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Sep 24, 2010 01:38
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Pretty Cool Name posted:Your images appear to be broken. They work fine for me.  Yeah, your pup is most definitely a mix, looks like possibly husky or chow, maybe. Either would put you in this thread. 
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Sep 24, 2010 02:05
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Sorry, waffle rejected them for being too big. I suppose now that I've scaled them down I could put them on waffle. They're just tinypic though, maybe if you did right click -> view images? Anyway what about him makes you think he's a mix? My neophyte eyes only see labrador.
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Sep 24, 2010 03:21
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Vino posted:They're just tinypic I dunno how well-known this is, but Tinypic is starting to refuse uploads from non-American computers and that might be causing troubles on the viewing end all around as well.
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Sep 24, 2010 08:25
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Well poo poo, sorry. The service has been getting worse and worse, feel free to suggestion a better one for me. Waffle only works for SA.
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Sep 24, 2010 08:59
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Vino posted:Well poo poo, sorry. The service has been getting worse and worse, feel free to suggestion a better one for me. Waffle only works for SA. You can set up a Photobucket account and use that, it's all I've ever used. 
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Sep 24, 2010 11:53
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I'll give that a try but:Vino posted:Anyway what about him makes you think he's a mix? My neophyte eyes only see labrador. I'm really interested. I looked at his tongue when I first got him but didn't see any purple so I ruled out chow.
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Sep 24, 2010 12:23
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Oh yeah.  I saw that yesterday and forgot to respond.It's mainly his fur and his ear carriage, they're really not typically lab. Something about his face, too, is more slender. That combined with his personality highly suggest mix. I have to go to work, but I can dig up some pictures later if you want.
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Sep 24, 2010 12:32
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Yes, I would love to see that.
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Sep 24, 2010 12:39
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The tongue doesn't mean he's chow or not, my dog has purple all over his tongue but really doesn't look very Chow-ish.
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Sep 24, 2010 15:43
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Exactly. Purple tongues are something breeders strive for in Chows and Shar Peis, but blue tongues (or spots, such as on my Shiba) don't necessarily mean they are part Chow or Shar Pei. It's better to think of them as more like freckles, or hyperpigmentation on the tongue. I believe it's a recessive trait in dogs. That said, just because there is NO blue tongue, doesn't necessarily mean they aren't part Chow or Shar Pei. WolfensteinBag posted:You know, I was thinking about different Primitive dogs and how dogs like Shibas, Akitas, Basenjis, etc. are different from sledding/spitzy dogs, and I think I figured out how you can pin it down. Obviously each breed is going to be different based on what exactly they were bred for, but I think where sledding/spitz breeds tend to keep a lot of wolfy behaviors in the way they interact with eachother and with humans, more Japanese/feral type dogs are more like Village Dogs, or the predecessors of the domestic dog. They seem to have more of the "gently caress you" attitude than other breeds in that they are SO instinctively out for themselves, because wild dogs would have to be to survive. Just a thought, I figured I'd see what the rest of you (especially Pfox) think, since I have less experience with those types of breeds. You know, I think that's a fair observation, Wolf. It's just the more I'm really reading about the breeds I'm not entirely familar with and writing my breeds, the more it's just so fascinating how similar and dissimilar these dogs are from one another. And it's just so funny. Because many of these dogs aren't the lovey snuggle bunny kind of dogs, but Koji (and other Shibas I know) wants to be in the same room as I am in, but never all upons me. For example, right now I'm in the living room and he's sleeping on his bed across the room. If I'm in the bathroom for a while for a shower, he'll curl up outside the door, if I'm in the kitchen, he'll watch me from the hallway (though honestly, might be because of the food), and if I want to be in the bedroom, he'll want to curl up on his bed in there. Now, this isn't always the case, but it's just like he wants to get a feeling for where I am but never wants to cuddle or get really close, he just needs to know where his people are, in a way. At the dog park, he'll run back and check I'm still wherever I was, but won't come close enough for me to get him unless he's practically dead on his feet.  For such independent "gently caress you!" kind of dogs, they still are dogs and sometimes we really have to remember that we bred these puppy-like dog traits into them from their wild predecessors. We want them to be independent thinkers, solve puzzles and be self sufficient, but we also want them to look toward us for guidance, see us as all things good and awesome and give us trust, which I find is the reward and the goal in owning these kinds of dogs, not the everloving doting kisses to any joe on the street like with other dogs. So much work and consistency every day until the dog dies, but it's so worth it.
