breed split - The Japanese Akita Welfare Trust

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ALSO IN THIS EDITION
Rescue Success
Read about some of the latest
Akitas to be saved by JAWT
Failed Fosterer
This terrible affliction has caught
another unsuspecting sole!
Is It A Bird?
An interview with the Akita nuts
that decide abseiling down a
170mtr tower was a good idea.
Events Diary
Find out where you can meet the
JAWT dogs and reps this summer.
Holiday Planning
What you need to know and look
for when booking a kennel
16 PAGES OF ARTICLES ABOUT JAWT AND YOUR FAVOURITE BREED
st
Do you know the difference between
American & Japanese Akitas?
u
Tr
BREED SPLIT
Welcome
That went well!
W
ith the launch of the first ‘Akita Owned’ came the normal thoughts
experienced when something new is been launched, will anyone actually
download it and read it and if they do will it be well received, will people like
the content, will anyone want to see another addition?
Thankfully the first of those questions was answered within minutes of the Spring 2012
edition being made available on the 29th of February, and within an hour we had seen
it downloaded over 200 times! It will remain on the website as part of an archive, so
the download count is sure to rise, but as it stands at time of writing this, it has now
been downloaded over 1000 times, so thank you to everyone that has taken the time
to do so and print copies for their friends and work colleagues to help spread the word.
The final questions regarding it’s reception have also long been answered, with great
feedback being received via the forum, Facebook and email, the only thing left to do
was put another one together, and you’re reading that now.
So what do we have in this edition?
Well as you’d expect with Crufts taking place in March and JAWT having a stand ringside
on the day the Akitas were parading their stuff, you’ll find a write up of the event and
some details on what was achieved by the team on the day.
We’re also following up with a couple of dogs that have been rehomed over the past
few years to bring you their stories on how their lives have changed for the better since
becoming part of the JAWT family.
Your Input
We want to make this e-mag a publication you look forward to receiving and on that
basis we’d like to hear from you!
Let us know what you’d like to see featured in the newsletter or take it a step further
and write an article on your experiences with the trust and the breed and email it over
along with some pictures for inclusion.
Don’t worry about trying to write war and peace, just pick your subject and write away,
if you end up with 200 words then all well and good, if you end up with 2000 then even
better, but if you just want to show off your bear to the rest of the readers, send us a
picture with your details and the name of your best friend and a quick explanation of
what we’re seeing in the photo and we’ll do the rest.
Front Cover Image: Danti Akitas
Contacts
Chairman
Iain Kirkbright Vice Chair
Donna Haley
Secretary
Julia Sharman
Public Relations
Sarah Ogden
Treasurer
Sam Jones
Events Coordinator
Pat White
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
About Akita Owned
Akita Owned is a publication from the Japanese Akita Welfare Trust, the first Akita rescue and welfare association to be recognised and
registered as a charity in England and Wales (Registration Number 1080152) and was first distributed in Spring 2012 in both electronic
and print format.
The trust relies completely on the donations and sponsorships that it receives, and other than some occasional fuel costs, none of the
trustees or area coordinators receive any payment for the help and support they offer to the re-homers of these fantastic animals, and
in many cases will withhold from receiving payments that they are entitled to in respect of petrol, food and vet bills associated with the
fostering of the dogs until permanent homes can be found.
If you’d like to find out more about the trust or make a donation please visit the website at www.jawt.co.uk
For article submissions for the next edition please email [email protected] with your document and images.
2
Summer 2012
www.jawt.co.uk
Tested - Dog Biscuit
Complete Dog Biscuit
To soak or not to soak?
The photos on this page are pictures
taken of before and after 30 minutes of
soaking in warm water. You can see just
how much the kibble swells.
Now imagine how that swelling inside of
your dog’s stomach, and other areas as it
passes through their body, would cause
bloating.
By soaking the kibble for twenty to thirty
minutes before it is consumed we are
taking away at least this one chance
of causing bloat. Dogs must also not
be allowed to drink lots of water after
eating a meal of dried biscuit as this can
accelerate the swelling process.
Before and After - What a difference!
Why should we
soak dog biscuit?
The simple answer is bloat and gastric
torsion, those scary words every
large breed dog owner fears. Nobody
knows why bloat occurs or why it is so
indiscriminate in which dogs it effects.
Two dogs of the same breed, living
together, playing together and sharing the
same feeding routine you would imagine
would either both or neither get this
illness. However, one could quite easily
get bloat and die and the other to live a
long and healthy bloat free life.
What we do know is how it takes place,
the word ‘bloat’ is used to describe the
swelling, with gas, of the stomach.
Once the stomach has swollen it can then
turn on its axis, also causing the spleen to
rotate, this part is the ‘torsion’.
The stomach is twisted inside preventing
any materials from escaping the dog
I.e faeces, gas and vomit. The stomach
will continue to swell and cause great
discomfort for the dog and quite quickly
the stomach and other organs will
become cut off from the blood supply and
therefore the stomach wall will die.
If this terrible illness is not spotted very
quickly the dog stands little chance of
survival, even when symptoms are seen
early enough it is a race against the
clock to save the dog with immediate
surgery being the required course of
action. Early symptoms include a swollen
stomach, the attempt by the dog to vomit
unsuccessfully, the failure to pass faeces.
Pacing, heavy breathing and salivation are
also symptoms.
