Rehoming · Northern California
Match a Shiba. Or rehome yours.
Adopt a Shiba who needs a new home, or rehome your own. Either way, we do the matching work.
Breed truth
A Shiba is not for everyone.
This is the section we wish every prospective Shiba owner read before falling in love with the face. Take it seriously. We do.
Shibas are stubborn. Independent. Bred to hunt small game in the mountains of Japan, which is to say they have a strong prey drive and a brain that prefers their own ideas to yours. They will escape if you leave a door cracked. They will bolt after a squirrel if their recall is anything less than excellent. They are not a dog you let off-leash in an open field unless you have done the work.
They need 2 to 4 hours of real engagement every day. Not 2 to 4 hours of yard time. Real walks, real training, real interaction. A Shiba left alone with too much time and not enough stimulation becomes a Shiba who chews drywall, vocalizes for hours, or quietly figures out how to dig under your fence.
They are not a beginner dog. They are not a dog you can leave outside. They are not a dog you can ignore. They form deep bonds with their family and do not do well as a peripheral pet.
Recall is hard. House-training takes longer than most breeds. They shed twice a year in dramatic fashion. They are vocal, opinionated, and often hilarious. They are also one of the most loyal, expressive, and gratifying breeds you will ever meet, if you do the work.
If any of the above is a deal-breaker, please save yourself and a Shiba years of mismatch and choose a different breed. We will tell you the same thing in our intake call. We would rather you go elsewhere than place a Shiba into a home where everyone, dog and human, ends up unhappy.
If you still want one, keep reading.
Many Shibas benefit from training before or after adoption. See our behavior-modification programs →
For adopting families
How adoption works.
Six steps from first message to the day your Shiba comes home. The process is careful because the matches are.
01Shiba Match Form
Fill out the form on this page. We will reach out to schedule a phone chat, the first step on your waitlist journey.
02Casual phone chat
A 15-minute call with you and your family. No pressure. We get to know you, you ask us anything.
03Approved? Join the waitlist
Optional $200 deposit secures your spot on the Priority Waitlist, first pick when Shibas are available.
04Meet your pup
Video or in-person visit. We send full details ahead of time, age, gender, color, personality, photos, parent info.
05Bring them home
Final pickup meeting, all paperwork, and our Homecoming Guide for a happy first week.
06Stay in touch
We love updates. Lifetime adopter support included, so you have us for the long haul.
Breed truth
We will tell you a Shiba is wrong for you if it is. Saving you from the wrong dog is part of the work, and Shiba returns hurt the dog more than the awkward conversation hurts your pride. Every adoption we walk away from is one less Shiba bouncing back to a shelter in eighteen months.
Stubborn. Independent. High prey drive. Will escape if given the chance. Needs two to four hours of real engagement every day. If any of that reads as a deal-breaker, please come back when it doesn't. We will still be here.
What we look for
What makes a good Shiba home.
We are not looking for perfect. We are looking for honest, prepared, and committed.
Whole-household yes
Every person who lives in the home is a yes on the dog. If one partner is on the fence or one adult child opposed, this is not the right time.
Time and energy
2 to 4 hours of real engagement every day, for life. A Shiba needs walks, training, mental work, and family time, not just a yard.
Indoor family dog
Shibas live inside, near their people. Not outside in a kennel or alone in a backyard. They bond hard and need to be with the family.
Patience for the breed
Shibas are stubborn and slow to house-train. If you need a dog who is easy and eager to please out of the box, a Shiba is not it.
Strict on purpose
Who we will not adopt to.
Strict is the proof of a real screening process. We do not adopt to:
- Households that don't actually want a dog. If everyone in the home isn't a yes, we're a no.
- Schedules that can't accommodate a Shiba. A Shiba needs 2 to 4 hours of attention and exercise daily, every day, for life. If your schedule can't fit that, this is not the breed for you right now.
- Families that can't commit to a decent life for the dog. Stable food, vet care, training, exercise, time inside the home. If any of these are uncertain, please come back when they're not.
About the adoption fee
The adoption fee is non-refundable except in cases where NorCal Shiba determines a placement is not appropriate before transfer of the dog. Final payment is in person at the meeting where the Adoption Agreement is signed. See Payment Policy.
Honest pricing
Rehoming fees.
