Welcome to Yokiko Shiba Inu

Welcome — we're Bob and Kelsi, and Yokiko Shiba Inu is our small, home-based breeding program in Melbourne, Victoria. We raise a small number of ANKC-registered Shiba Inu puppies each year, with a focus on health, temperament, and finding the right home for each puppy we bring into the world.

Because we keep our program deliberately small, puppies are not always immediately available — we plan one or two litters a year, sometimes fewer. This page covers everything you'd want to know about acquiring a Yokiko Shiba Inu puppy: how our waitlist works, what's included with each puppy, how interstate delivery is handled, and the litters we've already raised. If you have questions we haven't answered here, contact us directly or read our FAQ.

How Our Waitlist Works

We don't operate on a first-come, first-served basis. When a litter is born, we spend the first eight weeks observing each puppy's temperament, then carefully match each puppy with the family on our waitlist whose lifestyle and household best suits that puppy's personality. This approach takes longer than simple queue-based booking, but it's the foundation of how we place a dog you'll live with happily for the next 12 to 15 years.

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, how many puppies a litter produces, and how well our planned matings suit your specific household. We'd rather ask you to wait an extra litter than place a puppy in a home that isn't the right fit.

Joining is no-obligation

Submitting an application doesn't commit you to taking a puppy, and we don't ask for a deposit until a specific puppy has been matched to your family. If your circumstances change before that happens — a move, a family change, anything — you can step off the waitlist with no penalty. We'd rather know than have you take a puppy you're no longer ready for.

Order doesn't determine outcome

Because we match puppies to families based on temperament fit, the order in which applications arrive doesn't dictate the order in which puppies are placed. We tell every applicant this up front, because the alternative — pretending it's a queue — would be unfair to everyone.

→ Apply to join our waitlist

What's Included With Every Yokiko Puppy

Every puppy that leaves us goes home with the foundation of a healthy, long life and the paperwork that proves it:

• ANKC pedigree papers — registered with the Australian National Kennel Council, confirming verified Shiba Inu lineage
• Health-tested parents — both Panda and Peanut have completed hip scoring, eye certification, and full DNA panel screening; results available on request and detailed in our Shiba Inu Health Testing guide
• Age-appropriate vaccinations — full puppy vaccination schedule started, with documentation for your vet to continue
• Microchipped — registered to you before collection, as required by Victorian law
• Veterinary health check — every puppy is independently examined by our vet before going home
• Worming and parasite prevention — up to date and documented
• Puppy starter pack — a transition pack with the food they're currently eating, a familiar blanket carrying the scent of their litter, and a feeding and care guide tailored to the first 30 days
• Written contract and health guarantee — protecting both you and the puppy
• Lifetime breeder support — we're available for questions, advice, or just photo updates for the entire life of your dog

For full details of how our application and selection process works, see Our Process.

Interstate Delivery Across Australia

Yokiko puppies have gone to families in Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland to date, and we're set up to deliver safely Australia-wide.

Victoria

Local collection from our Melbourne home is included at no extra cost. We prefer that VIC families collect in person; it's an opportunity to meet the parents and see where your puppy was raised.

Interstate (NSW, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, ACT)

We use professional pet transport providers who specialise in puppy transit. Typical interstate transport costs $500–$1,200 depending on destination, with WA and TAS at the higher end due to distance and quarantine logistics. We organise transport, you reimburse the actual cost — no markup.

For interstate families, we always offer the option to fly in and collect in person if you'd prefer. Many families do this for the experience of meeting Panda, Peanut, and the wider litter before taking their puppy home. We're happy to recommend nearby accommodation and arrange the visit around your travel.

Our Breeding History

We're a young program, and we're transparent about that. Here's every litter we've raised to date:

First Litter — Panda × Peanut, 2025

Four puppies, all placed in carefully matched homes:

• Pirate (male, red) — Victoria
• Miso (female, red) — Queensland
• Pink (female, sesame) — New South Wales
• Blue (female, sesame) — Victoria

We stay in touch with all four families and continue to support them. If you'd like to read about how our puppies are settling into their new homes, our TikTok is the best place — owners often tag us in updates we share.

Next Planned Litter — Late 2026

We're planning our next breeding for late 2026, with puppies expected ready for new homes in early 2027. If this timeline suits your household, we'd encourage you to apply to the waitlist now — applications received earlier give us more time to understand whether our program is the right fit for you.

Before You Apply: Is Now the Right Time?

A Shiba Inu is a 12 to 15-year commitment to an independent, intelligent, and strong-willed dog. Before you join our waitlist, we'd ask you to honestly consider a few things:

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 breeder for you, and we'd rather tell you that upfront than have you place a deposit elsewhere assuming we'll come through.

Is your household ready?

Shibas are not low-maintenance dogs. They shed heavily, need consistent training, and don't 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 buyer preference. If you have your heart set on a specific colour or sex regardless of fit, our program isn't going to work for you.

If you've read this far and you're still here — we'd love to hear from you.