The Akita is one of those dog breeds that commands a room the moment it enters. Ancient, noble, and fiercely loyal, the Akita is Japan's most iconic canine — a breed so revered it's been named a national treasure in its home country. Those bear-like ears, that triumphantly curled plume of a tail, the dignified watchful expression that seems to say "I've seen kingdoms rise and fall, and I still...