The Akita or Akita Ken is a breed of large dog originating in
Japan, named for Akita Prefecture, where it is thought to have originated. "Inu"
means "dog" in Japanese, although in practice this animal is nearly always
referred as "Akita-ken," based on the Sino-Japanese reading of the same kanji.
(It is also a pun, as the word for "prefecture" is pronounced "ken" in
Japanese.)
Appearance
The breed stands 24 to 28 inches at the withers (60 to 71 cm).
Females weigh anywhere from 70-100 pounds. Males are 85-150 pounds. In Japan,
Akitas come in only four colours: Red Fawn, Sesame (red fawn hairs with black
tips), Brindle, and White. All except white must have whitish hair on the sides
of the muzzle, on the cheeks, the neck, chest, body and tail. The Pinto color is
not accepted as a Japanese Akita color, but only as an American Akita color. In
the U.S., however, some breeders still interbeed the original Japanese type with
the heavier American type, which is larger, shorter in fur, and allows more
colors. It is felt by many that combining the two types leads to improved
appearance and genetic health by increasing genetic diversity. In the United
States, there is only a single Akita breed. Akitas from Japan and Akitas from
the U.S. and other countries are all registered with the American Kennel Club as
"Akitas." In many other countries the breed has been separated into two breeds:
the Akita and the American Akita.
Temperament
Although the American Kennel Club has put the Akita in the
Working Group, several different breeds contributed to the modern Akita, some
hunting dogs and some dogs used as competitive fighting dogs. The Akita is very
laid back, and has an easy-going temperament.
Akitas are a large breed, not a giant breed. They are excellent house dogs. They
require only a moderate amount of exercise. Akitas are known to be very quiet
dogs, only barking "when there is something to bark about". One of the most
famous things about Akitas is that they make people feel calm and relaxed so an
Akita is an ideal dog if you have stress problems.[citation needed]
The two most outstanding characteristics of the Akita as a house pet are that
they are very clean and that they are very easy to house break. Akitas have been
described as almost "cat-like," as they are clean and odorless. This may also be
one of the reasons why they housebreak so easily. Most Akitas respond so well to
housebreaking that they are trained in a matter of weeks, although it may take
longer if other "slower learning" dogs are present.
As far as the family children are concerned, there are few worries. Akitas are
devoted, patient friends and protectors of children. Akitas are typically very
gentle with children, and it is said that Japanese mothers often left their
children with only the Akitas to watch over and protect them. Remember, however,
that young children should never be left unattended with a pet. When raised
indoors with children, they can be excellent companions.
Left unattended in the backyard or in a kennel, they tend to develop
"personality" problems and become very destructive to the yard, which is due to
boredom. They are highly pack oriented, thus, isolating them from the pack
(i.e., the owner) causes them great stress.
Akitas tend to be stubborn and require a firm but loving education where "no"
always means "no" and never "whatever".
The Akita is a dominant dog who may expect other dogs to be submissive. If they
fail to live up to the Akita's expectations, incidents can happen.
Akitas have a high and well-developed prey drive, particularly to small animals,
including cats. An Akita is not likely to shower affection on someone that is
not a member of his family or a close friend that he sees frequently, and can be
extremely aloof. Akitas properly socialized and raised with other animals
usually accept them as members of the family.
The loyalty and devotion displayed by an Akita is phenomenal. The typical pet
Akita will follow you from room to room, yet has the uncanny ability not to be
underfoot. Your Akita lives his life as if his only purpose is to protect you
and spend time with you. This trait is evident in the tale of Hachiko.
Health
Some of the health conditions known to affect this breed
include:
Canine herpesvirus, a strain of the Herpes virus that happens to affect canines
Gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV), a condition associated with bloat;
Pemphigus, which causes the autoimmune system to attack the dog's skin (leading
to pustules)
Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), an adult-onset condition which gradual
degeneration in the eye cells (i.e. rods & cones)
UveoDermatological Syndrome (UDS)[1], known as Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH)
disease in humans
Sebaceous adenitis, an autoimmune condition which attacks and destroys the dog's
sebaceous glands
History
The Akita's ancestors were dogs used by matagi for hunting.
These dogs, usually called matagi inu, were not as large as modern Akita dogs.