If your dog has eaten a soaked biscuit
meal then they should not be thirsty after
eating and therefore you are taking away
yet another risk.
So what can we do to try and
prevent bloat and torsion?
This is where soaking your dogs dried
biscuit comes into play. When the dog
eats a meal of dried biscuit, or a wet food
and biscuit mix, the biscuits will travel
down into the stomach collecting fluid
and swelling up as they go.
They will continue to swell for at
least thirty minutes from the time of
consumption.
“The swelling of a large
portion of dried food to
double and sometimes
triple its original size
can cause bloat”
Soaking the food before consumption is
also a good way to see just how much
your dog is being fed. If your biscuit
doubles or trebles in size when it is wet,
then by giving one cup of dried food
you are realistically feeding two or three
cups of food. This can innocently lead
to overweight dogs and that in itself
will have its own health issues such as
diabetes and arthritis.
We like to use warm water to soak our
kibble as there is nothing like a nice warm
meal inside you so I’m sure our dogs
would appreciate the same.
We at JAWT decided to test out many
different brands of food to see just how
much your dog’s biscuit could swell inside
them if they eat it dried.
www.jawt.co.uk
Summer 2012 3
Crufts 2012
Well after all of the scurrying
around, making plans,
collecting merchandise and
putting our creativity to good
use, finally the day arrived!
March 8th 2012 – CRUFTS!!!
We planned to have a bright eye catching
stand as we were lucky enough to
be ringside with the stand while the
akitas were being judged. So once we
arrived, we soon went to work to get the
display looking just right. We had some
fantastic literature along with top class
merchandise from china clocks, crufts
2012 china cups, akita printed cards and
notepaper to pens and tax disc holders.
Something for everyone`s budget. And
boy didn’t we do well.
We had so much fun meeting lots of our
“cyber friends” previously only spoken
with via the website or social networking.
People who previously adopted from
JAWT long ago also wandered over for a
catch up and to see how we were doing.
(and of course buy something from us)
New friendships were forged at Discover
Dogs and we look forward to those
strengthening over the coming years.
We hope to see more of you there next year and will leave you enjoying a look through
some of these photos taken ringside.
The stand was manned by trustees
Donna Haley, Sam Jones, Pat White, reps
Neil Simpson, Katie Simpson and Danny
Heaton with another trustees Sarah
Ogden taking breaks from manning the
Dog Theft Action stand with the lovely Tia
who belongs to Pat.
The team looked fab in their new
gleaming white JAWT t-shirts.
Watching the dogs strut their stuff around
the ring is an awesome sight and we
managed to get a few photos to show
off also. We all managed to take breaks
for a little leg stretch and to try to inhale
more of what was going on around us.
Unfortunately there is already too much
to take in on just one day so with actually
manning the stand you miss so much but
you are never more than a breath away
from an akita.
Danny joined in a chase for an escapee
and made a new girlfriend in the shape
of a very beautiful Akita Inu, We think the
owner is very lucky to have made it home
with her dog!
4
Summer 2012
www.jawt.co.uk
A New Working Relationship
Welcome
For people who have never used a
behaviourist, this seems to have helped
them to take the first step. They worry
about costs, and whether they are simply
the wrong owner, the dog can’t be trained
or something else that makes them feel
they’d be “wasting their money”.
I accept a few will still insist on rescue but
in order to save a few, we have to try.”
J
AWT are pleased to announce a new
working relationship with Debbie
Connolly who is now on board as a
consultant for us.
You will know Debbie from either
television series such as Dog Borstal and
Britains Most Embarrassing Pets or the
many magazine articles she has written.
With 30 years behaviourist experience
and involvement in many dog aspects
from showing and breeding to running
pounds and rescues we believe Debbie to
be a valuable asset for any rescue to have
as a contact and are proud to have her
opinions and expertise.
Debbie is already working
with an Akita who was due
to come to rescue via JAWT,
but will be staying with his
owners and working through
their issues.
Debbie is currently busy with BRAVO,
read on to find out more:
If you’re interested in making use of the
services Debbie and Bravo can offer you,
she can be contacted on [email protected]
or 0208 1445799,.
“I created Bravo to offer rehab to the
many retiring and failed service dogs that
end up being put to sleep because they
need specialist training when returning as
pets. As a behaviourist, I see many dogs in
all sorts of situations whose owners have
lost confidence and rush to rehome as
they think retraining is not possible.
I combined all of this to make Bravo
Assessments. Money is tight for everyone
and whilst I do a lot for free, as do many
behaviourists, it isn’t always possible.
Especially if I have to ask, as I frequently
do, another professional to help.
The process is as follows: An owner or a
rescue nominates a dog that needs help.
The dog is either being offered to a rescue
and they aren’t sure about whether they
can help, or the owner is looking for a
rescue space, but will consider some
training instead. My hope is this stops
some dogs entering rescue at all.
The owner pays a £35 donation to
Bravo. We keep £5, the rest is offered as
transport costs to the behaviourist. In
a few cases already, they have gone for
free, I thank all who are helping with this.
If the owner wants to continue getting
help from that trainer, they book and pay
the normal rates for that person, which
then becomes entirely between them.
Bravo benefits and dogs benefit too.
www.jawt.co.uk
Summer 2012 5
Boarding Kennels
Welcome
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If the kennel you’re considering looks like this - walk away!