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Sep 24, 2010 16:11
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paisleyfox posted:Because many of these dogs aren't the lovey snuggle bunny kind of dogs, but Koji (and other Shibas I know) wants to be in the same room as I am in, but never all upons me. My Lapponians now are independent compared to almost any herding breed and not as biddable. Still they'll be complete snugglebunnies every now and then.
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Sep 24, 2010 19:25
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The only thing my dog ever asks for is for you to play tug of war with him. I never do it when he asks, only after he's calmed down and is waiting patiently. He loves that drat game though, even if the poor guy has no traction on the hard wood floors, for hilarious effect. Your description of how your dog likes to be in the same room but in a different place sounds a lot like mine. If I'm working at my desk sometimes he'll be at my feet and sometimes in the next room, but as soon as I get up or move around he's following me with his eyes. I'm a first time dog owner and I still find it amazing how much in tune they are to everything you do. I guess not having words, they place a higher importance in body language and nonverbal things. He can tell if I'm going to go outside just by the way I get out of the chair.
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Sep 24, 2010 22:53
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paisleyfox posted:And it's just so funny. Because many of these dogs aren't the lovey snuggle bunny kind of dogs, but Koji (and other Shibas I know) wants to be in the same room as I am in, but never all upons me. For example, right now I'm in the living room and he's sleeping on his bed across the room. If I'm in the bathroom for a while for a shower, he'll curl up outside the door, if I'm in the kitchen, he'll watch me from the hallway (though honestly, might be because of the food), and if I want to be in the bedroom, he'll want to curl up on his bed in there. Now, this isn't always the case, but it's just like he wants to get a feeling for where I am but never wants to cuddle or get really close, he just needs to know where his people are, in a way. At the dog park, he'll run back and check I'm still wherever I was, but won't come close enough for me to get him unless he's practically dead on his feet. My Eskie is like this too. Has to be with us, but will lay across the room and watch or take a toy and play with it within view. I noticed something curious though. She's really good about laying quietly when we eat at the table, but one day I wanted to eat on the couch and watch tv. So I tethered her to the couch (she's still a puppy and gets into trouble especially when I'm trying to eat) and brought my food over. She came over to investigate the wonderful smelling food and when I asked her to lay down, she got all excited and started barking for attention and nipping at my food/hands. Well, I was all gently caress that, so I moved to the next couch where she couldn't reach. She HATED that and barked and howled at me like never before. We have neighbors, so when she was quiet for a split second, I moved back. She laid down then and didn't bother me again until I was done eating. Didn't even try again for my jambalaya. I think I'm insulted.
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Sep 25, 2010 05:12
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hahaha That is TOO funny. That's great that she learned right off how you wanted her to behave. I'm glad you didn't give in or hang out trying to calm her down, you handled the situation perfect, I think. The key to these dogs is consistency and being unwavering with the rules. You give them an inch, and they take 10 miles.  Speaking of food begging, we've gotten a pretty hilarious situation crop up with Buddy that I don't see us changing in the near future (because it's still fine for us, we're not bothered by it). We ALWAYS eat in the living room, so we've taught Buddy to go lay in his bed while we eat, and even though he's a little rear end and tries to get away with scooting off or getting a drink of water then sitting closer, every time we make him go back. Well, one day he decided to go behind the couch because his bed gives him perfect access, and then he could be closer to the food. Well my husband thought that was the cutest thing ever, and we liked that he realized he could go back there because he loved it with our old couch, so he threw him a piece of food. Well, he kept rewarding him for going back there, so now if it's a dinner he really wants, when we tell him to go to his bed, he'll skip the bed entirely and go behind the couch. He's even getting ballsy enough to scoot to the end of the couch without his bed where the end table is, and poke his head through. Funny part is he'll only really do it when my husband's sitting there, because he knows that if I'm there he won't get anything and I'll tell him to back up. If we're ignoring him too much and not giving him food (especially if I'm the one by the table) he'll go to the corner in back since we have a sectional and hop up on his back legs to try and look and whine at us. hahaha It's SO funny that all of a sudden you'll hear a little frustrated cry and look over to just see a pair of ears.
