According to reports, on March 29, 2023, Spain promulgated a list of controlled dogs and related pet dog breeding standards. There are currently 8 breeds listed as "potentially dangerous dogs", including 3 types of pit bulls, Rottweilers, Philodendrons, Dogo Argentinos, Tosa Pitbulls, and Akitas.Among them, Tosa fighting dog and Akita dog come from Japan.
When I first saw this list, I was still very surprised. Pitbull’s name was not mentioned, and it was nicknamed “Bully Dog”. It makes sense that they are on the list, but why is the Akita also on the list?
My impression of Akita dogs is still that of Japan’s Hachi, who is kind, loyal, and persistent. When I watched "Hachi, the Loyal Dog", I was moved to tears.
The Akita dogs we usually see have fluffy hair, are soft and cuddly, and have nothing to do with being “dangerous” or “bullying dogs”.
Note: Do not confuse Akita and Shiba Inu. They are two breeds. Shiba Inu is smaller than Akita Inu. Akita Inu has fluffier hair. They look very similar when they are young. It is easy to distinguish them when they are older.
With doubts, I checked the relevant information and found some shocking real cases of hurting people.
Pet Akita dog Hachiko bit three people and was almost "destroyed"
In April 2021, Wendy Ho from Australia was fined US$1,320 for biting her pet dog.
Due to the serious nature of the incident, Wendy Ho will also face criminal charges and her dog will also face being "euthanized".
According to reports, Wendy He’s pet is a 7-year-old Akita dog, which is very large. At that time, Wendy He was looking for a new house and was worried that there was no place to place the pet dog. Her friend Alexander took the initiative to offer to place the pet dog in his home.
In his impression, the pet dog Hachiko is a docile big dog. He also has experience in getting along with dogs, so he feels that he is qualified for this "job".
However, the reality is that after he and the dog were alone for a few hours, the pet dog Hachiko became very anxious. Fortunately, Hachiko wore a "mask" the whole time. Out of uneasiness, he immediately called the pet owner to pick up the pet dog as soon as possible.
In the afternoon, Wendy He arrived as scheduled and took the dog into the car. When leaving, she opened the window to say goodbye to Alexander, and the attack began at this time.
After Hachi got into the car, his mask was removed. He took advantage of the opening of the window to bite Alexander's wrist while he was waving goodbye. The injured Alexander turned around and ran away. Hachi jumped out of the window and pursued him until he dragged him to the ground and bit his back. Alexander then fell into a coma.
Pet owner Wendy Ho was helpless because she simply couldn't hold such a big Hachiko.
The police then sent Alexander to the hospital for treatment. Alexander suffered multiple wounds all over his body:
There were multiple bite marks on the hands and scratches up to 5 cm long. The most serious ones were on the back. Large pieces of flesh were torn off and too much tissue was missing on the back. In the later stage, the wounds could only be filled with sponges and wrapped with negative pressure bandages.
He stayed in the hospital for a week, and for more than a month after being discharged, he had to go to the outpatient clinic every day to treat his wounds.
Doctors diagnosed Alexander with post-traumatic stress disorder.So much so that a year after he was bitten, he still felt pain in his back.
It is understood that this is not the first time Hachiko bites people. Biting incidents occurred in 2014 and 2015, and the pet owner Wendy He was punished with a huge fine.
In Australia, pet dogs that bite people multiple times and in relatively serious cases are classified as dangerous dogs at best, or destroyed at worst. Not only do their pet owners need to pay large fines and compensation, they may also be held criminally responsible, and in the worst case, face imprisonment.
But during the trial that lasted several months, Wendy He tried to refuse to pay the fine and did not agree to destroy Hachiko on the grounds that she had been informed of the dangers of Hachiko in advance. In order to save her pet, she also hired a professional lawyer.
In the end, the incident ended with a fine of US$1,320, Hachiko was deemed a dangerous dog, and the pet owner did not need to face criminal penalties.
There are actually many cases like this.
