Dog breed · United States
The Akita Inu (秋田犬, Akita Inu, Akita Ken; Japanese pronunciation: [a.kʲi̥.ta(ꜜ) i.nɯ, -ta.keɴ]) is a Japanese dog breed of large size. Originating from the mountains of northern Japan, the Akita has a short double coat similar to that of many other northern spitz breeds. The breed traces its roots to the Matagi Inu, a chūgata ken (medium-sized dog) historically used by the Matagi—traditional hunters of the Tōhoku region—for tracking and subduing large game such as tsukinowaguma (Japanese black bear), inoshishi (wild boar) and kamoshika (Japanese serow) in snow-covered mountain terrain.
As a breed, Akitas are generally hardy. However, it is subject to debate as to whether the Akita strains are distinct, or if they constitute one breed.
Temperament: The Akita is generally seen as territorial about its property, and can be reserved with strangers.
The breed has been defined in some countries' breed-specific legislation as a dangerous dog. The Akita is a large, strong, independent, and dominant dog. A well-trained Akita should be accepting of nonthreatening strangers, otherwise they treat all strangers in an aggressive manner.
A survey on canine behaviour in five 'ancient' breeds in Poland found the Akita to be the most aggressive towards other dogs with 59% of Akitas being reported to display aggression towards other dogs and animals. They were the second most likely to be aggressive towards humans with 13% of Akitas being reported to display aggression towards humans. Stereotypic behaviour was reported in 27% of Akitas, ranking it second out of the five breeds surveyed. Excessive vocalisation was only reported at 17% for the Akita, lower than the other breeds. Less than 10% of Akitas were reported to have separation anxiety, the lowest amount. 70% of all human directed aggression involved a visitor on the Akita's territory, highlighting the defensive nature of the breed.
A Japanese study found that the CAG repeat polymorphism in the AR gene in the Akita Inu was correlated with increased reports of aggression in male Akita dogs, but not females.
Appearance: As a spitz breed, the appearance of the Akita reflects cold-weather adaptations essential to their original function. The Akita is a substantial breed for its height with heavy bones. Characteristic physical traits of the breed include a large, bear-like head with erect, triangular ears set at a slight angle following the arch of the neck. Additionally, the eyes of the Akita are small, dark, deeply set, and triangular in shape. Akitas have thick double coats, and tight, well-knuckled, cat-like feet. Their tails are carried over the tops of their backs in a gentle or double curl down the loin.
Mature American-type males measure typically 26-28 in (66–71 cm) at the withers and weigh between 100 and 130 lb (45–[dose — ask your vet]). Mature females typically measure 24-26 in (61–66 cm) and weigh between 70 and 100 lb (32–[dose — ask your vet]). The Japanese type, as stated in the breed standards, is a little smaller and lighter.
Breed standards state that all dog breed coat colors and patterns are allowable in the American Akita. This includes the common Shiba Inu coloring pattern known as urajiro. The Japanese Akitas, as per the breed standards, are restricted to red, fawn, sesame, brindle, and pure white, all with urajiro markings - whitish coat 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.
Coat Types: The two coat types in the Akita are the standard coat length and the long coat. The long coat is considered a fault in the show ring, however. The long coat, also known as moku, is the result of an autosomal recessive gene and may occur phenotypically only if both sire and dam are carriers. They have longer (about 3-4 in long) and softer coats and are known to have sweeter temperaments. This gene is thought to come from the Karafuto Ken dog.
