The Akita and the Shiba Inu share a similar heritage and body shape. But the Akita, a member of the Working Group, and the Shiba Inu, a member of the Non-Sporting Group, are distinct. Each breed has physical traits and personalities all its own.

An Akita and a Shiba Inu are different types of dog. Although they are both native Japanese dogs, they’re different breeds. Shiba Inu are similar in appearance to Akita but much smaller in size compared to Japan’s “natural guardians”.

The Shiba Inu’s history goes back over 9,000 years. Both this pup and the Akita share a common ancestor, the Jomonjin dog. That means you’ll see a lot of similarities between the two. The differences lie in size and the role they served for people. The appearance between the two has a distinctive curled tail and short, pointy ears.