Akita Inu 
秋田犬

ORIGIN : Japan
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE OFFICIAL VALID STANDARD : 13.03.2001. 
UTILIZATION : Companion dog. 
FCI-CLASSIFICATION : Group 5 Spitz and primitive type. Section 5 Asian Spitz and related breeds. 
Without working trial. BRIEF

HISTORICAL SUMMARY : Originally Japanese dogs were small to medium in size and no large breeds existed. Since 1603 in the Akita region, Akita Matagis (medium-sized bear-hunting dogs) were used as fighting dogs. From 1868 Akita Matagis were crossed with Tosas and Mastiffs. Consequently, the size of this breed increased but characteristics associated with Spitz type were lost. In 1908 dog fighting was prohibited, but this breed was nevertheless preserved and improved as a large Japanese breed. As a result, nine superior examples of this breed were designated as « Natural Monuments » in 1931. During World War II (1939-1945), it was common to use dogs as a source of fur for military garments. The police ordered the capture and confiscation of all dogs other than German Shepherd Dogs used for military purposes. Some fanciers tried to circumvent the order by crossbreeding their do

gs with German Shepherd Dogs. When World War II ended, Akitas had been drastically reduced in number and existed as three distinct types; 1) Matagi Akitas, 2) fighting Akitas, and 3) Shepherd Akitas. This created a very confusing situation in the breed. During the restoration process of the pure breed after the war., Kongo-go, a dog of the Dewa line, which exhibited characteristics of the Mastiff and German Shepherd. FCI-St. N° 255 / 02.04.2001 3 However, sensible learned fanciers did not approve of this type as a proper Japanese breed, so they made efforts to eliminate the strain old foreign breeds by crossbreeding with Matagi Akitas for the purpose of restoring the original pure breed. They succeeded in stabilizing the pure strain of large sized breed as known today. 

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Large-sized dog, sturdily built, well balanced and with much substance ; secondary sex characteristics strongly marked, with high nobility and dignity in modesty ; constitution tough. 

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS : The ratio of height at withers to length of body ( from the point of the shoulders to the point of the buttock) is 10 : 11, but the body is slightly longer in bitches than in dogs. 

BEHAVIOUR AND TEMPERAMENT : The temperament is composed, faithful, docile and receptive. 

HEAD CRANIAL REGION : Skull : The size is in proportion to the body. The forehead is broad, with distinct furrow. No wrinkle. 

Stop : Defined. 

FACIAL REGION : Nose : Large and black. Slight and diffuse lack of pigment accepted in white dogs only, but black is always preferred.

Muzzle : Moderately long and strong with broad base, tapering but not pointed. Nasal bridge straight. Jaws/Teeth : Teeth strong with scissor bite. Lips : Tight. Cheeks : Moderately developed. Eyes : Relatively small, almost triangular in shape due to the rising of the outer eye corner, set moderately apart, dark brown : the darker, the better. FCI-St. N° 255 / 02.04.2001 4 Ears : Relatively small, thick, triangular, slightly rounded at tips, set moderately apart, pricked and inclining forward. 

NECK : Thick and muscular, without dewlap, in balance with head. BODY : Back : Straight and strong. Loin : Broad and muscular. Chest : Deep, forechest well developed, ribs moderately well sprung. Belly : Well drawn up. TAIL : Set on high, thick, carried vigorously curled over back ; the tip nearly reaching hocks when let down. 

LIMBS FOREQUARTERS : Shoulders : Moderately sloping and developed. Elbows : Tight. Forearms : Straight and heavy-boned. 

HINDQUARTERS : General appearance : Well developed, strong and moderately angulated. 

FEET : Thick, round, arched and tight. 

GAIT : Resilient and powerful movement. 

COAT HAIR : Outer coat harsh and straight, undercoat soft and dense ; the withers and the rump are covered with slightly longer hair ; the hair on tail is longer than on the rest of the body. 

 FCI-St. N° 255 / 02.04.2001 5 COLOUR : Red fawn, sesame (red fawn hairs with black tips), brindle and white. All the above mentioned colours except white must have « urajiro ». (Urajiro = whitish coat on the sides of the muzzle, on the cheeks, on the underside of jaw, neck, chest, body and tail and on the inside of the legs). SIZE : Height at the withers : Dogs : 67 cm, bitches : 61 cm. There is a tolerance of 3 cm more or less. 

FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog. • Bitchy dogs / doggy bitches. • Undershot or overshot mouth. • Missing teeth. • Blue or black spotted tongue. • Iris light in colour. • Short tail. • Shyness. DISQUALIFYING FAULTS : • Aggressive or overly shy dogs. • Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified. • Ears not pricked. • Hanging tail. • Long hair (shaggy). • Black mask. • Markings on white ground. 

 FCI-St. N° 255 / 02.04.2001 6 N.B.: • Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum. • Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

soruce: FCI

Usefull things about Japanese Akita Color and Guide ofr the breed

Please downloda this files before You decide to breed the Japanese Akita Inu

GUIDE FOR FCI HERE
GUIDE OF JAPANESE AKITA COLORS: HERE

soruce: JACA development and distribution


History of the breed and Hachiko case... 


Akita Japanese belongs to the group of HORSES (belonging to the dog breeds of the north). He is intelligent, courageous, dignified with a strong, unassuming character. It is a very loyal and devoted dog, quite demanding in education. The steadfast guard of his family. The name Akita is derived from the name of the province in which the kennel of these dogs developed. The province of Akita is located in the northern area of ​​Honshu. The name Akita Inu, (inu-dog), was not used until September 1931, when Akita was recognized as a natural monument. Previously known as Odate dogs (the main city of Honshu in 1800).


   It is not known when Akita was domesticated. Akit ancestors came to Japan with the first wave of immigrants called Ainu and with the other settlers - starting around 15000 years old. After 300 p.n.e ..

For the ancestors of the Japanese spitz, there is no Nippona inu today, which was much smaller compared to modern Akit. Nippon inu was a medium sized dog, with a twisted tail and pointed ears, Nippon inu were used for hunting by the then-hunters called matagi on Asian black bear and other game. These dogs were also commonly called matagi inu.


   During the Edo period (1615-1868), the Satake clan decided to support a dog fight that would serve as a fun for the samurai. Dog fighting has become particularly popular in the Odate district. For the needs of the fight began to cross the Matagi Inu with the local dogs and so formed a dog called Odate Inu, later they were crossed with German Shepherds, German Shepherds, Mastiffs and dogs from various parts of Japan ie Hokkaido Husky Sachaliński etc ...


   During the Taisho period (1912 - 1926), the Akita movement began to develop slowly towards cleanliness. The Japanese zoologist Watase Shozaburo, the creator of the Natural Monuments Protection Act, also worked on the protection of Akita. As a result, in 1927 the foundations were created, and in 1931-9 the Akita inu dogs were named Natural Monuments. Only the emergence of a strong movement to preserve the cultural tradition of Japan brought the renaissance of the race. The Japanese Ministry of Education in 1931 recognized Akite inu as a "cultural heritage" and granted government subsidies for the breeding of these dogs.


THE HISTORY OF HACHIKO

   In 1932, an article appeared about the faithful of Hachiko at Asahi Shinbun, which caused the popularity of this breed. Based on this story, two films have been shot. Hachiko dog. The first of them in 1987 and then in 2008 "Hachiko a dog story", re-make with Richard Gear in the lead role. The music for the film was composed and recorded in Warsaw. (Below the movie trailer for Hachiko - A Dog Story)


When in 1937, Helen Keller visited Akita prefecture, she confessed that she would like to have Akita. Within a month she received a Kamikaze-dog, and when he died some time later, her brother Kamikaze-go-Kenzana was sent immediately.

Until 1938 the breed standard was established and exhibitions were organized. It was decided in the breeding to avoid dogs especially massive, whose appearance was suggested by the molybdenum blood introduced at the turn of the century to obtain dogs best suited to fight. Dog fighting in Japan was banned in 1908.


During the Second World War, for economic reasons, it was required to produce military uniforms of dog skin of all breeds outside German Shepherds. The Japanese, in order to save Akita from extinction, began to massively cross Akita with the German Shepherd, which gave rise to the so-called. The DEWA line, from which in the postwar period a Large Japanese Dog, also known as the American Akita, was born, which gained popularity in the USA.

AKITA IN THE MOVIE & TV SERIES

Japanese Akita is an inspiration for film makers and producers from the Manga genre
Like:
Ginga- Nagareboshi Gin  - link here, link to the series here
Hachiko - A Dog 's Tale (2009)  - link here, link to the video materials - here <- link to VOD
less know such as:
Hachiko Monogatari (1987)- here - link to movie here
Wasao a beautiful story about long coated white Japanese Akita (2011) - here - movie here

soruce: wikipedia.org, youtube.com, http://www.minitokyo.net/