HiTorq shibas began in 1992 as a small hobby breeder and currently resides in Utah. I fell in love with this little breed after spending many many years involved in showing Alaskan Malamutes. I have been hooked on this breed for 16 years now and devoted to producing sound animals both physically and mentally. I take issues of health and temperament very seriously due in part to my background. I have completed the masters program in Physiology from Temple's School of Medicine and am presently a veterinarian at Silver Creek Animal Clinic in Park City Utah and a graduate of The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. I have been a member of the National Shiba Club Of America and have served as their health chairperson, vice president and editor of their publication the Shiba E News. I am currently a member of NIPPO (Japanese Shiba preservation society) and Colonial Shiba Club which are dedicated to preserving the Japanese NIPPO standard in Shibas both in Japan and in America.
In the show ring, my dogs are meticulously presented and owner handled with love and care. I have successfully guided several dogs to rank among the best in the nation within their breed despite limited showing and less than 20 litters in my career. HiTorq owned or bred shibas have won multiple NIPPO best in shows, multiple NIPPO and AKC championships, multiple national and regional specialty shows, multiple Register of Merit producers, and ranked several homebred dogs in the top 20. I am currently limitedly involved in active breeding, instead I have placed many of my top dogs into quality small breeding programs with friends who I spend many hours mentoring and rooting on at shows. I have keep a couple of shibas who are just too near and dear to me and occassionally I may breed a litter just to have the sound of shiba footsteps around my head. I spend hours educating those who own my dogs on pedigrees and planning their next dynamite combination. It has been a joy to watch them flourish!

I am a devoted student of this breed and try to continually learn more about the breed and its origin with each passing day. I have spent time in Japan watching the Grand National and visiting and speaking to many NIPPO breeders, which I must say has been one of the extreme highlights of my career in shibas. I am in constant communication with top breeders in the US and avidly share pictures and information regarding the dogs in an effort to learn more about the lineageages. I avidly try to mix the best of Japan by obtaining quality imports from quality breeders in that country with the best lines well developed lines in the United States.

I strongly believe that not every dog should be shown, not every litter has show quality pups and sheer number of champions does not dictate true quality in the breed. My dogs must be able to compete in the AKC forum as well as under the stringent guidelines of the NIPPO standard in NIPPO judged shows and my dogs must be structurally and temperamentally sound, stable animals or they do not carry the HiTorq kennel name as either pets or show dogs! That is the backbone of my guarantee when a puppy leaves my home to share that of another's family regardless of pet or show purpose!

I am devoted to my dogs who live in and rule my house and I ask the same of those who become involved with my animals. I currently live in the great state of Utah and enjoy many hours of marathon runnng, backpacking, hiking and peak climbing---usually with a shiba at my side-- showing Shibas are a versitile and agile breed and not just pretty to look at:)

I hope you enjoy touring through this site and that it provides you with as much information as you desire about this wonderful breed. I keep the site maintained , not to sell dogs...but to provide a source of photos and pedigrees to anyone who cares to see them..also as tribute and a way to cheer on those who have spent time caring for and showing HiTorq dogs...I am so proud of you all. AS a final word of advice, Always be careful who you buy from when looking for that next member of your family and never trust any breeder at face value and never purchase an animal sight unseen---always INVESTIGATE ad naseum---this is a member of your family for the long term!

Lisa M Pasquarello VMD