THE AKITA IN THE UNITED STATES - Liz Harrell

 If you are old enough to remember World War II maybe you also remember that there was an Army of Occupation that kept servicemen from the United State in Japan for two or more years after the war was over.

 During the war food was scarce in Japan.  Humans found survival difficult.  Dogs were usually less fortunate.  Very few Akitas survived this terrible time yet there were enough of them left to leave a marked impression on the servicemen who saw them.

 One officer, a Navy man, was so enchanted with the Akita that he smuggled a pair on board his ship and brought them to the United States. Several years later when I was registrar I spoke with him about the possibility of getting the dogs registered.  He felt there was no way that it could be done. By that time the third generation of Akitas from these two, 57 in number, were already family pets in the New England area.

 The next Akita to reach our shores was a large male named Taro.  He was brought in by another officer who placed him with the Krooners of Mountain Home, Arkansas.  Taro was properly registered but never did produce pups because he was the only Akita in a several state area.

 Ron Jacobs brought back a registered pair that lived with his parents in Campbell, Ca.  The Fishers brought back Homare no Maiku-Go and Tamafuji no Tokyo and settled in Azusa, Ca. where they produced the first litter of registered Akitas in the United States.  Ben Kam's son, Walter, was in the service and occasionally visited Japan.  During one trip Walter picked up three bitch pups and one male pup from the Washington Pet Shop in Tokyo and brought then back to San Gabriel, Ca.  Leigh Simons was in the northern part of Japan and from there he also brought in three bitches and a dog.  The Halls brought a pair back and settled in Tucson, Arizona.  Several litters were eventually produced by this pair.  Another pair found a new home with Ted Brinks, then the director of the San Diego Humane Society.  Dr. Greenlees, an M.D., brought back a white female and settled in Gobleskill, New York.  All of these Akitas came from different areas in Japan, from Tokyo to the northern­most tip of the country.  Consequently they were all from different blood lines and had some differences in physical appearance

 With all these Akitas now in the United States the time had cone to get the people in touch with each other.

 From 1954 to 1956 attempts were made but while enthusiasm was high for the Akita the thought of working with a club fell very flat.  Nevertheless, the few who could see the potential of the breed brought into being the Akita Club of America in 1956

 By 1959 more litters had been born, more Akitas had been imported and many of the new people were showing more Interest in the club.  The Akita Club of America was getting organized.  They held the first Akita Match in 1960 on Arminta Street in Van Nuya, Ca.  Judge was Rick Chashoudian who had judged Akitas while on duty in Japan.  Twenty-three Akitas were entered.

 While the majority of the dogs were in Southern California area, the Pattees in Bourne, Mass., the Shaffers in Nebraska and the 0'Sheas in Pennsylvania were breeding and developing interest in the Akita, too.

 The monthly newsletter, the Registry, the yearly match and regular meetings all helped to keep Interest high.  Japan Airlines supported the club by donating a revolving trophy for BIM and trophies for best dog and best bitch for a period of ten years.

 It may have been difficult to get people to meetings but it was easy to get them to a match.  Before long a spring puppy match had been added to the agenda and it's surprising how fast the entries grew from 17 in that first match to 89 in the puppy match of 1972!

 On January 10th, 1960, the Bylaws were voted in by the membership and President Clyde Brown started the move to incorporate.  On August 25th, 1960, the Akita Club was Incorporated under the laws of California.

 A committee was assigned the task of rewriting the standard.  It seems everyone who was in Japan brought back some version of an Akita standard and wanted at least parts incorporated into the finished product.  Twice the standard was sent out to all members for addition, etc., and finally the committee came up with a standard that all members voted as acceptable. This took months to accomplish but during that time more Akita owners became conscious of the anatomy of their dogs and quite a few who had previously shown no interest in breeding were seriously planning litters.

 The enthusiasm for preserving the Akita led directly to the development of a Code of Ethics.  Devised by a committee, it was voted in by the membership with great majority.

 A booklet called "Know Your Akita And Your Club" was put together and became part of a package given to all new members.  It contained the Standard, By-Laws, Articles of Incorporation, Code of Ethics, etc.

 In June of 1964 a 78 lb. package of records was shipped to two members on the East coast.  They took a couple of days to familiarize themselves with the contents and then took the whole package to the offices of the American Kennel Club to make the first request for consideration of the Akita as a breed of the Working Group.

 Sonya Dorman and Barbara Miller were pleased with the way our combined efforts were received.  In the presentation were about 400 registrations, a stud book, a complete show history of the Akita since entering the Miscellaneous Class in 1956, copies of the By-Laws, Articles of Incorporation, Coda of Ethics, a cross file system between litters and individual dogs, a workup of the litters showing how many generations had been born in the United States, a map of the United States showing locations of registered Akitas and a complete history of the ACA to date including all of the matches and puppy matches.

 Although praised for the completeness of the records we were told to go home and work some more.  It was felt that the Akita was yet too small in numbers and not well enough dispersed throughout the United States.

 Nine years later, in 1973, the Akita took its place among the Working Breeds and the AKC took on the job of registration.  Many years of work by many people accomplished the fact.  One of the biggest jobs was that of liaison between the ACA and the AKC to get the registry into the AKC files. The Greisens took the job and did it well.

 By this time most of the original Akitas in the United States were dead.  Many of the original people were either deceased or out of dogs. Seventeen years is a long time.  Not unusual, though, if you compare this with other breeds that had some of the same problems in meeting the AKC's requirements.  Recognition is a lot easier if the country of origin of the dog is one whose registry is one the AKC accepts.

 During those seventeen years the Akita itself changed a lot.  Many of the original imports were dogs of great size and bulk and twenty-seven Inches at the withers was not unusual for a male.  By the time the breed was recognized, size had changed considerably so that a twenty-seven inch male looked rather odd In the ring surrounded by males of 25 to under 26 Inches.  The show results in the AKC Gazette show that quite a few Akitas have been disqualified for being under the Breed Standard.  This is a good thing because all Akita breeders must be on guard lest the massiveness of the breed be lost.

 There were other changes as well - coats, leg bone, head shape and size of head.  The changes In the Akita in Japan became reflected In the Akita in the United States as the blood lines mixed through imports brought in just prior to the closing of registrations on imports.  It will probably be many years before these changes will be absorbed and the American Akita takes on a more standard appearance.

 If what I have written here sounds just too smooth and lovely to be true to the old hands at the dog game - - you are right!  This article contains the highlights of how it all got going.  A more detailed and behind-the-scenes account would read a lot like a cross between Mary Hartman and World War III!  The Akita, well known for his feisty temperament, is placid in comparison with many of the owners.  Ah, well friction makes pearls as well as agony so maybe that side of the story has its own small importance too.

 The important thing is that the Akita has arrived.  While many are shown in conformation and obedience, the great majority live as family dogs and in this capacity they excel.  The Akita is happiest when he has a job to do; after all, he is a working animal.  Whether it is to learn to take the jumps to get his C.D.X. or whether it is to help some toddler take her first steps by clinging to his withers, the Akita needs to be needed and performs well.

 Aggressive, proud of himself, he never goes unnoticed.  Small brindle to massive black, he has a mystique that marks him akita!