Sometimes I get the question where to find a reputable Japanese Akita breeder. Earlier I published a list of Akita kennels in the Netherlands. You can find others by doing a search in Google or start from this website.

Select about three breeders in your area and visit them – personally! Get to know them and have a look at their dogs. Don’t go buy an Akita in an impulse or choose this breed just because they look so cute.

Choose wisely.

Recognizing, preventing, and handling dog aggression

A dog is an instinctively aggressive creature and the same is true for the Akita. In the wild, aggression came in very handy: dogs needed aggression to hunt, to defend themselves from other creatures, and to defend resources such as food, a place to sleep, and a mate.

Selective breeding over the centuries has minimized and refined this trait significantly, but there’s just no getting around it: dogs are physically capable of inflicting serious harm (just look at those teeth!) because that’s how they’ve survived and evolved. And Mother Nature is pretty wily – it’s hard to counteract the power of instinct!

But that doesn’t mean that we, as dog lovers and owners, are entirely helpless when it comes to handling our dogs. There’s a lot that we can do to prevent aggression from rearing its ugly head in the first place – and even if prevention hasn’t been possible (for whatever reason), there are still steps that we can take to recognize and deal with it efficiently.

Different aggression types

There are several different types of canine aggression. The two most common ones are:

1. Aggression towards strangers
2. Aggression towards family members

You may be wondering why we’re bothering categorizing this stuff: after all, aggression is aggression, and we want to turf it out NOW, not waste time with the details – right?

Well … not quite. These two different types of aggression stem from very different causes, and require different types of treatment.

Aggression towards strangers

What is it?

It’s pretty easy to tell when a dog’s nervy around strange people. He’s jumpy and on the alert: either he can’t sit still and is constantly fidgeting, leaping at the smallest sound, and pacing around barking and whining; or he’s veerrrry still indeed, sitting rock-steady in one place, staring hard at the object of his suspicions (a visitor, the mailman, someone approaching him on the street while he’s tied up outside a store.)

Why does it happen?

There’s one major reason why a dog doesn’t like strange people: he’s never had the chance to get used to them. Remember, your dog relies 100% on you to broaden his horizons for him: without being taken on lots of outings to see the world and realize for himself, through consistent and positive experiences, that the unknown doesn’t necessarily equal bad news for him, how can he realistically be expected to relax in an unfamiliar situation?

What can I do about it?

The process of accustoming your dog to the world and all the strange people (and animals) that it contains is called socialization. This is an incredibly important aspect of your dog’s upbringing: in fact, it’s pretty hard to overemphasize just how important it is. Socializing your dog means exposing him from a young age (generally speaking, as soon as he’s had his vaccinations) to a wide variety of new experiences, new people, and new animals.

How does socialization prevent stranger aggression?

When you socialize your dog, you’re getting him to learn through experience that new sights and sounds are fun, not scary.

It’s not enough to expose an adult dog to a crowd of unfamiliar people and tell him to “Settle down, Roxy, it’s OK” – he has to learn that it’s OK for himself. And he needs to do it from puppyhood for the lesson to sink in.

The more types of people and animals he meets (babies, toddlers, teenagers, old people, men, women, people wearing uniforms, people wearing motorcycle helmets, people carrying umbrellas, etc) in a fun and relaxed context, the more at ease and happy – and safe around strangers – he’ll be in general.

How can I socialize my dog so that he doesn’t develop a fear of strangers?

Socializing your dog is pretty easy to do – it’s more of a general effort than a specific training regimen.

First of all, you should take him to puppy preschool. This is a generic term for a series of easy group-training classes for puppies (often performed at the vet clinic, which has the additional benefit of teaching your dog positive associations with the vet!).

In a puppy preschool class, about ten or so puppy owners get together with a qualified trainer (often there’ll be at least two trainers present – the more there are, the better, since it means you get more one-on-one time with a professional) and start teaching their puppies the basic obedience commands: sit, stay, and so on.

Even though the obedience work is very helpful and is a great way to start your puppy on the road to being a trustworthy adult dog, really the best part of puppy preschool is the play sessions: several times throughout the class, the puppies are encouraged to run around off-leash and play amongst themselves.

This is an ideal environment for them to learn good social skills: there’s a whole bunch of unfamiliar dogs present (which teaches them how to interact with strange dogs), there’s a whole bunch of unfamiliar people present (which teaches them that new faces are nothing to be afraid of), and the environment is safe and controlled (there’s at least one certified trainer present to make sure that things don’t get out of hand).

