Origin, history
Akita Inu is a breed that appeared as a result of the crossing of mastiffs and Chinese spitz-like rocks. This is one of the hypotheses of the origin of Akita Inu. It is known that even in antiquity his ancestors went with their masters to hunt large animals, up to and including the bear. The ancestors of the Akita were called Matagi Ken, and they were bred to hunt deer, wild boars, and even black bears of Akita province, reaching 400 kg in weight.
History shows that they are among the most ancient breeds, including 13 more breeds: Afghan hound, Pekingese, Siberian Husky and others. The evidence for this theory is as follows:
archaeological excavations: the remains of similar dogs belong to 2 thousand years BC;
results of genetic research. They indicate that the genotype of dogs that are representatives of the most ancient breeds has the least differences with the genotype of the wild wolf – the ancestor of all dogs.
Gradually, the status of Akita Inu changed. From bear dogs they turned into elite animals that could be kept only in palaces and houses of high-ranking officials. In the 18th century, Akita Inu began to serve as guard dogs in palaces. Dog-hunters turned into pets, the content of which was available only to the elite of society. Ordinary people, peasants could not even dream of becoming the owners of these dogs.
Interesting! The story of the Akita Inu is noteworthy also because one of the Japanese shoguns (the fifth), the governor of the prefecture Akita, issued a decree according to which the one who killed the dog was subjected to the death penalty.
But there were tragic moments in the history of Akita Inu. At the beginning of the 19th century, Akita crossed with Tosa Inu, a Japanese fighting dog. This happened to please dog fights that were popular during this period. The result of this crossing became aggressive dogs of large sizes. Gradually, the existence of the traditional Akita Inu breed was threatened. And after the epidemic of rabies, which occurred in Japan a little later, the number of Akita was reduced to a minimum. But at the beginning of the 20th century, a society organized to preserve the breed achieved its resuscitation.
In modern Japan, Akita is one and national treasure. Monuments are erected in her honor, her images can be found everywhere in public places.
The breed came to Europe and America after the Second World War. Europeans started on the basis of Akita began to breed their species – a large Japanese dog. Now it is a separate breed.
