Large,
powerful, alert, with much substance and heavy bone, the Akita was named for
the Akita Prefecture of Japan, where the breed originated. Helen Keller was so
impressed by the tale of Hachiko, the loyal dog who became famous for waiting
nine years at a train station in hopes his dead owner would return, that she
brought the first Akita to the United States in 1937. More Akitas came to the
United Sates after World War II, accompanying returning servicemen. In 1956,
the AKC initially accepted the Akita as a new breed, and in 1973, the Akita was
admitted to regular breed status after the Akta Club of America became the
single national breed club.
References:
American Kennel Club. (2017). 22nd Edition of The New Complete Dog Book : official breed standards and profiles for over 200 breeds.Mount Joy, PA: Fox Chapel Publishing.
Dog Banners – Akita