A while ago, I had to take care of my neighbor’s Corgi Shiba Inu mix for about a week, and by the end of the week, I had completely fallen in love with the cute little canine. If you are looking for an adorable, interesting, and intelligent pooch that will be perfect for your family, you should consider getting yourself the Corgi Shiba Inu mix.
What is the Corgi Shiba Inu Mix? A Corgi Shiba Inu mix is a hybrid dog that is a crossbreed between the stocky Welsh Corgi and the fox-like Japanese Shiba Inu. The Corgi Shiba Inu mix is sometimes referred to as a Shiba Corgi or a Corgi Inu.
Before bringing the Corgi Shiba Inu mix into your home, it is important to know all the essential information about this dog breed. In this article, we will cover all the crucial information about the Corgi Shiba Inu mix, including its appearance, its temperament, how to take care of the canine, some of its common health problems, and so on. Before that, however, let’s take a closer look at the Corgi Inu.
What Does A Corgi Shiba Inu Mix Look Like?
Appearance
The popularity of the Corgi Shiba Inu mix stems from their cute and attractive appearance. Due to its Shiba Inu heritage, the Shiba Corgi looks like a little fox, with a strong, pointed muzzle, intelligent and alert eyes, and pointed upright ears.
The Spitz ancestors from the Shiba Inu side of the family give the Corgi Inu a curved, fluffy tail. It also has relatively short and stout legs from its Corgi parent.
It’s good to note, however, that being a hybrid dog, the appearance of the Corgi Shiba Inu will sometimes vary a little.
Size And Weight
Before purchasing a dog, you definitely want to know its size in adulthood. So, how big does the Corgi Shiba Inu mix get?
Due to its Corgi genes, the Corgi Shiba Inu mix is a relatively small dog. An adult Corgi Inu stands at a height of about 10 – 15 inches tall, and weighs about 15 – 25 pounds. Male Corgi Inus are usually bigger and heavier than the females. The males are about 12 – 15 inches tall and weigh about 19 – 25 pounds, while the females are about 10 – 13 inches tall and weigh about 15 – 21 pounds.
Coat
The Corgi Shiba Inu mix has a thick, smooth, and silky double coat that makes them well suited for places with cold climates. Their coat comes in a wide variety of colors, such as ginger orange, sable brown, black, golden, or deep red. Usually, the Corgi Inu will have one of these colors against a white background.
Common Health Problems Of A Corgi Shiba Inu Mix
The Corgi Shiba Inu mix is a relatively healthy pooch. However, it will sometimes experience some health problems due to its Corgi genes. Some of the common health problems of the Corgi Shiba Inu mix include:
Hip And Elbow Dysplasia
This is a genetic disease from the Corgi side of the Corgi Inu that causes the hip or elbow bones to enlarge and slip out of the joint. Very often, this disease will go unnoticed.
Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD)
IVDD is a disease resulting from a bulging vertebral disk, a herniated disk, or a slipped disk, creating undue pressure on the spinal cord. This disease is common in Welsh Corgis and develops as your pooch becomes older. In extreme cases, the disease can result in paralysis.
Eye Problems
The Corgi Shiba Inu mix will sometimes experience various eye conditions, such as lens luxation, presence of cataracts, persistent pupillary membrane (PPM), and Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA).
Degenerative Myelopathy
This is another condition that affects the spinal cord and usually occurs in older dogs. Symptoms of the condition include loss of coordination, difficulty walking and moving, and in extreme cases, inability to stand.
Some other health problems that might affect the Corgi Shiba Inu mix include von Willebrand’s disease, glaucoma, epilepsy, and dry skin.
Lifespan Of A Corgi Shiba Inu Mix
With all these problems, you might be wondering, what is the lifespan of a Corgi Shiba Inu mix?
The Shiba Corgi typically has a lifespan of about 12 – 14 years.
How To Take Care Of A Corgi Shiba Inu Mix?
The Corgi Shiba Inu mix is quite a hardy dog and does not need a lot of specialized care. Still, there are some things you need to take into consideration in order to keep your furry friend healthy and comfortable.
Feeding Requirements
Since Corgi Shiba Inu mixes are relatively small doggies, they don’t require lots of food. Actually, you need to be careful not to overfeed them. That said, however, you also need to make sure that you are feeding them the right kind of food.
You should feed your Shiba Corgi with fresh food that contains a lot of protein content in order to ensure that its muscles remain strong and healthy. I would highly recommend feeding your pooch with Pet Plate.
Pet Plate provides freshly-prepared meals high in protein content and supplements each meal with immunity-boosting ingredients, such as salmon oil and taurine, to strengthen your pooch’s immune system.
