Dog description

Akita can be described as a big, well-built dog. Important appearance features are upright, quite small and slightly forward inclining ears, a curled tail and peaceful nature. Fur is straight, with a dense, soft undercoat which is changed twice a year. The typical colour in Japan is red with a light mask, striped and white (except for white with urajiro). By standards, akita is an intelligent dog with nobleness and pride. Being a very clean dog, it is much easier for it to develop hygiene habits than for many ather breeds. Another advantage is absence of a typical dog’s odor. Anybody who has ever had akita can confirm that its nature has a broader range. Akita is absolutely loyal to its family, bound to it and docile. It is not a dog to be fed and forgotten. It must become a member of the family and needs the love of the owners. It is also a very pleasant companion. This dog is calm, steady and courageous, possessing a perfect protective instinct. There are just two things akitas do not like: an owner forcing them to do something and other big dogs (depending on their nature) which do not conform to them immediately. Training methods must be based on motivation, patience, kindness, consistency and persistence. These days akitas are used mainly as family companions and guiding as well as guard dogs.

FCI Standard No. 225 from 16.7.1992

Country of origin: Japan

FCI classification: Group 5 (spitz type and urtyp group) of section 5(Asian Spitz type and related breeds without an agility trial)

Use: Guide dog

General appearance: Big, well-balanced, sturdily built dog. Outstanding secondary sexual characters, easy-going, lofty and dignified.

Important proportions: Ratio of height at the withers to lenght is 10:11, female is rather longer.

Temperament: Calm, loyal, docile and clever.

Head: Skull in appropriate ratio to the body, broad front with defined stop, without wrinkles. Powerful jaws, straight, large and black nose. White dogs can have flesh colured nose. Muzzle of medium lenght, wedge-shaped, but not too pointed. Scissor bite, lips tight.

Eyes: Properly small, almond-shaped, moderately set apart, rather slanted, the darker the better.

Ears: Relatively small, thick, triangular, slightly rounded at tips. Moderately set apart, upright and slightly inclining forward.

Neck: Thick and muscular, without dewlap. Proportionate to the head.

Body: Back straight and strong, loin broad and muscular. Deep chest, forechest well developes, ribs moderately sprung, well tucked up belly.

Tail: Set high, thick, tightly curled over the back, after straightening reaching with the tip to the heel joints.

Forequarters: Shoulder bone well developed, moderately laid back. Forelegs straight, well boned, elbows close to chest.

Hindquarters: Well developed, strong, with moderate angulation.

Feet: Strong, round, moderately arched. Turning neither in nor out.

Gait: Free flowing and vigorous.

Coat: Stockhaar, stiff and straight. Undercoat soft and dense, slightly longer at withers and back, more profuse on tail.

Colour: Red, white, brindle. All the foregoing colours except white must have urajiro (whitish coat on the cheeks and all the undersides of the body, always with a white tipped tail.)

Size: Height – dogs 67 cm, bitches 61 cm in the range of plus or minus 3 cm.

Akita Inu belongs to the most ancient dog breeds in the world. The documents on breeding come back to 15. century but skeleton discoveries prove the origin that is much older. Dogs of a similar appearance must have existed in Japan approximately 5000 years ago. The nane of Akita comes from a Japanese prefecture in a northern part of the Honshu island. The breed probably comes from there.

The word Inu means dog. There is no ather dog breed with such a dramatic history and great cultural value as Akita Inu. It accompanied the man on the territory of Japan and was his helper and friend thousands years ago. It appeared on the north of Japan together with a mysterious Ainu nation that is completely separated in all the Eastern world. The members of this nation nowadays live on Hokkaido island, in southern parts of the Kuril Islands and on Sachalin. These hunters and fishermen together with their dogs were the first on the Japanese islands. The honour expressed to the animal arose out of a legend by which Ainu people came from the relation between a dog and a woman. Akitas were used for hunting in pairs, to keep bears and other animals at bay until the hunters came.

The most frequent records on Akitas bred in noble families of feudalistic Japan are from 17. century. During the Edo period under governing of Tokugawa and Taisho families (1603-1925) selective breeding of Akitas started. In 1687 Tthe fifth shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi issued a law ordering all the vassals to be nice and kind to their dogs as he had been born in the birth sign of dog. For his love to dogs he was called Inu Kubó or „Dog Shogun“. Tsunayoshi also ordered to address each dog with the title „o-inu sama“ which means „Lord dog“. In the following era Akitas were used in dog fights and manily as companions of samurais. As the dogs were fighting too often, the breed had almost died completely. Demand for fight dogs was met by crossing with Tosa Inu and other breeds which were not much valued. Dog’s population started declining and about 1900 typical breeds could be found only around the town of Odate in Akita prefecture. In 1908 dog fights were banned. Mayor of Odate Mr. Izumi started promoting a clean line of an original Japanese dog. That was the base of today’s Akita Inu. In 1927 Akita Inu Hozonkai kennel club in Odate (AKIHO) was founded. This club keeps a breed register and has decisive influence on the standard of the breed. In 1931 Japanese Emperor Hirohito designated Akita as a national monument and treasure (any export was prohibited).

