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Akita History
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One of the seven breeds native to Japan, the Akita is a natural monument in its homeland. While its earliest origins are something of a mystery, it is likely the dog has existed in the mountains of northern Japan since ancient times. There, the ancestors of the modern Akita, called Odate dogs, were used as guardians, hunters and dog fighters. Much of the Akita’s history has been marked by the efforts of breeders to discourage such traits as large size, pinto patterning and a black mask; however, as Japan opened its doors to the West in the late 19th century, crossbreeding with large European breeds such as the Mastiff and Great Dane began to accentuate those very traits.
Concerned that the long revered Akita would be lost or changed beyond recognition, Japanese breeders founded the Akita-inu Hozankai Society in 1918 in an attempt to preserve the breed. This effort was successful, and coincided with a renewed national respect for the traditional Akita. In 1932, the story of an Akita named Hachiko was featured in a Japanese newspaper, fanning the flames of the dog’s popularity: Hachiko met his master at the train station every day after work, and when his master died suddenly at work one day Hachiko continued to return to the train station every day until he himself died nine years later.
Helen Keller brought the first Akita to the United States in 1937, and servicemen returning from the Pacific theater after World War II also brought the faithful Akitas. The Akita was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1972 and enjoys moderate popularity in the United States today. The Akita is still used as a police dog in Japan.
