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57-535: A small, alert, and agile dog that copes very well with mountainous terrain and hiking trails, the Shiba Inu was originally bred for hunting. It looks similar to other Japanese dog breeds such as the Akita Inu or Hokkaido , but the Shiba Inu is a different breed with a distinct bloodline, temperament, and smaller size than other Japanese dog breeds. The Shiba's body frame is compact with well-developed muscles. It

114-480: A bronze statue was erected at the Shibuya train station in his honor. This statue was melted down for munitions during the war, but a new one was commissioned after the war. Each year on March 8 since 1936, Hachikō's devotion has been honoured with a solemn ceremony of remembrance at Tokyo's Shibuya railroad station. Eventually, Hachikō's legendary faithfulness became a national symbol of loyalty, particularly to

171-580: A "discussion on dogs by old people" held in 1931 in the then Ōdate Town, a famous dog named "Moku" was kept at the Jō'ō-ji Temple ( 浄応寺 ) in Ōdate, commonly known as Naka no Tera Temple ( 中の寺 ) , in the late Edo period (1603-1867). Moku was a dog born at the end of the Ansei era (1854 - 1860), lived through the fires of the Boshin War (1868 - 1869), and lived until 1871 or 1872. Moku was about 85 cm tall at

228-470: A breed, Akitas are generally hardy. The two separate varieties of Akita are a pure Japanese strain, called Akita Inu or Akita-ken , and a larger mixed strain, commonly referred to as the " American Akita ". However, it is subject to debate as to whether the Akita strains are distinct, or if they constitute one breed. Debate exists among fanciers whether these are two separate breeds of Akitas. As of 2020,

285-480: A brush. Their tails are a defining characteristic and make them stand apart from other dog breeds. The cream color is considered a "major fault" by both the Japan Kennel Club and American Kennel Club. It should never be intentionally bred in a show dog, as the required markings known as "urajiro" ( 裏白 ) are not visible; "Urajiro" literally translates to "underside white". Conversely, a white (cream) coat

342-490: A dangerous dog. The Akita is a large, strong, independent, and dominant dog. A well-trained Akita should be accepting of nonthreatening strangers, otherwise they treat all strangers in an aggressive manner. A survey on canine behaviour in five 'ancient' breeds in Poland found the Akita to be the most aggressive towards other dogs with 59% of Akitas being reported to display aggression towards other dogs and animals. They were

399-480: A fox-like head. Additionally, while American Akitas are acceptable in all colors, Japanese Akitas are only permitted to be red, white, or brindle. Additionally, American Akitas may be pinto and/or have black masks , unlike Japanese Akitas, where these are considered disqualifications and are not permitted in the breed standards. Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1955, the Akita was placed in

456-531: A half years, greater than any other breed. A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 14.6 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds . The Sanin Shiba Inu is a variety of Shiba Inu. The Sanin Shiba Inu comes from the Inaba Inu of Tottori Prefecture and the Sekishu Inu of Shimane Prefecture , and both are endangered due to the increase of western dogs. In

513-529: A heritable factor can occur, such as: Other nonimmune-specific conditions known to have occurred in the Akita include: These breed-specific conditions are mentioned in veterinary literature: A UK study found a life expectancy of 11.4 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds . Predecessors of the modern Akita were used for hunting bear, wild boar, and deer in Japan as late as 1957. They would be used to flush out

570-594: A keen interest in the breed and was presented with the first two Akitas to enter the US. The first dog, presented to her by Mr. Ogasawara and named Kamikaze-go, died at 7 + 1 ⁄ 2 months of age from distemper , one month after her return to the States. A second Akita was arranged to be sent to Keller: Kamikaze's litter brother, Kenzan-go. Keller nicknamed the dog Go-Go and they were great companions from day one. Go-Go even spent his first night at Keller's home sleeping at

627-460: A popular dog breed outside of Japan, the Shiba Inu has become popular on the Internet. Doge is an Internet meme from originally from 2013 characterized by Kabosu , a Shiba Inu, and broken English . A cryptocurrency, Dogecoin , is named after this meme and its logo bears an image of Kabosu. Another cryptocurrency is also named Shiba Inu after the breed. Another Shiba Inu dog that went viral

