No Puppies Currently Available
Looking for Shiba Inu puppies in Australia? Yokiko Shiba Inu is a small, home-based Shiba Inu breeder in Melbourne, Victoria, specialising in carefully planned, pedigree Shiba Inu puppies. Our most recent litter has been placed with their families, and we do not currently have puppies available.
Our next planned breeding is expected in late 2026, with puppies likely ready for approved homes in early 2027 if everything goes to plan. We match each puppy to a family based on temperament and household fit, not application order.
Apply to join our waitlistWelcome to Yokiko Shiba Inu
Yokiko Shiba Inu is a small, home-based Shiba Inu breeding program in Melbourne, Victoria, dedicated to preserving the health, temperament, and traditional qualities of the Japanese Shiba Inu. We raise a limited number of puppies in our home, with a focus on responsible breeding, early socialisation, and matching each puppy to the right family.
Whether you are searching for Shiba Inu puppies in Melbourne, Shiba Inu puppies in Victoria, or an ethical Shiba Inu breeder in Australia, our goal is to help you make an informed decision before joining our waitlist. This page explains our upcoming litter plans, what each puppy goes home with, how interstate collection works, and how we approach puppy placement.
Upcoming Litter Timeline
Planned breeding
Late 2026
Puppies born
Approx. 63 days after mating
Ready for homes
Early 2027
This timeline depends on a successful mating and a healthy pregnancy, so dates may shift. Families on our waitlist receive updates as our breeding plans progress, including planned matings, pregnancy updates, litter news, and expected collection dates.
How Our Waitlist Works
We do not operate on a simple first-come, first-served basis. When a litter is born, we spend the first eight weeks observing each puppy's temperament, confidence, energy level, and behaviour. From there, we match each puppy with the family whose lifestyle and household best suits that puppy. This approach takes longer than queue-based booking, but it helps us place Shiba Inu puppies into homes where they can thrive for life.
Typical wait time
Most families on our waitlist wait between 6 and 18 months from the date they apply to the date they bring a puppy home. The exact wait depends on our breeding schedule, litter size, and how well a puppy suits your home. Because our Shiba Inu litters are planned well in advance, joining the waitlist is the best way to be considered for a future Yokiko puppy.
Joining is no-obligation
Submitting an application does not commit you to taking a puppy, and we do not ask for a deposit until a specific puppy has been matched to your family. If your circumstances change before that happens, you can step off the waitlist with no penalty. We would rather know than have you take a puppy you are no longer ready for.
Order does not determine outcome
Because we match puppies to families based on temperament and lifestyle fit, application order does not automatically determine placement. We are upfront about this because a good match matters more than simply being first in a queue.
What Each Yokiko Puppy Goes Home With
Every Yokiko puppy is raised in our home and leaves with the records, support, and practical guidance a new owner needs for a confident transition into family life. Responsible breeding does not end when a puppy goes home, which is why we provide documentation, ongoing breeder support, and breed-specific advice for Yokiko puppy families.
- Pedigree registration through the MDBA, with documentation provided at pickup
- Health-tested parents: hip scoring, eye certification, and DNA screening. Results available to approved families on request
- Age-appropriate vaccination records, with documentation for your vet to continue
- Microchipped and registered to you before collection, as required by Victorian law
- Veterinary health check before going home
- Worming and parasite prevention, documented
- Puppy starter pack: current food, a familiar scent blanket, and a feeding and care guide for the first 30 days
- Written agreement outlining what is covered, what is not, and the records provided at pickup
- Ongoing support for Yokiko puppy families: settling in, feeding, crate training, grooming, and breed-specific questions
Parent health testing details are covered further in our Shiba Inu Health Testing guide. For full details of how our application and selection process works, see Our Process.
Interstate and Collection
We are based in Melbourne, Victoria, and local collection is preferred wherever possible. This gives approved families the chance to meet our dogs, see where their puppy has been raised, and ask final questions before heading home.
Victoria
Local collection from our Melbourne home is included at no extra cost.
Interstate homes
Interstate homes are considered for approved families across Australia. Availability, cost, and timing depend on the puppy's age and health, the destination, transport provider availability, and any state requirements.
Where transport is arranged, typical costs run $500-$1,200 depending on distance, with WA and TAS at the higher end. You pay the provider's actual cost, and we do not add a markup. Flying in to collect in person is always an option, and many interstate families choose to do this so they can meet our dogs and the wider litter before taking their puppy home.
Our Breeding History
We are a small and developing Shiba Inu breeding program, and we believe transparency matters. Every litter we raise is planned carefully, raised in our home, and placed with families we believe are suited to the breed.
First Litter: Panda × Peanut, 2025
Four puppies, all placed in carefully matched homes:
- Pirate (male, red), placed in Victoria
- Miso (female, red), placed in Queensland
- Pink (female, sesame), placed in New South Wales
- Blue (female, sesame), placed in Victoria
We stay in touch with our puppy families and continue to support them after their puppies go home. If you would like to see updates from our dogs and previous puppies, our TikTok is the best place to follow along.
Next Planned Litter: Late 2026
We are planning our next breeding for late 2026, with puppies expected ready for new homes in early 2027. If this timeline suits your household, we encourage you to apply to the waitlist now. Applying early gives us more time to learn about your lifestyle, answer your questions, and determine whether one of our future Shiba Inu puppies would be the right fit for your family.
Before You Apply: Is Now the Right Time?
Not every household is suited to a Shiba Inu, and we are comfortable saying that. Our responsibility is to place puppies in homes where they will thrive, not simply to sell puppies. A Shiba Inu is a 12 to 15-year commitment to an independent, intelligent, and strong-willed dog, so we ask every applicant to consider the breed honestly before joining our waitlist.
Are you prepared to wait?
Our typical wait is 6 to 18 months. If you need a puppy sooner, we may not be the right Shiba Inu breeder for you, and we would rather be honest about that upfront.
Is your household ready?
Shibas are not low-maintenance dogs. They shed heavily, need consistent training, and do not respond well to being left alone for long stretches. Our Is a Shiba Inu Right for You? quiz takes five minutes and is honest about the breed's challenges.
Are you comfortable being matched rather than choosing?
We allocate puppies based on temperament fit, not colour or sex preference alone. If you have your heart set on one specific type of puppy regardless of temperament, our program may not be the right fit.
Although we do not currently have Shiba Inu puppies available, we would love to get to know suitable families before our next planned litter. If you are looking for a Shiba Inu breeder in Melbourne who prioritises health, temperament, and lifetime support, we would love to hear from you.