Shibos

The Shibos is a designer breed and does not have a long or well-documented history.  Given the vast difference between the two parent breeds, the Shiba Inu and the Boston Terrier, some may wonder at a crossbreeding program.  The respective parents have significant differences in physical appearances and dispositions.  These differences make it difficult to accurately predict how the Shibos will develop but owners that wish to understand the potential future of their Shibos may review both parents to gain more insight. The Shiba Inu is the slightest of the native Japanese dog.  The breed is not well-documented, but given its ancient bloodlines to the Asian Spitz family of dogs, many believe the Shiba Inu is an equally ancient dog.  Even the origin of the Shiba Inu's name is unclear.  Some believe it refers to the stature of the breed as small as Shiba is archaic Japanese for small.  The modern-day word now means brushwood and may also be where the Shiba Inu draws its name; either from its hunting grounds in the brushwood or the red color of the foliage in autumn.  The Shiba Inu lived and thrived in Japan for several centuries before being threatened with extinction during World War II.  Bombing raids, disease, and lack of food significantly reduced the population, but by 1954, the Shiba Inu had come back strong and was also imported to America.  The Shiba Inu's popularity remained low for its first two decades in the United States but great steadily beginning in the 1970s.  Today, the Shiba Inu enjoys moderately high popularity and was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1993. The Boston Terrier is a much younger breed than the Shiba Inu, and despite its name, the Boston Terrier is not a Terrier at all.  The Boston Terrier is related to the Mastiff family and developed in America during the 1800s though the origins are not so clear.  Many believe the Boston Terrier was a crossbred Bulldog and now extinct English Terrier that was bred against French Bulldogs to achieve the modern-day look of the Boston Terrier.  Some believe the dog was intended as a new pit fighter, but the Boston Terrier soon captured the hearts of men and assumed the companion nickname, the "Gentleman."   The name of Boston Terrier was later assigned to the breed as the dog had previously been known as the Round Head or the Boston Bulldog.  However, Bulldog fanciers in the United States strongly objected to the association with the Bulldog and eventually, the Boston Terrier was selected as the name to pay homage to the region where the breed developed.  The Boston Terrier is one of only ten American-made dogs that are recognized by the American Kennel Club, and this breed has the distinction of being the first American breed recognized in 1983.  Today, the Boston Terrier ranks high in its popularity, a position it has held for decades.