THE LOOK OF THE AMERICAN AKITA WILL NOT DISAPPEAR 

Another prediction about crosses is that import dogs or blends will somehow displace the American Akita.  Then, the dog we all know and love will completely disappear.

Simple math refutes this scare-tactic, telling us such a takeover is impossible. Given an average lifespan of ten years, approximately 100,000 Akitas of American type are alive in the U.S at any one time, since AKC registers about 10,000 Akitas from the thousands of litters born annually.  The handful of imports by comparison means  "type extinction" is virtually impossible.  All Akitas descend from the same group of dogs.  The genes that the Japanese have chosen to concentrate to create the look they currently prefer are also present in domestic Akitas.  The same colors, marking patterns, and structure have appeared in America since the Akita arrived on our shores, so if that look was going to predominate, it would have already.

The physical appearance of an Akita of correct type described in our standard has always included the less commonly occuring colors and styles of Akitas.  Judges and breeders have rewarded and recognized these dogs with wins in the show ring and use in breeding programs.  Excluding color, since imports don’t have black masks, physical evaluation alone does not always reveal the origins of an Akita of correct breed type.  Breeders cannot afford to abandon good dogs merely because of their origins. 

IMPORTS PROVIDE GENETIC DIVERSITY WE DIDN’T HAVE BEFORE

All Akitas spring from the same genetic wellspring centered in Japan.  Imported Akitas are just as likely to be as healthy and hearty as their domestic counterparts.  In the seven years since AKC began registering Japanese dogs (many of which were adults when imported and have lived long, healthy lives) the Japanese imports have proven to be at least as healthy as the American stock.  They have been OFA’d and CERF’d with good results. 

Geneticists and educated breeders recognize the value of a gene pool large enough to allow outcrossing.  Imports offer the opportunity to do so as much as is possible while still staying within a breed.  Outcrossing gives what is called “hybrid vigor” because it increases genetic diversity. 

Even though imports as a group may carry the same underlying genetic problems as domestic Akitas, they do so through different lines.  A pedigree with different ancestors (outcrossed) makes the expression of the undesirable genes that any dog can carry less likely to occur than when the ancestors are the same or related dogs (inbred).  Overall, genetic diversity produces healthier dogs more frequently than does using a highly restricted gene pool. 

Genetic diversity is a very real, indeed critical, reason to maintain our access to current import dogs.  Despite the larger number of Akitas registered with AKC when they took over the stud book, only about 139 pedigrees, some of which were already related, began the breed in America.  Over the years, the popularity of a few dogs has made them ubiquitous in our pedigrees, reducing genetic diversity even further.  Many American dogs are practically inbred on a single specimen. 
 

What better choice for a true outcross could one make than an import Akita?. The many increased genetic benefits gained by having outcross pedigrees available is perhaps the single most compelling reason to keep the breed intact.