What to look for
Y
our flights are booked, hotel is
looking great, your holiday clothes
are bought and washed, what else
is there to remember? The dogs holiday
of course. Good boarding kennels are a
godsend and should be a very fun place
for your beloved dog to spend their
holiday while you enjoy yours.
Unfortunately there are some
substandard kennels out there that you
will need to avoid. To help you pick the
best possible kennel for your dog we have
created a check list for you to take along
when you are making your decisions.
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6
You must view the kennels - If a
kennels does not allow viewing or
only have viewing by appointment
then you need not bother looking
around.
Food – a boarding kennels should
try their best to keep your dog on
the food that they are used to as
sudden change in diet is not good for
them. If your dog is on human food, a
veterinary diet or a supermarket own
brand then you will probably find that
these won’t be included. Most main
brand diets should not be a problem
to cater for. You should be able to
supply your own food if you fall into
the category of not being catered for.
Smell – when you first walk into the
kennel block, what is the first smell
that hits you? Disinfectant, dog or
Summer 2012
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urine. Kennels should smell fresh. Yes
you can’t avoid a bit of dog smell but
there should not be a smell of urine
of faeces as you walk through the
door.
Cleanliness – when you look around
are there numerous kennels that look
unclean. Poo and urine should not be
heavily present.
Hair – as you walk around is there
hair everywhere? The corridor should
be hair free and you should not have
to avoid tumbleweeds as you go.
Drainage – can you see plenty of
drainage about for water and urine to
run or wash off to?
Kennel size – a kennel should have
two halves to it. An indoor bedroom
area where their bed is and a back
run that they have access to during
the day to stretch their legs and
possibly have a wee in between
exercise times.
Heating – each kennel should be
individually heated so they are able
to cater to individual needs.
Exercise – dogs should be exercised
at least twice a day in secure exercise
areas. Do not allow your dog to be
walked in an open field that they
could escape from.
Trial weekend – most kennels will
encourage a trial weekend for your
dog as a first time customer.
Behaviour – how do the dogs behave
when you are looking around? Do
they seem scared or nervous as a
majority? You can expect to see a few
www.jawt.co.uk
nervy ones but not the vast majority.
Mixing - make sure to ask if your dog
is going to be mixed with other dogs.
Kennels cannot mix your dog without
your permission and you should sign
a form to this fact.
Staff – how are you treated and
greeted by staff? If the staff rub you
up the wrong way then walk away.
Questions – please feel free to ask
question after question. None of your
queries are too small.
Full viewings – have you seen the
whole kennels? Some kennels may
not show you everywhere and have
different kennel blocks. Be sure to
look around everywhere. Lie if you
need to and say you have a small,
medium, and large dog so you can
view every kennel available.
We must remember that kennels are not
home and things will not be the same as
home but, they should be a home from
home and a pleasant experience for your
dog.
Get vet and public recommendations,
speak to people on dog walks and they
can tell you who they use and who they
avoid. Look at kennel rating sites to view
the kennels you are thinking of using.
The most important thing
about choosing a kennel is to
look around lots.
Compare the size, noise and smell of
them. Look around no less than five. Even
if you view kennels out of your area that
you will not use it is still good to look
around so you have a comparison.
Kennels are a useful and fun experience
for you and your dog so please view them
as such. Dogs love and thrive from routine
and you will not find more routine than a
kennel environment.
The Dangers OfWelcome
Summer
Summer Time
W
ell the summer is nearly here
once again. Long days, late
night walks and ice cream.
We do however need to take extra
precautions to ensure our furry friends
enjoy the summer as much as we do.
The summer is the most popular time for
pesky little critters such as fleas and ticks
to make an appearance. Fleas can lay
dormant in your home all winter and will
hatch when the weather starts to warm.
Adult fleas can lay up to 40 eggs per day
and will nest in your floorboards, carpets,
skirting boards and upholstery. A flea
infestation can cause your dog to become
anaemic. Fleas can cause severe itching
which can lead to a skin infection.
If your dog is constantly
scratching, shaking his head
or gnawing himself then you
probably have a flea problem.
Look through your dog’s coat. If you
find tiny curved black dirt then this can
be flea faeces. Flea faeces is your dog’s
blood so to test if it is you need to gather
a few pieces together onto a cotton pad
and drip water on them. Smudge them
together and if the result is a redish
brown colour then you have fleas.
Speak to your veterinarian about the best
flea treatment for your dog.
Ticks are also a big problem for people
who walk their dogs in woodland or
long grass. This is more likely during the
summer. Ticks attach themselves onto
your dog’s skin and once attached they
will feed on the dogs’ blood and can swell
to 200 times their original size. Ticks carry
disease and can cause your dog health
problems. They carry lyme disease which
is also dangerous to humans. They can
also cause infections and abscesses when
left untreated.
A Tick close up - lovely!
Ticks can be removed with tweezers at
home if you are confident. You must be
sure to remove the head though or it will
burrow under the skin even further. You
can also purchase tick removers from your
vets or online.
Take your dog to a vet if you are unsure
how to remove a tick correctly.
Frontline is the most effective treatment
for killing ticks. This is a pipette applied to
the back of your dog’s neck each month.
Heatstroke is a huge worry for dogs
during the summer but it is especially
dangerous for double coated dogs such as
the akita.
