The Shiba Inu Corgi Mix dog (also known as the Corgi Inu) is not a purebred dog, it’s a designer dog breed that comes to life after one purebred Corgi parent is crossbred with one purebred Shiba Inu parent.
So, whether you already have a Shiba Inu Corgi mix dog at home and are looking to learn more about it, its characteristics and temperament, or you’re looking to adopt/buy a Corgi Inu puppy, this article will let you in on some of the most important information you need to know about this designer breed in both cases.
Shiba Inu Corgi Mix Physical Appearance
When you run a quick comparison about the physical appearance of both the Corgi dog and the Shiba Inu dog both on their own, you’ll find that they look fairly similar.
Both Corgis and Shiba Inus have this fox-like look and add to that a very similar coat color, some people have quite a bit of difficulty telling them apart from one another.
Size, Height & Weight
As far as weight is concerned, Shiba Inus and Corgis are somewhat similar. On average, Shiba Inus weigh anywhere from 8 kg to 10 kg, while Corgis weigh a little bit more and stand at an average of anywhere from 14 kg to 17 kg.
And since the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, the Shiba Inu Corgi mix dog often tends to be somewhere in the middle of these two weight ranges, depending on which of its two parents it takes after more than the other parent.
As for their height, Corgis often stand at a height of anywhere between 25 cm to 30 cm in general, while Shiba Inus stand anywhere between 35 cm to 45 cm tall in general. Again, the Shiba Inu Corgi mix dog often stands somewhere in between, with 30 cm to 35 cm seeming to be the common norm.
Coat
As far as coat color is concerned, there’s not much of a difference in coat color between this cross breed’s parents, with the fiery red color being the most common coat color for both Corgis and Shiba Inus. So, it’s only normal for this crossbreed to have a fiery red colored coat itself as well.
Besides the fiery red color, this dog can come in a few other different colors (or mixes of different colors as well), with common ones being tan and white.
Corgi Shiba Inu Mix Temperament
Affection & Personality
Corgis are notorious for their great affection and goofy personality that just likes to fool around with anyone and everyone they come across, especially their owners, while Shiba Inus are known to be significantly less friendly and more serious dogs than Corgis.
Most of the time, this crossbreed tends to be somewhere in the middle and takes a little bit from both parents, meaning it’s not as playful, outgoing, and friendly as the Corgi is, but it’s also not as serious and “territorial” as the Shiba Inu is. This mixed breed falls somewhere in the middle.
Trainability
How easily trainable this crossbreed actually is going to depend on which of its two parents it takes up after in this department. Corgis are known to be much easier dogs to train than Shiba Inus, which on the other hand can prove to be quite a bit independent and stubborn, hence not listen to your commands or follow your instructions as much as you would like.
Even with Corgis, though, some of them often prove to be a bit “bossy” and stubborn as well, so it’s not always butterflies and rainbows with Corgis either.
So, it’s a 50/50 chance and is going to depend on the genetics of this crossbreed on a case by case basis.
High-quality breeders that follow an ethical protocol when doing business often try to breed for an easily trainable Shiba Inu Corgi mix, at least significantly easier than it is to train a purebred Shiba Inu.
But, just know that it doesn’t always work this way and these attempts aren’t always as successful as the breeder would have liked.
Exercise & Physical Activity
Because this dog often takes much of its exercise and physical activity needs from its Shiba Inu parent and seeing that the Shiba Inu dog is considered to be highly active and needs to get fairly high amounts of exercise on a daily basis, you will need to supply this dog with decent amounts of exercise on a daily basis as well.
On condition that you meet their daily exercise requirements for the day with outdoor activities, they may do well living with you in an indoor apartment because of their size.
However, it would be much more appropriate if you had a yard where they could get their exercise done for the day and could spend as much time as they want to there.
Watchdog Ability
Being the alert dogs they are to the environment around them and anything fishy going on and being two of the most intelligent dog breeds out there, both Shiba Inus are Corgi dogs make for very good watchdogs that you can trust to keep your household away from harm’s way.
For this reason, the crossbreed offspring of these two parents will also prove to be a good watchdog if this is what you’re looking for in a canine.
On one hand, you’ve got a dog that’s originally been bred to be a hunting dog (the Shiba Inu), and on the other hand, you’ve got a dog that’s originally been bred to be a herding dog, so you can’t really go wrong with this combination that brings alertness, leadership and initiative to the table.
Family Dog?
This mixed breed is known to be a very good family dog in general. Even if you have kids at home, the two sides are known to get along pretty well.
Ideally, though, this dog should be properly socialized from a young age to ensure that they get along very well with kids or other household pets you may have at home.
Shiba Corgi Mix Care
Grooming
If you’re looking for a low maintenance dog that won’t require you to have it groomed fairly often, then we’ve got a bit of bad news for you – this dog is not for you! Both this cross breed’s parents, the Corgi and the Shiba Inu dogs are fairly high maintenance dogs because they’re known to have coats that shed frequently.
So, you’ll likely need to brush this dog’s coat around once a day (or at least 4 to 5 times a week) to minimize the impact of their shedding, and so you don’t have to spend the majority of your time just cleaning after their hair that falls all over the place.
Health
As far as life expectancy is concerned, the Corgi often lives a life that lasts anywhere from 12 to 14 years, while the Shiba Inu lives a life that lasts anywhere from 12 to 15 years on average. So, and seeing that the average lifespan of these two parents is almost identical, you can expect this crossbreed to live a life that falls within this range of years as well.
There’s a fairly long list of common health problems that a Shiba Inu Corgi mix dog could suffer from during its lifetime, because of genetics it inherits from either its Corgi parent or Shiba Inu parent.
Keep in mind though this does not mean your Shiba Inu Corgi mix will definitely suffer from any of these health problems throughout their lifetime, it just means that there’s a higher risk they will suffer from any of these problems during their lifetimes because of their genetics.
Some Shiba Inu Corgi mix dogs do experience some of these problems during their lifetimes, while others lead a perfectly healthy life while not experiencing any of these problems.
Part of it is a game of chance that only time will reveal, while the other part of it is heavily related to how this crossbreed was bred, whether ethical practices were followed and how honest/dishonest the breeder you’re buying from is with you about the information regarding the Shiba Inu Corgi puppy you’re buying from them.
A big part of this is also going to depend on which of the two parents your Shiba Inu Corgi mix takes up after more than the other, because of the fact that Shiba Inus tend to be fairly healthier dogs than Corgis and tend to experience a significantly less amount of health problems than Corgis.