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Sep 25, 2010 12:29
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WolfensteinBag posted:We ALWAYS eat in the living room, so we've taught Buddy to go lay in his bed while we eat, and even though he's a little rear end and tries to get away with scooting off or getting a drink of water then sitting closer, every time we make him go back. This. When there's people at the door and he's not allowed to go say hello until he calms down, he'll pretend like he's going to play with his toy and then the moment I stop paying attention he's jumping on our guest.
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Sep 25, 2010 16:52
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We took Buddy to Dogs Day in Tinley Park, IL yesterday. He got to meet up with my in-laws dogs and meet new friends. The black lab is Lily, one of my husband's parents' dogs, and the skinny little golden is my sister-in-law's puppy. I'm really mad, we met this chunky little husky, but I didn't think to get a picture. We had a bunch of fun, though, even though it was colder out than anyone expected.    This started as an experiment, just to see if we could get all 3 spastic dogs to sit for treats. It actually worked.     I think it's funny that Lily & Connor just kinda sat there, and didn't mind so much about getting a treat or not, but you can see the urgent look on Buddy's face because, damnit, he is only sitting there because there's food involved, and he's liable to jump up and leave if you're not fast enough with it.  As a result, most of these pictures are of Buddy chewing.   A couple of the whole place:   Buddy had lots of admirers.  Buddy was also in a "Cutest Trick" competition! We entered just because there were only two other dogs doing it, so why the hell not just get him to do a couple tricks? These were the only pics we got, little old cocker jumping through a hoop:   But we DID get video of Buddy's run!  He's SO funny and excited. It's not even like the treats he was getting were high value, he was just amped up from seeing so many dogs and being in a new place. I wish I'd though to drop his leash earlier, he didn't have room at first and got stuck.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMZzQLOtqEo Since there were only 3 dogs participating, they all got to pick a prize! Buddy got a package of two tennis balls that he decided he was going to open himself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1S_m6Q6XuE A couple more random videos, one of Buddy sniffing a chow, and another right after he was playing with his friends. Of COURSE they stopped immediately after I pulled out the camera. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBovFj83WUE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_4hRBNH8wk I think it's hilarious seeing Buddy, who's about 8-9 now, compared to my in-laws' dogs who are pretty much still puppies. They're just as wild and have the same amount of energy. Any of the older dogs there wouldn't be able to keep up. It would have been nice to get more video, because I think it's a fantastic example of how huskies (and most other primitive breeds) simply don't seem to age.
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Sep 27, 2010 15:39
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 !I love Buddy photospams. This makes me really excited to photospam the event we'll have this weekend: Barktoberfest! Be prepared for Shibas +more in ridiculous costumes. I'm thinking I'll just recycle Koji's costume from last year (if he's not too fat  Someone had to fill out between last year and now...)
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Sep 27, 2010 15:58
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Thanks!!  I'm excited to see pictures from your event!! We usually go to an event like that every year, but it falls on sort of a crappy day for us this year, so I don't know if we'll wind up going. What's Koji's costume?? Do you have any pictures of him in it from last year? I'm going to put Buddy in his "wolf in sheep's clothing" costume I made him 3 years ago on Halloween because we're in a neighborhood where we'll actually get trick-or-treaters this year. I bet the kids will love him.
