akita dog

An Akita Inu Other names Great Japanese Dog (Obsolete)

Japanese Akita Country of origin Japan [hide]Traits Weight Male 34-54 kg 75-119lb Female 34-50 kg 75-110 lb Height Male 61-71 cm 24-28in Coat Coarse, straight, with soft undercoat Color Red, fawn, sesame, brindle, or pure white Litter size 3-12 puppies, avg. 7-8 Life span 11-15 years [show]Classification & standards FCI Group 5 Section 5 #255 standard AKC Working standard ANKC Group 6 - (Utility) standard CKC Group 3 - (Working Dogs) standard KC (UK) Utility standard NZKC Utility standard UKC Northern Breeds standard

The Akita Inu, or Japanese Akita Inu (Japanese Akita) is a breed of large dog originating in Japan, named for Akita Prefecture, where it is thought to have originated. It is sometimes called the Akita-ken (???, Akita-ken?) based on the Sino-Japanese reading of the same kanji. It is a separate breed from the American Akita, and is quite uncommon in many countries. Contents [hide] 1 Description 1.1 Appearance 1.2 Temperament 2 Health 2.1 Mortality 2.2 Morbidity 2.3 Gastric Dilatation Volvulus 3 History 4 Akita Inu in popular culture 5 External links 6 Notes 7 References //

Description

Appearance

The breed stands 64 to 70 cm at the shoulders. Females weigh anywhere from 34-50kg. Males are 34-54kg. The Akita Inu come in only five colours: Red, Fawn, Sesame, Brindle, and Pure White. All except white must have whitish hair on the sides of the muzzle, on the cheeks, the neck, chest, body and tail. Black masks, as seen in the American Akita, are not permitted in the Japanese Akita Inu. A brindle Akita female

All colors are accepted in the American Akita. The Pinto color is not accepted as a Japanese Akita color, but is as an American Akita color. In the U.S., some breeders interbreed the original Japanese type with the heavier American type, which is larger, and allows more colors. It is felt by some that combining the two types leads to improved appearance and genetic health by increasing genetic diversity. In the United States, there is only a single Akita breed registered by the American Kennel Club, whereas they are separated into two breeds in every other country in the world except Canada. In all other countries the breed has been separated into two breeds: the Akita Inu and the American Akita. However, the American Akita is seen by some American breeders as being a different breed than the Japanese and these breeders advocate a splitting of the one breed into two.[citation needed]

Akitas possess a double coat, with a dense straight undercoat, and a thick outer coat. This coat makes the dog waterproof, as well as being well-equipped for the fierce winters in northern Japan. Due to the thickness of their coat, the breed requires daily grooming, and also an awareness