Akita Chow

The hybrid called the Akita Chow is a new breed of dog that does not have a detailed history. However, the two breeds that combine to make the Akita Chow, have centuries of history. The ancestors of the Akita were called matagi-inu which means “hunting dog”. Dogs of the breed were often used as fighting dogs in the late 1800’s and crossed with other breeds in order to improve fighting ability. In 1927 the Akita-Inu Hozonkai Society of Japan was formed with a goal of preserving the original Akita and in 1931 the breed was given the designation of a national treasure of Japan. This dog became more common in the United States after WW II when soldiers returned, along with the dogs, from serving in Japan. The Akitas often work as guard dogs or as a part of law enforcement. The bone structure of the Chow Chow is similar to the oldest fossilized dog remains from several million years ago. It is thought that the Chow Chow originally worked as a temple guard dog and was used for hunting (especially for nobility). When imperial hunts declined, the number of Chow Chows did as well. Stories exist that the Chow Chow was used for food and fur in Mongolia and Manchuria. The Breed got its name in the late 1700’s when dogs arrived in England from China; the name is said to come from the word that meant Oriental knickknack, as the dogs were listed as such on the ship’s cargo log. More of the breed were imported to England and then the United States in the late 1800’s, ultimately gaining popularity in the US in the 1980’s.