Cheems Dog: Breed Guide and Meme Origins
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Who Was Cheems? The Real Dog Behind the Meme
Cheems was a real dog – a Shiba Inu named Balltze, born in Hong Kong in 2017 and owned by a man named Johnny Cheung. Balltze’s distinctive round face, pushed-in muzzle, and expressive eyes caught the attention of the internet when Cheung began posting photos on social media, and the images quickly circulated into meme culture. The name “Cheems” became attached to the character through the meme format “Swole Doge vs Cheems,” where Balltze represented a relatable, self-deprecating version of things – smaller, rounder, and less capable than its muscular “Doge” counterpart.
The appeal of the Cheems meme was the genuine expressiveness of Balltze’s face. Shiba Inus are naturally expressive dogs with large, alert eyes and mobile facial muscles, and Balltze’s slightly squished face amplified this quality into something that read as immediately relatable on screen. The meme spread because Balltze looked, in each image, like someone processing mildly bad news with dignified resignation – an expression that internet users found universally applicable to daily life situations.
Balltze passed away in August 2023 following a battle with cancer. He was six years old. The news was received with genuine mourning across social media communities that had spent years using his image to express the entire spectrum of mild to moderate disappointment. His owner Johnny shared the news thoughtfully, and the outpouring of tributes from across the internet reflected how genuinely attached communities had become to a dog most of them had never met.
Cheems and the Broader Shiba Inu Internet Phenomenon
Cheems was not the first Shiba Inu to become an internet celebrity. Kabosu, a Shiba Inu owned by Japanese kindergarten teacher Atsuko Sato, became the original “Doge” meme dog when a photo of her with a raised eyebrow and sideways glance was posted in 2010 and subsequently went viral. The Doge meme – with its characteristic comic sans text in the style “such wow, very amaze” – became one of the defining meme formats of the early 2010s and was eventually immortalized as the symbol of the Dogecoin cryptocurrency.
Kabosu herself lived a long and beloved life, passing away in May 2024 at approximately 18 years of age. Like Balltze, her passing prompted widespread online tributes, and her owner had documented her life and health publicly for years. The two Shiba Inus – Kabosu as the confident, unbothered Doge and Balltze as the relatable, slightly overwhelmed Cheems – became complementary cultural icons representing opposite ends of a spectrum that internet users found endlessly applicable to daily experience.
The popularity of Shiba Inus in internet culture has had a measurable effect on the breed’s real-world popularity. Following the Doge meme’s peak period, Shiba Inu registrations increased significantly in the United States, UK, and other Western countries where the breed had previously been relatively uncommon. This surge in popularity created the usual accompanying problems: impulse acquisitions driven by aesthetic appeal rather than breed research, and a corresponding increase in Shiba Inus surrendered to shelters when owners discovered the reality of the breed’s demanding personality was not what the meme had implied.
Shiba Inu: Origins and History
The Shiba Inu is the smallest and one of the oldest of Japan’s six native dog breeds, and its history stretches back at least two thousand years. The name Shiba Inu translates roughly as “brushwood dog” in Japanese – either a reference to the brushwood thickets of the mountainous Japanese terrain where the breed originally hunted, or to the brushwood-red color characteristic of many individuals, depending on which interpretation of the kanji is applied.
The breed was developed in the mountainous regions of central Japan, where it served as a versatile small game hunter – flushing birds and small animals from dense mountain undergrowth, and occasionally used in boar hunting despite its modest size. Its agility, keen senses, and independent working style made it highly effective in difficult terrain where a larger dog would have been unwieldy.
The Second World War nearly eliminated the Shiba Inu. A combination of bombing campaigns, a distemper epidemic following the war, and general food scarcity during the reconstruction period reduced the breed population to dangerously low numbers. Recovery programs in the postwar period consolidated the three remaining distinct strains – the Shinshu Shiba, Mino Shiba, and Sanin Shiba – into the unified Shiba Inu type recognized today. The breed was designated a national monument of Japan in 1936.
The Shiba Inu arrived in the United States in the 1950s with American military families returning from Japan, but remained rare until the 1990s. Formal AKC recognition came in 1992. The breed’s subsequent internet celebrity dramatically accelerated its Western popularity in the 2010s.
Physical Characteristics
The Shiba Inu is a compact, well-muscled, medium-small dog with the classic Spitz physical profile: prick ears, curled tail, and a distinctive alert expression. Its double coat consists of a stiff, straight outer coat over a soft, thick undercoat, available in red (the most recognized color), black and tan, sesame (red with black-tipped hairs), and cream (though cream is discouraged in show standards due to reduced visibility of the characteristic Urajiro markings).
The Urajiro – cream to white markings on the cheeks, jaw, throat, chest, and inner legs – is a distinctive feature of all correctly colored Shiba Inus and one of the physical traits that contributes to the breed’s fox-like appearance. The face is broad and slightly rounded, with high-set, triangular ears and dark, triangular eyes that give the characteristic alert, confident expression that internet users found so expressive in both Kabosu and Balltze.
Shiba Inu Temperament: What the Memes Do Not Show
The Shiba Inu’s actual temperament is one of the most frequently misrepresented in dog culture – in part because meme images necessarily strip context and show a single frozen expression that users project emotions onto, and in part because the breed’s physical appeal leads many people to research just enough to confirm what they want to believe. The honest picture is considerably more complex than an amusing internet image.
Independence and Stubbornness
The Shiba Inu was bred to work independently in dense mountain terrain, making decisions without handler guidance. This heritage produced a dog with genuine self-sufficiency and a corresponding resistance to direction it finds unreasonable. Unlike a retriever bred to work in close partnership with a human, the Shiba’s fundamental orientation is autonomy. It will follow its own assessment of a situation rather than defaulting to human direction, and this plays out in training as stubbornness, selective compliance, and a highly developed ability to simply disengage from training sessions that it finds uninteresting or unrewarding.