The signs to watch out for are; excessive
inconsistent panting, anxiety, drooling,
foaming at the mouth and difficulty
breathing. These symptoms quickly
progress and will lead to vomiting,
diarrhoea and tremors.
shade an immobile car is a furnace for
your dog. When it’s 22°C/72°F outside,
the temperature inside a car can soar to
47°C/117°F within 60 minutes. This will
kill the dog.
If heatstroke is suspected veterinary
assistance must be sought immediately.
The hot weather is also bringing with it an
influx of slugs. Slugs are very dangerous
to our dogs as they carry lungworm.
Lungworms live in your dog’s heart and
the blood vessels supplying the lungs.
Lungworm can cause bronchitis and
pneumonia and is fatal. If your dog shows
signs of breathing problems, vomiting
and diarrhoea, bleeding, tiring easily or
general listlessness then lungworm is a
possibility.
The last stages before death are;
listlessness and weakness. The dog will
then move on to seizures, collapsing and
finally a coma before dying!
Ensure you always have fresh water down
and access to a cool area, many people
use a fan to keep their dogs cool. A wet
towel is ideal for your dog to lie on. Ice
cubes are a great way to cool your dog
and they will love them too. Try filling
a water bottle up and freezing it and
allowing your dog to play with it. Special
cooling jackets can also be purchased for
your dog, a sort of personal doggie air
con.
Paddling pools are a fun and interactive
way you and your dog can keep cool in
the heat of the summer. Throw their
toys in and have a cool splash about with
them.
Rock Sulphur has been used for years as
a coolant in hot weather. It helps reduce
over-heating and helps cool down hot skin
and itchy paws. Simply put a small piece
in your dog’s water bowl. This will also
help with urine burns in your garden and
helps to keep a lovely coat.
If you keep outdoor water bowls then you
must clean them thoroughly every day to
be careful there is no slug trail your dog
can ingest. Monthly Advocate, purchased
from your vet, prevents and treats
lungworm as well as protecting your dog
from fleas.
As with any concerns about your dog,
please ensure you seek immediate
veterinary advice if any of the mentioned
is suspected.
Never leave your dog in a car unattended.
Cars left in the heat of the day can get
unbelievably hot very quickly. Even with
windows left open and parked in the
www.jawt.co.uk
Summer 2012 7
Is It A Bird?
Welcome
When did you come up with the idea of
the abseil?
Neil - At the end of last year after the idea
of a skydive fell through.
Michelle - I wanted to do something
brave/or very stupid for the bears,
specially after Jawt let me look after
Tess (an irish poundie) for them, I really
felt like a team member. Then I found
through the internet, that where I live the
spinnaker tower was offering abseils for
an adrenaline rush, or for charity, so I got
onto Neil, knowing I couldn’t do it alone
and his idea had fallen through, he came
on board.
Did it take long to arrange?
Echo & Brogan fundraising with some daft humans.
Neil & Michelle, both JAWT reps
and forum regulars, decided it
would be a great idea to abseil
down the 170mtr Spinnaker
Tower in Portsmouth to raise
funds for the trust.
We caught up with them after
the event to get some feedback
and see if they’re simply great
ambassadors for breed rescue or
simply require sectioning!
So Neil/Michelle, just to get an idea,
what is your connection to JAWT and
how long have you owned akitas for? Tell
us a little bit about yourself.
Neil - I am an area rep for JAWT and have
been a member for around 2 years. We
had our male akita around 6 months
when we decided that he needed a
sister to play with. That is when I came
across JAWT. I joined up and set about
the adoption process. We are now the
proud owners of a gorgeous female akita
adopted through JAWT.
Michelle - My connection to jawt is
through other rescue groups, I came
across them via facebook and saw
what great work they do and wanted to
help them out as well. I have owned a
crossbreed Akita for almost 3 years now
and have assisted JAWT by fostering in the
past also.
8
Summer 2012
www.jawt.co.uk
Once the idea was settled upon it didn’t
take long to pick a suitable date, May 7th
2012, and then it was just a case of us
counting down the days and drumming
up sponsorship!
Did you have safety training to go
through on the day?
Neil - No there wasn’t any safety training
to go through as such. The day was
miserable and the abseil was nearly
cancelled due to high winds and rain. We
had the very basics of common sense
given to us and then set about our task.
Michelle - The men in charge did go
through the safety measure, but I have
to be honest I wasn’t really listening, all
I could think about was not letting Tess,
Jawt and the rest of the bears down.
Have you done anything similar to this
previously?
Neil - No I’ve never done anything of the
sort before but had always wanted to do a
parachute jump however never been able
to get around to it.
Michelle - Only done the small rock
climbing thing that gets put up at shows
How did you go about raising funds?
Neil - After setting up a Just Giving
account for online donations and also to
get a text donation number it was just
a case of begging people. I spent every
single night plugging my donation links on
the JAWT forum and the Facebook group.
Is Welcome
It A Bird?
I’m sure there were a lot of people who
got fed up of my continuous pleading.
I also had sponsorship forms at work
and even managed to sneak a donation
from the window cleaner. Lots of people
helped to share the Just Giving page
about on Facebook and it was such a
massive boost to know everyone was on
board.
How much did you manage to raise?
In the end the total amount raised by me
was £1527 plus Michelle’s £428 giving us
a total of £1955.
Did you have other JAWT reps and
members there on the day for
encouragement?