Today Akitas are considered to be a symbol of loyalty in Japan. At the railway station Shibuya in Tokio, since 1948 there has been a bronze statue of the Akita called Hachiko as a reminder of love and loyalty of this dog to its lord. Hachiko was the Akita of a Professor lecturing in a university in Tokio. Every morning Hachiko escorted the Professor to the station and in the afternoon was waiting there for him again. Professor Ueno died in 1925 of a heart attack. Following ten years Hachiko was coming every morning and afternoon to the station, waiting for its lord. 7.3.1935 Hachiko was found dead on the place where he had been waiting so long. Another momunment of devotion and loyalty of Akitas is a life size monument of 12 Akitas from bronze built at the beginning of 60ies by the order of Emperor Hirohito in Tokio. It is devoted to the memory of brave dogs that accompanied a Japanese expedition to the South Pole in 1957. Unusually hard climate conditions forced the members of the expedition give up on the halfway and come back. But they had to leave a part od their equipment together with the dogs at the place. Three years later they set out for the expedition again. After coming to the place where they had finished the journey before they were happily welcome by 12 Akitas. To survive, the dogs lived on animals caught on the coast of the ocean hundreds of kilometres away from there.

Despite that they kept returning to the place where they had been left by the people and waited for them coming back. Finally they succeeded. The second world war meant a disaster for breeding of Akitas. Because of lack of food feeding of animals meant crime and animals were liquidated. Only a few individuals survived the war. Breeders from Odate were the predominant force to support the original historically recorded appearance of the dog instead of mass crossbreeding. Although the economic development of Japan made the space to save this unique breed, those times at expositions were valued dogs of Kongo Go and Kincho Go type.

Breeders of AKIHO organisation warned about the dangerous trend expressed by these crossbreds. Pudgy, unelegant and large body with the colour resembling German Shepherd Dog was unacceptable. In the USA there was an abrupt raise of popularity of Dewa line which had been brought there after the end of World War II. Fortunately, the original type of Japanese Akitas found its favourers, too. An affiliate of AKIHO was founded in Los Angeles. The result of different breeders‘ aims was forming two separated types, Japanese and American one. The adaptation of the rules suggested by a Japanese kennel club in 1992 means the end of Akitas with black mask, large body and dark colour. The American type was accepted in Mexico in 1999 after an agreement of JKC and FCI as a separated breeed called Big Japanese Dog. By this measure breeding of original Japanese Akita Inu type was separated from crossbreds of the American type popular in Europe and other places of the world. Akita is a symbol of health and happiness. The look at it should bring a feeling of harmony, warmth, gentleness, beauty and elegance.

As there are many questions from those who are interested as well as from the owners of dogs, we have decided to publish this article in a simple and understadandable form. It will describe the nourishment of the Akita Inu breed but the rules with small variances are valid generally for all the breeeds. It is important to know that requirements for nourishment are more demanding especially in the first year of life. If something is neglected in this period, it usually cannot be made up after. Food must consist of all the nutrients (proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, trace elements, aminoacids, etc.) to support the right development of skeleton, muscles and all other organs. What is also important is their right content and proportion. First two months when the puppies are in the care of a breeder, they are lactated and with the right mother’s nourishment, her milk contains all that is necessary for healthy development of a young puppy. Mother’s milk also provides puppies with antibodies as the immune system just starts to be built. According to the number of puppies, they can be fed with a substitute for mother’s milk since 4th or 5th week and later with proper granules for puppies (with proper content) together with unsalty, unpeppered broth in which the granules are put to soften.
From the 9th week when the puppies come to new owners, they are fed four to five times daily in regular intervals only with granules which can be enriched with meat in small amounts, especially with poultry, and with a little broth. Adding any supplements to the granules is not necessary. It is just to achieve different taste in otherwise monotonous food in granules. If you feed your dog just with granules without supplements, it may start refusing the food. It always depends on a specific individual. Meat is added only in smal amounts so as not to disrupt the proportion of calcium and phosphorus which is extremely important especially for large breeds. High-quality granules of superpremium and premium type make complete food with all the necessary components in determined amount and proportion. They are easily digestible and produced in a way to be used best. Using them you can ensure the right development of puppies in all the stages. Granules are today offered by the size of a breed.
For Akitas it is necessary to choose large breed puppy granules. Ofcourse, it is good to supply the food with fruit, vegetables, children biscuits, cottage cheese, yoghurt, cheese, etc. Never feed your dog with leftovers. In the stage of development, when the ears start to stand up and teeth develop together with remarkable growth of bones, muscles and other organs which may cause lack of calcium. It is however extremely important to consult calcium supplements with a vet who will decide by an analysis whether it is necessary.
The dog’s body can cope with a short-time lack of this element, but it cannot put up with its excess. The proportion of calcium and phosphorus in food is of great importance. After handling this period successfully, if the dog is fed with high-quality granules, there will be no problems. Of course, the higher the age, the lower the number of feeding doses. From 13.-14. month you can use granules for adult dogs but they must still be of higher proportion in a feeding dose.
There is another thing we must warn about: food for the Akita cannot contain soya! The dog is very sensitive to it and following allergies with skin problems can be tedious with the treatment that is uncomfortable for the dog. Therefore it is not recommended to feed with food from hypermarkets which can contain meat and bone meal, fats and soya. Premium and superpremium granules like Best Choice, K9, Bosch, Acana and others are of satisfactory quality and appropriate for Akitas. The absence of soya must be declared on the bag with food. Although the Akita is not demanding as to the amount of food, it should be fed with high-quality food from the above mentioned reasons.

