Whispering Pines Akitas

The History of the Akita as a Breed

Akitas originate in the Akita Prefecture, which was is a small region on the northern most tip of Honshu Island of Japan. During the 1800s, it was called Dewa, and the main city, Odate. Located far from the cities of the western plains, it was a mountainous, rugged, cold area. The large game of this area consisted of boar, elk, and the small Yezo bear, like this one. The dogs used for hunting in the north had long been known for their larger size. At one time, only Shoguns and the Imperial family could own Akitas. Elaborate ceremonies and special leashes showed the Akita's rank, and the standing of its owner.

Dog fights had been a favored sport of the samurai caste for centuries. While these dogs in earlier times would have had other jobs like hunting , with the changes brought about by Westernization, some dogs were dedicated to this sport. A favorite was the Tosa Fighting Dog, a crossbred from the native Tosa (Shikoku) Dog and various imported mastiff types. To increase size and fighting prowess, the same kind of crosses went on in the north with the native dog of the Dewa/Akita area. Breeds likely to have been used were Great Danes (Deutsche Dogges) brought from home by German mining engineers. and Tibetan Mastiffs brought with Mongolian traders.

During several periods in the Akita History, the breed almost became extinct. In 1899 there was an outbreak of Rabies in Japan, many Akitas were killed outright for fear that they might be carriers of the disease.

A push towards preservation of the native Japanese dogs grew out of the increasing sense of Japanese nationalism that ushered in the twentieth century. As Japanese interest began to focus on their own history and culture, they began paying attention to the dogs that had been in Japan throughout time. Fortunately, the isolation of the rural north from the agricultural, heavily urbanized areas of the plains ensured that rural hunting had remained an important source of food. When attention turned to the native dogs, the matagi inu (hunting dogs) could still be located to serve as foundation stock.

Although a club for Akita fanciers, the Akita Inu Hozonkai (AKIHO), had already been formed in 1927, the push for government support came primarily from Nipponken Hozonkai or NIPPO. This club was formed in June of 1928 by Mr. Hirokichi Saito from Tokyo. NIPPO began registering Japanese dogs, publishing a newsletter, and holding shows.

In July of 1931, the government of Japan declared the large dog of Japan a Natural Monument. It was named for the Akita Prefecture where it originated. The breed was so highly prized because of its rarity that the government would pay for food for Akitas when their owners couldn't take care of them.

Interest in Akitas received quite a boost from publicity about the breed. First came the tale of Hachi-Ko, which made the front page of the Tokyo papers in 1932. Then came Helen Keller’s well-publicized visit to Japan. These stories, especially Hachi-Ko’s, focused national attention on the value of the native dogs. To help determine whether a dog truly represented the native type, NIPPO developed a written standard, first published in September, 1934. To generate it, committee members used writings about the dogs from previously published articles, outside opinions, judging at their early shows, studies of historical documents, observations of regional dogs, standards from Northern dogs in general as well as their own opinions. Helen Keller was responsible for bringin the Akita to the United States, in 1937. She was so taken by the story of Hachi-Ko's loyality that the Minister of Education presented her with her first Akita puppy named Kamikaze. That pup later died from Distemper, and Ms. Keller was presented with one of Kamikaze's litter mates as a replacement.

World War II

Obviously, all these breeding efforts came to a halt with the advent of WWII. Whatever direction the Japanese dogs might have taken without its intervention is conjecture. Keeping large dogs alive in a country on a war-time footing proved almost impossible. Not only was food restricted, but dog fur was used to line military clothing. Because they were a drain on a fragile economy, police in Akita Prefecture received orders that all dog in the towns and villages except the German Shepherds used by the military and police were to be taken and clubbed to death. Dogs that survived were either working with the police or hidden by their owners, an easier task in the more rural areas. The toll on all the dogs was enormous. By the end of the war, the Akita was close to extinction once again. Dedicated efforts managed to keep the breed viable, and by 1948, a third Akita organization, Akitainu Kyokai, (AKIKYO) had been formed. Each club, NIPPO, AKIHO, and AKIKYO maintains its own registry, has its own breed standard, and holds its own shows. Many dog were registered and shown in more than one of these organizations.

