History of the American Akita


If you want to tell the story of the American Akita, invariably comes up on the history of the Japanese Akita. Their ancestry and roots are identical.
We will now first call the Akita dog and come in the course of history, then to its current name AKITA (Japan) and AMERICAN AKITA (U.S.).
In the beginning was the Great Migration, which in all probability came to the dogs on the island. (Japan at the time was still connected to the mainland)
The race will be over 4000 years old, with her appearance only partially resembled today's dogs.

History of the American Akita The dogs were for hunting, used to guard and escort.
Numerous clay figurines, which were also found in graves turned, pointed like dogs with erect ears and curled tail dar.
The dog was in Japan, always a companion, working and hunting dog.

In the twelfth century began the first dog fighting. Consequently, we dogs bred for specific uses.
Approx then in 1600 was named the dog after areas of origin or use of such Akita Inu (Nordteit the island of Honshu), Odate Inu (Akita City in the area), Matagi Inu (bear hunting dog from the villages Matagis)
= Inu means dog =

History of the American Akita History of the American Akita

Representation of hunting and bear hunting with dogs, Japanese (Pictures from the Museum in Odate Akita)

During the Tokugawa period (1600-1868) dogs were bred for size, strength and charisma.
The samurai did it for self-protection and protection of the imperial family, but also for dog fighting.
Consequently, the dogs were getting bigger and stronger, a crossbreeding of European breeds (Mastiff, Pointer, Shepherd) began.
These dogs were called Karu Inu (strange dog).
From 1868 was then crossed with the Tosa Inu, which pointed the typical traits were lost.
The dog fighting was banned in 1909, and the dog walked by and by to be family dogs.
To maintain the Japanese dog was adopted in 1915 by Dr. Watase Shozaburo the law for "the maintenance and preservation of the Japanese dog."
Mr. Watase Shozaburo traveled area of Odate in 1920, but could not find suitable dogs more.
In 1927, Mr. Izumi Shigeie (mayor and dog lovers in Odate) the Akitaiun Honzonkai (Akiho) preserving with Japanese Emperor Tashio dogs of large Japanese dog.
Mr. Izumi had four dogs myself, a gentleman Echizen (one dog dealer) had two dogs and Mr. Kuniro Ichinoseki Niida village in the area of Odate dogs had some excellent line.
In June the 3rd Year of Showa (1928), the Nippoinu Hozonkai (Nippo) was founded.
History of the American Akita

In August of that year, the first dog registry appeared with thirty dogs.
Only in 1931 the Odate dog to "natural monument" was identified and named for Akita Inu.
This was done by the organization Nipponken Honzonkai (Akiho) under the leadership of Dr. Tokio Kaburagi.
These "monuments of nature" were among nine dogs.
One male and one female of Mr. Shigeie Izumi, one of Mr. Ichinoseki bitch, a bitch of Mr. Aoyagi, one male and one female of Mr. Takahashi, one of Mr. Tayama male, one male and one female of Mr. Akabira.
Thus began the Odate area (which is the origin of the Akita dog) to restore the AKITA.
At the same time, export of the Akitas was banned.

Got a big boost by the Akita dog Hachi-ko, which his master Eizaburo Professor Ueno did every day to the station and waited there for his return.
In May 1925, the professor died suddenly at his workplace. Hachi-ko was then 1 1 / 2 years old.
It is reported that every day he went to the station and waited there for his master.
He died twelve years and five months on Mar 08, 1935th
In April 1934, had a statue of him was erected at Shibuya Hachi-ko.
After his death there were many laid down flowers and lighted smoke scents.
It also reported the newspapers and the Akita became world famous.
History of the American Akita
Hachi-ko
History of the American Akita
Helen Keller in 1939
1937 the American writer Helen Keller visited the area in Akita Japan.
She was given by Mr. Ichiro Ogasawara the puppy Kamikaza-go.
This, unfortunately, died from rabies, and they got a new Akita, Kenzan-go.
During the Second World War, the dog ownership was banned in Japan. Dog skins were used for military clothing.
Only for German shepherd dogs was an exception.
And when necessary to cross their dogs some lovers (with German shepherd dogs), or they hid them on the farms in the remote mountainous area, or the apple orchards as guard dogs and giving them German names for camouflage.

After the war, there were very few Akitas with three different basic types:

1. Matagi Akitas ((Ichinoseki type)
2. Akitas for dog fighting (Dewa Type)
3. Akita Shepherd

In the reconstruction of racial stabbed a dog, KONGO-GO, especially from the Dewa line out.
This Dewa line, it was also what the Americans took in 1940-1950 with the United States.
Against 1950, the Dewa line fell into disrepair in Japan. (Too much mix in the line) and the Ichinoseki line improved.
They began to head, expression, color and character to pay more.

In America, adapted the dogs of the Dewa line very well and the number of breeders and dog rose strongly.
The Akita Club of America was founded in 1956.
In 1972 recognition was granted by the American Kennel Club (AKC).

Between the Japan Kennel Club (JKC) and the AKC, there was no recognition of birth certificates, so that it does not introduce new bloodlines came.
Only in 1992 have opened the AKC stud book for Japanese imports. Meanwhile, Kongo-go, both races were far apart.
FCI-Standard changes in the 90s and especially in 1998 deprived the American type to breed negative errors (pinto and black color mask).
1999 at the FCI World Congress in Mexico, the U.S. got its own type FCI standard no. 344 under the name "Great Japanese Dog / GJD" (Great Japanese Dog / GJH ").
Since Jan 01, 2000, there are two separate races, and must not be crossed with each other.
Since January 2006, is the "Great Japanese Dog" again "AMERICAN AKITA" with FCI Standard Nr.344.
The Japanese Akita is "AKITA" with FCI Standard Nr. 255.
History of the American Akita
KONGO-GO

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