Shiba Inu vs Shikoku dog vs Kai Ken – Which one is a better dog breed for you?

"Find similarities and differences between Shiba Inu vs Shikoku dog vs Kai Ken" Compare Shiba Inu and Shikoku dog. Which is better: Shiba Inu or Shikoku dog or Kai Ken?

General Appearance Hair & Care Characteristics Good With Health Factors Reproducibility Show differences only

Name	Shiba Inu	Shikoku dog	Kai Ken
Origins	Japan	Japan	Japan
All Dog Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Companion Dogs	Companion Dogs	Hunting Dogs
Popularity Rank	45	210	494
Reviews	1	0	0
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Other Names	Brushwood Dog, Japanese Small-Size Dog, Japanese Shiba Inu, Shiba Ken, Shiba	Shikoku dog, Kochi-ken, Mikawa Inu, Japanese Wolfdog	Tora Inu, Tiger Dog
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred	Purebred
AKC Group	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1992 as a Non-Sporting breed.	Not recognized by the American Kennel Club.	Not recognized by the American Kennel Club.
FCI Group	Recognized by FCI in the Spitz and primitive types group, in the Asian Spitz and related breeds section.	Not recognized by FCI.	Recognized by FCI in the Spitz and primitive types group, in the Asian Spitz and related breeds section.
Breed Recognition	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club	No set	America's Pet Registry Dog Registry of America Inc. Foundation Stock Service North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc.
Price	$800-$1000	$500-$800	$1400-$1600

General Appearance - Shiba Inu vs Shikoku dog vs Kai Ken

Size	Medium	Large Medium	Medium
Weight	Male: 18-25 pounds (8-11 kg), Female: 15-20 pounds (6.8-9 kg)	Male: 35-50 pounds (16-23 kg), Female: 30-45 pounds (14-20 kg)	Male: 44-53 pounds (20–24 kg), Female: 35-44 pounds (16-20 kg)
Avg. Weight	Male: 21.5 pounds (9.5 kg), Female: 17.5 pounds (6.8.5 kg)	Male: 42.5 pounds (19.5 kg), Female: 37.5 pounds (17 kg)	Male: 48.5 pounds (22 kg), Female: 42 pounds (19 kg)
Height	Male: 14-16 inches (36-41 cm), Female: 13-15 inches (33-38 cm)	Male: 18-20 inches (46-51 cm), Female: 17-19 inches (43-48 cm)	Male: 20-22 inches (51-56 cm), Female: 18-20 inches (46-51 cm)
Avg. Height	Male: 15 inches (38.5 cm), Female: 14 inches (35.5 cm)	Male: 19 inches (48.5 cm), Female: 18 inches (45.5 cm)	Male: 21 inches (53.5 cm), Female: 18.5 inches (47.5 cm)

Hair & Care - Shiba Inu vs Shikoku dog vs Kai Ken

Coat	Dense	Soft	Double Thick Soft Dense
Colors	Tan Red Cream Sesame Black	Black Black & Tan Cream	Black Red Black & Red Brindle
Grooming	Easy to groom: The Shiba Inu doesn't require a lot of grooming.	Easy to groom: The Shikoku dog doesn't require a lot of grooming.	Easy to groom: The Kai Ken doesn't require a lot of grooming.
Shedding Level	Shiba Inus shed above average.	Shikoku dogs shed moderately.	Kai Kens shed moderately.

Characteristics - Shiba Inu vs Shikoku dog vs Kai Ken

Temperament	Alert Confident Fearless Going Charming Faithful Keen	Agile Cautious Intelligent Brave Energetic Loyal	Loyal Alert Reserved Agile Intelligent Brave
Intelligent Rank	Average: Shiba Inu's has average obedience intelligence.	Average: Shikoku dog's has average obedience intelligence.	Very smart: Kai Ken is an excellent dog breed.
Trainability	Shiba Inus aren't famous for their trainability.	Shikoku dogs are quite easy to train.	Kai Kens are very easy to train.
Playfulness	Shiba Inus, like any other dog breed, like playing.	Shikoku dogs, like any other dog breed, like playing.	The Kai Ken is a highly playful breed.
Sensitivity Level	Shiba Inus have an average emotional level and are not the most sensitive dog breed.	They are a little bit more sensitive than other dog breeds.	Kai Kens don't like an irregular daily routine, noisy household and frequent guest visits.
Affection Level	Shiba Inus are highly affectionate dogs.	Shikoku dogs are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.	Kai Kens are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.
Social Needs	Shiba Inus need for social interaction is average.	Shikoku dogs are a social breed.	Kai Kens are a social breed.
Barking	Low to Average: The Shiba Inu rarely barks.	Low to Average: The Shikoku dog rarely barks.	Average to high: The Kai Ken is a vocal breed.
Watchdog Ability	Shiba Inus are good watchdogs.	Shikoku dogs are average watchdogs.	Kai Kens are one of the best watchdogs.
Territorial	Shiba Inus are extremely protective guard dogs.	Shikoku dogs strongly protect their territory.	Kai Kens strongly protect their territory.
Biting Potential	Low The Shiba Inu has a low chance of biting somebody.	Low The Shikoku dog has a low chance of biting somebody.	Low The Kai Ken has a low chance of biting somebody.
Mouthiness	Shiba Inus have a higher than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Shikoku dogs have an average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Kai Kens have a higher than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.
Impulse to Wander or Roam	Wanderlust potential of the Shiba Inu is strong enough to escape from home.	Shikoku dogs have average wanderlust potential.	Wanderlust potential of the Kai Ken is strong enough to escape from home.
Prey Drive	Shiba Inus have an average prey drive, which means that they don't have a high impulse to chase and catch something like a cat or any other small aminals, but it might happen.	Shikoku dogs have an average prey drive, which means that they don't have a high impulse to chase and catch something like a cat or any other small aminals, but it might happen.	Kai Kens have a high impulse to chase and catch something.
Apartment Friendly	Shiba Inus are very apartment-friendly dogs.	Shikoku dogs are not the best choice for an apartment lifestyle, but they don't mind being inside if you walk them several times every day.	Kai Kens are not the best choice for an apartment lifestyle, but they don't mind being inside if you walk them several times every day.
Adaptability	Shiba Inus adapt well to lifestyle changes and different living environments.	Shikoku dogs adapt to lifestyle changes and different living environments quite okay usually.	Kai Kens adapt well to lifestyle changes and different living environments.
Tolerates Being Left Alone	Just like every puppy, they are prone to panic, cry, bark, whine when they left alone by their owner.	Shikoku dogs do best when a family member is at home during the day or if their workplace is dog-friendly so they can take the dog at work.	Kai Kens do best when a family member is at home during the day or if their workplace is dog-friendly so they can take the dog at work.
Fighting Dog	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.

