The Akita originates from the mountainous, snow prone regions of Japan and were originally used to guard royalty or to hunt wild bore, black bears and deer.  This powerful, dominant, independent breed can be reserved with strangers but is super affectionate and protective with family members due to their guard dog nature. They are calm and quiet which makes them very easy to house train and they do not often bark.
Akitas can be challenging to understand and raise which can make training difficult. They have a primitive way of thinking and behaving and their body language and facial expressions and very subtle making them harder to “read”, some say similar to a feline! They are very willful and will make you work hard to prove you are the boss.
In appearance the Akita is a substantial breed for its height with heavy bones. They have a large, bear-like head with erect, triangular ears.  Additionally, the eyes of the Akita are small, dark, deeply set and triangular in shape.  The Aikta has a short, double coat, very similar to the Husky or Samoyed, so having the time to groom and care for this coat is a must as they are heavy shedders. Long-coated dogs can be found in many litters due to a gene mutation. Their tails are carried over the top of the back in a curl.