I am bothered by people breeding/owning AA's, thinking they have a JA.
Some people who own akitas don't know of the existence of JAs and AAs. And this bothers me 
(obviously this is not directed to anyone on this forum
Okay, here is two examples that have happened to Toki and I on the streets.
Today, I took Toki to a strip mall to socialize. This dude drove up to us and asked "Is that an Akita?" and I told him yes, and he pulled over, got out, and showed me his cell phone with a picture of an Akita. I said, "Oh you have an American Akita! Toki is a Japanese Akita", and he said, "Oh, my dog is a Japanese Akita too. I breed them".... Knowing that Carol and Jim are the only JA breeders in Texas, I was flabergasted... Oh god... haha. This dog was all white, but it was definitly an American Akita, it was obvious. I suppose the American Akita's are gaining popularity, and therefore backyard breeders are getting ahold of them. (which also saddens me if this is true). I guess I shouldn't assume he was a backyard breeder, but to not know your own breed that you are allegedly breeding... that is shameful, I would think. I wanted to inform him, but someone else had came up and I didn't want to be rude and ignore them. I kinda regret not telling him that he did not have a Japanese akita, seeing as how I had one right in front of him....
My second example... I was at a small park with Toki a little while ago, and like the last man, asked if he was an Akita, and like the last man, he also said had an Akita, also saying that his Akita was a Japanese Akita. And get this... he ALSO said he got his "Japanese Akita" at Walmart. [cringe!!] Someone was selling them in a box in the parking lot... Sad day. I know that JAs are scarce in a world of AAs, so much that i *think* that ALL japanese akita breeders in the states are well known in the JA akita world, or at the very least, aren't gonna sell their pups at Walmart, which leads me to believe he had an AA.
I would think that with the heated debate of the breed split, at least an Akita owner would know...But people on the streets have proved me wrong thus far. It saddens me. And this isn't to bash anyone who doesn't know the difference or don't even know that akita's exist, I think that is completly okay, they just aren't informed. I guess I just got frustrated with the man today breeding "japanese akitas"....
I have no problem with those that don't know what an Akita is or they don't know there is a difference, in fact, I love talking with them. What bothers me is the people who own an Akita that don't even know there is a difference between AA's and JAs, and to make it worse, unbeknownst to them, they believe they're Akita is an JA and not the AA that it actually is. I even met a person who had an "Alaskan Akita"...(shakes head)...Does anyone else have an experience where you run into people on the street and say they have a Japanese Akita, but then say something stupid, like they got their JA from Walmart?
/end rant
-Julia
(obviously this is not directed to anyone on this forum
Okay, here is two examples that have happened to Toki and I on the streets.
Today, I took Toki to a strip mall to socialize. This dude drove up to us and asked "Is that an Akita?" and I told him yes, and he pulled over, got out, and showed me his cell phone with a picture of an Akita. I said, "Oh you have an American Akita! Toki is a Japanese Akita", and he said, "Oh, my dog is a Japanese Akita too. I breed them".... Knowing that Carol and Jim are the only JA breeders in Texas, I was flabergasted... Oh god... haha. This dog was all white, but it was definitly an American Akita, it was obvious. I suppose the American Akita's are gaining popularity, and therefore backyard breeders are getting ahold of them. (which also saddens me if this is true). I guess I shouldn't assume he was a backyard breeder, but to not know your own breed that you are allegedly breeding... that is shameful, I would think. I wanted to inform him, but someone else had came up and I didn't want to be rude and ignore them. I kinda regret not telling him that he did not have a Japanese akita, seeing as how I had one right in front of him....
My second example... I was at a small park with Toki a little while ago, and like the last man, asked if he was an Akita, and like the last man, he also said had an Akita, also saying that his Akita was a Japanese Akita. And get this... he ALSO said he got his "Japanese Akita" at Walmart. [cringe!!] Someone was selling them in a box in the parking lot... Sad day. I know that JAs are scarce in a world of AAs, so much that i *think* that ALL japanese akita breeders in the states are well known in the JA akita world, or at the very least, aren't gonna sell their pups at Walmart, which leads me to believe he had an AA.
I would think that with the heated debate of the breed split, at least an Akita owner would know...But people on the streets have proved me wrong thus far. It saddens me. And this isn't to bash anyone who doesn't know the difference or don't even know that akita's exist, I think that is completly okay, they just aren't informed. I guess I just got frustrated with the man today breeding "japanese akitas"....
I have no problem with those that don't know what an Akita is or they don't know there is a difference, in fact, I love talking with them. What bothers me is the people who own an Akita that don't even know there is a difference between AA's and JAs, and to make it worse, unbeknownst to them, they believe they're Akita is an JA and not the AA that it actually is. I even met a person who had an "Alaskan Akita"...(shakes head)...Does anyone else have an experience where you run into people on the street and say they have a Japanese Akita, but then say something stupid, like they got their JA from Walmart?
