The Akita 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.
Akita Inu photographed around 1907.
Loyal Hachikō became legendary after waiting every day for his master to return at Shibuya Station in central Tokyo.
A 9-week-old American Akita
Long-coat Akita
A dog breed is a particular type of dog that was purposefully bred by humans to perform specific tasks, such as herding, hunting, and guarding. Dogs are the most variable mammal on Earth, with artificial selection producing upward of 360 globally recognized breeds. These breeds possess distinct traits related to morphology, which include body size, skull shape, tail phenotype, fur type, body shape, and coat colour. However, there is only one species of dog. Their behavioral traits include guarding, herding, and hunting, and personality traits such as hyper-social behavior, boldness, and aggression. Most breeds were derived from small numbers of founders within the last 200 years. As a result of their adaptability to many environments and breedability for human needs, today dogs are the most abundant carnivore species and are dispersed around the world.
An 1897 illustration showing a range of European dog breeds
Sled dog types, sketched in 1833
Tesem, an ancient Egyptian sight-hound
"Five different types of dogs", c. 1547.