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Sep 27, 2010 16:12
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paisleyfox posted:
Me too! I love that trick video, he reminds me of Kaidan so much. He's like, "Agh fine I'll do the damned trick just give me the food" *rolls over half way* "There, is that good enough". Oh rear end in a top hat dogs, how I love you I wish we had anything like that here but instead all we get are the wiener dog races this last weekend  Luckily there's a Husky club where we're moving (called BASH - Bay Area Siberian Huskies ) that has monthly events so I think we'll get involved with them.
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Sep 27, 2010 16:43
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Here's my new little guy, Thor! The lady and I talked about getting a dog for a while and got turned down since we didn't have a fully fenced in yard. A few months later, new house, etc. and she finds this guy on CL. Apparently some military family living in a tiny apartment had him and thought he was too much work. My gain. Day we got him. Check out the cat peeking around the door.    Squinty, about to eat my Tigers. 
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Sep 27, 2010 17:20
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WolfensteinBag posted:What's Koji's costume?? Do you have any pictures of him in it from last year? HA Buddy's sounds cute!! Koji was a Ghostbuster: K-9 Unit See, his chest kind of Fabio'd at the end of last year's event, which is why I'm wondering if he'll fit this year... Might have to see if I can't either fix this or make a new one (saving the patches, of course)    It was totally my first time trying to make a doggy shirt. I think I know better for next time (dog proportions are different from human ones, who knew~! ).EDIT: OMG Thor is ADORABLE!
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Sep 27, 2010 17:20
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Baahahahaha!!  Koji is awesome! The toy Slimer really makes it. He needs a proton pack, though.  EdsTeioh posted:Here's my new little guy, Thor! He's so cute!! Man, the people who had him before sure didn't give him a whole lot of time before they gave him up, did they?  How are you guys handling him so far? Husky puppies are a real handful. Especially when you teach them all sorts of great things, and they're listening really well, then they hit 8 months old and decide they're going to "forget" everything you taught them. You'll have to keep us updated on him and post lots of pictures!
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Sep 27, 2010 18:39
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WolfensteinBag posted:Baahahahaha!! I knooow! I am trying to think of a way to do like, a proton saddle bag for him (he barely tolerates the shirt!) Probably won't be done for this weekend (I'm making a Dr. and a TARDIS costume for two of my friends' dogs  ) He needs a new ghost, though. We made sure he had limited play until after the event, then he KILLED it.
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Sep 27, 2010 19:15
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I would love it if some one could make a Samoyed post, I'm really interested in what those dogs are like to own and they seem to differ at bit in temperament compared to other nordic breeds and they are one of the breeds I'm interested in getting (a long with akitas or one of the Scandinavian spitz breeds such as the Jämthund or the Norwegian Elkhound). I mean, how could you not want one of these furballs!   Also, Koji is so
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Sep 27, 2010 19:47
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quote:He's so cute!! Man, the people who had him before sure didn't give him a whole lot of time before they gave him up, did they? Thanks! They had a really small apartment, a two year old daughter and another kid on the way, and I think they were getting transferred. He was 3 months when we got him, and it's been a month and a day since then. As far as his training/handling, he's been fantastic. He's my first dog as an adult (I'm 35), and I've been really stressy about doing everything correctly. I'm crate training him, which he HATED at first, but I think this was due to some bad advice: A dog trainer told me to keep him crated constantly for 4-6 weeks, and only let him out to produce and 15 minutes of playtime every few hours. Being a husky, obviously this didn't work, so he's crated only when we're gone or sleeping. I try to take him with me as many places as I can so he can meet lots of people and get used to it. He gets to go to the dog park/beach every couple of days and is AWESOME with other dogs. Loves riding in the car and when I blast Baroness, so he's got good taste in metal! After about 3.5 weeks, it seems like his potty training is actually working; he's coming to me and whining when he needs to go out, so I guess this is a good sign! More pics soon!
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Sep 27, 2010 20:09
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EdsTeioh posted:Loves riding in the car and when I blast Baroness, so he's got good taste in metal! My pug used to howl along to doom metal, so bust out the Pentagram and see if Thor does, too. 