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684-642: A similar appearance to the Shiba Inu were represented in dogū made during the prehistoric Jōmon period of Japanese history. The Shiba Inu was bred to hunt and flush small game, such as birds and rabbits. Shiba lived in the mountainous areas of the Chūbu region . During the Meiji Restoration , western dog breeds were imported and crosses between these and native Japanese breeds became popular. From 1912 to 1926, almost no pure Shiba remained. From around 1928, hunters and intellectuals began to show interest in

741-438: A triangular mark on both sides of the fore chest. The Shiba Inu is considered an alert, affectionate, and independent breed with high intelligence but also somewhat stubborn and strong-willed. The terms "spirited boldness" ( 悍威 , kan'i ) , "good nature" ( 良性 , ryōsei ) , and "artlessness" ( 素朴 , soboku ) have subtle interpretations that have been the subject of much commentary. A survey of experts classified

798-564: A visitor on the Akita's territory, highlighting the defensive nature of the breed. A Japanese study found that the CAG repeat polymorphism in the AR gene in the Akita Inu was correlated with increased reports of aggression in male Akita dogs, but not females. Many autoimmune diseases are known to occur in the Akita, including: In addition to these, some immune-mediated endocrine diseases with

855-404: Is a Japanese dog breed of large size. Originating from the mountains of northern Japan , the Akita has a short double coat similar to that of many other northern spitz breeds . Historically, they were used by matagi for guarding and the hunting of bears . The Akita is a powerful, dominant and loyal breed, commonly aloof with strangers, but affectionate and deeply loyal with its family. As

912-528: Is considered to be the most influential dog of that line. However, the Dewa-line later went into a decline because Japanese breeders felt that the Akita did not give the impression of a Japanese dog, so began to breed towards an ideal type reminiscent of other Nihon-ken . The Dewa line was stereotyped as the “German Shepherd” type, while the Ichinoseki line was referred to as the “Mastiff” type. Thus,

969-418: Is double-coated, with the outer coat being stiff and straight and the undercoat soft and thick. Fur is short and even on the foxlike face, ears, and legs. Guard hairs stand off the body and are about 4 to 5 cm ( 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 2 in) long at the withers. The purpose of the guard hairs is to protect their underlying skin and to repel rain or snow. The tail hair is slightly longer and stands open in

1026-608: Is gentle, companionable and trusty. The Japanese Akita and American Akita began to diverge in type post-World War II due to America and Europe preserving the Akitas that fell out of favour in Japan, particularly the Dewa-types and dogs with the signature black mask or pinto marking. American Akitas are typically considered mixed by Japanese breeders (and not true Akitas by the Japanese standard). However, their phenotype predates

1083-515: Is perfectly acceptable according to the British Kennel Club breed standard. The urajiro (cream to white ventral color) is required in the following areas on all coat colors: on the sides of the muzzle, on the cheeks, inside the ears, on the underjaw and upper throat inside of legs, on the abdomen, around the vent and the ventral side of the tail. On reds: commonly on the throat, fore chest, and chest. On blacks and sesames: commonly as

1140-534: Is the result of an autosomal recessive gene and may occur phenotypically only if both sire and dam are carriers. They have longer (about 3-4 in long) and softer coats and are known to have sweeter temperaments. This gene is thought to come from the Karafuto Ken samurai dog. The Akita is generally seen as territorial about its property, and can be reserved with strangers. The breed has been defined in some countries' breed-specific legislation as

1197-833: The American Kennel Club now considers American and Japanese Akitas to be two separate breeds, no longer allowing free breeding between the two. The United Kennel Club , the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI), The Kennel Club , the Australian National Kennel Council , the New Zealand Kennel Club , and the Japan Kennel Club consider Japanese and American Akitas as separate breeds. Some countries refer to

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1254-575: The Tōhoku region of northern Japan. The word matagi means hunter. The main targets of hunting were Asian black bears , Japanese serows , Japanese macaques , and rabbits. In Akita Prefecture , there was also a matagi dog called the Akita Matagi Inu ( 秋田マタギ犬 ) , which is a medium-sized dog and is distinguished from the Akita Inu. The direct ancestor of the Akita Inu was a dog kept as a guard dog and fighting dog by samurai and wealthy farmers in

1311-573: The Ōdate area, and was also known as the Ōdate dog ( 大館犬 ) . During the Edo period (1603 - 1867), the Akita region was ruled by the Satake clan of the Kubota Domain . The Satake West Family ( 佐竹西家 ) , the castle keeper of Ōdate Castle, is said to have nurtured the fighting spirit of its vassals through dogfighting . It is not known exactly how Akita Inu became larger in size, but according to