Socialization doesn’t just stop with puppy preschool, though. It’s an ongoing effort throughout the life of your puppy and dog: he needs to be taken to a whole bunch of new places and environments.

Remember not to overwhelm him: start off slow, and build up his tolerance gradually.

Aggression towards family members

There are two common reasons why a dog is aggressive towards members of his own human family:

- He’s trying to defend something he thinks of as his from a perceived threat (you).

This is known as resource guarding, and though it may sound innocuous, there’s actually a lot more going on here than your dog simply trying to keep his kibble to himself.

- He’s not comfortable with the treatment/handling he’s getting from you or other members of the family.

What’s resource guarding?

Resource guarding is pretty common among dogs. The term refers to overly-possessive behavior on behalf of your dog: for instance, snarling at you if you approach him when he’s eating, or giving you “the eye” (a flinty-eyed, direct stare) if you reach your hand out to take a toy away from him.

All dogs can be possessive from time to time – it’s in their natures. Sometimes they’re possessive over things with no conceivable value: inedible trash, balled up pieces of paper or tissue, old socks. More frequently, however, resource-guarding becomes an issue over items with a very real and understandable value: food and toys.

Why does it happen?

It all boils down to the issue of dominance. Let me take a moment to explain this concept: dogs are pack animals. This means that they’re used to a very structured environment: in a dog-pack, each individual animal is ranked in a hierarchy of position and power (or “dominance”) in relation to every other animal. Each animal is aware of the rank of every other animal, which means he knows specifically how to act in any given situation (whether to back down, whether to push the issue, whether to muscle in or not on somebody else’s turf, etc etc).

To your dog, the family environment is no different to the dog-pack environment. Your dog has ranked each member of the family, and has his own perception of where he ranks in that environment as well.

This is where it gets interesting: if your dog perceives himself as higher up on the social totem-pole than other family members, he’s going to get cheeky. If he’s really got an overinflated sense of his own importance, he’ll start to act aggressively.

Why? Because dominance and aggression are the exclusive rights of a superior-ranked animal. No underdog would ever show aggression or act dominantly to a higher-ranked animal (the consequences would be dire, and he knows it!)

Resource guarding is a classic example of dominant behavior: only a higher-ranked dog (a “dominant” dog) would act aggressively in defence of resources.

To put it plainly: if it was clear to your dog that he is not, in fact, the leader of the family, he’d never even dream of trying to prevent you from taking his food or toys – because a lower-ranking dog (him) will always go along with what the higher-ranking dogs (you and your family) say.

So what can I do about it? The best treatment for dominant, aggressive behavior is consistent, frequent obedience work, which will underline your authority over your dog. Just two fifteen-minute sessions a day will make it perfectly clear to your dog that you’re the boss, and that it pays to do what you say.

You can make this fact clear to him by rewarding him (with treats and lavish praise) for obeying a command, and isolating him (putting him in “time-out”, either outside the house or in a room by himself) for misbehaviour.

- If you’re not entirely confident doing this yourself, you may wish to consider enlisting the assistance of a qualified dog-trainer.

- Brush up on your understanding of canine psychology and communication, so that you understand what he’s trying to say – this will help you to nip any dominant behaviors in the bud, and to communicate your own authority more effectively

- Train regularly: keep obedience sessions short and productive (no more than fifteen minutes – maybe two or three of these per day).

Why doesn’t my dog like to be handled?

All dogs have different handling thresholds. Some dogs like lots of cuddles, and are perfectly content to be hugged, kissed, and have arms slung over their shoulders (this is the ultimate “I’m the boss” gesture to a dog, which is why a lot of them won’t tolerate it.) Others – usually the ones not accustomed to a great deal of physical contact from a very young age – aren’t comfortable with too much full-body contact and will get nervy and agitated if someone persists in trying to hug them.

Another common cause of handling-induced aggression is a bad grooming experience: nail-clipping and bathing are the two common culprits.

When you clip a dog’s nails, it’s very easy to “quick” him – that is, cut the blood vessel that runs inside the nail. This is extremely painful to a dog, and is a sure-fire way to cause a long-lasting aversion to those clippers.

