Please pardon the dust on our website as we are currently going through a redesign.We do not have any litters planned at this time.
We happy to recommend other Japanese Akitainu breeders who will have litters sooner.

Our kennel welcomes and supports BIPOC and LGBTQ+.

History

The Japanese Akitainu is the largest of the Nihonken (native Japanese dog breeds) in Japan. In 1927, the Akitainu Hozonkai (AKIHO) was established in Odate City, Akita Prefecture in order to restore, preserve, protect and propgate the breed. The Japanese Akitainu Club of America (JACA) has an excellent deep dive into the history of our beloved breed. Please click HERE in order to read!

Life with a jAPANESE AKITAINU

While there are Japanese Akitainu with different types of temperaments and energy levels, typically, the Japanese Akitainu is a proud dog who cares deeply about their people. Energy level is relatively low, perfectly fine hanging out at home, but always ready for an adventure or training session. We find the breed to be eager to learn, as long as the handler keeps training fun and not too repetitive. They are not afraid to tell you that they aren't feeling it today orthey're bored with the session. They will not settle for kibble or low value treats for their "payment", so adding variety will ensure both of you have fun while keeping your dog interested.These dogs love their people and will often follow them at home, as well as give check ins. They are not clingy by nature but are still affectionate to the people they trust. They can be aloof to strangers but should not fearful or aggressive.The breed isn't noisy and will not bark without reason. While they can be excellent watch dogs, they are not suitable as guard dogs.This is not a breed for you if you want a dog that is social to other dogs for play dates and get togethers. Japanese Akitainu should exhibit neutrality around other dogs, but if a strange dog approaches too closely, same sex dog aggression/dog aggression is not an uncommon trait in the breed. If you are bringing a dog of this breed to a household where another dog already resides, in order to set up for success, it is recommended that the sex of the Japanese Akitainu is the opposite of your current house dog.Previously used as a hunting breed, these dogs can see small animals as prey. However, our Japanese Akitainu have been raised with a cat (currently 18 years old) and has never demonstrated any prey drive towards him. In addition, we are fostering an adult male cat and our dogs welcomed him with open arms. Puppies from our first litter are also living peacefully with their cat roommates.As a triple coated breed, expect to make good friends with your vacuum cleaner. Japanese Akitainu shed quite a lot and blow their coat once or twice a year, sometimes even more. That being said, these dogs are relatively clean and easy to house train.

Kubo (8 years old brindle Japanese Akitainu) and Lucas (18 years old cat supreme overlord)

If you want to learn more about the breed, there is a Dogumentary interview with Steven Takamatsu, president of AKIHO North America; you can watch the video HERE.

Two Breeds?

In 2020, the Japanese Akitainu and the (American) Akita was split in the American Kennel Club (AKC) when the Japanese Akitainu entered the Foundation Stock Service program. The breed moved up to Miscellaneous Class in 2023 and is expected to gain full recognition in the near future. This progress in the US has made it much easier to explain to the general public that these two breeds are different from one another.To briefly explain the physical differences in these two breeds, one should know that JA only come in three colors (red, brindle, and white) and have no black masks, while the AA can come in a larger variety of colors and black masks are acceptable. AA are larger in both size and weight compared to the JA.

Important Resources

AKIHO official website
Japanese Akitainu Club of America