The Akita in America (The United States)

The breed caught the eye and heart of many American servicemen after the war, and a cottage industry quickly arose to supply the demand for Akita pets. Many of the dogs admired and nurtured by the occupation forces for their strength, and adaptability. Some of the dogs were kept as pets, some were given away or sold to others, and some were bred. Serious breeding of the Akita began in the 1950's and 1960's. Spurred by their common interest in the breed, various breed clubs formed. AKC accepted the new breed into Miscellaneous in 1956, but wrangling between groups of owners delayed full registration. In 1955 Mr. M.K. Spelmeyer founded the Akita Dog Association of America. Reacting to its closed membership, in 1956 eleven people who owned about 30 Akitas between them founded the Akita Kennel Club. They changed the name to the Akita Club of America and incorporated in California in 1960. The Akita Breeders Association formed later, adding another club to the rolls. When they were enjoined from using that name by the first club, who laid claim to it, the newly formed group asked the first club to take them in, to which Mr. Spelmeyer agreed. To add to the confusion, Charles Rubenstein formed yet another club in 1963, the American Akita Breeders, supported by some of the time's well-known kennels.

AKC Recognition Recognition required a single breed club but the two main clubs refused to merge despite an arbitration in 1969. Finally, the following term’s new slate of officers made the difference, and the Akita Club of America became the single national breed club. The last remaining step towards AKC recognition was upgrading the stud book. With over 3,000 registrations, this was no mean task. On April 4, 1973, the Akita was admitted to regular breed status with the AKC. In the interim, the national club managed to come up with a standard and maintained the registration of Akitas already in their stud book and their offspring. After registrations stabilized, imports from Japan were no longer accepted for registration because the AKC did not have reciprocal privileges with any Japanese dog club. The ACA became a member club of the AKC in 1995.

The Interim Years in Japan

During the years the breed’s popularity burgeoned in North America, scholars and concerned breeders in Japan continued their quest to learn more about their native breeds. AKIHO rose to ascendancy in Akita affairs and is still by far the largest and most influential registering body. So few Akitas were left after the war, that the Japanese had to work with with they had, which wasn't necessarily what they considered ideal. To preserve the breed during the hard times of the war and immediately afterwards, some crossbreedings, especially to German Shepherds, had been done. Other native dogs were also used. After the war, the Japanese breeders wanted to eradicate any sign of what they regarded as its "Western" effects. Eventually, two lines became the most prominent in post-war Japan. Born about the same time in the Akita/Odate area were Kongo-Go and Goromaru-Go. Kongo-Go was quite a winner in the show ring and very well advertised. He was what is called kurogoma or black sesame in color, what we have come to describe here as a shaded black or black with a brown undercoat. Dogs of this color frequently produced traits that Japanese breeders felt had been introduced to the Akita through crossbreeding for fighting dogs or the Shin Akita Because so many Tosa Fighting Dogs and other European mastiff-type dogs had been crossed with matagi inu during the heyday of the dog-fighting craze from the middle of the 1800s to the early 1900s, a very large dog of recognizable type had been produced. Breeders called it the Kairyoinu or Shin Inu (improved dog), and many had drop ears, loose skin, and wrinkles. That these problems plagued the Kongo lines, and because they were unable to eliminate their prevalence in the black sesame dogs, Japanese breeders eventually abandoned them in favor of the Ichinoseki lines which were founded on Goromaru Go. He was a red pinto with a blaze and black mask. His descendants fit more of what they wanted--tight tails; unwrinkled, tighter skin; and smaller ears--so Japanese breeders moved forward in the decades after the war with dogs that steadily diverged from those they promoted and sold for export immediately after the war. The foundation dogs in America were from the Kongo lines. Over the years before the stud book was closed, Ichinoseki dogs also found their way to our shores. Many American breeders combined the two. Akitas here are much more varied in color, size, and overall appearance than those shown in Japan. As a result, American-bred dogs from imports that came before the stud book was closed can closely resemble Japanese imports coming into America today. However, between the most extreme of the two, Japanese import and American bred, a considerable difference in appearance can exist.

Modern Japanese Dog Clubs

For us, with one kennel club, one parent club and one standard, the world of the Akita in Japan can be rather confusing. Three organizations still exist to register Akitas. AKIHO is still the largest and most influential body dealing with Akitas. AKIKYO was reorganized in 1988 and is still active, but NIPPO focuses mainly on the medium and small dogs. The Japan Kennel Club has assumed its functions regarding Akitas, since it is an all-breed registry and has had reciprocal registration privileges with the AKC and CKC since 1992, when importation of Akitas from Japan to America began again.