Being washed is something that a great many dogs have difficulty dealing with – a lot of owners, when confronted with a wild-eyed, half-washed, upset dog, feel that in order to complete the wash they have to forcibly restrain him. This only adds to the dog’s sense of panic, and reinforces his impression of a wash as something to be avoided at all costs – if necessary, to defend himself from it with a display of teeth and hackles.

Can I “retrain” him to enjoy being handled and groomed?

In a word: yes. It’s a lot easier if you start from a young age – handle your puppy a lot, get him used to being touched and rubbed all over. Young dogs generally enjoy being handled – it’s only older ones who haven’t had a lot of physical contact throughout their lives that sometimes find physical affection difficult to accept.

Practice picking up his paws and touching them with the clipper; practice taking him into the bath (or outside, under the faucet – whatever works for you, but warm water is much more pleasant for a dog than a freezing spray of ice-water!), and augment the process throughout with lots of praise and the occasional small treat.

For an older dog that may already have had several unpleasant handling/grooming experiences, things are a little more difficult. You need to undo the damage already caused by those bad experiences, which you can do by taking things very slowly – with an emphasis on keeping your dog calm.

The instant he starts to show signs of stress, stop immediately and let him relax. Try to make the whole thing into a game: give him lots of praise, pats, and treats.

Take things slowly. Don’t push it too far: if you get nervous, stop.

Dogs show aggression for a reason: they’re warning you to back off, or else! If your dog just can’t seem to accept being groomed, no matter how much practice you put in, it’s best to hand the job over to the professionals.

Your vet will clip his nails for you (make sure you tell him first that he gets aggressive when the clippers come out, so your vet can take the necessary precautions!). As far as washing and brushing goes, the dog-grooming business is a flourishing industry: for a small fee, you can get your dog washed, clipped, brushed, and whatever else you require by experienced professionals (again, make sure you tell them about your dog’s reaction to the experience first!)

For more information on handling aggressive and dominant behaviors, as well as a great deal of detailed information on a host of other common dog behavior problems, check out SitStayFetch.

It’s a complete owner’s guide to owning, rearing, and training your dog, and it deals with all aspects of dog ownership.

To get the inside word on preventing and dealing with problem behaviors like aggression and dominance in your dog, SitStayFetch is well worth a look.

You can take advantage of their FREE 6-day mini course in dog training (no strings attached):

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27 March 2008 OneNews – New Zealand’s News A man in New Zealand was attacked by a Japanese Akita. Now he wants the popular dog out of the country, or at least added to the country’s dangerous dog list.

He says “they just kill us”. He thinks Japanese Akita’s are three times more dangerous than a pit bull. He wants them all out. Next time he sees a Japanese Akita, any Japanese Akita, he’s going to kill it.

The victim was working on a job in a home in Auckland, New Zealand. The dog was the very loved family house dog of his clients. Just hours after the attack Dog Control Officers were on the scene. The owners said their dog had never attacked before. It was handed over to authorities. The Akita was brought to death row for dogs and was destroyed less than 24 hours later. The decision to whether or not the owners will be prosecuted is still being decided.

All dogs are capable of biting. All dogs can launch an attack. There is no evidence that Japanese Akita’s are more violent than any other breed. Experts say you can’t single out just one dog breed as the new public enemy number one. This resembles the nature-nurture debate. Dog’s behavior, is just like ours, not fully controlled by the genes.

A predisposition to behave in a certain way is only a small part of the equation. The environment has a bigger impact as to whether or not the aggression is going to surface or not.

The triangle: dog breed, the individual dog and dog training/the owner is what’s important. A dog that has had negative experiences with people is more likely to develop a fear of people which can result in unprovoked bite incidents.

Don’t stare a dog right in the eyes. Imagine a human stranger doing this to you. How would you feel? When a dog gives a warning, then accept the warning. Socialized dogs will give light warnings first, then stronger and stronger and only if you can’t take any hint then the dog would have to escalate the warning further.

When we as humans are the superior breed, then act superior. Learn doggy language as they cannot learn ours. Education is very important. Up to 75% of dog bites are actually by the victim’s own dog.

You can’t decide a whole breed is aggressive because of a biting incident with an individual dog. If so… then what conclusions can be drawn about the human race after reading some random newspaper headlines?

The bond between dogs and humans is based in part on trust, and part of that is eroded once you are bitten. If the victim is a bystander and not a dog owner, he is likely to be lost forever to any relationship with dogs and may become hostile to them. Hostility coupled with activism can sound the death knell of a breed.

