WEBしば いぬ. Transcriptions. Romanization. shiba inu. The Shiba Inu ( 柴犬, Shiba Inu, Japanese: [ɕiba inɯ]) is a breed of hunting dog from Japan. A small-to-medium breed, it is the smallest of the six original breed of dogs native to Japan. [1] Its name literally translates to "brushwood dog", as it is used to flush game.