Comparison: Kai and Shiba Inu

Kai and Shiba Inu are marked as similar in our database. The table compares only the data we have on the breeds.

Kai — Photo: Plopperdeplop1, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

	Kai	Shiba Inu
FCI group	5. Spitz and primitive types	5. Spitz and primitive types
Country of origin	Japan	Japan
Category	Medium	Small
Height at withers	–	35–41 cm
Weight	–	8–11 kg
Life span	–	12–15 years
Recognition features	Medium-sized dog with a typical brindle coat (black, red or plain brindle) Triangular pricked ears and a strongly curled or sickle tail Puppies may be solid and turn brindle as they grow	Spitz type, red, black-and-tan or sesame colouring Tightly curled tail, foxy face 35-41 cm tall
Coat	Harsh straight outer coat and soft dense undercoat; black brindle, red brindle or brindle.	Stiff outer coat and soft undercoat; red, sesame, black-and-tan.
Purpose	Japanese boar and deer hunter from the mountains of Yamanashi; keen, alert and pack-minded.	The smallest Japanese native breed, bred to hunt small game and birds in mountainous terrain.

Breed page: Kai · Breed page: Shiba Inu

Learn to recognise this breed and many more

In the Dogtice quiz you practise breeds on photos and see the differences between look-alike breeds.

Try the demo quizComing soon to Google Play

The information is indicative. Texts are based on available sources and may contain inaccuracies; for binding details (e.g. for breeding or shows) use the official breed standard.