John Payne, President of New Zealand Institute of Animal Control Officers, only today heard for the first time of a Japanese Akita attacking and he’s 21 years on the job. In order for a breed to be designated as a dangerous dog breed they need to be disproportionally featured in dog attacks and there aren’t really any dog breeds that fit into that sort of category.

For instance, German Shepherds account for a large number of bite incidents, but that’s just because there are a lot of German Shepherds around. Before jumping to conclusions you have to know how to interpret quantitative data.

Scientist are examining aggressive genes in dogs. Swabbing that dog and analyze it’s gene profile can help predicting whether a dog that has never been aggressive in the past is likely to be aggressive in the future. Then what? Are we going to allow these dogs to be destroyed whilst they haven’t done a thing wrong so far? Like in the pre-crime unit in the movie ‘Minority Report’? Within 24 hours, without a jury?

The truth of the matter is, all dogs can be provoked or egged on to bite. Aggression is of course part of the dog psyche (as it is also part of the human psyche); young dogs, particularly males, do frequently test the dominance status of higher-ranking males. There’s no such thing as a ‘bad’ breed. Practically all kinds of dogs are trainable. Proper training and socialization can make otherwise violent dogs, such as pit bull terriers and Rottweilers, adorable and gentle ones.

Dog owners should have their beloved pets trained to follow basic commands like come, sit, lie and stay. Obedience training school is one way of effectively preventing many dog-biting incidents, but you should try to find time for day-to-day instruction between dog and master, as well. This helps build the bond between you and your dog; when your dog trusts you enough, he dare not attack other people, particularly YOU.

Need help training and socializing your dog?

I have found the best on-line method to put an end to your Akita’s aggressive behavior today and cure behavioral problems. This team comprehensively covers all facets of dealing with dog aggression, dog food aggression and dog on dog aggression, plus many general dog ownership issues. If you are having trouble with specific issues with your dog, you should take advantage of their knowledge and experience. Simply email them and they’ll help you work through the issues with your dog. You can start by downloading their free 6 day mini-course.

- MOST DOG BITE INCIDENCES ARE PREVENTABLE!! -

Research shows that just 1 hour of dog safety training can reduce attacks by 80%

Myth #1: The Akita was used to bring down bears. This is wrong and believing this is really underestimating the power of a bear. Two Akita’s could corner a bear, but it was man who made the kill. So which one is the more dangerous creature in this story?

Myth #2: Akita’s are unpredictable. Any dog that is not raised properly can be unpredictable. It’s not in the breed to be like that. A good dog owner is prepared and knows how to socialize and train a dog. Akita’s are known for their loyalty towards their owner (see the story about Hachiko).

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The Akita belongs to group 5 ‘Spitz and primitive types’ according to the FCI classification of dog breeds.

Physically spitz breeds are very close to the wolf ancestors of dogs. Take a wolf and curl its tail and you have a grey Malamute or a Siberian Husky. Paint it red like a fox and you get an Akita. However behaviorally they are dogs and although they can be challenging to own they lack the full repertoire of mature wolf behaviors. With training they will usually learn to respect their owners and are not unexpectedly attempting dangerous challenges to move up in the pecking order at every opportunity.

Spitz breeds are square proportioned dogs with prick ears and a curled tail. The northern and oriental spitzs generally have a primitive type coat with guard hairs around 2 inches long and an undercoat which thickens in winter. The equatorial spitz have short coats.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY

Originally Japanese dogs were small to medium in size and no large breeds existed. Since 1603 in the Akita region, Akita Matagis (medium-sized bear-hunting dogs) were used as fighting dogs. From 1868 Akita Matagis were crossed with Tosas and Mastiffs. Consequently, the size of this breed increased but characteristics associated with Spitz type were lost.

n 1908 dog fighting was prohibited, but this breed was nevertheless preserved and improved as a large Japanese breed. As a result, nine superior examples of this breed were designated as ” Natural Monuments” in 1931.

During World War II (1939-1945), it was common to use dogs as a source of fur for military garments. The police ordered the capture and confiscation of all dogs other than German Shepherd Dogs used for military purposes. Some fanciers tried to circumvent the order by crossbreeding their dogs with German Shepherd Dogs.