British pet owner Singer was not so lucky. His Akita bit a woman on the face. Not only did he pay a fine and compensation, the Akita was also destroyed, and he was sentenced to 22 months and 18 months of probation.
In fact, it can be seen from the lists of controlled dogs in various countries that Akita dogs hurt people is not an isolated case.
In addition to Spain, countries such as Argentina and Singapore also have Akita dogs on their prohibited lists. Many cities in our country do not allow Akita dogs to be raised.
"Hachiko" looks gentle, but he actually makes a living by hunting and fighting dogs
As "XL bully dogs", they have some general appearances, such as: weighing more than 20 kilograms and well-muscled, large heads, short and thick necks, strong jaws with amazing bite force, wide and large mouths, trained to attack, etc.
There are many Akita dogs that fit the criteria. It is a large dog, a mature individual, with a shoulder height between 60-70 cm and a weight between 30-60 kg.
There are actually two types of Akita dogs:One is the American Akita dog, and the other is our common Japanese Akita dog.(Whether the two are a single species is currently controversial).
As mentioned earlier, the hurtful Hachiko has black or brown spots on its fur, which is the American Akita. The Japanese Akita looks more "pure" in appearance, with mainly solid and light colors.
The Akita originated in Japan. At that time, Japan only had small and medium-sized dogs. In order to breed large dogs, Japan combined the Mataji Akita from Akita Prefecture with Japan's native Tosas and Mastiff dogs. After several years of selective breeding, the earliest Akita breed was developed.
The early Akita dog was used for hunting. After training, it can become the best hunting companion for humans, used to hunt animals such as elk, wild boar and Ussuri brown bear. Later, due to their bravery and agility, they were also used in dog fighting.
Nowadays, Akita dogs have a very high status in Japan, which is equivalent to the national dog. Japan always sends Akita dogs to show friendship and respect.
But in the past, the Akita nearly became extinct.
During World War II, because Akita dogs were not military dogs, they were hunted in large numbers and used to make warm clothing. In order to escape this fate, many people combined it with a German Shepherd, trying to escape the disaster by dressing the Akita as a "military dog".
After the war, the mixed-blood Akita dogs with German Shepherd blood survived the desperate situation and evolved different characteristics in different countries:
In order to reshape the standardized Akita dog with Japanese characteristics, the Japanese eliminated the foreign dog breed genes in the mixed Akita dog. After years of purification efforts, the Japanese Akita dog we see now has a relatively "pure" hair;
The United States has not changed its original characteristics and has retained its various hair colors. The more American Akitas are not recognized by Japan. Japan refuses any genetic exchange with such Akitas, which ultimately leads to the increasingly obvious differences between American Akitas and Japanese Akitas.
In comparison,The American Akita is larger, stronger and heavier, like a bear, while the Japanese Akita is taller and leaner, like a fox.
Pet owners with experience in raising dogs said that Japanese Akita dogs are more excitable and have low tolerance for dogs of the same kind and gender, while American Akita dogs are more stable and have a higher tolerance for other dogs.
However, whether it is an American Akita or a Japanese Akita, they are both born for hunting and are smart, loyal, but also aggressive. It has a strong sense of territorial protection, is completely loyal to its owner, is very wary of strangers, is sensitive to small animals, and is also repulsive to dogs of the same sex.
These characteristics are innate. If not properly trained, these aggressive behaviors will be strengthened and lead to tragedies.
at last
Many people are deceived by the appearance of the Akita dog, but in fact, there must be a reason why it is classified as a controlled dog in many countries.
It does have the potential to "hurt people". It is large, powerful and has a strong protective instinct. If it does not receive a "good education", it is easy to behave badly and evolve into violent incidents.
Nonetheless, I don’t think Akitas are vicious dogs.No matter what kind of dog, it will bite, even the famously gentle golden retriever will bite..
If you insist on raising an Akita, you must follow the correct training and socialization methods, and you must always be wary of it being a "potentially dangerous dog."