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Revered as"Ichiban"(number one) in Japan, memorialized on a postage stamp, sculpted
in bronze at a railway station and declared a Natural Monument;
what greater honor could a dog enjoy? For one, the breed was
once owned solely by royalty in Japan, and lavishly adorned with
colorful leashes. These leashes were hooked to silver studded
collars or harnesses and were borne by two men who wrapped the
long cords around their waists.The Akita pulled the two handlers
as he made his powerful entry into the show ring. Historians
trace the arctic type hunting strains back to Eurasian tribes
several millenniums B.C. The Akita as we know today evolved from
a hunting dog of the Matagi people who hunt the Northern Honshu
Island. During the17th Century, a great war lord encouraged the
cross of the hunting dogs with a fighting strain to improve his
strength. Some of the crosses were to the Tosa, Mastiff-like
in structure, to the Chow, and to other native species. Because
of its ancestral ties to aggressiveness towards other dogs, combined
with hunting instincts, the Akita can be a troublesome dog to
try to adopt into the domestic home scene. |
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The Akita is NOT the dog for the faint of heart
or the gentle owner who desires a totally placid lap side companion.
While the good qualities and beauty of the animal makes him an
attractive consideration to would be owners, he is a responsibility
to own and enjoy as a mature adult. Akitas should not be let
free to run in a park to play with other dogs. His instinct to
"hunt" and challenge, to attempt to be "pack leader"
may result in strong skirmishes that the owner is not prepared
for. If not present as a pup, these instincts quickly develop
during puberty or shortly thereafter. Used as a hunter, the Akita
can find quick prey in small animals, so that must be a consideration
before adopting this breed into an established household with
other animals. Dogs of the same sex will be inevitably in conflict
with the Akita, due to his ancestral urge to dominate. After
World War II, only a handful of Akitas survived, and a society
in Japan was formed for the preservation of the breed. Our U.S.
stock had its igins from these survivors. The line that came
to the U.S. were the heavy-boned, loose-skinned Kongo line, plus
the more refined Ichinoseki lineage. A blend of the two emerged
and is more the rule today. In modern day Japan, the Akita is
an upright, often small-chested, tight skinned animal with exceptional
beauty in points of color, oriental eye shape,earset and full
tail. Their "ornamentals" are exquisite. Angulation
and bone development for work function has to be improved. Only
red, white,and brindle are colors allowed in the show ring in
Japan. |
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