Akita

Akita-Inu.jpg

“Akita” as used when referring to a breed of dog is a generic term that may apply to either the Japanese Akita-Inu or the American Akita. Please select the type you are interested learning more about from above.

Both types, however, trace their heritage back to the mountainous regions of northern Japan. The primary differences aside from size are that American Akita (the larger of the two) comes in all colors, whereas the Japanese Akita (Akita Inu) only comes in a select few colors, all other colors being considered undesirable. While it is true that both strains hail from the same original gene pool, breeding practices on opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean over the course of 50 years led to significant differences between the two; so much so that the majority of modern countries now consider the two strains of Akita to be entirely separate breeds. The most famous representative of the ‘Akita’ type as a whole and the dog who probably did the most to popularize the breed was Hachikō, a loyal Akita dog who waited years for the return of his deceased master in Pre-World War II Japan.