1368-422: The 'shiba scream'. A survey in Japan found the Shiba Inu to be more likely to engage in destructive behaviour, refusal to walk whilst on a lead, engage in mounting behaviour, and tail chasing. The Shiba Inu was also found to be less likely to bark at noises whilst inside the house. The Shiba Inu has been identified as a basal breed that predates the emergence of the modern breeds in the 19th century. Dogs with

1425-734: The Akita Inu Hozonkai to preserve the original Akita as a Japanese natural treasure through careful breeding. In 1933, Heishiro Takaku (Takahisa), one of the early members of Nippo in Tokyo and later of the Nipponinu Kyokai (Nikkyo) in Osaka and Katsuichi (Shoichi) each published articles on a proposed Japanese dog standard, which Included the Akita dog. Akita dogs revealed the most non-uniformity at that time, when compared to medium and small Japanese dogs, due to being outcrossed to

1482-444: The Akita is a major reason this breed exists today. For the first time, Akitas were bred for a standardized appearance. Akita fanciers in Japan began gathering and exhibiting the remaining Akitas and producing litters to restore the breed to sustainable numbers and to accentuate the ideal characteristics of the breed muddied by crosses to other breeds. It wasn't until the 1960-70's where the foxier Japanese type started to diverge from

1539-696: The American Akita as simply the Akita and not the American Akita. The issue is especially controversial in Japan. For the FCI's 84 countries, the breed split formally occurred June 1999, when the FCI decided that the American type would be called the Great Japanese Dog, later renamed the American Akita in January 2006. Since ancient times, hunting dogs called matagi dogs ( マタギ犬 ) were kept in

1596-543: The Ichinoseki-line rose in popularity. Goromaru-Go was regarded as the most influential Akita of that line who, although didn't perform well in show, produced outstanding Akita dogs when bred to Taihei and Nikkei lines from Southern Akita. Goromaru-Go then became foundation to further the Japanese type. During the occupation years following the war, the breed began to thrive again through the efforts of Sawataishi and others. Morie Sawataishi and his efforts to breed

1653-464: The Japanese Akita by a few decades, and they are closer to pre-war Akitas like Hachiko . Helen Keller is credited with bringing the Akita to America after being given two Akitas by the Japanese government in 1938. By 1939, a breed standard was established, and dog shows began to be held, but this development was interrupted by World War II. During this time, US servicemen serving as part of

1710-701: The Miscellaneous class. The AKC did not approve the Akita standard until 1972, and it was moved to the Working Dog class. As such, the Akita is a rather new breed in the United States. Foundation stock in America continued to be imported from Japan until 1974, when the AKC cut off registration to any further Japanese imports until 1992, when it recognized the Japan Kennel Club standards. This decision set

1767-649: The Sanin Shiba Inu. The numbers were still low but the dogs were protected by the Ozaki family, who carried on the preservation activities. Despite the end of the war, more threats to the breeds emerged in the 1950s and 60s, two outbreaks of distemper occurred in Tottori prefecture, killing many dogs. In addition, the Great Tottori Fire discouraged preservation efforts even more. Despite not being

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1824-427: The Shiba Inu as having 'high aggression, high reactivity and medium trainability'. A possible explanation for this and other observed behaviour is that the Shiba Inu is more closely related to the wolf than domesticated dogs from other countries. Due to the high intelligence of the breed it requires a lot of exercise and stimulation. Insufficient exercise can lead to anxiety which leads to undesirable behaviours, notably

1881-465: The Shiba Inu to have the second highest rate of the condition, with 35% of the Shiba Inus surveyed being affected. Three genes belonging to the breed were associated with glaucoma were found in an analysis of DNA sequencing. Another study from Japan reviewing cases of dogs presented for ophthalmologic examination found the Shiba Inu to make up 33% of all glaucoma cases whilst only making up 2.7% of

1938-782: The Shiba, the Nippo Standard, was published in 1934. In December 1936, the Shiba Inu was recognized as a Natural Monument of Japan through the Cultural Properties Act, largely due to the efforts of Nippo ( Nihon Ken Hozonkai ), the Association for the Preservation of the Japanese Dog. In 1954, an armed service family brought the first Shiba Inu to the United States. In 1979, the first recorded litter

