Akita
(uh-KEE-tuh)
Doggie Stats Working 24 to 28 inches; 70 to 130 pounds (Note: Japanese and American Akitas differ in size and weight. The American Akita is slightly larger.)1 Akitas are named for the Akita Prefecture (district or region) of Japan where they originated. They were bred to hunt large game such as boar, deer, and bear.2 Although they have never taken Best in Show at Westminster, Akitas have placed first in the Working group three times. They also excel in obedience, rally, and agility competitions.3 1972
Faithful to the End Akitas are large, powerful dogs, well-known for their courage and loyalty. They love their families fiercely but strangers—not so much. In the 1920s, an Akita in Japan became famous all over the world for his devotion and loyalty. Hachiko was the beloved pet of a Japanese professor. Each day Hachiko walked his owner to the train station in Tokyo and waited there all day for him to return. Then one day, a terrible thing happened. The professor died while he was at work. That day Hachiko waited at the station just as he had every other day, but his owner never came. Every day for more than ten years he waited. During those years, Hachiko became a symbol of love and faithfulness to the people of Japan. When he finally died, the whole country mourned his death. They
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