Best puppy food for a Shiba Inu
A Shiba Inu puppy needs a food built for a compact, muscular small-to-medium breed rather than one aimed at a giant breed's slower growth curve. The two things worth planning for from the start are portion discipline, since the breed is known for holding onto weight easily, and a food that supports the dense double coat they're famous for shedding twice a year.
A breed that gains weight easily
Shiba Inus are a compact, sturdy breed, and owners consistently report they hold onto weight more readily than their size suggests, especially once exercise drops off in adulthood. Getting portion habits right from puppyhood, measuring meals rather than free-feeding, and resisting a very food-motivated puppy's requests for more, sets up habits that matter for the rest of the dog's life.
A puppy formula sized for small-to-medium breeds, rather than a large or giant breed food, is generally the better starting point given the Shiba's adult size, which typically sits in the eight to eleven kilogram range.
That famous coat needs feeding too
The Shiba's dense double coat, with its heavy seasonal blow-outs, is partly a grooming job and partly a nutrition one - a food with a genuine source of omega fatty acids supports skin and coat condition, which matters more visibly on a breed whose coat is this much of the point.
It's also a breed some owners find prone to skin sensitivity, so a recipe with a clear, limited ingredient list is worth considering if you notice any scratching or coat dullness that doesn't settle.
An independent, sometimes particular eater
Shibas have a reputation for an independent, occasionally stubborn temperament that can extend to mealtimes - a puppy who turns their nose up at a food isn't necessarily unwell, but consistency in what and when you offer helps avoid a puppy learning that fussing gets something better.
Choose a puppy-specific food sized and formulated for a small-to-medium breed, introduce any change gradually over a week, and keep portions measured against the packet's guide and how the puppy is actually filling out.
What we stock for this breed
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Forthglade Cold Pressed Natural Turkey
Cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs from 2 months, soft enough to mix with water for young pups
£45.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Salmon
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for dogs, built on fresh and dried salmon
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Duck
Cold-pressed grain-free duck food with fruit and botanicals, in two bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Chicken
Cold-pressed grain-free chicken food with fruit and botanicals, in three bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Turkey
A lightly baked complete dry food, 50% turkey, for adult dogs of any breed
From£12.49
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Chicken
A grain-free complete dry food for adult dogs, lightly baked and built on 50% chicken
From£12.49
Forthglade Cold Pressed Small Dog Turkey
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for small dogs and puppies, built on turkey
£16.99
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Lamb
A lightly baked complete dry food, 50% lamb, for adult dogs of any breed
From£12.49
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Turkey
Grain-free cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs, gentle on sensitive stomachs
£69.69
Harringtons Puppy Turkey & Rice
Complete turkey puppy food with 30% protein and feeding bands by adult weight
£6.49
Harringtons Adult Dog Turkey Veg
Complete dry food for adult dogs with turkey, chicken and salmon oil, 21% protein
From£3.39
Harringtons Adult Dog Salmon & Potato
Complete salmon and potato dry dog food with 21% protein in a 1.7KG bag
£6.25
Common questions
- How much should I feed a Shiba Inu puppy?
- Follow the amount on your chosen food's packaging for your puppy's current weight and age as a starting point, then adjust based on body condition rather than sticking rigidly to the number. Because Shibas hold onto weight easily, it's worth erring toward the lower end of a range and watching how they look rather than assuming more is better.
- Is a Shiba Inu prone to food allergies?
- Some owners report skin sensitivity in the breed, though a genuine diagnosed food allergy is uncommon in any dog. If a Shiba is scratching persistently or has a dull, flaky coat that doesn't improve with a good-quality food, that's worth raising with your vet rather than working through diets alone.
- When should a Shiba Inu move onto adult food?
- Small-to-medium breeds like the Shiba typically move onto adult food somewhere around twelve months, once growth has largely levelled off, though this varies by individual dog. Your food's packaging and your vet are the better guide than a fixed date on a calendar.
- Do Shiba Inus need a grain-free diet?
- Not specifically because of the breed - there's no established link between Shibas and a need to avoid grains. Choosing grain-free or not is a separate decision from anything breed-specific, and either can work well provided the food is a complete, good-quality recipe suited to the puppy's life stage.
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Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.