American Akita

About

The American Akita is a loyal, alert dog with a strong, muscular body build. The breed is well known for its intelligence, with many being seen performing in obedience trials. While these dogs have plenty of energy to spare, they’re not known for being particularly outward-going with it. Many people do not realize that the American Akita and the Japanese Akita Inu are two separate breeds. But what differentiates them? You can break down the differences in color, body shape, size and personality.

Akita Inu Weight: 50-85 lb. (23-39 kg) Height: 22 ¾ to 27 ½ in. (58 – 70 cm) Colors: Has four colors: brindle, red fawn, red fawn with black tips, and white Face: Has a fox-like face and almond shaped eyes. Build: A slim build and looks like a large Shiba Inu

American Akita Weight: 80-145 lbs (36-66 kg.) Height: 24-28 in. 61-71 cm) Colors: Comes in all colors and markings Face: Has a broad head and small, deep-set eyes , rather resembling a bear Build: Has a stocky, muscular body with big bones

Personality

These dogs are not recommended for owners with children. While they are known to be affectionate with their families, they are not suited for the chaos that comes with kids.
The breed is dignified and careful, making them not appropriate for such a crazy household. On top of the personality difference, the American Akita is a large, hefty dog, making it capable of accidentally injuring any small children.
The American Akita doesn’t tend to play well with others. Don’t expect these dogs to be hospitable with other dogs, especially those of the same gender.
They also tend to view smaller pets as prey. They treat many new dogs that are trying to integrate into the home as suspicious as they would any unknown dog, especially those of the same sex.

• Playfulness 🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴
• Affection Level 🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴
• Friendliness Toward Strangers 🦴🦴
• Good with Children 🦴
• Good with Other Dogs 🦴
• Exercise Needed 🦴🦴🦴🦴
• Ease of Training 🦴🦴🦴
• Watch Dog Ability 🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴
• Grooming 🦴
• Shedding 🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴
• Cold Tolerant 🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴
• Heat Tolerant 🦴🦴

History

Before World War 2, the most famous Akita Inu was shortly seen immortalized in bronze. The Akita in question is named Hachiko, born in 1923.

This dog had become a symbol of loyalty to its owner, the Professor Ueno when he continued to return to the same spot he had met him every day once the professor had died. His statue was melted down for the war. However, a new one replaced the original once the distinct lack of a certain bronze Akita Inu was too much to bear. The first dog imported to the U.S. was In 1937 and owned by Helen Keller. World War 2 had a devastating effect on the breed which became almost extinct.

It was after World War 2 that the now excluded physical types of Akita Inu were brought back to the US alongside those of the accepted colors. Ex-soldiers had a particular admiration for the breed, although many had been crossed with German Shepherds over time. This may be the cause of the American Akita’s larger build than its Japanese counterpart. It was crucial that the Americans brought some Akitas back with them after the war ended, as the breed’s population dropped in the post war years.

This is likely due to the economic woes felt by the country as a result of its loss. This was following the decrease in the population before the war, due to the Great Depression. Thankfully, the breed was popular enough never to have been seriously threatened.

The breed quickly became popular among those who had a passion for intelligent and challenging dogs to train. It wasn’t until 1955 that it was recognized by the AKC. The importation of these dogs from Japan was finally stopped in 1974, which finished the process of the American Akita becoming a separate entity from its ancestors, which started two years prior.

Today, the American is the 47th most popular purebred breed in the country.

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