When World War II ended, Akitas had been drastically reduced in number and existed as three distinct types, which created a very confusing situation in the breed.

1. Matagi Akitas
2. Fighting Akitas
3. Shepherd Akitas

During the restoration process of the pure breed after the war., Kongo-go, a dog of the Dewa line, which exhibited characteristics of the Mastiff and German Shepherd Dog influence, enjoyed a temporary but tremendous popularity. However, sensible learned fanciers did not approve of this type as a proper Japanese breed, so they made efforts to eliminate the strain old foreign breeds by crossbreeding with Matagi Akitas for the purpose of restoring the original pure breed. They succeeded in stabilizing the pure strain of large sized breed as known today.

GENERAL APPEARANCE

Large-sized dog, sturdily built, well balanced and with much substance; secondary sex characteristics strongly marked, with high nobility and dignity in modesty; constitution tough.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS :

The ratio of height at withers to length of body ( from the point of the shoulders to the point of the buttock) is 10 : 11, but the body is slightly longer in bitches than in dogs.

BEHAVIOR AND TEMPERAMENT

The temperament is composed, faithful, docile and receptive.

HEAD

CRANIAL REGION :
Skull : The size is in proportion to the body. The forehead is broad, with distinct furrow. No wrinkle.
Stop : Defined.

FACIAL REGION :
Nose : Large and black. Slight and diffuse lack of pigment accepted in white dogs only, but black is always preferred.
Muzzle : Moderately long and strong with broad base, tapering but not pointed. Nasal bridge straight.
Jaws/Teeth : Teeth strong with scissor bite.
Lips : Tight.
Cheeks : Moderately developed.
Eyes : Relatively small, almost triangular in shape due to the rising of the outer eye corner, set moderately apart, dark brown : the darker, the better.
Ears : Relatively small, thick, triangular, slightly rounded at tips, set moderately apart, pricked and inclining forward.

NECK : Thick and muscular, without dewlap, in balance with head.

BODY

Back : Straight and strong.
Loin : Broad and muscular.
Chest : Deep, forechest well developed, ribs moderately well sprung.
Belly : Well drawn up.

TAIL : Set on high, thick, carried vigorously curled over back ; the tip nearly reaching hocks when let down.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS :
Shoulders : Moderately sloping and developed.
Elbows : Tight.
Forearms : Straight and heavy-boned.

HINDQUARTERS : Well developed, strong and moderately angulated.

FEET : Thick, round, arched and tight.

GAIT : Resilient and powerful movement.

COAT

HAIR : Outer coat harsh and straight, undercoat soft and dense ; the withers and the rump are covered with slightly longer hair ; the hair on tail is longer than on the rest of the body.

COLOUR : Red fawn, sesame (red fawn hairs with black tips), brindle and white. All the above mentioned colours except white must have ” urajiro “. (Urajiro = 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).

SIZE

Height at the withers : Dogs : 67 cm,
bitches : 61 cm.
There is a tolerance of 3 cm more or less.

FAULTS

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

• Bitchy dogs / doggy bitches.
• Undershot or overshot mouth.
• Missing teeth.
• Blue or black spotted tongue.
• Iris light in colour.
• Short tail.
• Shyness.

ELIMINATING FAULTS :

• Ears not pricked.
• Hanging tail.
• Long hair (shaggy).
• Black mask.
• Markings on white ground.

NB : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

The Akita is named for his place of origin, the Odate region in Akita Prefecture (Americans: think ‘state’), on the Island of Honshu in northern Japan.

So the Akita is not a polar dog, though his coat resembles that of traditional polar dogs such as Huskies and the Alaskan Malamute. There is of course a reason for this: the winters in Akita prefecture are reputed to be among the snowiest and coldest in Japan.

The city of Yuzawa hosts a well known “matsuri” Snow Dog House Festival festival in winter, where the town is dotted with small snow shrines, and a large plaza is taken up with large snow shrines guarded by giant dogs. Children climb onto the snow dogs and the sky is lit by fireworks.

Separated from the principal Japanese centers of commerce, politics, and population by several hundred kilometers and the Ou and Dewa mountain ranges to the east, Akita remained largely isolated from Japanese society until after the year 600CE.

Akita was a region of hunter-gatherers and principally nomadic tribes. Akita dogs were used for hunting (hence the name ‘Matagi Akita’) in these regions.