You should also give your dear fido glucosamine supplements to ensure good bone strength. I recommend Doggie Dailies Glucosamine, which is the supplement brand I use on my own canines. Doggie Dailies Glucosamine is flavored with tasty peanut butter and provides vitamins that are vital for your doggie’s health and are good for countering IVDD.
Exercise Requirements
The Shiba Corgi is a very active and energetic little pooch, and therefore, it needs lots of exercise. Ideally, you should ensure that your Corgi Inu gets about an hour of exercise every day. Lack of adequate exercise can lead to obesity and increased aggression.
Does A Corgi Shiba Inu Mix Shed As Much As The Parents?
Shedding And Grooming
The Welsh Corgi and the Shiba Inu are both heavy shedders, and therefore, the Shiba Corgi is a heavy shedder as well. Therefore, you need to have a daily brushing schedule for your canine buddy. When it comes to brushing, you need a high-quality brush, such as the DakPets Pet Grooming Brush.
I love the fact that the DakPets Pet Grooming Brush is made from high-quality, non-irritation stainless steel, has a rubberized non-slip handle, and comes with a 100% money-back guarantee.
Bathing
Your Shiba Corgi should have a bath about once a month. Giving your pooch a bath too frequently can lead to dry and irritated skin. When giving your Corgi Inu a bath, you also need to ensure that you are using a mild shampoo that will not irritate their skin.
Other Grooming Tips
Like their Corgi parent, Shiba Corgi has short legs, so their belly usually gets dirty very often. To keep their belly clean and prevent your doggie from dirtying your chairs and carpet, you can use wipes to do light cleaning on their belly instead of bathing every other day.
When wiping my dog’s belly, I use SCOBUTY Pet Wipes, and I highly recommend them. These wipes are multifunctional and are good for removing any stains on your doggie’s coat, face, ears, or paws. They are also very soft and not sensitive to the skin.
Don’t forget to brush your furry friend’s teeth regularly, say about thrice a week, to avoid bad breath. You should also clean your dog’s ears frequently and clip their nails at least once a month.
Temperaments Of A Corgi Shiba Inu Mix
Highly Intelligent
Both the Corgi and the Shiba Inu are intelligent dogs, and therefore, the Corgi Shiba Inu mix is equally intelligent. This pooch is relatively easy to train and will easily understand your feelings and attitudes.
Due to their high level of intelligence, however, Corgi Shiba Inu mix gets bored quickly. This means that you will need to keep them constantly stimulated. When bored, they might start tearing at your furniture and chewing on your carpet in an attempt to amuse themselves.
Barking
Most people want to know how talkative a dog breed is before bringing it into their home. So, does the Corgi Shiba Inu mix bark a lot?
Corgis do bark a lot, while the Shiba Inus don’t bark a lot. Therefore, how vocal your Corgi Inu is will depend on the parent it takes after the most. If it takes after the Corgi parent, it will bark a lot, but if it takes after the Shiba Inu parent, it is more likely to be laid back.
Aggression
There is one question that is frequently asked by people interested in the Corgi Inu: are Corgi Shiba Inu mix aggressive?
The Corgi is a herding dog, while the Shiba Inu is a hunting dog. The combination of these two traits makes the Corgi Shiba Inu mix somewhat aggressive towards strangers and other pets it doesn’t know. They also tend to chase any running people or pets because they see them as animals that are trying to separate from the flock.
Despite their aggression towards strangers, Corgi Shiba Inu mix is also friendly and loyal to the owner and family members, especially if they were socialized from an early age.
Related Questions
How Much Does A Corgi Shiba Inu Mix Cost? A Corgi Shiba Inu mix puppy will cost you anywhere between $300 and $700. The cost will depend on where you purchase them, as well as the condition of the pup. Pups that have certifications to guarantee the absence of genetic diseases, as well as those that have been neutered, will typically cost you more.
Are Corgi Shiba Inu Mix Good With Babies? Yes, the Corgi Shiba Inu mix is a good family dog that relates well with babies, provided it has been properly trained and socialized. Your kids will also love how playful it is. However, the Corgi Shiba Inu mix may show aggression to people and kids with whom it is not familiar.
Do Corgi Shiba Inu Mix like to cuddle? No, Corgi Shiba Inu mixes do not like to cuddle. Despite their cute looks, Shiba Inus are independent hunting dogs who do not crave lots of attention and prodding. Therefore, it is highly likely that your Corgi Shiba Inu mix will not enjoy hugs and cuddles as much as you might have hoped.
