Welcome to SunoJo Shiba Inu

We are a small in-home preservation breeder dedicated to the protection and continuation of the Shiba Inu breed. Purebred dogs evolved to perform specific functions and each breed has a unique history. The preservation breeder honours this history by maintaining the qualities that make breeds recognizable, able to perform its purpose and iconic in appearance and character. Not to change the look, function, or temperament; or create something new.

Established for over 40 years with the Canadian Kennel Club (SunoJo permanent registered), we have built a reputation of quality, commitment, and caring. We are located on Vancouver Island in beautiful BC, Canada.

We have numerous Champions in Canada, US and overseas, including Grand Champions, Specialty winners, Best in Specialty, and Best In Show. Our dogs and their relatives have been in the Top 5 Shiba Inu in Canada every year since recognition. While our breedings are planned to produce dogs competitive in the show ring, not all are show dogs. We are just as proud of our Shibas living as companions that are beautiful examples of the breed, with superb temperaments. Our goal has always been, and continues to be, to produce Shiba Inu of traditional Japanese type, with excellent temperament and health, whether for the show ring or home.

Do you have the time, energy and patience this breed requires? If you are away 10+ hours a day, live in a highrise, and have never owned a dog before, a Shiba is not the breed for you. If you find it difficult to say NO and don't like to set boundaries, a Shiba is not for you. 

The only way to guarantee a dog is purebred is if it is REGISTERED with an official kennel club.
Genetic health: it is not possible to 100% guarantee a dog won't have some health issue, but if the parents have been screened and selected for sound structure and health, the odds dramatically increase. Shiba Inu breeding stock should be certified with OFA for hips, patellas and eyes. 
Breed Type: the reason to buy a purebred is predictability of size, shape, and to a certain extent, temperament. Along with that is the breeder's commitment to protecting the heritage of that breed, which encompasses its historical form and function. There is a reason why any breed looks like it does, and a well bred Shiba is a total package of beauty, elegance, strength, agility, intelligence. The Breed Standard describes what the breed should be, and while you may not be wanting a show dog, you obviously want a dog that is a good example of its breed, in both looks and temperament.
Temperament: a puppy's temperament is influenced by genetics and environment. Parents should be available for you to assess. Shiba puppies not raised in-home with lots of human contact can be quite feral and more difficult to live with. 
There are disreputable producers of poor quality puppies in terrible conditions; there are also brokers who purchase puppies in bulk, and represent themselves as the breeders. These puppies are actually born in puppy mills, domestic and foreign. There are online puppy mills, fairly easy to identify (multiple breeds, mixes, cute photo sets). There are rescues that import dogs, with compelling stories of neglect designed to generate as much income as possible (referred to as 'retail rescue'). And there are the scams where there is no puppy at all - send a deposit and never hear from them again.

It is fairly easy to check out any of the above - simply Google their names. Don't send money anywhere until you are 100% sure you are dealing with reputable people. Ask questions, ask for photos/videos of parents of puppies. 

Remember, the reputable breeders will be checking you out too!