The Akita (秋田犬, Akita -inu, Akita -ken) is a large breed of dog originating from the mountainous northern regions of Japan. There are two separate varieties of Akita : a Japanese strain, commonly called " Akita Ken" in Japan, " Akita Inu" ("inu" means " dog " in Japanese), or "Japanese Akita "; and an American strain, known as the " Akita " or "American Akita ". The Japanese strain called the Akita Inu comes in a narrow palette of colors, with all other colors considered atypical of the breed, while the American strain known simply as the Akita comes in all dog colors. The Akita has a short double-coat similar to that of many other northern spitz breeds such as the Siberian Husky, but long-coated dogs can be found in many litters due to a recessive gene.
The Akita is a powerful, independent and dominant breed, commonly aloof with strangers but affectionate with family members. As a breed, Akitas are generally hardy, but they have been known to be susceptible to various genetic conditions and can be sensitive to certain drugs.
In all countries (except the United States and Canada ) the Japanese and American strains of Akita are considered two separate breeds. In the United States and Canada, however, the two strains are considered a single breed with differences in type. For a while, the American strain of Akita was known in some countries as the "Great Japanese Dog ".