Neil - Lots of people turned out to
support me on the day. Lots of JAWT
members and their bears turned up to
give their encouragement. It felt fantastic
to have so many people there. We
managed to raise over a hundred pounds
in the collection bucket alone.
Michelle - The support was amazing, we
had quite a few jawt reps, friends and
Sam Jones one of jawts trustees attended
to support...or make sure we did do it!
Michelle - YES, I nearly fainted just going
up in the lift, I suffer with functional and
neurological disorder and get quite bad
vertigo
of UK. JAWT covers transport costs,
kennelling fees, food and vet bills if
needed to the foster carers and anything
else that should crop up
What was the first thing you did once the
abseil was complete?
Any plans for future events like a
bungee...or jumping from a plane?
Neil - I received quite a few hugs once
I was safely on the ground and then we
all headed to the pub for a well-earned
drink.
Neil - Ideas are being thrown around
but it has to be something that doesn’t
cost too much to actually do in the first
place. Do you have any ideas? I think I’ll
give people a chance to recover from me
taking all their money for this task. I know
other members of the forum have some
upcoming events
that people will be
able
to show their
support for too.
Michelle - VODKA!!
How do you think your sponsorship
money will be
used at JAWT?
Neil - The money
raised from this
will be used to
pay for stray dogs
to be brought
over from Ireland
as there is a large
amount of them
in desperate need
lately. The money
will also be used
for emergency
kennelling fees to
save more dogs.
Michelle - I have
never flown, so
I doubt jumping
out of one would
be an option! As
for a bungee, no,
at least abseiling
my feet were
still against a
flat surface and
will remain firmly on the
ground, for now...
Tell us the truth, were you scared?
Neil - I was very apprehensive about
something going wrong and the abseil
being cancelled and letting everyone
down. It was fairly daunting standing up
in the windy tunnel awaiting my turn but
once I was in my harness and heading out
I was ok and eager to get on with it.
JAWT already do such a fantastic job
saving akitas lives and being there for
dogs that have been let down, so I just
hope that the money raised will assist
them and make life that little bit easier for
the trust for a period of time.
Michelle - I’m sure it will go on helping
lots more Akitas in Ireland and the rest
www.jawt.co.uk
So there you have it, you can make
your own minds up as to whether their
certifiable or not, but on behalf of all of
the JAWT and the dogs we love, a massive
thank you to both Neil & Michelle for
their sterling efforts in raising such an
amazing amount of money!
Summer 2012 9
2012 Events Diary
Welcome
Events Diary
Here you can see which events we have
planned for 2012, as you’ll appreciate
these are subject to change for various
reasons and there will be more events
added during the year so please check the
forum for fully up to date details at
www.jawt.co.uk
We would love to see you at any of these
events and if you can help on the stand
please contact either Sam or Pat on their
respective emails found at the front of
this newsletter.
JUNE
2nd,3rd & 4th
Wirksworth Carnival & Fun Dog Show, - Wirksworth, Derbyshire
JULY
7th & 8th
All About Dogs @ Robin Hood Game & Country Show
Garon Park, Eastern Avenue, Southend, Essex, SS2 4FA
21st & 22nd
Cambridgeshire Koi Show - Mudds Drove, Three Holes, Cambridgeshire, PE14 9JU
25th
Sandringham Flower Show, Norfolk
AUGUST
10th – 12th
Purbeck Rally - Wareham, Dorset
Worgret Road, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 6AB
18th
Bark In The Park - Huddersfield
26th & 27th
All About Dogs @ Royal Norfolk Showground, Norwich, Norfolk, NR5 0TT
SEPTEMBER
8th & 9th
Truckfest @ Newark Showground, Winthorpe, Newark, Notts, NG24 2NY
14th & 15th
Kennett Valley Koi Show - Hare Hatch Sheeplands Garden Centre, London Road, Hare
Hatch, Reading, RG10 9HW.
29th
Dudley Boat Show – Address TBA
OCTOBER
6th & 7th
All About Dogs @ Robin Hood Game & Country Show
Trinity Park, Suffolk Showground, Ipswich, IP3 8UH
13th & 14th
All About Dogs @ Robin Hood Game & Country Show
Newark Showground, Winthorpe, Newark, Notts, NG24 2NY
The JAWT Show
As everyone knows the trust is run by volunteers and sometimes life takes over resulting in less free time to get things organised.
With a house move for one of our event coordinators and a wedding to plan for another, along with all the other parts of day to
day life, sadly there has been little spare time to get the 2012 show organised and advertised and therefore, we have decided to
cancel the event for this year. But don’t fret, with the extra time we now have plans are already being made for a great show in
2013, we’ll keep you updated with details as the months progress, and don’t forget, you can always come along and support the
trust at one of a number of locations up and down the country throughout the summer.
We look forward to seeing you at one of the events above shortly.
10
Summer 2012
www.jawt.co.uk
One
Welcome
Akita?
One Akita or Two?
A
re you aware of the difference with
our beloved breed? Yes? No? Not
sure? Read on and we hope this
will help you!
During WWII, akitas were used for many
reasons which meant there was a huge
decline in their existing numbers. With
the thought of impending extinction of
a national treasure, breeders brought in
“outside” breeds to strengthen the few
akitas remaining. The influence of the
different breeds used including German
Shepherds, Saint Bernards and of course
the Japanese Tosa, can still clearly be seen
today.