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Sep 27, 2010 21:05
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paisleyfox posted:He ain't afraid of no ghosts. More pictures of Thor please
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Sep 27, 2010 21:52
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Thor is adorable We need more pictures.
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Sep 27, 2010 22:24
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Paisley, I need photos of your dog.. sitting in a chair like people I need it a reference photo  specifically for a shiba. He doesn't have to pose naturally like that so long as his butt in the seat of the chair. So if someone can hold him up with his butt on the right spot, that works...How else am I supposed to draw spitzdogs eating dinner like proper folk? (I'll post the sketch idea later I promise)
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Sep 28, 2010 04:07
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EdsTeioh posted:Here's my new little guy, Thor! I really like his mask. He's got a fleur-de-lis on his forehead. Very sharp looking pup.
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Sep 28, 2010 04:41
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Hahah, um, okay. I have this picture... Friend made him look SO undignified. If you need another/more whatever, let me know.BTW, I'm just getting photos finished. BREED POST SOON.
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Sep 28, 2010 04:42
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enzeen posted:I really like his mask. He's got a fleur-de-lis on his forehead. Very sharp looking pup. The folks that had him before thought it looked like a spade, thus his old name of Spades. I think it's closer to a club or a fleur-de-lis, which is fitting, since most of my fam lives in New Orleans and I'm a Saints fan! Pics in a few! EDIT: Somehow I've been on this site for 6 years and never bought an avatar. Anyone in this thread any good at making them? EdsTeioh fucked around with this message at 05:49 on Sep 28, 2010 |
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Sep 28, 2010 05:29
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Akita; The Great Japanese Dog The largest of all native breeds in Japan, the Akita is named after the prefecture in northern, snowy Japan where it is said the breed originated. These dogs are one of the most popular in Japan, trailing closely behind the Shiba if only for their size. Akita were originally used as working dogs, generally alone or in pairs for hunting large game such as bear, boar and deer, alongside people known as the Matagi, a specially licensed mountain man with year round hunting permit. Akita were used to bay their prey until the hunter could catch up and kill their prize. In addition to hunting, Akita were used as fighting dogs during the Edo period (1600s - mid 1800s) and samurai took note of their “fighting spirit.” Dog fights in Japan differ greatly than what we normally consider to be a dog fight in the western world. One noticeable difference is that the purpose of dog fighting is not to injure the opponent, almost like a canine-sumo. Japanese Dogs posted:The dogs fight in a way that avoids causing severe injury to the opponent, with the first dog who manages to pin the other to the ground declared the winner. In addition, a dog is defeated if it whines, shrieks, groans, tries to run away, or becomes too tired to fight. Breeders are very careful not to let the dogs injure one another. If the dogs begin to bite each other, the owner will flick a cigarette lighter right by their heads; this surprises them enough so that they release their grip and can be pulled apart. In an effort to create stronger fighting dogs, Akita were crossed with many European and American breeds and continued through the 1900s (and where the Tosa was developed from, the crossbreeding of foreign and native dogs to produce a mastiff-like fighting dog that eventually was greatly favored over the Akita and Shikoku.) Because cross breeding was starting to elminate the Akita, the Akita Inu Preservation Society (Akita Inu Hozonkai or AKIHO) was established in 1927, with the Nihon Hozonkai (NIPPO) established a year later to help preserve all native dogs. 1931, the Akita became a protected species and natural monument of Japan by the government and given the official name of Akita (since they had many names depending on where they originated.) Even through the honeymoon with Hachiko and its national treasure status, Japan considered these to be boring, run of the mill, local sort of dog that was absolutely everywhere, especially in the cold north, and they were no German Shepherd, which at the time was the in-dog to have. During WWII, food was not only hard to come by for civilians but nearly impossible to think of passing on to their dogs, while some even saw the canines as a food source. That in conjunction with the military