What is the breed of dog that appears on Twitter?
Elon Musk has changed the characteristic Twitter bird logo to a dog, which has people scratching their heads wondering why and what kind of dog is it?
The reaction of Twitter users to the change in the logo of the social network has been surprise, seeing the iconic logo of the company, the blue bird, disappear. In its place, there is now a dog. An aesthetic change that has generated a fair amount of debate.
One of the hypotheses that some users of the billionaire’s social network considered was the possibility that it was the same dog that represents the Dogecoin cryptocurrency. Others, instead, pointed to Floki, Elon Musk’s dog. The South African-come-American tycoon unveiled his dog on social networks at the end of 2021 with the following message. “Floki has arrived”.
The breed in question is Shiba Inu, of Japanese origin and characterized by its cinnamon or reddish hue, erect ears, thick fur, and upturned tail. It is a robust dog of medium height, similar in appearance to the Akita Inu, a Japanese breed that is taller than the Shiba. Despite the fact that the vast majority of these dogs have that color, there are also black or even white ones. Additionally, it is characterized by being one of the few ancient dog breeds that still exist in the world.
It is also one of the oldest dog breeds in the Japan, since its origin dates back to the 3rd century BC. It is a breed of dog that requires daily exercise and mental stimulation. Regarding its temperament, it stands out for being prone to shyness with strangers and is playful, especially during the early phase of its life. However, this shyness disappears depending on the education and socialization received when it is a puppy.
History of the Shiba Inu and curiosities
The meaning of the word Shiba, means “small bush”. To know the reason why it was given this name, you have to go back to the use that was made of these dogs in the Asian country, which was none other than the hunting of small animals that were hidden in the bushes. They are part of the group known as Spitz Dogs, that is, those that have two layers of hair.
The average life expectancy of a Shiba oscillates between 12 and 15 years, although the longest-lived of this breed lived in Japan and reached 26 years of age. The cooperation of hunters and the society of Japan prevented the extinction of this breed, which was about to disappear during World War II.