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Breed Guide

The Akita: What They Were Bred to Do

The work was hunting big game in the mountains and guarding.

What drives your dog?

Breed is a starting guess. Take the free drive test to see which job your dog actually runs on, with three ways to give them that job this week. We email you the result.

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Where the Akita came from

The Akita comes from the mountains of northern Japan. Hunters called matagi used big dogs to track and hold bears, boar and other big game. Around Odate, samurai and wealthy farmers kept a larger guard and fighting dog that was later renamed the Akita Inu.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Japan worked to protect the breed, which was in danger of being crossbred. A society was founded in 1927 and the breed became a natural monument in 1931. A dog named Hachiko, born in 1923, kept coming back to Shibuya Station in Tokyo for about nine years after their owner died in 1925, and became a national symbol. Helen Keller received an Akita on a 1937 trip to Japan.

After World War II, more Akitas reached the US. The AKC lists the breed as recognized in 1972.

  • 1923 Hachiko is born, and later waits at Shibuya Station
  • 1931 Japan names the Akita a natural monument
  • 1937 Helen Keller receives an Akita on a trip to Japan
  • 1972 The AKC lists the Akita as recognized

The job a Akita was bred for

The work was hunting big game in the mountains and guarding. The dog needed to be brave, quiet and independent. At home that shows up as a calm, dignified dog who is loyal to family, wary of strangers, and strong-willed.

Sports that fit a Akita

  • Scent work. A way to use their brain without stress.
  • Tracking. Their hunting history gives them a good nose.
  • Carting. A useful way to use their strength.
  • Rally. Good for building a bond with a serious dog.

Training tips for a Akita

  • Socialize carefully and early with people and dogs, and go slowly.
  • Use rewards and trust. Force and harsh words can shut them down.
  • Teach calm leash walking with a harness.
  • Teach a strong leave it and settle.

Body and health

Akitas are large and heavy, so avoid high-impact jumping and heat. Watch hips, bloat and thyroid problems.

Fun fact. Hachiko kept returning to Shibuya Station for about nine years after their owner died in 1925, and a statue of Hachiko there was first put up in 1934.

Breed is where we start

A study of more than 18,000 dogs found breed explains only about 9 percent of the differences in behavior between dogs (Morrill and others, Science, 2022). So your Akita is a starting guess, not a label. We find the drive your dog actually runs on, give it a job, and teach you to read them.

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Looking for a different breed? See what 75 breeds were bred to do.