The name “Great Japanese Dog” was
given to the American type of Akita and
“Akita Inu” to the Japanese type which
included only the Red/White colouring
with urajiro markings, solid white or self
masked brindles.
During the World Akita Conference held
in Tokyo in December 1996, discussions
began surrounding the decision for
splitting the breed.
July 2004 Kennel Club (UK) announced the
breed to be split and in 2006 the name
“Great Japanese Dog” previously changed
to American Akita now known as just
Akita in the UK. There are clearly many
differences between the two breeds and
we believe they both should be honoured
as such.
The type of Akita taken back home by
US servicemen after the war are the
stock that founded breeding in the US
and represent the American Akita we
see today. Large build, heavy boned,
broad head, smaller triangular eyes and
although no rules to colouring, it should
be “brilliant and clear”. The first Akita to
enter the US belonged to Helen Keller and
was named “Kamikaze-Go” or shortened
to Kami.
Sadly she lost him at a young age to
Distemper. The Japanese Government
sent her Kenzan-Go afterwards.
After the influence of other breeds
altered the appearance of the Akita, Japan
spent decades attempting to remove the
changes and as such the breed split came
about.
Akita Inu
If you look at the Akita Inu nowadays, as
said previously the colours are limited,
with black masks being seen as a flaw.
They are slighter built with almond
shaped eyes and a typical Inu will have
almost a fox like appearance. From the
reconstruction period after the War
to more prosperous times, two major
breeding lines, the Ichinoseki line and
the Dewa line became popular. The
first is the “Ichinoseki-goma” lines of
Mr Kunio Ichinoseki , and the second
is the Dewa line. It was the Dewa line
that became popular all over Japan and
among the occupation forces as well.
The line featured “Taishu-Kongo” who
became very well known. On the contrary,
the Ichinoseki line was passed on to
“Goromaru” and “Gyokuun”. Around
1960, thanks to “Toou” and “Toun”,
the Akita breed was once again in the
limelight!
Breeders of each kind are to be
commended for strengthening their own
type and quite rightly so should want to
protect it. There have been cases of cross
breeding to produce a blend of Akita
displaying traits from both the American
and Japanese. Although it can produce an
appealing looking dog, it is still simply a
blend that we refer to as Tweenies.
You will also have seen our long coat
type by now, created via recessive genes,
thought to be traced back to the Karafuto
dog. Although they are not often seen in
the show ring as their coat length is not
desirable, they are believed to be more
laid back and make good family pets.
Owners of long coats often affectionately
refer to them as “Woolies”. A little extra
care has to go in to maintaining their coat
to keep it in good condition, but you can
bet you will not hear an owner complain
after the finished result!
Danti Akitas - Seth
Int Ch Goshi Go Yahata Kensha
Danti Akitas - Natuk
Although the breed “Japanese Akita” does
not actually really exist any longer, some
may find it confusing that we still use the
term for our organisation. It`s simple,
in 1998 when JAWT evolved, it was the
breed name. JAWT is a name we are all
proud of and see no need to change it at
any point in the near future.
At this moment, despite being urged to
do so, the American Kennel Club has not
split the breed.
Int/Ir/Lux Ch Musashi ko Go Royal Nippon Akitos
www.jawt.co.uk
Summer 2012 11
Rehome Updates
Welcome
Well now for a little update
on some of the fur kids we
have rehomed since our last
newsletter.
Kessie came under JAWT care at the end
of 2011. She was rehomed at one point
but sadly did not work out so she went
back on foster with Sam again. Poor
Kessie had an operation and spent some
time recuperating.
Kumo was a beautiful white ex Irish
poundie who`s fate was to be sealed.
JAWT brought him over to safety where
he was on foster with Shelley for 3 weeks,
along with Sasha, before meeting his new
family.
She attended the infamous JAWT JUMP
and when Rosie & Damien met her they
knew she was going to be theirs. The
following week, Kessie now has two new
members of staff to cater for her every
desire! The first time Kessie met Rosie
& Damien with a “could you love me
forever” face? The answer of course was
yes.
Reg & Lyn travelled down to meet him
with their existing Akita and it was love
at first sight for everybody! Now named
Kuga, here are the new best friends as
evidence.
Lucy Lu if you remember was the
gorgeous girl who again, did not have
a bright future facing life in a pound
awaiting her PTS date.
Brought over under JAWT`s wing she went
to safe boarding, where she unfortunately
remained for just over FOUR MONTHS!
Then, along came her new daddy who
travelled a few hundred miles with an
overnight stopover. It could not have gone
better and we see regular updates from
Mark and his girl.
12
Summer 2012
Yoshi was a scared little boy who was not
being looked after properly in his own
home. So off to foster with Pip & Nick and
he gained some confidence – and weight!
This was an emergency removal and with
current dogs in place it made sense to
move him to foster with Maureen & Keith,
not forgetting Keisha! Didn`t take long for
Maureen to join our ever increasing failed
fosterers club, as you can read about later
on, and it’s lovely to be able to watch
Yoshi flourish into the boy he should be.
Here he is straight after a bath!
www.jawt.co.uk
Ruzgar was not being looked after at all in
his home, his only interaction was with his
dog walker and he spent the rest of the
day and night alone in the garden.
Another example of no thought going into
a decision to buy a puppy that was going
to grow!
