7. Australian Catle Dog

Akita

(uh-KEE-tuh)

Doggie Stats

Working

24 to 28 inches; 70 to 130 pounds (Note: Japanese and American Akitas differ in size and weight. The American Akita is slightly larger.)1

Akitas are named for the Akita Prefecture (district or region) of Japan where they originated. They were bred to hunt large game such as boar, deer, and bear.2

Although they have never taken Best in Show at Westminster, Akitas have placed first in the Working group three times. They also excel in obedience, rally, and agility competitions.3

1972

Faithful to the End

Akitas are large, powerful dogs, well-known for their courage and loyalty. They love their families fiercely but strangers—not so much.

In the 1920s, an Akita in Japan became famous all over the world for his devotion and loyalty. Hachiko was the beloved pet of a Japanese professor. Each day Hachiko walked his owner to the train station in Tokyo and waited there all day for him to return. Then one day, a terrible thing happened. The professor died while he was at work.

That day Hachiko waited at the station just as he had every other day, but his owner never came. Every day for more than ten years he waited. During those years, Hachiko became a symbol of love and faithfulness to the people of Japan. When he finally died, the whole country mourned his death. They

built a statue to honor him outside the Tokyo train station where he had waited so long.4

That kind of loyalty is amazing. Hachiko was faithful to his owner to his dying day. It's a kind of faithfulness that is hard to find in people or dogs. But it is exactly the kind of faithfulness we can expect from our heavenly Father. He is always faithful, even when we're not.

It's a sad fact: people can sometimes hurt us or let us down. That's just part of being human. Everybody makes mistakes. The great thing is that God never makes a mistake. He never hurts us, and He never lets us down. He always keeps His promises. We can trust Him. He loves us with an everlasting love. And He is always there for us. His faithfulness never ends.

Unleash the Truth: “Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.” (Psalm 36:5)

Digging Deeper: Have you ever felt like someone let you down?

Fido 411: In 1937 Helen Keller learned the story of the famous Hachiko. She was so impressed she brought the first Akita to the United States.5

Weekly Tail-Waggers: Take time this week to look up the following scriptures: Psalm 57:10; Psalm 86:15; Psalm 91:4; Psalm 100:5; Psalm 119:30; Isaiah 25:1; and Lamentations 3:23. Read them and think about what they mean. God is faithful!

Wendy