paying handsomely for dog pelts to line officer coats (save white dogs, as it was seen as a sign of death and bad luck and German Shepherds since they were used as police and military dogs), the local dog like the Akita was hit hard by people killing them for various reasons as well as trying to cross them with other breeds so they wouldn’t be taken. The result was a mishmosh of what was Akita, but far from their supposed origins as the Matagi Inu. When the war finally ended in 1945, it is estimated that there were only about a dozen Akita left. What was left were mostly dogs that were crossed with new and exciting dogs from around the world; Mastiff, Great Dane, German Shepherd, Saint Bernard. The first dog shows started up in 1946, hosted by Morie Sawataishi, a man credited with huge effort in bringing back the Akita from near extinction. It was more of an informal celebration for friends and enthusiasts of the dying breed to show off their dogs. Apparently it was shocking to see about 40 or 50 dogs that were all supposedly the same breed. Skin hung loosly on some, tails didn’t curl on others, ears didn’t stand on a few, some had stumpy legs, some were huge, some were small and almost none of them matched each other, and most were young. In the 1950s, it was like everyone in the snow country had puppies to sell and every dog they sold was suddenly an Akita. Americans stationed in Japan were huge dog lovers, so the locals flocked to the bases and sold the pups to GIs, who paid extraordinary amounts of money for what they considered to be the best and bravest and fastidious of all dogs. At this time, there were two strains of distinct Akita that emerged while trying to perfect the standard; the Ichinoseki and Dewa. The Ichinoseki line was leaner with longer legs and tight skin with a tightly curled tail while the Dewa line was bred to have a barrel-like build, a blocky, shepherd head, sesame hairs on top of a looser, wrinkled skin and a tail known more as a “samurai” or “sickle” tail and a lot of Japanese argued over which was the more accurate and desireable build. It is the Dewa line of dogs that produced Kami and Go-Go, Hellen Keller’s dogs, and what was sold to Americans during the 50s and 60s. Of course, when the Japanese dog population was finally gaining ground, disaster struck once again. 1959, a distemper epidemic hit all over the country and it is said that somewhere from 70-80% of dogs were killed because of it. Luckily, Japan was able to bounce back successfully through the strong foothold they had been building since the war. One dog, two breeds? There is a HUGE divide in the Akita community. Should the American and Japanese Akita be regarded as two separate BREEDS or just considered to be different types of the same breed? Everyone except for the United States and Canada regard these dogs to be two separate breeds. Some enthusiasts even argue that they’d rather they be regarded as types so that the two can be cross bred to help with genetic traits and conformation, though many rings disallow such a cross. What exactly ARE the differences between the two, though? First off, the two breeds were developed by two different lines back in the 1940s and 50s wen standards were still being ironed out during the attempts of bringing back the breed from the devistation of the war. This resulted in two distinct looks: The Ichinoseki and the Dewa lines. Eventually, through several circumstances, the Dewa lines gravitated toward the Americans while the Japanese decided to favor the looks of the Ichinoseki lines. This resulted in the Americans developing and breeding their Akita with a broader structure, a more fierce/bear-like face, and loose skin, which fanciers had already grown to love about these dogs that they had been introduced to. Japan, on the other hand, had two lines to debate over and ultimately decided that the longer legged, leaner, foxier dog was more appropriate to Matagi-Akita dogs, though both lines can still be seen in Japan (with the Ichinoseki line being more prominent.) Which is a really round about way of saying that the biggest difference between these dogs is looks. American Akita:  akitaclub.org posted:General Appearance Japanese Akita:  akita-inu.com posted:General Appearance tl;dr? Maybe. The biggest differences are slight height/weight differences, eye shape, tail curl, colors/markings and stops. JA’s tend to favor a ratio of 50/50 head proportion while AA’s do a 40/60 (2/3) ratio, meaning in layman’s terms that the slope of the nose and size of the muzzle to the overall size of the top of the head is different (being shorter on the AAs than the JAs.) AAs allow any color, JAs only allow three, eyes tend to be more rounded on AAs and tails MUST curl tightly on JAs (double or single curl), sickle tails are considered to be a serious fault. Here, look at pretty pictures.  