While much of the information known about the Akita is from the last hundred years, the origins of this dog breed extend back at least a thousand years.

In Japan there are early historical accounts of dogs with tightly curled tails and erect ears dating back to earlier than 1000 A.D., but these ancestors of the Akita Inu were not kept as pets. The early Akitas were admired for the warmth of their fur and the tastiness of their flesh.

It wasn’t until the feudal years of Japan that the Akita became began to have value to the isolationist empires of the Japanese islands. Early Akitas were called Matagiinu which translated among Japanese royalty as the esteemed hunter.

During these feudal years, the Akita became an elitist breed that could only be owned by daimyos of high ranking. Throughout this period in history which ran from the 12^th century up until the 19^th century, the Akita faded in and out of popularity depending on which dynasty was in power. At one time, these dogs were so popular that only rulers could own them and the dogs wore colorful collars that determined the ranks of these rulers.

In fact, the fifth Tokugawa shogun, Tsunayoshi, was known as the Dog Shogun and paintings of him hunting had dogs with erect ears and curled tails similar to the trademarks of an Akita.

Although many Akita-type dogs existed in Japanese culture, it is the northern region of the island Honshu were these dogs get their name. It was in the Akita prefecture that these dogs were developed to be true working dogs. They needed large dogs that were fast and agile enough to track fast moving game while at the same time being able to hold their ground against larger game like the 800-pound Yezo bear.

Early Akitas were great guard dogs and had keen senses of hearing and smelling. They were quiet dogs that would only bark when threatened and needed no training to understand their guard duties.

But after the end of the Japan’s feudal era, this great dog was almost wiped out because of several events. During the 1800’s, dog fighting became popular in Japan and the Akita was crossbred with the Japanese fighting dog called the Tosa Inu. This became a popular crossbreeding as now there was a dog with the size and aggression of a Tosa and the intelligence and agility of an Akita. Also, near end of the 19^th century, Japan suffered from a fatal outbreak of rabies and dogs all over the islands, healthy or sick, were beaten to death to prevent further spreading of this disease.

Today, the Akita is a national symbol of loyalty among the Japanese islands. Among the most famous is Hachiko. Below, is a video from You Tube that tells this famous dog’s story.