Japanese Akita Inu dog breed history, part 4
The Akita dog misses extinction by a hair during WWII
Welcome back to another “episode” of the Akita dog breed history. If you missed any other parts, you can find them here (Akita Dog breed General Information)
All efforts to restore the breed were put on hold with the beginning of the Second World War. Food was scarce and it was difficult to keep big dogs around in such conditions. Orders were given by the government to kill all dogs that were not German Shepherds, since these dogs were considered useful to the army. The fur of killed dogs was used for lining soldiers’ clothes. Some dogs were hidden by their owners, other were let loose. Nevertheless, by the time the war ended, the breed was almost extinct.
Occupation forces became interested in the breed and saved the Akita from extinction by caring for the remaining dogs. Several puppy mills sprung up to satisfy this new demand for Akita puppies, and there was little concern for puppy quality. The best specimens were declared National Monument meaning they could not be exported. The soldiers took back with them to the States some of the dogs they were allowed to.
After the war, In Japan, two Akita bloodlines in particular, Ichinoseki and Dewa, became more prominent. The Dewa line was very trendy between late 40’s and mid 50’s, but its attractiveness decreased during the late 50’s because of improper characteristics caused by mixed breeding in the line. At this point, the Ichinoseki line started gaining popularity because these dogs’ appearance was closer to the desired standard, and had a “cleaner”, better genetic background.
