Japanese Akita Inu dog breed history, part 5
Occupation forces save the Akita dog from extinction
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)
The American soldiers who brought Akita dogs back with them continued to rear and develop the breed. The Akitas found on the East-Coast are mainly of Dewa lines descent, whereas those on the West-Coast are mainly of Ichinoseki descent. An interesting fact is that many Akita dogs from the West Coast resemble those found in Japan today, whereas those from the East Coast resemble the Akita dogs that lived in Japan 30 - 40 years ago.
The Akita dog breed was accepted by the AKC in the Miscellaneous group, in 1956. Disagreements between several groups of Akita owners postponed full registration. The breed was finally fully recognized on April 4th, 1973. Back in Japan, Akita fanciers continued their efforts to restore the breed to a purer version. With time, US and Japanese Akita dogs have evolved differently, not only in their appearance but also in their temperament, despite them sharing the same sources.
In America, valued traits included boldness and strong guarding instincts. In Japan, less emphasis was placed on guarding instincts and more was placed on a strong sense of self, and a certain degree of aggressiveness towards other dogs when challenged by them. The American Akita is larger and more heavy-boned than the Japanese one, and comes in a variety of colors.