1995-580: The Shinshu Shiba from Nagano Prefecture , the Mino Shiba from the former Mino Province in the south of present-day Gifu Prefecture , and the San'in Shiba from Tottori and Shimane Prefectures . The Shinshu Shibas possessed a solid undercoat, with a dense layer of guard hairs, and were small and red in color. The Mino Shibas tended to have thick, prick ears, and possessed a sickle tail, rather than

2052-561: The Tosa fighting dog, and other Imported foreign dogs. In 1934, the first Japanese breed standard for the Akita Inu was listed, following the breed's declaration as a natural monument of Japan. The Akita breed was used during the Russo-Japanese War to track prisoners of war and lost sailors. During World War II , the Akita was considered a non-military breed and was crossed with German Shepherds in an attempt to save them from

2109-517: The boar and keep it at bay until the hunter could come and kill it. Today, the breed is used primarily as a companion dog , but is currently also known to be used as therapy dogs , and compete in all dog competitions, including conformation showing , obedience trials , canine good-citizen program , tracking trials , and agility competition , as well as weight pulling , hunting, and Schutzhunde (personal protection dogs). Monuments of Japan Too Many Requests If you report this error to

2166-465: The breed include a large, bear-like head with erect, triangular ears set at a slight angle following the arch of the neck. Additionally, the eyes of the Akita are small, dark, deeply set, and triangular in shape. Akitas have thick double coats, and tight, well-knuckled, cat-like feet. Their tails are carried over the tops of their backs in a gentle or double curl down the loin. Mature American-type males measure typically 26-28 in (66–71 cm) at

2223-440: The breed standards, are restricted to red, fawn, sesame, brindle, and pure white, all with urajiro markings - whitish coat on the sides of the muzzle, on the cheeks, on the underside of jaw, neck, chest, body, and tail, and on the inside of the legs. The two coat types in the Akita are the standard coat length and the long coat. The long coat is considered a fault in the show ring, however. The long coat, also known as moku ,

2280-516: The breed was not itself widely known until the early 1980s. The breed was introduced in Australia in 1982 with an American import and to New Zealand in 1986 with an import from the UK. As a spitz breed, the appearance of the Akita reflects cold-weather adaptations essential to their original function. The Akita is a substantial breed for its height with heavy bones. Characteristic physical traits of

2337-457: The common curled tail found on most modern Shibas. The San'in Shibas were larger than most modern shibas, and tended to be black, without the common tan and white accents found on modern black-and-tan shibas. When the study of Japanese dogs was formalized in the early and mid-20th century, these three strains were combined into one overall breed, the Shiba Inu. The first Japanese breed standard for

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2394-471: The dog was 18 months old, he waited for his master's arrival on the four o'clock train, but Professor Ueno had suffered a fatal brain haemorrhage at work. Hachikō continued to wait for his master's return. He travelled to and from the station each day for the next nine years. He allowed the professor's relatives to care for him, but he never gave up the vigil at the station for his master. His vigil became world-renowned when, in 1934, shortly before his death,

2451-417: The early Showa period , Masumi Ozaki, a former landowner in Tottori prefecture, started preservation breeding to prevent the loss of local breeds. However, as World War II grew more intense, the breeding projects became difficult to maintain. Due to the use of dogs for fur by the military, the number of dogs decreased from 50 to 20. In 1947, the two breeds were bred together to create the foundation stock of

2508-474: The foot of her bed. Kenzan-go died in the mid-1940s. By 1939, a breed standard had been established and dog shows had been held, but such activities stopped after World War II began. Keller wrote in the Akita Journal : If ever there was an angel in fur, it was Kamikaze. I know I shall never feel quite the same tenderness for any other pet. The Akita dog has all the qualities that appeal to me he

2565-524: The foundation stock for both Akita types, and many exported dogs were a combination of these lines. According to one Japanese judge, the greatest difference between Japanese- and American-bred Akitas is that the latter still show much evidence of the Dewa strain. In the early 1900s, Dewa-line Akitas were heavily favored and did well in show. Kongo-go (from the Heirakudo Kennel of Eikichi Hiraizumi)

2622-453: The occupation force in Japan first came into contact with the Akita. The breed so impressed them that many service members chose to bring an Akita back home with them upon completion of their tour. Although both types derive from common ancestry, marked differences are seen between the two. American Akitas generally are heavier boned and larger, with a more bear-like head, whereas Japanese Akitas tend to be lighter and more finely featured with

