Akita Inu

Akita Inu

An Akita Inu
Other names	Great Japanese Dog (Obsolete) Japanese Akita
Country of origin	Japan
Traits Weight Male 34-54 kg 75-119lb Female 34-50 kg 75-110 lb Height Male 61-71 cm 24-28in Coat Coarse, straight, with soft undercoat Color Red, fawn, sesame, brindle, or pure white Litter size 3-12 puppies, avg. 7-8 Life span 11-15 years
Classification & standards FCI Group 5 Section 5 #255 standard AKC Working standard ANKC Group 6 - (Utility) standard CKC Group 3 - (Working Dogs) standard KC (UK) Utility standard NZKC Utility standard UKC Northern Breeds standard

The Akita Inu, or Japanese Akita Inu (Japanese Akita) is a breed of large dog originating in Japan, named for Akita Prefecture, where it is thought to have originated. It is sometimes called the Akita-ken (秋田犬, Akita-ken^?) based on the Sino-Japanese reading of the same kanji. It is a separate breed from the American Akita, and is quite uncommon in many countries.

Description

Appearance

The breed stands 64 to 70 cm at the shoulders. Females weigh anywhere from 34-50kg. Males are 34-54kg. The Akita Inu come in only five colours: Red, Fawn, Sesame, Brindle, and Pure White. All except white must have whitish hair on the sides of the muzzle, on the cheeks, the neck, chest, body and tail. Black masks, as seen in the American Akita, are not permitted in the Japanese Akita Inu.

A brindle Akita female

All colors are accepted in the American Akita. The Pinto color is not accepted as a Japanese Akita color, but is as an American Akita color. In the U.S., some breeders interbreed the original Japanese type with the heavier American type, which is larger, and allows more colors. It is felt by some that combining the two types leads to improved appearance and genetic health by increasing genetic diversity. In the United States, there is only a single Akita breed registered by the American Kennel Club, whereas they are separated into two breeds in every other country in the world except Canada. In all other countries the breed has been separated into two breeds: the Akita Inu and the American Akita. However, the American Akita is seen by some American breeders as being a different breed than the Japanese and these breeders advocate a splitting of the one breed into two.

Akitas possess a double coat, with a dense straight undercoat, and a thick outer coat. This coat makes the dog waterproof, as well as being well-equipped for the fierce winters in northern Japan. Due to the thickness of their coat, the breed requires daily grooming, and also an awareness of the dog's heavy shedding, especially during warm weather.

The Japanese Akita Inu is a loyal, docile and aloof pet. They are well known for being excellent house dogs, they are clean and quiet, only barking when there is something to bark about. In general they are very friendly and easy going dogs.

Temperament

Akitas, like many dogs, have been bred to hunt, and can therefore show aggressive tendencies toward small animals. Akitas can also be dominant or aggressive towards other dogs, particularly those of the same sex^[1].

Akitas are very clean, intelligent and loyal, train easily, and consequently are easily bored. Akitas have also been documented to be gentle with young children and babies.

Akitas are very adaptable and can live happily in apartments provided they are given enough exercise.

Health

Mortality

Akita bitch with pup

Akitas in UK and USA/Canada surveys had a median lifespan of about 10 years,^[2] which is similar to other breeds of their size.^[3]

In a 2004 UK Kennel Club survey, the most common causes of death were cancer (32%), cardiac (14%), and gastrointestinal, including bloat/torsion (14%).^[4] In a 2000-2001 USA/Canada Health Survey, the most common causes of death were cancer (21%), GDV (=bloat/torsion, 21%), musculoskeletal (15.5%), and autoimmune (7%).^[5]

Morbidity

Some of the health conditions known to affect this breed include:

• Canine herpesvirus, a strain of the Herpes virus that happens to affect canines
• Gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV), a condition associated with bloat
• Pemphigus, which causes the autoimmune system to attack the dog's skin (leading to pustules)
• Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), an adult-onset condition which gradual degeneration in the eye cells (i.e. rods & cones)
• UveoDermatological Syndrome (UDS)^[6]
• Sebaceous adenitis, an autoimmune condition which attacks and destroys the dog's sebaceous glands
• Canine hip dysplasia
• Hypothyroidism
• Hyperkalaemia As a breed, Akitas have abnormally high blood potassium concentrations compared to other breeds.
• Heart size As a breed, Akitas have an unusually small heart for their size. A number of Akitas have died while being operated, due to the use of a normal dose of general anaesthetic for a canine of that size, a dose which ultimately proved excessive and fatal to the Akita. For that reason, to avoid anaesthetic-induced death, only the bare minimum dose of general anaesthetic sufficient to produce anaesthesia should be used when an Akita requires general anaesthesia.