So between his dog walker bringing him
home so his new JAWT approved mummy
Noreen, could meet him we secured his
forever home and he now lives happily
in South Wales. We hope his life if full of
love forever.
Vito was returned to his breeder at a
very young age due to his owner moving
abroad. JAWT advertised him and soon he
caught the eye of Sam & Wez. So, up they
travelled to meet him in the midlands,
with the help of Jackie & Ivor, and pretty
soon it was clear he was to find his
forever home with them.
He has settled incredibly well and has
mastered the art of sneaking on to their
bed.
He regularly keeps them on their toes but
is so affectionate, here he is with his little
two legged sister.
RehomeWelcome
Updates
Suki was previously adopted through
JAWT last year, but unfortunately a
change in her new owners circumstances
meant he could not offer her the time and
attention she needed. So, she was up for
adoption again.
Well along came David. With all of the
regular updates we get, it is easy to see
how well loved and cared for she is.
Which is nice for her previous owners
family to see too.
This is one little girl with her paws firmly
under the table...or bed...we think she is
one very relaxed girl!
Cara & Brogan came under JAWT`s wing
when their owner had no choice but to
give them up due to personal issues. We
moved them to safe boarding, but they
didn’t wait long.
Nicky & Jamie had been in the
background waiting for just the dog to
come along. Fell in love with Cara, but
soon realised they came as a pair.
They drove through the night to get to
spend some time with them, and it has to
be said it was a match made in heaven.
Roxy was a timid little girl who needed
to find a home quickly to ensure her own
safety. She was placed in foster care but
soon found her forever home with Dave
& Nova along with her akita brother and
husky sister.
That is one busy little pack!
Roxy had some nervous issues but so far
so good and settling well it has to be said,
under her new name Mika. Here she is
with her “dog family”
Off they went to South Wales where there
old owner has been invited to pop in if
ever in the area! We love a happy ending!
Bilko again was under threat of being put
to sleep in Ireland but thankfully moved
in to rescue. He created quite a stir being
such a handsome young man.
Tess was another girl under threat in a
pound in Ireland. After she was removed
she went on foster with Michelle. After a
couple of false starts, Kenny appeared.
He very much liked the look of her, and on
meeting up, Tess decided she very much
liked the thought of him being her new
daddy. So off she went “home”.
We love seeing the regular updates and
hearing how happy they are. She waited
for a while, but the perfect home was just
round the corner.
Sasha was another ex Irish poundie who
desperately needed out. She travelled
over with Kumo, went into foster with
Shelley. After Kumo was adopted it was
clear Sasha was not happy so she moved
to the next village where Joanne was
going to foster for us, just for a little
while, after having recently lost her own
male Akita. Well Sasha had been happy
enough and Joanne knew she was falling
for her. We have it on very good authority
just TODAY that Sasha is indeed a forever
girl. She still has foster brother Bruno with
her though!
www.jawt.co.uk
Janette adopted Izzy from JAWT a few
years ago and was keen to find her a
brother so it seemed his future was
sealed. Unfortunately Bilko fell ill and his
transport was delayed. We believe Janette
knows the wait was worth it as here he is
now renamed Zack, playing with his new
sister.
Summer 2012 13
WelcomeUpdates
Rehome
Toras was another young boy in danger
in Ireland, moved to safe boarding
over there, we set about organising his
transport over here to new mummy and
daddy, Ewa and Steve.
Not forgetting his little four legged sister
Dash! After a mad few days, he eventually
realised he was safe and now knows he is
home for good.
Hiro is just one of the best dogs to come
though JAWT. He tugged at all of our
heartstrings.
The minute this partially sighted boy
appeared on the dogs in need section, we
all prayed for a loving home to appear.
Hiro had been picked up after living
rough on farmland with his boxer dog
friend. After moving to shelter, his Boxer
friend was adopted and Hiro was getting
very depressed, that`s when the shelter
contacted JAWT.
We began our search, only to find Alan
had begun his own search for a new best
friend after losing his female akita. Alan
quickly applied, and we began to organise
the transport for Hiro.
He arrived off the ferry in the middle of
the night and went off to Sara & Rob for a
couple of days in Somerset.
Irish Yoshi found himself in need at a very
young age, he had been bought as a xmas
present and taken home to a family who
did not welcome him so found himself in
shelter - at 5 weeks old - on Boxing Day.
After that his own incredible journey saw
him being met by and taken a little further
north by not less than 7 volunteers who
each gave up a couple of hours of their
time to help him.
Thankfully knowing Martina works rescue
and has an akita they contacted her and
he went on foster till he was old enough
to travel over to new daddy Carl. Little
Yoshi has a two legged brother and we
hope he grows into his ears soon!
14
Summer 2012
www.jawt.co.uk
Every person involved said the same
thing, he was beautiful, affectionate, so
pleased to be with people and Alan was
very lucky he did not go missing at some
point!!
Here’s a picture (below) of Hiro giving me
plenty of kisses at the services during a
change over of transport, I don’t typically
make a habit of picking up and kissing
men I’ve only just met in service stations,
but I decided to make an exception just
this once!
You’ve just read about 16 dogs that have
been rehomed by JAWT in only the past
three months and sadly these aren’t all
the stories we have!
So a massive thank you to everyone
that’s helped in the various stages of
the rehoming process these bears have
gone through since March, it is very
much appreciated by all of us, but most
importantly, by the bears themselves!
