Though both Akita Inus and Shiba Inus originated in Japan, and people do notice the similarity between them, there are ...

Much like its cousin, the Akita, the Shiba Inu was bred as a Japanese hunting dog. ... That’s not to say the Shiba Inu is the only dog breed with genetic health risks. Far from it!

Shiba Inu dog size. ... The Akita is a large breed that comes from the original Japanese native dogs. The medium-sized dogs are the Kishu, Hokkaido, Shikoki, and Kai.

Shiba Prom is an all-volunteer organization based in Chicago that has raised more than $100,000 to support Shiba Inu dogs rescued from unfavorable situations since 2012.