Transparent, all-in. The fee covers everything it takes to bring each Shiba home safely.
Typical rehoming fee
$2,300 to $2,950
The exact fee depends on what it took to bring each Shiba home: original placement cost, foster care, vet bills, transport, time in care. We tell you the number upfront and explain how we got there.
Your fee covers:
- Vet checks, vaccinations, and de-worming
- Microchipping and 1-year health guarantee
- Foster home food, supplies, and care
- Transportation, including out-of-state pulls
- Placement work and lifetime adopter support
Generous gifts from our community help families bring pups home.
How the community helps →
If the fee is a stretch but you would be a wonderful family, reach out. Community gifts often help us close the gap so the right Shiba goes to the right home.
About the health guarantee
We share what we know about each dog's health to the best of our knowledge at the time of placement. We do not guarantee future health, future behavior, or future temperament. Dogs are individuals. We strongly recommend pet insurance.
Behavior support after adoption
Our lifetime support includes referral to our Behavioral Evaluation service ($199 virtual or $349 in-person) if a behavior challenge shows up in year one or later.
Health guarantee
Every Shiba arrives healthy, and stays guaranteed.
Every Shiba comes with a full vet check, current vaccinations, a de-worming schedule, microchip, and our written guarantee covering life-threatening congenital or genetic defects for 12 months from birth. If a covered defect is diagnosed in that window, we work with you on a replacement or a refund, your choice. Full guarantee terms are provided with your adoption paperwork.
Vet checkedFull exam before pickup
VaccinationsUp to date on schedule
De-wormedOn a regular schedule
MicrochippedFor lifetime ID
No genetic defects1-year written guarantee
Lifetime adviceWe are here for the long haul
For current Shiba owners
Need to rehome your Shiba?
We know this is not an easy decision. Whatever brought you here, a move, allergies, a baby, lifestyle changes, or your Shiba simply needing more than you can give right now, you are doing the right thing by looking for a careful, loving placement. Here is how we work with you.
What we need from you
To match your Shiba with the right family, we need a complete picture. The more honest detail you give us, the better the match.
- Full story of your pupAge, source, how long you have had them, why you are rehoming, daily routine, training history, and the kind of home they would thrive in.
- Personality and quirksEnergy level, temperament with kids, strangers, other pets, separation anxiety, food drive, favorite toys, fears or triggers. The whole truth.
- Recent photos and short videosSeveral recent photos and 1 or 2 short videos of your Shiba in everyday life so we can share an accurate picture with families.
- Full vet check and health scanA current vet exam plus a full health scan (vaccines, parasites, dental, weight, any chronic conditions, spay/neuter status). We can recommend partner vets if needed.
- Records and paperworkVaccination records, microchip info, medical history, registration papers if applicable, and any training certificates you have.
Our rehome process
Most rehomings take 3 to 4 weeks from first conversation to handover. We would rather move carefully and place your Shiba right than rush.
1Initial consultation
15-minute call to hear your situation and answer your questions. No pressure, no obligation.Day 1 to 2
2Submit pup details
You send us the full story, photos, videos, and any records you have. We send a simple intake form to make this easy.Week 1
3Vet check and health scan
Current full exam from your vet or one we recommend. We will not list your pup until we have a clear health picture.Week 1 to 2
4We find the right family
We screen our waitlist for the best fit, lifestyle, experience, family makeup, energy. We never rush this step.Week 2 to 3
5Meet and greet
Approved family meets your Shiba in person when possible. You have full input on whether they are the right fit.Week 3
6Handover and paperwork
Final handover with signed contract, transfer of records, microchip update, and our Homecoming Guide for the new family.Week 3 to 4
Surrender questions
What current owners ask us.
What does it cost me to rehome with you?
There is no fee for you to surrender your Shiba to NorCal Shiba. You are responsible for the vet check and health scan, and any current expenses while your pup is still with you. The new family pays the rehoming fee, which covers our care, foster, and placement work.
Will my Shiba live with you during the process?
In most cases, your Shiba stays with you until the right family is approved. That is least disruptive for the pup. If your situation requires immediate placement, we will discuss foster options on the consult.
Can you take a Shiba with health or behavior issues?
