Akita

History

The Akita, originally called the Akita Matagi (dog that hunts bears), was developed in the Akita Province of Japan on Honshu Island. It is a medium sized hunting dog that was long used for dog fighting and large game hunting. The breed had been on the decline but made a comeback when it was designated as part of Japan's natural heritage. The Akita is the largest of the Japanese spitz type and is now kept almost exclusively as a pet.

Appearance

The Akita weights are routinely between 66 to 130 pounds. Height for both males and females range from 24-28 inches tall. The colors for this breed are red, fawn, sesame, brindle, pure white, all but white "Urajiro" markings, whitish fur on the sides of the muzzle, on the cheeks, on the underside of jaw, neck, chest, body and tail and on the inside of the legs. The Akita body is elongated with a thick neck, tucked up belly and straight back. This breed does not reach growth maturity until it is 3 years old. With their "bear" like face, and unmistakable large, curly tail, small eyes, triangular ears with round tips this breed is sure to catch everyone's eyes.

Temperament

It goes without saying, that every dog is its own individual personality, however generally speaking, we must remember that this breed is bred for protection. With that said, they are not recommended for busy households, small children, or other animals. This breed requires a firm and dominate owner, but one who is able to also show affection. The Akita can be very docile, quiet and loving indoors, but they do not do well with strangers or a lot of stress. The Akita needs a fair amount of exercise but can do well in an apartment environment if daily walks and play time are provided. This breed needs a consistent owner who will not go back on his or her house rules, and positive reinforcement is needed to be used. None the less, this breed is incredible, hardy and very intelligent.

Grooming

The Akita sheds very heavily every 6 months, at this time it is important to purchase a true "shedding" designed brush, to help get the loose hair out from under their coat. Regular brushes will not do, as this breed has 2 coats to their fur! Do not bathe on a regular basis, as it can damage their hair. Regular brushing is recommended to help keep them free of knots and clean.

Special Notes

Please note, that prior to adding any breed of choice to your family, we recommend fully researching it to ensure a forever home. It is extremely important to us, that you are able to financially and physically care for the needs of any breed of dog that you choose. All dogs originate from wolves (Canis Lupus). Each breed of dog was originally created by mixing different breeds together in an effort to bring forth certain characteristics. Once a breeder has created acceptable “breed characteristics” within their bloodline and these “breed characteristics” have shown to be reliably reproduced in the offspring for three (3) generations, the bloodline may be upgraded from the category of “foundation stock” to “pure-bred”. The same “pure-bred” breed standards vary from different continents, countries, territories, regions, breed clubs, and canine pure-breed registries depending on the goals of their breeders. Dog DNA testing companies can have accurate results for a specific bloodline of a small colony of dogs. However, there are tens of thousands of different bloodlines in the world which have not yet been tested for marker baseline results by Dog DNA testing companies as of 2017. For this reason Dog DNA testing companies do not guarantee the 100% accuracy of their breed lineage results and will also show different marker results for the same pure-bred breed in different continents, countries, territories, regions, breed clubs, and canine pure-breed registries depending on the goals of their breeders.