Is an akita a wolf

Answer 1

All dogs are descendants from wolves, but an akita is not a wolf.

The scientific name for dogs is Canis lupis familiaris where Canis lupis is the Grey Wolf. IF Akita's are descended from the Dire Wolf then they would be Canis dirus familiaris which would be a significant change to the current theory of dog evolution, which the current DNA evidence doesn't support.

Anyone wishing to look further into the Genetic relationship between dogs and the Gray Wolf should see the scientific paper: Genetic Structure of the Purebred Domestic Dog by Parker etal (which is available on the internet, without subscription, if you check enough links).

Here is another view:

Akitas are the remains of an extinct species of wolf known as "canis dirus." Canis Dirus was the most common animal on Earth before humans. It is the most common species in the fossil record.

Canis Dirus was thought to be completely extinct some time before about 10,000 BC (the end of the Pleistocene era). They primarily hunted very large ungulates (such as pre-historic bison which stood 16 feet at the shoulder). They hunted as packs, and, were very successful as a species.

Canis Dirus often adopted orphan timber wolves, or dogs, into their packs and cared for them. Excavated sites show many remains of timber wolves (canis lupus) and dogs (canis familiaris) in the lairs of canis dirus. There was no evidence that the giant wolf abused or mistreated the dogs or timber wolves. They seem to have co-existed harmoniously, inter-species.

When the large mammals (such as mastodons and giant bison) disappeared in the last ice age, canis dirus faded from earth since their principle means of prey also disappeared.

However, there were some canis dirus that survived the last ice-age. They were completely isolated on an island in Japan known as "Honschu Island" in the Akita Province. There are photographs in the University of Tokyo museums of cave paintings from thousands of years ago depicting the unmistakable outlines of pre-historic Akitas. Canis Dirus was larger than today's Akitas; males could reach as much as 200 pounds. Large Akita males now reach only about 150 pounds.

The Japanese domesticated the Akitas they found. Over the recent millenia Akitas have been cross-bred with dogs extensively, however, the basal DNA of the Akita remains the ancient (and thought to be extinct) canis dirus.

Canis Dirus, translated from Latin, means, "Fearsome Wolf."

As recently as 600 years ago, ancient Samurai adopted Akitas (canis dirus) as battle companions. A samurai's first teacher was said to be an Akita as they are incomparable warriors, very intelligent, and, very loyal.

From the Seventeenth Century up until about 1929, in Japan, it was illegal for anyone except the Emperor or his family (known as "Shogun") to own an Akita. Over time, they acquired the title of: "Imperial Guard Dog" so fierce were they as defenders of the Shogun and their families.

In 1937, when Helen Keller was on a good-will trip to Japan, she was so impressed with Akitas, that the Emperor, for the first time, allowed someone who was not of the Shogun to have them. She brought back two Akitas, as gifts from the emperor, to the U.S. The descendants of these Akitas have become a special breed known as "American Akitas."

By the end of WWII, however, the Japanes were starving, and, short on many materials. They indiscriminately slaughtered the Akitas for their lush fur, and, for meat.

By the end of WWII, Akitas (for the second time in history and pre-history) faced total annihilation. Only 12 Akitas remained.

A Japanese man named Morie Sawataishi, in 1944, took what Akitas he could find, and removed them to a remote mountain in Japan where they would be safe from slaughter. There he bred them and revived the species so that they are a thriving species today. (See the book "Dog Man: An Uncommon Life on a Faraway Mountain" by Martha Sherrill)

In about 1924 the emperor had donated two Akitas from the Shogun to the University of Tokyo, Department of Agriculture. There, a Professor adopted the two Akitas and took them under his care. One of them he took home. He named the Akita: "Haichiko." There is a recent (2008) movie starring Richard Gere which re-tells the story of Haickiko. The name of the movie is "Hachi."

While studying the Akitas, the Professor, named: Hidesaburō Ueno, discovered that the 30 pure-bred Akitas that remained in Japan in 1924 were, in fact, wolves of the ancient, and thought to be exinct, species known as "canis dirus."

Answer 2

akita inu is a purebred dog . But many so call " American Dog Professionals "claimed it's a designer dog . Mayb this is due to that American akita looks different with Akita Inu ( which is Japanese ) . American akita is a separate breed from the Akita Inu.

Answer 3

Technically, yes, all dogs are wolves. They are a subspecies Canis lupus familiaris.