Good With - Shiba Inu vs Shikoku dog vs Kai Ken

Stranger Friendly	Shiba Inus are not the most stranger friendly dogs.	Shikoku dogs are average friendly towards strangers.	Kai Kens are not the most stranger friendly dogs.
Child Friendly	Shiba Inus are average friendly dogs towards children.	Shikoku dogs are average friendly dogs towards children.	Kai Kens are very kid-friendly dogs.
Cat Friendly	Shiba Inus are not the most cat-friendly dogs.	Shikoku dogs are average friendly towards cats.	Kai Kens are cat-friendly dogs.
Dog Friendly	Shiba Inus are average friendly towards other dogs.	Shikoku dogs are average friendly towards other dogs.	Kai Kens are dog-friendly dogs.
Office Friendly	No Shiba Inu is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Shikoku dog is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Kai Ken is not the best dog breed for office environment.
Senior Citizens Friendly	Shiba Inus are commonly okay with elderly people.	Shikoku dogs are commonly okay with elderly people.	Kai Kens are one of the best breeds for elderly people.
Pet Friendly	Shiba Inus usually don’t get on well with other pets.	Shikoku dogs are generally with other pets.	Kai Kens are usually friendly towards other pets.
Good For First Time Owners	No Shiba Inus are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	No Shikoku dogs are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	No Kai Kens are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.
Service Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.
Therapy Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.
Detection Dog or Sniffer Dog	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.
Search and Rescue Dog (SAR)	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.
Boat Dog	Not really Shiba Inu breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Not really Shikoku dog breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Not really Kai Ken breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.
Cart Pulling or Drafting Dog	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.

Health Factors - Shiba Inu vs Shikoku dog vs Kai Ken

Health Issues	The Shiba Inu is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.	Shikoku dogs tend to have more and frequent health issues than other breeds.	Kai Kens are commonly healthy dogs.
Health Problems	Allergies Cancer Chylothorax Epilepsy Glaucoma Hip Dysplasia Hypothyroidism Patellar Luxation Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) Spinning	No set	No set
Life Expectancy	12-15 years	10-12 years	12-16 years
Calculate dog years to human years by breed here
Hypoallergenic	No	No	No
Energy Level	Shiba Inus have a higher energy level than other dog breeds.	Shikoku dogs have an average energy level, so if you live a semi-active life, this breed can be a good choice for you.	Kai Kens have an average energy level, so if you live a semi-active life, this breed can be a good choice for you.
Exercise Need	Shiba Inus have an average exercise need.	Shikoku dogs have an average exercise need.	Kai Kens have an average exercise need.
Sleeping Need	Shiba Inus are quite energetic dogs and they don't spend to much time with sleeping.	Shikoku dogs sleep 12-14 hours a day as an average dog and they're not considered as a lazy breed.	Kai Kens sleep 12-14 hours a day as an average dog and they're not considered as a lazy breed.
Avg. daily food consumption	Recommended daily amount: 1/2 to 1.5 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.	1.5 to 2.5 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.	1.5 to 2.5 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.
Weight Gain Potential	Low to Average.	Average.	Average.
Weather & Climate	Prefers average to cold weather conditions The Shiba Inu can adapt to well to cold weather conditions, some dogs even can be a good mountain dog.	Tolerates warm and cold weather.	Prefers average to cold weather conditions The Kai Ken can adapt to well to cold weather conditions, some dogs even can be a good mountain dog.
Stinkiness	Medium The Shiba Inu has an average chance of bad smell.	Medium The Shikoku dog has an average chance of bad smell.	Medium The Kai Ken has an average chance of bad smell.
Drooling tendency	The Shiba Inu is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.	The Shikoku dog drools quite a lot, so if you dislike being covered by slobber spots on your clothes, you may want to choose another dog breed.	The Kai Ken drools quite a lot, so if you dislike being covered by slobber spots on your clothes, you may want to choose another dog breed.

Reproducibility - Shiba Inu vs Shikoku dog vs Kai Ken

Gestation Length	60-64 days	60-64 days	60-64 days
How often can the have a litter?	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.
Litter Size	2-4 puppies	4-6 puppies	2-4 puppies
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