2679-639: The person and institution of the Emperor. In 1967, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Akita Dog Preservation Society, the Akita Dog Museum was built to house information, documents and photos. There is a tradition in Japan, that when a child is born they receive a statue of an Akita. This statue symbolizes health, happiness, and a long life. In 1937, Helen Keller travelled to Japan. She expressed

2736-411: The protection of the remaining pure Shiba. Despite efforts to preserve the breed, the Shiba nearly became extinct during World War II due to wartime food shortage, as well as outbreaks of distemper in the 1950s and 60s and the Great Tottori Fire  [ jp ] , which discouraged preservation efforts. All subsequent dogs were bred from the only three surviving bloodlines. These bloodlines were

2793-457: The second most likely to be aggressive towards humans with 13% of Akitas being reported to display aggression towards humans. Stereotypic behaviour was reported in 27% of Akitas, ranking it second out of the five breeds surveyed. Excessive vocalisation was only reported at 17% for the Akita, lower than the other breeds. Less than 10% of Akitas were reported to have separation anxiety , the lowest amount. 70% of all human directed aggression involved

2850-526: The shoulder and was large enough to carry an adult on its back. Moku was a purely Japanese dog with erect ears and a curly tail, sesame ( goma ) in color, and long hair. If this theory is to be believed, Akita Inu had become larger by the end of the Edo period at the latest. In 1931, the Akita was officially declared a Japanese natural monument . The mayor of Odate City in Akita Prefecture organized

2907-401: The stage for the divergence in type between the American Akita and Japanese Akita Inu that is present today. Elsewhere in the world, one American Akita was first introduced to the UK in 1937. He was a Canadian import, owned by a Mrs. Jenson; the descendants of Mrs. Jenson live on today breeding American Akitas. The most widely known of these is Joseph Felton, an award-winning Akita breeder, but

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2964-487: The total population used in the study. Pyometra , a uterine infection of intact bitches, is slightly more common in the Shiba Inu. The Shiba Inu is predisposed to canine atopic dermatitis . An auto-immune disease common in Akitas Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada-like syndrome is known to occur in the Shiba Inu. A review of cemetery data in Japan found that the Shiba Inu had a life expectancy of 15 and

3021-471: The typical American type. The story of Hachikō helped push the Akita into the international dog world. Hachikō was born in 1923 and owned by Professor Hidesaburō Ueno of Tokyo. Professor Ueno lived near the Shibuya Train Station in a suburb of the city, and commuted to work every day on the train. Hachikō accompanied his master to and from the station each day. On May 25, 1925, when

3078-461: The wartime government order for all non-military dogs to be culled. Some were used as scouts and guards during the war. A native Japanese breed known as Matagi (hunting dog) was used along with the Hokkaido Inu breed to mix back into the remaining Akita dogs to restore the breed. There were many lines of Akita, but the most influential were the Dewa and Ichinoseki. Both lines contributed to

3135-481: The withers and weigh between 100 and 130 lb (45–59 kg). Mature females typically measure 24-26 in (61–66 cm) and weigh between 70 and 100 lb (32–45 kg). The Japanese type, as stated in the breed standards, is a little smaller and lighter. Breed standards state that all dog breed coat colors and patterns are allowable in the American Akita. This includes the common Shiba Inu coloring pattern known as urajiro . The Japanese Akitas, as per

3192-675: Was a dog known as ' Cheems '. He went viral during the COVID-19 pandemic and gained worldwide attention. Cheems died during cancer surgery on August 18, 2023 at the age of 12½ years. The breed is often referred to as Shibe in memes. According to Jamie Cohen, an assistant professor of media studies at Queens College of the City University of New York , the Shiba Inu breed has had a significant presence in online culture since at least 2010. Akita Inu The Akita ( 秋田 , Akita , Japanese pronunciation: [akʲita] )

3249-543: Was born in the United States. The Shiba was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1992 and added to the AKC Non-Sporting Group in 1993. It is now primarily kept as a pet both in Japan and abroad. According to the American Kennel Club, the Shiba Inu is the number one companion dog in Japan. In the United States the breed ranked 44th place in registrations for 2016 with the American Kennel Club. A study in Japan on patella luxation in small breeds found

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