Edo Period
In the Edo Period, Dewa Province (present-day Akita
prefecture) was ruled by the Satake clan. Since the Satake were tozama daimyo
(considered potentially rebellious), they received severe restrictions by the
Tokugawa Shogunate in all military areas. The clan decided to encourage dog
fighting around 1630 in order to make it possible for the samurai to retain
their aggressive edge in a way that would not offend the shogunate. Dog fighting
became especially popular in the Odate area. Dog fighting enthusiasts in the
area began to interbreed matagi inu with dogs indigenious to the area. These
dogs, which later turned into the Akita, were called Odate inu at that time.
Before World War II
After the Meiji Restoration, people began to breed Akita with
many dogs from other regions in Japan, such as the Tosa. The Meiji Restoration
also ended Japan's closed door policy, and large, western dogs began to enter
Japan. As a result, Akita were also bred with German Shepherds, Great Danes, and
Mastiffs. This resulted in the breed losing many of its spitz-like
characteristics. Akita were later bred with Hokkaido and Karafuto dogs (also
known as the Sakhalin Husky), which were introduced to mainland Japan after the
First Sino-Japanese War.
In the Taisho Period, people such as the mayor of Odate Town began a movement to
preserve the Akita breed. By this time, the Akita had begun to turn into a mixed
breed as a result of excessive breeding with other dogs. Watase Shozaburo, a
Japanese zoologist that successfully proposed the Law for Protection of Natural
Monuments (天然記念物保護法) also worked towards preserving the Akita breed. As a
result, the Akitainu Introduction Foundation (秋田犬保存会) was created in May 1927 by
the mayor of Odate, and nine Akita dogs were designated as natural monuments in
1931. In 1932, the faithful Akita dog Hachiko was featured in an article in the
Asahi Shimbun newspaper, which contributed to the popularity of the breed. When
Helen Keller visited Akita prefecture in 1937, she expressed that she would like
to have an Akita dog. An Akita called Kamikaze-go was given to her within a
month. When Kamikaze-go later died because of canine distemper, his brother,
Kenzan-go, was promptly sent to her. By 1938 a breed standard had been
established and dog shows had been held, but such activities stopped after World
War II began.
The War and its aftermath
During World War II, the number of Akita dogs greatly
diminished because of the lack of food. There were also orders to capture all
dogs except German shepherds, in order to use their fur for warm army uniforms.
Many people bred Akitas with shepherds to avoid capture. When the war ended in
1945, there were fewer than twenty purebred Akita dogs in Japan.
However, the Akita became quite popular during the postwar period. Many
occupation soldiers liked the Akita, because it was by far the largest Japanese
dog. The fact that Helen Keller had an Akita also became well-known when she
came to Japan in 1948 and thanked people in Akita for the dogs she was given.
Most of the Akita dogs at this time had many German Shepherd-like
characteristics. These dogs are currently known as Dewa line, or Dewa type
Akitas.
On the other hand, the Akitainu Introduction Foundation was breeding the
remaining purebred Akitas in order to omit Western dog characteristics and make
the breed closer to the original matagi inu. Their efforts created the
Ichinoseki line, or Ichinoseki type Akitas, which became recognized as the
mainline in Japan by 1955. Although Dewa line Akitas are now rarely seen in
Japan, they achieved popularity outside Japan through occupation soldiers who
took them back from Japan. The Japan Kennel Club and the FCI consider Dewa line
Akitas to be a separate breed, called the Great Japanese Dog or the American
Akita.
Miscellaneous
Recent DNA analysis confirms that this is one of the most
primitive breeds of dog.[2]
Perhaps the most famous Akita is Hachiko, a dog remembered in Japan for his
loyalty. When his owner died, Hachiko returned to the train station every day
for the rest of his life to wait for him. A life-size statue of Hachiko still
stands at Shibuya Station.
Many manga titles by Takahashi Yoshihiro feature Akita dogs as the main
character. These include Gin of Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin and Weed of Ginga
Densetsu Weed. This is said to be because Takahashi Yoshihiro was born in Akita
Prefecture.
The title character in the anime and manga animated series Inuyasha, along with
his brother and father, are said to be Akita yōkai. A yōkai is a mythical
Japanese creature that is said to take human form. Inuyasha himself is
technically a hanyō, a mythical half-human, half-yōkai.
Lead singer of Disturbed, David Draiman, lives alone with his dog Lisa, an
American Akita.
In the rock opera RENT, Angel gets paid $1,000 to get rid of a wealthy woman's
neighbor's Akita named Evita. Later on, it becomes clear that Evita's owner was
Benny, the despised landlord of the group of friends.
