Akita breed dogs are strong and very enduring. They are faithful friends and perfect keepers - but also dangerous killers in the wrong hands. Where does this breed come from and is it worth buying an Akita breed dog?
Akita( akita inu ) is a Japanese dog breed whose history - according to various sources - even five thousand years. Akita's distant ancestors, dogs in the type of peat spitz, known already in the Neolithic times, came to Japan with settlers about 15,000. BC
As a result of crossbreeding of these Spitz with local dogs, the now defunct Nippon Inu breed was created, the direct ancestor of the Akita dogs we know today.
The first mentions of dogs of this breed date back 5,000 years. In later sources you can find information that Akitas accompanied samurai and were used for hunting, and in the Middle Ages also for dog fights.
Believed that they bring happiness and prosperity, they were also a sign of high social status - therefore only aristocrats could own them.
In 1931, the Japanese Ministry of Education recognized the Akita breed as a cultural heritage, and in 1938 an official breed standard was established.
In the 1970s, the first Akita dogs found their way to America, where they began to be bred without paying attention to traditional Japanese patterns, as a result of which a separate breed was developed: the American Akita.
Akita inu: appearance
Akita has some distinctive features that set these dogs apart from other breeds.
- Has a strong build, muscular body, straight back, high set tail. The height of the male at the withers is 70 cm, and the female is more than 60 cm. Weight is 30-50 kg. Dogs clearly differ from bitches in appearance.
- The head is wedge-shaped, with a broad gusset, a strong, tapering muzzle. Due to the raised eye corners and slanted ears, these dogs have oriental features.
- These dogs have no hair: their coat is thick, consisting of a soft, hard undercoat and straight hair.
- Their color is not uniform: Akitas can be white, brindle, sesame-colored (red hair with black tips), red (red). Each color, except white, must have a so-called urajiro, i.e. white hair in certain parts of the body: on the sides of the muzzle, on the cheeks, neck, breast, torso and tail, as well as on the inner partlimbs.
American Akita: appearance
The American Akita is a bit larger and heavier than the Akita Inu. It has a more massive torso and head, and has larger ears and bite.
The undercoat may be a different color to the top coat.
The so-called black mask on the muzzle (in the case of Akita Inu it is a defect).
American Akita dogs can also have other colors: fawn, white, spotted, red (red) and brindle.
The breed is named after the Akita Prefecture in Japan, where these dogs were first officially bred. The word "inu" in Japanese simply means a dog.
Akita inu: character
About Akita dogs is said differently. Some owners have only good experiences with them, others quite the opposite. This breed has a specific character and disposition.
Akitas are very durable, which is confirmed by the story that inspired the movie "Adventure in Antarctica". Well, in 1957 a group of Japanese polar explorers decided to conquer the South Pole and took 20 dogs of this breed on an expedition.
The expedition was interrupted due to bad weather, and the dogs with all their equipment were left in Antarctica. When the polar explorers tried to reach the pole again after three years, they found 12 out of 20 dogs in the former camp - he althy and in good condition. To survive, they had to hunt even 100 km from the camp.
Akita is also independent, stubborn, has his own opinion, it is difficult to train him - he will only submit to someone who will be an authority for him and who will train him in a skillful, consistent, but gentle way.
May be aggressive, especially towards other dogs and strangers who will enter the property while the owner is away.
Akita dogs are said to let a stranger in, but not to let him out anymore. This makes him an excellent watchman.
It is also considered a symbol of dog loy alty. The most striking example of it can be seen today at Tokyo's Shibuya Station, where there is a statue of the Akita dog named Hachiko. Every evening, exactly at 6 p.m., this dog waited at the station for his master, a professor at the University of Tokyo, who always returned from work on the same train.
One evening in 1925, the professor did not come back because he died at work. The dog waited all night and so did the next day. For the next nine years, he would run on time to the station every night in the hope that you would finally come.
These journeys were ended by the death of Hachiko in 1934. A monument was erected for him in the same year.
Akita dog care
Dogs of this breed have a dense undercoat, which they lose in large onesquantities during the molting period. Then, brush them frequently and for a long time with a wire brush or a comb.
If the dog lives on the property and often runs outside, he loses his hair twice a year for about three weeks (then it comes out in handfuls) - during the moulting period, it is worth combing it twice a day.
Apartment dogs that only go for walks may shed most of the year as they may have a disturbed hair replacement cycle.
When you notice that your dog is losing hair, you should also brush it twice a day.
In periods of molting, the dog should be bathed in warm water, which stimulates the process of dead hair loss), thanks to which everything runs faster.
Akita does not require any special care outside of the hair replacement period.
Akita inu: diet
Dogs of this breed can get a balanced food for large dogs or home meals (their amount should be adjusted to the age, weight and physical activity of the pet). As Akitas are prone to allergies, it is advisable to give them high-quality food and only use one type of food at a time.
Akita needs exercise: it should be walked at least three times, and at least 25 minutes of walking should be at least twice a day.
Akita: diseases
Like any dog, Akita can suffer from a variety of conditions, both congenital and acquired. His most common ailments include:
- ventricular septum defect
- inflammation of the sebaceous glands
- choroidal skin syndrome
- leaf pemphigus
- little eyed
- red blood cell microcytosis
- entropion of the eyelids
- GPRA (Generalized Progressive Retinal Atrophy)
Is it worth having an Akita?
In Poland, this breed is becoming more and more popular, but it is worth remembering that it is not a dog for everyone.
Akita is best in an open space, such as a garden, where she can run freely, but can also be kept in a block of flats.
Its owner should have experience in working with animals (otherwise the dog can become the alpha male in the family and completely dominate human handlers).
Akita puppy should be properly socialized and raised. Due to its strength and aversion to other dogs, Akita cannot be walked by children or the elderly.