Gastric Dilatation Volvulus

Akita owners should take special note of the high incidence of GDV (Gastric dilatation volvulus) in this breed. Excess gas trapped in the dog's stomach causes "bloat." Twisting of the stomach (volvulus or "torsion") causes or is caused by excess gas. GDV is an emergency condition requiring immediate veterinary treatment. Akita owners should be alert to the symptoms of GDV and know the location of the nearest emergency veterinary facility.

History

Japanese history, both verbal and written, describe the ancestors of the Akita Inu, the Matagi dog, as one of the oldest of the native dogs. The Akita Inu of today developed primarily from these dogs in the northernmost region of the island of Honshū in the Akita prefecture, thus providing the breed's name. The Matagi's quarry included elk, antelope, boar, and the 120 stone Yezo bear. This swift, agile, unswervingly tenacious precursor dog tracked large game and held it at bay until the hunters arrived to make the kill.

Recent DNA analysis found that the Akita was among the most ancient dog breeds.^[7]

A stamp of the Akita "Tachibana" (one of the very few purebred Akitas that survived World War II) on a Japanese postage stamp

During World War II, the number of Akita dogs greatly diminished because of the lack of food. There were also orders to capture all dogs except German Shepherds in order to use their fur for warm army uniforms. Many people bred Akita with Alsatians to avoid capture.

During the occupation years following the war, the breed began to thrive again through the efforts of Sawataishi and others. For the first time, Akitas were bred for a standardized appearance. Akita fanciers in Japan began gathering and exhibiting the remaining Akitas and producing litters in order to restore the breed to sustainable numbers and to accentuate the original characteristics of the breed muddied by crosses to other breeds. US servicemen fell in love with the Akita and imported many of them into the US upon and after their return.

The Japanese Akita and American Akita began to diverge in type through the middle and later part of the 20th century with the Japanese Akita fanciers focusing on restoring the breed as an work of Japanese art and American Akita fanciers selecting for the larger, heavier-boned dogs that emerged from the post-war times. Both types derive from a common ancestry, but marked differences can be observed between the two. First, while American Akitas are acceptable in all colors, Japanese Akitas are only permitted to be red, fawn, sesame, white, or brindle. Additionally, American Akitas may be pinto and/or have black masks, unlike Japanese Akitas. American Akitas generally are heavier boned and larger, with a more bear-like head, whereas Japanese Akitas tend to be lighter and more finely featured.[citation needed]

Much debate occurs among Akita fanciers of both types whether there are or should be two breeds of Akita. To date, The AKC and CKC, guided by their national breed clubs, consider American and Japanese Akitas to be two types of the same breed, allowing free breeding between the two. The FCI and Kennel Clubs most other nations consider Japanese and American Akitas as separate breeds.

Akita Inu in popular culture

• Many manga titles by Takahashi Yoshihiro feature Akita dogs as the main character. These include Gin of Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin. His son Weed, who stars in Ginga Densetsu Weed, is an Akita/Kishu Ken mix. This is said to be because Takahashi Yoshihiro was born in Akita Prefecture.

Akita puppy

• The title character in the anime and manga animated series InuYasha, along with his brother, Sesshomaru and father, Inu no Taisho are said to be Akita yōkai (half youkai half human in InuYasha's case). A yōkai is a legendary Japanese creature that is said to take human form.
• In the musical Rent, Angel gets paid $1,000 to get rid of a wealthy woman's neighbor's Akita named Evita. Later on, it becomes clear that Evita's owner was the wife of Benny, the despised landlord of the group of friends. Benny later confides that he hated the dog anyway.
• In the anime Kino's Journey, the character Riku appears to be an Akita.
• In the manga Nana, one of the title characters is given the nickname Hachiko in reference to her dog-like loyalty being similar to that of the famous dog Hachiko.
• Nicole Brown Simpson's dog in the O.J. Simpson case was an Akita.
• Gaomon, a Digimon character, is a young Akita Inu (As one can see, the drop-ears characteristic of young Akitas, and the curly tail.)
• A biography, Dog Man: An Uncommon Life on a Faraway Mountain by Martha Sherrill (ISBN 978-1594201240) reviews the history of the Akita and the efforts of Morie Sawataishi to restore the breed.
• MC Hammer has two Akitas named Bart and Alvin.

External links

• Clubs, Associations, and Societies
• http://www.japaneseakita-inu.co.uk/
• Directories and informational pages
  • The Akita Inu Forum
• Pedigree Databases
  • Akita HeadQuarters

Notes

• Much of the content of this article comes from the site the equivalent Japanese-language wikipedia article (retrieved October 15, 2005).

References