/end rant
-Julia
Comments
i own one of each currently but have stopped telling people they are different breeds. i've even had people that own "japanese akita" argue with me that athena is a husky cross, because she doesn't look like their huge black masked bear. i use to want to educate people until i was called a stuck up bitch by someone when explaining the difference between the breeds. mind you i had just refused to allow his rather badly bred AA to mate with my 10 month old JA at the time who wasn't even in season. so now if asked i just say they are akitas, if someone asks if athena is a husky or husky cross i just say yes. no point in trying to explain cause people don't really care. if someone shows genuine interest then of course i will explain but it doesn't happen very often.
the one thing i find even more frustrating is been in a show and the judge not knowing what the hell she is. at a recent open show the judge actually told me her coat texture was wrong and i should have entered her into akita classes not into any variety not seperatly classified. she also commented that i should buy her a show collar and lead and not just use the one i walk her on, in the end i explained that the collar and lead she was wearing was a show set that was bought from japan cost me a small fortune and maybe she was confused by what breed my dog was. needless to say we where placed last. just glad we had only gone for the practice and it wasn't a big show. i was fuming on the day but now i'm finding it rather amusing.
Also sometimes I get trouble for correcting people when they call the japanese akita the "original akita". Neither AA or JA is the original akita, but will people listen to an explanation before telling me I'm delusional? Nope! *rolls eyes*
I find a similar problem with people and the Malamute/Husky thing. I have had several people say their Husky is a Malamute - after MEETING and SEEING London when they have their dog - when it's clearly a brown eyed husky and almost everyone I've asked on why they think their dog is a Mal says "oh, well he/she doesn't have brown eyes--that's the difference."
Inversely, I've had people argue with me and tell me London is absolutely a Husky and I have no idea what I'm talking about (because, you know, it's not like I raised him and registered him, right?). It's so bad where I hear the word "husky" uttered through a crowd in regard to London and I cringe. My boyfriend takes it much more gracefully and he lets people think what they want unless they're genuine in asking about him. I don't know if I'll ever be able to be that good about it.
The Akita of post WWII and pre-1973 (year AKC closed the Akita studbook) had three types of Akita. The Fighting Akita, which is derived from crossbreeding of the Mastiff, Saint Bernard, Tosa, etc. It's roots go back to the late 1900s. The Sheppard Akita, which is the result of owners crossbreeding with the GSD during WWII. The Matagi/Mountain Akita, which mostly stayed out of the cites and was found in a rural areas. ( I'm going to avoid talking about lines in here to keep it simple)
During the Postwar period in Japan, the Fighting and Sheppard Akita was the focal point of the restoration of the breed. There is some mention in the JKC Akita Book, that the Mountain akitas have not made their way into the show circles. IMO if they did, then they were not winning yet hence why you do not see many of them. At the same time, offspring of the Fighting and Sheppard akita made their way back to the US.
By mid 1969, the influence of the Matagi/Mountain Akita becomes a major part of the Akiho shows in Japan. Below are examples of how quickly the Japanese shifted their tastes towards the MA. By 1974 (one year after the studbook closed), it is really clear that the other types have fallen out of favor. The US continued to improve on their stock of Fighting and Sheppard Akitas. Since the AKC did not recognize the JKC. Their was little interbreeding done between the two countries.
Full link of all winners: http://www.akitainu-hozonkai.com/award/award_all.html
1968
http://www.akitainu-hozonkai.com/award/aw037.html
1970
http://www.akitainu-hozonkai.com/award/aw041.html
1972
http://www.akitainu-hozonkai.com/award/aw047.html
1973
http://www.akitainu-hozonkai.com/award/aw049.html
1974
http://www.akitainu-hozonkai.com/award/aw064.html
For the better part of twenty years, the two countries ventured down separate paths. The United States improved on the Fighting and Shepherd Akitas. The American style Akita became known as a guard dog, drawing on the influence of the Tosa, Great Dane, and German Shepherd. Meanwhile, the Japanese focused on the Matagi Inu, restoring the breed to it’s hunting roots. Then end result is two different breeds, with different looks, and functions.
In 1992, the AKC formally recognized the JKC. This was done mostly for the Shiba-inu owners in AKC. Overnight, there was a rush to import the "Exotic" and "Oriental" looking Akitas.
So you can see why most people are confused. You have a gap from 1973(but really before that) to 1992 with little contact between each other. During the period the Japanese rapidly developed their Akita, and the US improved their Akita. It's easy to see how most of us in the United States grew up only knowing one Akita. For the UK people, it is kinda the same story. Most of the American Akitas in the UK came from the US. The UK split in the mid 2000s, so almost everyone grew up around American Akitas.