Japanese Akita on the left, American Akita on the right. Besides coat color, note the differences. Leg length, head shape, nose length, tail curl, ear tilt, eye shape, muzzle width. Temperaments Both sets of Akita share many similarities in temperament. First, Akita are very much one family dogs, and are valued for their loyalties toward their person. This can result in an under-socialized dog becoming snippy or moody around strangers, animal and human alike. They also tend to be a fairly active dog that requires a job or duty, which usually is guarding their home, and they are known to bore easily. Though while active, they are generally far less spastic than their Shiba cousins and are almost seen as laid back in comparison. Akita should be fearless and dominant, usually taking a leader or “I know better than you” role and they do require a firm and experienced owner. And though they have history of dog fighting, they should not actively look to pick fights, but it should be expected that they will engage if felt provoked. Akita also have tendencies to be same sex aggressive, so generally do best in homes with opposite sex dogs. Most temperament issues of the Akita stem from the fact that they are historically solitary dogs. There was never a need to use more than one or two at a time, so the breed standard has shown dogs that are merely tolerant if needed. A thoughtfully well bred Akita should be accepting of their human handlers and with extensive socialization and training have been known to get along with other dogs just fine, but early, appropriate and consistent training is the key. Bonus! Dog Day - Inu no hi - Though not necessarily associated with an Akita, it is very traditional and more often than not observed inside of temples and shrines, as well as have associated charms and obi. Dogs have been associated with having an easy pregnancy and birth, so every 12 days (starting date based on the Chinese new year) women in their 5th month of pregnancy get blessed to have a dog’s pregnancy, usually while wearing something associated with dogs (generally a print on their clothing.) Kodakara Inu statue at the Suitengu shrine is the most famous. It pictures an Akita mom with her healthy puppy which visitors rub for good luck in an easy pregnancy, along with their corresponding zodiac sign. A Few Famous Akitas include:  Hachiko - An Akita immensely famous not just in Japan, but world wide and is considered to be the gold standard of the breed. Hachi was born late in 1923 and given to an agricultural professor at the Imperial University (now University of Tokyo), Eisaburo Ueno. Bonding quickly, the two would walk to the train station together on the professor’s way to work, Hachi would find his way home, then meet the professor in the evening to walk home together. Spring of 1925, Ueno suffered a stroke while at work and did not return home, but Hachi continued to wait for him at the station for nearly 10 years, running away from various homes of friends and family members to do so. While waiting, Hachi suffered life-threatening mange, dog fights, hunger, and heartworm, which he eventually died from at the age of 12 in 1935. His bones were buried next to Professor Ueno and his pelt was preserved and is still on display at the National Science Museum in Ueno. Today, a statue stands in Hachi’s place at Shibuya Station at his favorite waiting spot and is a very popular meeting place for travelers. The original statue, created in 1934, was reclaimed by the government to be melted down for munitions during the war a decade later. The current statue is a remake, created in 1948 by the son of the original sculptor.  Kamikaze-Go and Kenzan-Go - Hellen Keller visited Japan in 1937 and inquired about Hachiko, a dog whom she had heard a lot about. Having expressed great interest in such a fantastic dog as him, Keller was given Kamikaze-Go within a month. Impressed with the loyalty and devotion of the breed, Keller doted on Kamikaze for his short life until he was put down from distemper at 10 months. Devastated, Keller was given Kami’s older brother, Kenzan-Go (whom she affectionately called Go-Go) in 1938. Keller is credited for introducing the Akita breed to the United States with Kami and Go-Go. Heiji - A mountain range in Central Kyushu frequently claimed several lives in accidents. In 1962, two hikers found themselves lost and in a panic when they ran across a dog they assumed to be someone’s pet. Following her down the volcanic mountain, Heiji led the hikers back to safety, where it was found she was in fact a stray. She was cleaned up, fed and eventually trained by the park warden of the Mount Kuju pass and continued to live by herself in the various passes and trails, coming around when she was hungry or in need of attention. Familiarized with all off the trails of the mountains (by Enokuma, the warden), Heiji found people lost in the mountains and would successfully guide them to safety on her own accord for 14 years, sometimes by just silently appearing in front of them and leading them down the pass. It wasn’t until she passed away that the