Norwegian Buhund vs Shiba Inu

A Norwegian Buhund
Photo: Svenska Mässan from Sweden
A Shiba Inu
Photo: Raita Futo from Tokyo, Japan

Side by side

Norwegian Buhund
Shiba Inu
Adult weight
Males 14–18 kg (31–40 lb); females 12–16 kg (26–35 lb)1
Males 8–11 kg (18–24 lb); females 7–9 kg (15–20 lb) (breed club figure)2
Height
Males 43–47 cm; females 41–45 cm1
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 & primitive1
Spitz & primitive5
Coat
Double coat1
Double coat5
Shedding
Moults most as the seasons change
Grooming
A brush once a week
Exercise
A moderate amount
Class
Sport
Companion

Which suits you

Size
The Norwegian Buhund is much larger: about 15 kg (33 lb) as an adult, against 8.8 kg (19 lb) for the Shiba Inu.
Temperament
They differ most on affection (Norwegian Buhund: affectionate on its own terms; Shiba Inu: likes its own space) and on independence (Norwegian Buhund: cooperative, with its own ideas; Shiba Inu: decides for itself).
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

Norwegian Buhund
Spitz & primitive · Medium

Buhunds are alert, energetic and quick to learn, with a strong urge to work and a ready voice. They are generally friendly and form close bonds with their household.

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 Norwegian Buhund page →The Shiba Inu page →

Breed traits

Day to day
Norwegian Buhund
Shiba Inu
Activity
Differs
Needs lots of exercise
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
Norwegian Buhund
Shiba Inu
Affection
Differs
Affectionate on its own terms
Likes its own space
Loyalty
Bonded to its family
Bonded to its family
Independence
Differs
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Decides for itself
Around the home
Norwegian Buhund
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 behaviour6. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home7,8.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes
The Norwegian Buhund grows to the heavier adult, about 15 kg against the Shiba Inu's 9 kg.
Norwegian Buhund
Shiba Inu
051015202m4m6m9m12m18m
051015202m3m4m6m9m12m18m

More comparisons

Compare the Norwegian Buhund with
Akita vs Shiba InuPembroke Welsh Corgi vs Shiba InuIcelandic Sheepdog vs Norwegian BuhundKishu Ken vs Shiba InuFinnish Spitz vs Norwegian BuhundAkita vs Norwegian BuhundAll breed comparisons →

Sources

Parts of this page were written by AI ·