Did this make any sense at all?
I suppose it also does not help the cause when an name like "akita" already sounds asian, so people assume all akitas are "Japanese Akitas'', and really, I can understand the confusement, but that doesn't make it correct. All akitas originated from Japan, one could argue, and they would be correct, but only to an extent because they don't know the history...like the dude who breeds "JA"s who actually owns AAs, little did he know... >_>
Hell, at the least, even wikipedia could sort a few things out if people are so inclined to be lazy. I think the few people I've met with their pseudo japanese akitas owe it to themselves and their dogs at the very least to research the breed(s) on wiki. No excuses! :P
Sure, Tikaani is a bit big for a Sibe (24inches, 65lbs), but still noticeably smaller than a Malamute.
@JellyFart @Calia - I always become discouraged with people when they don't know what a Mal is. I mean, it's not even like the're a terribly foreign dog nor are they a breed that's been created in the near past or insanely refined to what it is today. They've always been around and old pictures look just like modern ones, for the most part!
I do notice that post WW2 generations are more likely to know what a Mal is than younger generations.
I also canNOT imagine how people mistake Tikaani! He's such a handsome Sibe!
The Japanese really should have gone with American Akita and Japanese Akita. Had they done this, a lot of this debate would have been purely academic.
It's funny but I get equally mad, when I see people post (not here) to bash the American Akita as not pure. That's a huge load of crap. This isn't an issue of pure or not. It comes down to, two races of domesticated dog, with a common gene pool, separated by different appearance and function.
@Venus, that is SUPER annoying about the judge. I understand the average person not understanding about the two breeds, but a judge should know better. There is simply no excuse for that.
And the mix thing makes me crazy too. I'm on the FB page about Akita puppies in the US and someone was asking if we knew where there were "Huskitas" for sale. I had a little fit about mixed breed dogs sold as purebreds, and someone who owns Akitas got on there and took me to task and said if people hadn't been mixing breeds, our beloved Akita (she meant AA) wouldn't exist, so I shouldn't be so judgemental. Really, really annoying.
People sometimes think Oskar is a malamute. I don't think he looks like one, but....
I seen plenty of Oskar pics and he looks nothing like any malamutes I've seen. hehe
Coarse everyone thinks Saya my shiba is a husky, mini husky, mini malamute, coyote, coyote dog, wolf dog, wolf.. Adults making these statements not kids well boys sometimes say look a wolf, but I understand kids since they're not educated in wild things much coarse adults aren't either..
Very nice write up Jackburton
The cat thing is actually quite common with Conker. He's either a fox, fox-dog hybrid or a cat. Some people refuse to believe he's a dog.
They really aren't the same breed at all, and it's really hard to believe the US has not split the breed....
If you look at the comments posted on AkitaWorld (facebook), you'll notice that those with American Akitas that don't fit into the traditional AA template always talk about the Japanese influence with their dogs. People often, talk about how they like the Japanese look but with the bigger AA body. "Best of both worlds" gets thrown around a lot.
People's fancies can be a powerful tool in shaping the standards of a dog. Take a look at Jessup et al. vs AKC and what their breed club did to the English Labradors. By changing that height requirement the smaller english lab was blocked from being shown. Currently, the ACA isn't faced by this issue(it's voting body cannot get the 2/3rds to change).
But consider this...
People are quickly learning about the JA via the internet. There is a lack of supply of proper JA in the US. People in the end will settle and go with a "3/4" or and "Akita with that Oriental look". The only thing preventing this push in AKC, is that fact that the blends tend not to win as much. That could change and something simple like body ratio change, head ratio change and it could become really bad for the AA here. It also helps that the bigest population of domestic JA cannot be registered AKC.
With the holidays, I have a lot of free time spent on facebook; it brings out the inner creeper in me, lol!
And Sean.....Akita world has driven me so crazy, that mostly I try to stay away, but I do get pulled in some times! I'm astounded, though, by how much people don't seem to know about the two breeds....And I agree it could be problematic for AAs. I think the breed (AAs) have improved immensely in the past 20 years, esp. in terms of more even temperament, and I'd hate to see progress lost by those who decide "blending" is the way to go. And frankly, it doesn't even make sense to say a Japanese look with a bigger body, as that would look unbalanced....I dunno, again, I start thinking of this stuff, and I just can't even imagine how people DON'T see them as two different breeds....
I always have fun introducing Kagome not only as a JA, but a long coat JA.
Haha, I saw that "Huskita" on akitaworld, which this is my first time discovering them! Good to know they're the jerry springer of the Akita world, teehee