National dog number one of Japan he takes his name from the Akita prefecture, where he originates from, situated in the northern part of the main japanese isle, Honshu.This dog’s history goes back to 300 years ago when his actual figure began to form .
At once he became the most courageous hunters’ dog, those ones who afforded bears, then he was the samurais’and shoguns’dog . In other words he was the dog of the bosses and noblemen and was the object of special consideration (treatment) and ceremonies where golden necklaces and leashes were used (even today show akitas are presented with a golden necklace and a typical leash). That is why immediately he became a symbol of power , richness and courage.
This dog went through a difficult period when he was modified ,weighed down, tranformed by crossbreedings to satisfy different human needs (for example dog fights) but he succeeded in surviving and step by step, undergoing a process of purification, he has become again the same as he was.

In 1931 he was proclaimed “natural monument of Japan” and as such he is under the protection of the government.
GENERAL APPEARANCE
This natural beauty full of vigour and personality gives a sensation of rare splendour and nobility that satisfies the aesthetic sense. In stance or in action, the akita always maintains a noble and serious aspect, where opposites are incredibly combined:elegance and simplicity, calm and rapidity, self control and impulsiveness, distinction and rudeness.
His sound structure, his well muscled shoulders, deep chest, strong forequarters and hindquarters give him a statuesque appearance as to compare him to a jade statue or a block of carved wood.
His dense and brilliant outer coat and his soft and thick undercoat mask the marked outlines of the bones and muscles so that you never have an impression of rudeness and brutality.
The characteristics peculiar to this breed so fierce are put on evidence above all in his elegant head and in the tail.
The triangular shape of his slanted eyes, deep and misterious, and of his ears, thick prickled and slanted foreward, correspond to the overall picture of the head, broad and triangular itself too.
The thick and strong tail is vigorously carried curled on the back and gives the dog power and harmony at the same time.
The other details of the standard , which we advise to read, reinforce this impression.
His personality appears through his fierce, searching and sometimes thoughtful look.
He is not very effusive , in fact with strangers he shows himself cold and suspicious (thing that according to us is more a quality than a fault) reserving his affection for the members of his family
For this reason in Japan he is very appreciated as a companion dog., loyal and protective, always present but never too exacting or intrusive.
This “samurai” knows how to control his strength and , if we choose him as watch dog, we will have a dog who can defend large property, where he will bring his elegance and his instinct of guard and will do his best to dissuade the intruders avoiding biting.
He will not bark a lot but when he will, there will always be a good reason.
To educate him it will not be necessary to be harsh and severe because sometimes he is touchy, but be patient and persevering remembering that with him even a significative gaze can be enough; the most important thing is to conquer his respect and let him understand that he can not always do what he wants.
His only fault: he is a dominant dog that does not accept lack of respect from other dogs so he will always aim at asserting himself even if by force.

THE IDEAL OWNER

He needs an owner who understands his psycology and who realizes is facing a dog with an intelligence above average, whose personality must be respected; who is willing to be fascinated by his enigmatic gaze and asian expression that no other dog owns ( but pay attention, behind his apparent calm there is the ability to react in a fulmineous way ); who does not look for a robot-dog because the akita “thinks” and sometimes has his own ideas; who loves a dog not manipulated but natural, not to be obliged to have to recourse to trimming, stripping, clipping, or worse still clipping of the ears or tail (he only needs frequent brushing especially in the moulting period) because he is as beautiful as he looks, without artifices.
Finally remember: an akita is not a dog for everyone and those that chose him certainly are people that do not love common things but prefer something different and special.