Nowadays Akita’s economy remains dominated by traditional industries, such as agriculture, fishing, and forestry. This has led many young people to migrate to Tokyo and other large cities. Akita is famous for its Sake breweries (as a matter of fact: Akita is renowned for having the highest consumption of sake in Japan).

Akita Prefecture Links

Akita City Guide
Website of Akita Prefecture (English translation)

The Akita was designated as a Natural Monument in July of 1931 by satisfying the criteria of “a domesticated animal unique to Japan”. Soon other Japanese dog breeds followed.

These other Japanese breeds are: Akita Hokkaido Kai Kishu Shikoku Shiba Inu

Until that time, Akitas were known only to the local population around Odate in the Thoku District, and by a handful of fanciers, as Odate-inu or Kazuno-inu. The designation as a Natural Monument changed the breed’s name to “Akita” and triggered the effort to preserve and restore the purity of this magnificent breed.

The Akita is a special breed. Did you know these three remarkable facts before visiting Akita Blog?

• The Akita is one of seven breeds designated as a National Monument in his native country of Japan.
• There is a strong spiritual significance attached to the Akita. In Japan they are affectionately regarded as loyal companions and pets, protectors of the home and a symbol of good health. When a child is born, the proud family will usually receive a small statue of an Akita signifying health, happiness, and a long-life. If a person is ill, friends will send a small statue of an Akita to express their wish for a speedy recovery.
  
• At one time, Akita ownership was restricted to the Imperial family and the ruling aristocracy; caring and feeding of the Akita were detailed in elaborate ceremony and special leashes were used to denote the Akita’s rank and the standing of his owner.

For more historical information see ‘Akita History‘.

I’ve collected a whole bunch of books that are devoted to the Akita dog.

General Appearance
Large, well-balanced, sturdily built dog of Spitz type. Very slightly longer than high.

Characteristics
Dignified. Broad head with relatively small eyes. Thick, triangular ears pricked and inclined forward. Distinctive tightly curled tail and markings.

Temperament
Aloof, docile and faithful.

Head and Skull
Head appears as a blunt triangle when viewed from above. Broad skull, free from wrinkle, with cheeks moderately developed. Defined stop with a distinct furrow. Muzzle straight, of good depth, tapering gradually. Lips tight. Nose large and black, except in white dogs where flesh coloured nose is acceptable.

Eyes
Relatively small, almond-shaped, moderately set apart and dark brown. Eye rims dark and tight.

Ears
Relatively small, thick, triangular, slightly rounded at tips. Set moderately well apart, pricked and inclining forward.

Mouth
Jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Neck
Thick and muscular, of moderate length, without dewlap. Pronounced crest blending with back of skull.

Forequarters
Shoulders well developed, moderately laid back. Elbows close to chest. Well boned. Forelegs straight when viewed from the front.

Body
Length from point of shoulder to point of buttock slightly greater than height at withers. Level back. Chest deep, forechest well developed, ribs moderately sprung. Well tucked up. Loin broad and muscular.

Hindquarters
Strong, muscular with moderate angulation. Well developed thighs. Moderate turn of stifle. Strong hocks, well let down, turning neither in nor out.

Feet
Round, arched and tight with thick pads. Turning neither in nor out. Dewclaws on hindlegs customarily removed.

Tail
Set high. Thick, full and of good length. Tightly curled over the back. Uncurled tail highly undesirable.

Gait/Movement
Vigorous and powerful with moderate length of stride.

Coat
Outer coat coarse, stand-off and straight. Slightly longer at withers and rump. More profuse on tail. Undercoat soft and dense. No indication of ruff or feathering.

Colour
Red-fawn; sesame; brindle; white. All the foregoing colours except white must have whitish coat on the cheeks, the sides of the muzzle, the inside of the legs and also the undersides of the jaw, neck, chest, body and tail (Urajiro).

Size
Height at withers: dogs 64-70cms (25 ¼-27 ½ ins); bitches 58-64 cms (22 ¾-25 ¼ ins).

Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

Note
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

In the old days Akitas were used for hunting in Japan, but not in such a way that they would actually kill a bear. Some people tell this story but an Akita (or two of them) are not big and strong enough to bring down an angry bear.

Instead, the use of Akitas in bear hunting was simply for tracking and cornering until the owner made his way to the area to do the killing.

Because these Akitas worked without the hunter being present they had to make their own decisions (which at least partly explains their obstinacy).