So Question. Much Answer. Wow. Quiz

Answer: Urajiro

Urajiro, which means 'underside white', is a type of colour marking found on shiba inus. In order to be shown at a dog show, the shiba inu must have the urajiro (which means white shiba inus are disqualified under American Kennel Club and Japanese Kennel Club rules, though not under British ones). On all coat colours, the urajiro should be on the sides of the muzzle, the underjaw, the throat, the chest, the insides of the legs and ears, and under the tail.

The colour distribution varies depending on the coat colour.

Answer: Hunting birds and small game

One of the possible meanings of 'shiba inu' is 'brushwood dog', because the shiba inu was originally bred to hunt birds and small game, such as rabbits, and flush (chase) them out of undergrowth. They were occasionally used to hunt boar as well. They originate from the mountainous areas of the Chūbu region, which encompasses nine prefectures in the middle of Honshu, Japan's main island.

As a result, they are capable of handling rocky or mountainous terrain. Nowadays, though, they're mainly bred as pets.

Answer: False

Although the first litter of American shiba inu puppies was born in 1979, the breed had been in the US for a couple of decades prior. The first documented shiba inu in the US was brought over in 1954 by a US military family. Meanwhile, across the pond, the UK welcomed its first shiba inu in 1985, and the breed first appeared at Crufts (dog show) in 1992.

Answer: True

Yes, shibas actually do do this. It's known as the 'shiba scream', and there are plenty of examples of screaming shiba inus on YouTube, though I'd advise you to turn the volume down as it's very shrill. A shiba inu might scream if it is having to undergo something that stresses it out, such as a vet visit or having its toenails clipped, but it may also scream with delight when its owner returns home.

This is thought to be a primitive trait (see also: howling huskies and the weird yodelling/'baroo' noise basenjis make).

Answer: It is genetically divergent from modern dog breeds, and has fewer mixed genes than other dogs.

Although shibas' tails do curl and they are considered to be intelligent dogs, that's not what basal means. A basal dog breed is, in the most basic terms, a dog breed which has closer genetic ties to ancient dogs - and wolves - than most modern dog breeds.

Other basal breeds include the dingo (the only non-domesticated dog on the list), basenji, New Guinea singing dog, shar pei, saluki, samoyed, chow chow, Alaskan malamute, Canaan dog, Finnish spitz, Siberian husky, Afghan hound, Eurasier (which is a crossbreed, but counts as it was created by crossing basal breeds), Canadian eskimo dog (ditto), and the shiba inu's fellow countrydog, the akita. If you're familiar with dogs, you might notice that many of these dogs have pointed ears, shaggy coats and/or wolfish appearances, and some of them - like the New Guinea singing dog, husky and basenji - have a tendency to howl rather than bark.

Answer: Blue

Shiba inus come in a variety of colours: red (the most common one), black and tan, sesame, and white or cream. 'Sesame' shibas have a red base coat with a certain percentage of black fur, similar to the shikoku's coat. Opinion is divided over whether red sesame and black sesame are valid shiba coat patterns; some shiba breeders argue that 'red sesame' is a tautology since all sesame coats have red in them.

Answer: World's oldest living dog

Pusuke, who was born in 1985, lived to a ripe old age of 26, while your average shiba inu's life expectancy is between 12 and 15 years. In 2008, he was hit by a car and vets speculated that he had little chances of surviving surgery, but he surpassed expectations and lived for another three years.

He died peacefully at home with his owner and her family, a few days short of his 27th birthday, after experiencing breathing problems and loss of appetite.

Answer: Mameshiba

During the Meiji Restoration, western dog breeds were imported into Japan and crossed with local shiba inus, and although efforts were made to breed pure shibas, they almost died out during the Second World War due to a combination of distemper and food shortages.

The three surviving bloodlines were used to get shiba numbers back up. Each bloodline had different characteristics. Shin Shu shibas came from Nagano and were small and red, with a thick undercoat. San'in shibas came from Shimane and Tottori, and were larger and often black in colour. Mino shibas came from the old province of Mino, now in present-day Gifu, and had thick ears and sickle tails, rather than the curled ones today's shibas have. (Mameshiba is a range of toys based on different kinds of legume, such as black beans or chickpeas, which have dog-like faces.)

Answer: They are very clean and dislike getting wet.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule - some cats do actually like water, for instance - but by and large, shiba inus are fastidious dogs and spend a lot of time grooming themselves. Trying to give one a bath may well result in the famous shiba scream, although this doesn't mean that they cannot be bathed at all; it is recommended to start bathing shibas early to get them used to it.

They also shed a lot, and bathing can help them to shed fur. (Shibas don't purr, but French bulldogs do!)

Answer: She cared for both her owner, who was trapped in his house, and her puppies during an earthquake.

Mari's story is a heartwarming one. When the Chūetsu earthquake struck Japan in 2004, an old man in the village of Yamakoshi became trapped in his house under a wardrobe. Mari, his pet dog, had given birth to three puppies and managed to get them to safety, and divided her time between caring for them and looking after her owner.

Although her owner managed to escape from under the wardrobe and was airlifted to safety, he had to leave the dogs behind. Amazingly, when he returned home two weeks later, he discovered that they had survived; Mari had become very thin, but her puppies remained healthy.