The most important components in dog food

Proteins: A building material for a dog. Its proportion in food is significant as is the fact how much of it is usable.

Fat: Delivers energy to the system. Fatty acids and thier composition are dominant.
Carbohydrates: Are a source of fast and effective energy important for a short-time effort of an animal.

Fiber: Is important for the time of holding food in the body, determining its digestibility.

Vitamins: Nothing works without vitamins. Each vitamin has a specific role. Therefore vitamins are essential in each food in a proper amount.

Minerals and trace elements: They are also a significant part of a skeleton and movement system.

Training of Akitas requires consistence as well as loving and patient attitude from the owner. Do not try to force your Akita to do something as this way you can just support its stubbornness. With love, patience, friendliness and sensible strictness (if necessary) you can make your dog obey your orders. Akitas can do anything just because of love to their lord although sometimes it is not possible all at once. It is very clever, intelligent but also independently thinking dog. Therefore its training and socialisation must be carried out during the first year of life. A young inidividual obtains basic habits and socialisation at the early age. Approximately from the 6.-7. week you can start training gradually. It should finish together with socialisation until 7.-8. month of the age. During this period there must be a contact with people and dogs and you should visit crowded places if you want to train a reliable and sociable dog. Not keeping these rules is a big mistake. Akitas never forget what they have been taught in the first year of life. They do not lose the ability to guard when they are in contact with strangers and as independent dogs they can estimate the situation very quickly and act by that. Despite of the fact that Akitas are stubborn, when led properly they are obedient and docile, able to fulfill all the orders. Another important thing is to instill the dog its position in a human „pack“. The owner is always a leader (alpha), the family is beta and only after that comes a dog. In this point you must be vigorous. If we neglected it, we might have problems with resistance (depending on nature of an individual). If necessary, the best method is to grab the dog’s skin on its nape, shake it and warn: „Don‘t!“ or „Yuck!“ It is also possible to turn the dog in the position lying on back and imitate a bite with your fingers together with a strong warning. Do not ever use punch nor hit the dog with any objects. It could cause fear of your hand. Using mentioned methods you can win respect (not fear) from your dog and enforce your position in the pack hierarchy. This method can be used also for other breeds but Aitas have a steady postion in a pack. An owner who is consistent, devoted to his dog, is experienced and obeys advise from skilled breders, does not have to go to a training centre. On the other hand, it can be an advantage, as your dog can be contacted with people and other breeds. However, you must remember that you have to choose a centre where they have some experience with this breed, otherwise they can do more harm than good. If there are any problems, it is better to ask a breeder and if he or she cannot give you advice, seek for help of a skilled dogman in a centre. In relation with other dogs be careful because Akitas are dominant dogs in a pack and might not be tolerant to some plays or dominant behaviour. Another simple but effective helping tool for training is to teach a dog that its owner and members of family can touch anything in the bowl with food (sometimes feed it from your hand). This should be started in an early age, then the dog gets used to it and in later age there is not a problem to take away any undesirable objects or delicacy from it. You can fortify your position this way, the dog respects you and puts itself into a subordinate position. In a pack hierarchy, dominant dogs are fed first so you make the dog aware of your superiority in this natural way. Well behaved dog must let its owner to take any favourite things away from it without expressing any displeasure or growling. Generally speaking, the Akita Inu does not need a training that is different from the others, but it needs a different attitude. The training cannot be too tough. It is vital for the owner to love the dog and show it and if his orders are fulfilled in the right way, it is necessary to praise and award. Well trained Akita is a unique, friendly, reliable and docile dog, emotionally dependent on its owner. This breed has been a man’s companion for thousands years and comes from a totally different culture and nation. Let us learn to respect this heritage to make it easier for the Akita to respect you.