Japanese vs. American Akitas

Problems between what has come to be called the American type Akita and the "Japanese" Akita arose first in European and South and Central American countries where the Akita is shown at shows governed by the Federation Cynologie Internationale or FCI. Since standards differ from one country to another, FCI policy has been to accept the standard from the country of origin for the breed unless none exists. In that case, they use the standard from the country of patronage, that is the country that is recognized for preserving the breed. For instance, Siberian Huskies no longer exist in Russia. The breed was developed and preserved in the United States, so the AKC standard used by the FCI since we are considered the country of patronage. Obviously, a country of origin exists for the Akita, and their standard was used for the Akita. The AKIHO standard was written in 1955 and can easily be construed to cover most American Akitas within its parameters. The standard of the JKC, however, is much more restrictive, and when the FCI adopted it in the early 1990s, problems arose. Until then, most of the Akitas imported into FCI countries had been from the US and Canada. Many of these imports as well as their offspring had achieved FCI championships. The FCI’s adoption of the JKC standard for Akitas caused a great deal of controversy because it lists black masks as a fault, which was standard in American Akitas and a marking deliberately bred for in this country. Further, under pressure from the JKC, FCI instructs its judges that a dog with a black mask cannot be given an excellent rating, which then makes the dog ineligible for a championship.

Suddenly people with Akitas imported from or descended from American dogs were disenfranchised. Even their champion dogs were unshowable. They were very upset by this turn of events and began pressuring their FCI delegates to do something about the problems. As a result, this year, the FCI has divided what is one breed in the English-speaking countries of the United States, Canada, Australia, and Great Britain, into two. The "Japanese Akita" is comprised of dogs imported from Japan or dogs from stock that was recently imported. Stock that descends from earlier exports primarily to the US and Canada is considered a "Great Japanese Dog (formerly known as the American Akita)", which is a ridiculous term.

The former are governed by the JKC standard, while the latter fall under what is essentially the AKC one. The issue came before the membership of the Akita Club of America in the form of a straw poll asking whether the membership wanted to the ACA board to pursue splitting the breed, which was a fairly equally split among voting members (57% to 43%). While this issue has been debated, Japanese imports have been arriving on American shores. Some of these dogs have been bred to domestic stock; others have been bred only within the new import lines. These dogs have entered the rings of the US and Canada in both breed and obedience and have acquited themselves well considering how few dogs are here. From 1992 to 1998, under a 100 imports have been registered with the AKC although more dogs of pure-import stock exist because of breedings since the original dogs arrived and because not all are registered with AKC. Currently, to accomplish this, an Akita has to be registered with JKC before export. This requirement means that dogs of pure AKIHO registration already in the US are not eligible for registration. Certainly AKIHO is the largest registry. The web page for the JKC reports only 573 Akitas registered with it to date. Many of these were probably exported. Despite the outcome of the ACA vote and the FCI split, the issues surrounding them are hardly resolved. Many websites explore both sides .

In explaining the different direction they have pursued since the end of the war, the Japanese say that their goal is restoration and preservation of the native Japanese dog, that new knowledge uncovered through research is reflected in the revisions to their standard. The JKC standard is more restrictive than either the American standards or the AKIHO one, allowing only whites, brindles, and reds which must have urajiro. White markings are not preferred. On the other hand, in the AKIHO standard masking, either black or cream, is not mentioned at all. Their standard lists pintos, gomas, and blacks as acceptable, and this seems more correct historically.

To read an excellent article regarding the difference between Japanese Akitas and American Akitas and why they should be split into two breeds here in the United States, please read "The Split" by Katie Asling of Hoka-Hey Akitas.

For more information on the history of Akitas please see this excellent interview article of Kay Greisen published in the Winter 2000 issue of Akita Dog.

Akitas today in the United States are a mess. With just one standard for the Akita recognized by the AKC, you have breeders breeding for "Japanese" Akitas and to their standard, at the opposite end you have breeders breeding for "American" Akitas under the FCI standard. In between you have a TON of breeders who are very vocally breeding what is now being called "Tweenies." That is, they are deliberately breeding Japanese Akitas to American Akitas and creating dogs that are "between" the two standards. Tweenie has become such a derogatory term in the Akita world that they are now using other terms like "blend" or bragging about their 25% import dogs.

This issue has come to a head when the FCI issued a statement saying that people should not buy puppies from breeders in the United States because the dogs can not be certified to be either purebred Japanese Akitas or purebred American Akitas (Great Japanese Dogs). To read more about this issue see the following websites:

Japanese Akita Club of America
American Akita Preservation League
American Akita-Great Japanese Dog International

Sources:

A New Owners Guide to Akitas by Barbara J. Andrews, T.F.H. Publications, Inc. 1996
Akitas, by Edith Van der Lyn, T.F.H. Publications, Inc.
Animal Profile: The Akita, by Barbara Bouyet, Animal Review, October 1984
Breed Profile: The Akita, by Edith Van der Lyn, Dog Fancy Magazine, November 1984
The Book of the Akita, by Joan McDonald Brearley, T.F.H. Publications, Inc. 1990
The Complete Akita, by Joan M. Linderman and Virgina Funk, Howell Book House, Inc.
The World of the Akita by Barbara J. Andrews, T.F.H. Publications, Inc., 1997

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