This does not mean Shiba Inus cannot be trained – it means they require a trainer who understands their motivation structure and works with it rather than against it. High-value food rewards, short engaging sessions, and framing training as a game that the dog finds worth playing produces far better results than repetitive drilling or correction-based approaches. The Shiba is intelligent and genuinely capable of impressive learning; it simply needs a reason to bother.
The “Shiba Scream”
The Shiba Inu possesses a truly remarkable vocal range. When displeased, startled, restrained, or subjected to grooming or veterinary procedures it objects to, many Shiba Inus produce a loud, high-pitched scream that has been described as simultaneously alarming and operatic. This “Shiba scream” is well-documented in owner communities and is a genuine characteristic of the breed that prospective owners should hear on video before committing to acquisition. In shared-wall living situations it can be a significant challenge.
Beyond the dramatic scream, Shibas are moderate barkers who alert to genuine intrusions or unusual sounds with a clear, confident bark. They are not incessant nuisance barkers in the way some small breeds can be, but they will make their views known when they have views to express.
Loyalty and Social Nature
The Shiba Inu’s social orientation differs markedly from the golden retriever type that many people use as their default “friendly dog” reference. Shibas are not promiscuously friendly – they do not solicit affection from strangers, they do not necessarily enjoy being petted by people they do not know, and they maintain a degree of reserve even with familiar people that can read as coldness to those expecting constant warmth. Within their own family group, however, Shiba Inus are deeply loyal, emotionally aware, and capable of genuine affection expressed on their own terms.
Understanding this difference between Shiba loyalty and golden retriever friendliness is important for family situations. A Shiba Inu raised with children who respect its boundaries can be a devoted family companion. One expected to accept unlimited handling, grabbing, and rough play from young children will eventually object – and its objection may be vocal or physical. Teaching children to read and respect dog body language is essential in any Shiba household.
Prey Drive and Recall Challenges
The Shiba Inu’s hunting heritage produces a significant prey drive that creates real challenges in off-leash situations. Small animals – squirrels, cats, birds, rabbits – are natural targets, and the Shiba’s speed and agility make it highly capable of pursuit. Recall once a chase has begun is extremely difficult even in well-trained individuals. Secure fencing is not optional for Shiba Inu owners, and off-leash exercise in unfenced areas requires careful risk assessment. The breed’s agility also makes it a capable jumper and climber – fences that would contain most dogs may not contain a motivated Shiba.
Shiba Inu Care: Exercise, Grooming, and Health
Exercise Requirements
The Shiba Inu has moderate-to-high exercise needs that reflect its working heritage as an agile mountain hunter. Two substantial walks daily – 30-45 minutes each – alongside play sessions and mental enrichment form the baseline. The breed’s agility and athleticism make it a capable participant in dog sports: agility, obedience, rally, and nose work all provide the combination of physical and mental challenge that suits the Shiba’s intelligence and drive. Without adequate exercise and mental stimulation, Shiba Inus develop the boredom-related behavior problems common to intelligent working breeds – destructiveness, excessive vocalization, and increased escape attempts.
Grooming and the Seasonal Shed
For most of the year, the Shiba Inu’s double coat is relatively easy to maintain – weekly brushing with an undercoat rake and a slicker brush keeps it in good condition and removes loose hair before it reaches the furniture. Bathing every 4-6 weeks is sufficient for most individuals. The Shiba’s cat-like grooming habits – it actively grooms itself to stay clean – mean it rarely develops the odor of some other breeds.
The twice-yearly “coat blow” changes this picture dramatically. When a Shiba Inu blows its coat – a process of 2-4 weeks during which the dense undercoat releases in enormous quantities – daily brushing becomes necessary, and the volume of hair released is genuinely staggering to unprepared owners. A deshedding tool like the FURminator, used gently and regularly during blow periods, significantly reduces the amount of hair that ends up on surfaces throughout the house. Professional grooming during the blow period is an option that many owners find worth the cost for their own sanity.
Health Considerations
The Shiba Inu is generally a healthy, hardy breed with fewer congenital health issues than many popular breeds. The most significant health concerns to be aware of are:
- Hip Dysplasia: Present at lower rates than in many larger breeds but should be screened in breeding animals.
- Patellar Luxation: Slipping kneecap, common across small and medium breeds. Severity ranges from an incidental finding to a condition requiring surgical correction.
- Eye Conditions: Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) and glaucoma occur in the breed. Eye examinations for breeding animals are recommended.
- Allergies: Both environmental and food allergies occur in Shiba Inus, presenting as itchy skin, recurring ear infections, or digestive issues. Identifying and managing allergen triggers is the primary management approach.
- Chylothorax: An accumulation of lymphatic fluid in the chest cavity that is seen more frequently in Shibas than in many other breeds. Symptoms include respiratory difficulty and reduced exercise tolerance.
Is a Shiba Inu Right for You?
The Shiba Inu is a genuinely rewarding breed for owners who enter the relationship with realistic expectations and genuine appreciation for the breed’s character. Its independence, intelligence, and dramatic personality make it one of the more entertaining and deeply interesting dogs to live with. Its cleanliness, moderate size, and striking appearance make it practically appealing. But it demands patience, consistency, and respect for its nature that exceeds what many dog owners are prepared to give.
It is not a breed that adapts easily to novice handling, apartment life without adequate exercise, families expecting compliant golden-retriever-style obedience, or owners who want a dog that will be friendly and enthusiastic with all visitors. It is an excellent breed for experienced dog owners who want a characterful, independent companion and understand that the most rewarding Shiba relationships are built on mutual respect rather than compliance.