its family
Independence
Differs
Keen to work with you
Decides for itself
Around the home
American Eskimo Dog
Shiba Inu
Sensitivity
Average
Average
Voice
Differs
Very vocal
Barks to alert, then settles
Prey drive
Differs
Chases; needs managing
Likely to chase small pets
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour8. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home9,10.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes
Both grow to much the same adult weight, about 9.2 kg.
American Eskimo Dog
Shiba Inu
051015202m4m6m9m12m18m
051015202m3m4m6m9m12m18m

More comparisons

Compare the American Eskimo Dog with
Akita vs Shiba InuPembroke Welsh Corgi vs Shiba InuNorwegian Buhund vs Shiba InuAmerican Eskimo Dog vs Japanese SpitzAmerican Eskimo Dog vs SamoyedKishu Ken vs Shiba InuAll breed comparisons →

Sources

Parts of this page were written by AI ·