Yes. For Shibas who need extra love, training, or rehabilitation, we have a specialty placements program that gives them more time before being matched with a family. Be fully open with us so we can plan properly. We never list a pup whose history we do not fully understand.
What if you cannot find a family in 3 to 4 weeks?
The 3 to 4 week range is typical, not a deadline. Some pups match in a week. Others take longer because the right family is worth waiting for. We stay in touch throughout and never list before we are ready.
Final terms for adoption, surrender, boarding, training, and the Lifetime Placement Promise are in the written agreements signed in person. If anything here conflicts with a signed agreement, the signed agreement controls.
How we place
No live listings. A waitlist for the right family.
We do not publish a live "adoptable dogs" page and we never will. The right placement is a matching problem, not a shopping problem, and public listings pressure everyone (us, the family, the dog) into first-willing instead of best-fit.
The Priority Waitlist
Instead of a listing, we work waitlist-first. A $200 refundable deposit reserves your spot on the Priority Waitlist. When a Shiba comes into care whose temperament matches your household, we reach out to you before anyone else with the full bio, history, and behavior notes.
How it works, honestly:
- Apply. Complete the Shiba Match Form below. Approved applicants are invited onto the Priority Waitlist.
- Deposit. $200 secures your spot. Fully refundable if we never find you a match. Fully credited toward your adoption fee if we do.
- First-come, first-serve within fit. When a Shiba is ready for placement, we match temperament fit first, waitlist position second. Top of the list but the dog is not right for your household? We wait for the next dog. That is a feature, not a bug.
- Realistic wait: three to nine months, depending on how specific your preferences are (age, color, energy level, kid-compatibility).
- Anti-scam note: the deposit is arranged after your application is approved and only through the methods on our payments page. We never DM or text you a payment link, ever.
You can follow @norcalshiba on Instagram to see dogs in care and placements as they happen. Instagram is a window, not a shopping surface. Applications and waitlist status route only through the form below.
Alumni
A few of our happy Shibas.
Click through to follow our alumni on Instagram and see how they are doing in their new homes.
What adopters and surrenderers say
From the families who trusted us.
★★★★★
"If you want a rescue that sugarcoats things, look elsewhere. NorCal Shiba told us flat out that our rescue Shiba was independent, had high prey drive, and would take months to settle. Eric and the team didn't just dump a dog on us; they matched us perfectly based on our lifestyle. He's our absolute world now, but we appreciated the brutal honesty upfront."
★★★★★
"Rehoming my Shiba due to a sudden cross-country move was the hardest thing I've ever done, but NorCal Shiba handled the situation with zero judgment. They are a rescue-first operation and vetted the new family meticulously to ensure it was a perfect fit. I still get updates from his new home. They are a lifesaver."
★★★★★
"I applied to adopt through NorCal Shiba and really respected their vetting process. They aren't a breeder and they aren't running a volume rescue operation. They focus entirely on matching the right dog to the right home. They made sure I understood the stubborn nature of the breed before finalizing anything."
★★★★★
"It's rare to find an organization so deeply committed to Shiba welfare in Northern California. Eric and the small foster network do incredible work taking in surrenders and rehabilitating them before placement. They operate privately, but every dollar they bring in from boarding and training clearly goes right back into saving these dogs."
★★★★★
"I really appreciate how transparent norcalshiba.com is. They explicitly state they are not breeders and that Shibas are independent, prey-driven, and not for everyone. It shows they care more about putting dogs in permanent, prepared homes than making a quick placement."
Want to talk to a real past adopter or surrenderer? Email norcalshiba@gmail.com and we will connect you with someone who has been through this with us.
Before you apply
Submitting an application does not guarantee placement. We review every application at our sole discretion and may decline without stating a reason. We turn down more applications than we approve because Shibas in the wrong home become surrenders within 18 months.
By submitting this application you certify the information is true and complete, you authorize us to contact your references, and you understand that every adult in your household will need to sign a Household Acknowledgment before the application moves forward. Read the full process at /adopt-process/.
By submitting this application you certify the information is true and complete, you authorize us to contact your references, and you understand that every adult in your household will need to sign a Household Acknowledgment before the application moves forward. Read the full process at /adopt-process/.
Get in touch
Start the conversation.
Tell us what is going on and we will be in touch within one business day, usually much sooner.