Background:  Clean and catlike, the Shiba Inu is a tidy indoor dog, after appropriate outdoor exercise, of course.  Shibas are intelligent and trainable with a variety of exercises.  Repetition bores them.  Bred for hunting, Shibas have a strong prey drive, so interaction with small house pets is discouraged.  Shibas have a thick double coat which needs frequent brushing and sheds several times a year.