Donna
The Tale Of A Failed Welcome
Fosterer!
them both. Yoshi sleeps by the bathroom
door in the Caravan and one night Keith
went to the bathroom poor Yoshi was fast
asleep he woke him up and moved him. I
suddenly heard this awful banging Yoshi
had gone back to his same position and
asleep, well I thought it so funny, I moved
him away and then saw him walk over to
Keith’s bed Climb up on it and then curl
up on it. We both fell about laughing, it
was as if he thought that as Keith had
woken him up, he would pinch his bed.
Yoshi and Keisha posing for the camera.
4
years ago we decided to try to adopt
an Akita having been on the Jawt
website and thought it would be
great to adopt a dog that really needed a
home. At the time we had an American
Cocker Spaniel called Brett who was 10
years old. With the help of a lovely chap
called Rob, he arranged for us to meet
two lovely girl Akitas, but Brett was not
having it he just ignored them like they
were not there. Spoke to Donna at Jawt
she suggested that Brett may take to a
puppy rather than a full grown girl. A
few weeks later she told me 16 puppies
had been born at Woodgreen Animal
Sanctuary in Cambridge,we went to see
them and came away with a lovely girl
puppy we called Keisha. They were great
friends, he loved her to bits,she was
smaller than him at the time so it worked
well. Sadly we lost Brett 2 years ago and
Keisha missed him so much. I suggested
to Keith that she needed a friend, and an
Akita friend would be nice, but he was
having none of it, kept saying she was ok
on her own.
We did a Transport run for Jawt in
January, and helped transport a lovely
dog called Teko get from Scotland to
Southampton, we did the final leg,well
Keith was really taken with him and I text
Pip and said you will be lucky to get Teko
delivered to you, Keith has fallen in love
with him,she text back saying ‘don’t steal
my dog’ lol. It was the turning point Keith
said if we can find another dog like Him
we will see if Keisha will take to him.
In March this year Pip rang me and said
she had taken in a young Akita as an
emergency for Jawt, she has 2 Akitas and
the 3 of them were not getting on so well,
she asked if I could take him for a short
time till they could find him a new home?
I asked Keith, he first word was No, I
explained what had happened to him and
that he needed our help. He said we will
go and meet him in a couple of Days and
see what he is like. On the Sunday we
drove from Gloucester to Southampton.
Pip let this Beautiful dog called Yoshi in
the room, he went straight to Keith, licked
him and then sat down beside him. Well
Keith was in love, smitten but wouldn’t
admit it. We stayed a few hours for him
to get used to us then we drove him
home. Once home we walked Yoshi and
Keisha together up the road, she was not
impressed, we walked them together
lots of times, kept them apart and then
put them on leads at either end of the
lounge, they got used to each other. We
took them to a Park a few days later,let
them play on their flexi leads, Yoshi was
Brilliant, he played with her mouthing,
boxing like only Akitas can play, it was
great to see them. We bought them home
and let them off in the garden Keisha
grumbled at first but within a few minutes
they were racing around chasing each
other and having a lovely time Keisha had
found her boyfriend yippee
He is adorable,such a character,loyal
and has a fantastic temperament,we
knew within days he was not going
anywhere,he is so good with our
Grandchildren Tom is 11 and Francesca is
7 and Everyone he meets, as I am writing
this he and Keisha are giving each other
kisses and just loving each other so much.
He is the best thing that has happened to
us, we are truly blessed with a beautiful
bear who has made us all very happy,
it was fate for us to have him, he learns
quickly, within a few weeks he was sitting
and waiting, also waiting before going in
and out of doors, and at just a year old
loves to give us lots of kisses, for a puppy
he learns fast.
I am more than happy to be a ‘Failed
Fosterer’ although Keith gets his leg
pulled a lot as he didn’t want another
dog, but then he met YOSHI, so he is also
a happy ‘Failed Fosterer’.
Thanks to JAWT
Maureen
We have taken him away in the Caravan,
he is so good, he loves it and all the
people he meets, they make such a fuss of
www.jawt.co.uk
Summer 2012 15
Kobi was rescued from a ‘home’ where
he was beaten, left outside in all weathers
with no shelter, starved and never walked!
Thanks to JAWT and the kind donations
of it’s patrons, he is now safe in a
loving forever home, walked and fed!
What difference could you make
to an Akita in need like Kobi?
Rehoming
The Japanese Akita Welfare Trust is the oldest Akita
welfare organisation in the UK and since it’s inception in
1998 has helped more than 1000 Akitas find the loving,
forever homes they so desperately need and deserve.
Sadly, the number of Akitas we are being asked to
help is increasing daily and as such we always have a
long list of fully assessed Akitas, of all ages, ready and
waiting to find new homes and new families.
Can you offer a home to an Akita in need?
Assessments
Do you have Akita experience? If you do, could
you help us by carrying out dog assessments or
adopter home checks in your area?
Fostering
Could you offer a temporary home to an Akita?
With many dogs being abandoned and kennel
spaces being limited, we are always looking for
more people that have the time and space to
take on a foster dog for a short period of time,
could you help?
The Japanese Akita Welfare Trust (JAWT) is registered as a charity in England and Wales - No. 1080152
t: 0844 225 3878
e: [email protected]
w: www.jawt.co.uk