Kishu Ken vs Shiba Inu

A Kishu Ken
Photo: Canarian
A Shiba Inu
Photo: Raita Futo from Tokyo, Japan

Side by side

Kishu Ken
Shiba Inu
Adult weight
Males 17–23 kg (37–51 lb); females 15–18 kg (33–40 lb) (registry figure)1
Males 8–11 kg (18–24 lb); females 7–9 kg (15–20 lb) (breed club figure)2
Height
No sourced figure
Males 38–41 cm; females 35–38 cm (breed club figure)2
Lifespan
No sourced figure
Median 14.6 years3
Fully grown
11 months, both sexes4
10 months, both sexes4
Group
Spitz & primitive5
Spitz & primitive6
Coat
Double coat5
Double coat6
Shedding
Moults most as the seasons change
Grooming
A brush once a week
Exercise
A moderate amount
Class
Companion
Companion

Which suits you

Size
The Kishu Ken is much larger: about 18 kg (40 lb) as an adult, against 8.8 kg (19 lb) for the Shiba Inu.
Temperament
They differ most on loyalty (Kishu Ken: sticks close to its people; Shiba Inu: bonded to its family) and on voice (Kishu Ken: quiet; Shiba Inu: barks to alert, then settles).
Alike
Both are rated the same on affection: 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

Kishu Ken
Spitz & primitive · Medium

In temperament the Kishu Ken is dignified, loyal and alert, generally calm at home and 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 Kishu Ken page →The Shiba Inu page →

Breed traits

Day to day
Kishu Ken
Shiba Inu
Activity
A good daily walk and play
A good daily walk and play
Intelligence
Learns readily, likes games
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Needs an experienced owner
Needs an experienced owner
With people
Kishu Ken
Shiba Inu
Affection
Likes its own space
Likes its own space
Loyalty
Differs
Sticks close to its people
Bonded to its family
Independence
Decides for itself
Decides for itself
Around the home
Kishu Ken
Shiba Inu
Sensitivity
Average
Average
Voice
Differs
Quiet
Barks to alert, then settles
Prey drive
Likely to chase small pets
Likely to chase small pets
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour7. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home8,9.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes
The Kishu Ken grows to the heavier adult, about 19 kg against the Shiba Inu's 9 kg.
Kishu Ken
Shiba Inu
01020302m4m6m9m12m18m
01020302m3m4m6m9m12m18m

More comparisons

Compare the Kishu Ken with
Akita vs Shiba InuPembroke Welsh Corgi vs Shiba InuNorwegian Buhund vs Shiba InuCanaan Dog vs Shiba InuChow Chow vs Shiba InuFinnish Spitz vs Shiba InuAll breed comparisons →

Sources

Parts of this page were written by AI ·