people who lived near these notoriously dangerous mountains in Kyushu realized that since Heiji started “working”, there was not a single accident that involved loss of life or limb. Rescue and Breed links Japanese Akita Club of America Akita Club of America Akita Rescue Listing Also, I HIGHLY recommend the book Dog Man to anyone interested in reading a more detailed account of reestablishing the Akita after the war. It's a rather detailed story told by Morie Sawatashi and his wife that's been written down by the author. Fascinating read! (Plus, holy crap, it's under 4 bucks on Amazon.) fake edit: I didn't include a whole lot on the specifics of the show standards on each of these dogs. I do have diagrams and specific numbers if anyone is interested, though tbh, I'm kind of new to this whole show ring thing, seeing that I am not currently interested in doing any myself. Next up: Shibas! paisleyfox fucked around with this message at 06:23 on Sep 28, 2010 |
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Sep 28, 2010 06:09
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Pretty Cool Name posted:I would love it if some one could make a Samoyed post, I'm really interested in what those dogs are like to own and they seem to differ at bit in temperament compared to other nordic breeds and they are one of the breeds I'm interested in getting (a long with akitas or one of the Scandinavian spitz breeds such as the Jämthund or the Norwegian Elkhound). In my experience, they are very sweet and friendly. Our two males have very different temperaments though. One is the most affectionate loving friendly dog ever. He is always next to you waiting for you to rub his head. He follows my dad everywhere, loyally. The other is just as friendly, but is more removed. He is usually in the same room as you, but will lie 10 ft away. He also will go elsewhere if bored. However, they are both extremely attention loving dogs. I'm led to believe this is pretty standard. They are very playful and always look friendly due to the "Sammy smile". Their mood pretty much always matches that happy, friendly look! Children always throw themselves at these dogs because they look like a crossbreed of a polar bear and a marshmallow. Historically, they were used as sled dogs, reindeer herders, and family companions. They are a working breed. Expect a LOT of energy which can turn destructive if unaddressed. They will both pull you and herd you, depending on temperament or mood. However, they do make great family dogs and in my highly biased opinion are pretty much the best dogs you could ever ask for.
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Sep 28, 2010 06:17
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AKITAS. Really great article pfox. I never knew about the dog fighting stuff which was super interesting.
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Sep 28, 2010 06:46
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Pfox!! What a great post!! I knew some general things about akitas and the differences between JA & AA, but this is AWESOME info. You can really see the shepherdy influence in Hellen Keller's dogs, and in the rear angles on the stacked picture you posted. It's funny how her dogs, even though they are the dogs that influenced the AA, look leaner than either of the akitas that have developed today. That can probably partially be accounted for by the thicker coat, but it looks like smaller bone in general. Do you have any more pictures of early akita like that? I think it's really interesting when you can see pictures of the dogs that developed a breed, and where the dogs were standardized to when you start with some pretty diverse dogs. Also, I  Heiji. That is SUCH a cute story.
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Sep 28, 2010 12:30
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I do have more pictures! They're all from Dog Man, so when I get home from activities tonight, I'll be sure to scan them. (The middle Keller one is from that book)
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Sep 28, 2010 13:17
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Great Akita article, Pfox! Now I really want one. Is it bad that I prefer the heavier appearance of the American Akitas?
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Sep 28, 2010 14:01
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a life less posted:Great Akita article, Pfox! Hahaha, not at all! In fact, last Friday I was at the dog park (where Koji is continuing to be weird and an rear end...) but there was the CUTEST AA female there who liked to play "steal the stick from the other dogs." I mean, honestly I wouldn't mind having either, though right now I seem to be stuck on JAs, probably because they have a Koji look, and y'all know I friggin love my bubs.But lookit dat snuggly bear face. 
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Sep 28, 2010 14:57
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