Inu means “dog” in Japanese. I’ve known that for years. Akita Inu, Shiba Inu, etc. What I didn’t know until my mini me and I started researching breeds was that an obsolete meaning of Shiba in Japanese is “small.”

When I mentioned to a friend of mine last summer that Shiba Inu means Small Dog, she found it quite funny that when someone asks me “what kind of dog is that?” my answer is “he’s a small dog.”

Now, whenever I answer the question, a strange “Who’s On First”-type script plays in my head, especially if the person asking is Japanese.

Well Meaning Stranger: What kind of dog is he?
Me: He’s a small dog.
WMS: He’s not so small!
Me: No, he’s not. He’s actually a little larger than the small dog standard. He’s 27 pounds.
WMS: There’s a small dog standard?
Me: Of course. He’s a pure bred small dog.
WMS: Oh! What breed of small dog is he?
Me: He’s a small dog.

Or, something like that anyway.