You seem to have the right proactive attitude. I've also grown up with dogs (golden retrievers) then didn't have any around till my gf got one when I didn't think it was a good idea. Go to a meetup. If you're in DC area you might meet mine. You probably won't get to know the breed from a meetup interaction since they are not very welcoming to strangers like labs or golden retrievers are. You should still go! You seem to have the right cat-like person fit for the breed. Every Shiba is different (so throw out your expectations and standards when you get one); way more differentiated within the breed (from what I can tell) than cats are to each other (I own two cats; have lived with four). I find all dogs breeds are vastly different within the breeds. It might just be very dependent on dogs how the owner handles them; not so for cats (cats are own the personality they are). Getting a Shiba puppy was very rewarding for me and I enjoyed raising this dog more than my cats or other dogs I lived with. It surprised me how much I enjoyed it. Obedience school and dog socializing (dog parks, puppy play time, etc) is very nice to have from the start with this breed. Don't stop socializing or training when you feel comfortable, keep the habit going. Shiba pups are (usually) expensive and hard to find and get. Shiba rescues come around somewhat often in my area and some families and households just aren't going to fit with them, which is very sad and shouldn't happen if you follow the steps you say you will take and the knowledge you already have about them. That's why there are a lot of shiba's for adoption from Shiba rescues; people just aren't ready for them and have environments not suitable for the breed. Look into a Shiba rescue group if you have one nearby; and go to their meet and great. I don't want you to support puppy mills and would tell you to save up the money for longer and get a puppy from a reputable breeder if you can. Mine was from an accidental breeder situation (rape I guess it might be) and I was lucky enough to have a gf who investigated the breed and breeder situation fully. We met the breeder and litter (of two) twice before my gf decided to get our Shiba. We still meet the Mom and Dad Shiba annually. The dad and mom Shiba are temperamentally very different from ours. They only love each other and barely tolerate being around hour dog.