Akita

Temperament:

Intelligent, Calm, Confident
Size: Large
Height: 65-70 cm
Weight: 40-50 kg
Lifespan: 8-14 years
Coat: Medium Hair
Colors: White, Current, Red Sand, Fawn, Red, Pinto, Sesame
FCI Group: Spitz and primitive types

The Akita is one of Japan's most popular and best-known dog breeds. In its homeland, it was originally used as a reliable hunting dog. Today, it is a symbol of loyalty and faithfulness. Due to its appearance, it is one of the dog breeds that looks most like a wolf.

Akita
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Characteristics

This cute dog has lots of muscles. Visually, it makes a majestic impression. It is available in brown, sesame, white, red and brindle. Its coat is rough and hard. Underneath is a dense and soft undercoat. The cheeks, underside of the jaw, neck, chest and tail are often white.

The forehead and forehead furrow are broad. The prick ears are cutely triangular. The eye color is brown, the eyelid rims are black. He has a calm nature and is not easily disturbed. At the same time, this calm dog is very self-confident. He loves to act independently.

He likes to get his own way and does not usually behave submissively. When encountering strangers, he is usually indifferent or simply neutral. However, if he senses danger, he will attack and defend his family.

The Akita is a loyal dog that actively seeks out a caregiver. It builds up a strong bond with this person. Once you have won its heart, you have a friend for life. In stressful situations, the Akita initially remains calm and composed. However, his originally wild character comes to the fore as soon as he smells prey. This proud and exalted dog is then difficult to tame. Incidentally, many males of this breed do not get along with other dogs.

In general, the Akita needs daily exercise. But if he doesn't feel like it, it's difficult to get him to do so. He has a mind of his own and prefers to rest in his basket. Your job as the owner is to encourage him to go for a walk.

If he finds exercises or games silly and pointless, it will be difficult to encourage him to do them. So you have to offer him challenges that interest him. However, the Akita is by no means lazy. As soon as he sees a purpose in an activity, he is on fire.

In many regions, it is also popular as a sled dog. Its thick coat and good health are good prerequisites for this. The Akita enjoys this activity and finds it meaningful - which is why it joins in. It is also often used as a guide dog for the blind. Once you have gained his trust, you can rely on him.

Coat care:

Little
Medium
Intensive

Shedding:

Little
Medium
Intensive

Energy level:

Little
Medium
High

Trainability:

Little
Medium
Good

Children suitable:

Less
With supervision
Perfect

The right food

The Akita needs a high-quality and balanced diet. In the past, the Akita has shown allergic reactions to many types of food. Products with a high soy or protein content are less suitable. These often lead to skin rashes or similar. Similar reactions have also been reported when feeding certain treats.

In order to avoid allergic reactions, attention should therefore be paid to the feed. Such intolerances have also been found in some cases with many types of meat. However, this only happened in individual cases. Foods with a high wheat content are also often not tolerated. The reason for this is the gluten it contains. It is therefore advisable to choose feed without wheat and maize. Oats contain less gluten as a grain and can therefore be fed.

Not every Akita automatically has a gluten intolerance. However, as it has often been observed, you should pay attention to this. Find out what your dog can and cannot tolerate. Then adjust the food accordingly. You should also pay attention to the additives, especially with ready-made food mixes. The food should not contain any colorants, attractants, preservatives or flavorings.

When feeding raw meat (barf), the reactions are different. When feeding raw meat, it is particularly important to ensure the correct composition. If necessary, seek advice from a specialist. You should also be careful with dry food. Cheap products often contain less good ingredients.

In any case, the Akita needs a varied and balanced diet. If you have bought a puppy from a breeder, you should initially give it the same food as the breeder. He needs this food several times a day in small portions. Later on, it will be sufficient to give the Akita two portions of food a day. In any case, you should avoid products with inferior ingredients. It is therefore essential to pay attention to the ingredients, but also to the additives listed.

Dried meat is one of the things you can give your dog to chew on. Lamb, venison, beef, horse or dried rumen are particularly suitable. Beef or lamb ears have also proven to be effective. Especially as a young puppy, the Akita needs some opportunities to chew. Offer him a good selection here.

Health & Care

The Akita is a very low-maintenance dog breed. It grooms itself almost as thoroughly as a cat. That's why it doesn't normally need special grooming or a groomer. The coat is naturally very clean and hardly smells. These characteristics make the dog very clean.

It therefore rarely needs to be washed or groomed. It is usually sufficient to brush it once a week. He loses a large part of his dense undercoat in spring and fall as his coat changes.

During this time, the dog should be combed once a day due to the heavy hair loss. It is not uncommon for the home to have to be cleaned more often than usual.

However, regular combing helps to maintain a clean home. The claws also need to be trimmed regularly. After many walks on asphalt, the claws usually grind themselves off.

However, if he spends more time in the forest or on meadows, his nails need to be trimmed. If you have no experience with this, you can have this done by a vet or dog groomer. Eyes and ears should also be checked regularly by a vet.

Diseases are rather rare in the Akita, as it comes from a reputable breed. Due to its low susceptibility to disease, this little four-legged friend often lives to be over 12 years old.

Suitable accessories

As the Akita loses a lot of undercoat during the shedding period, you need a very good brush for this time. A so-called Furminator has proven to be very effective. It is very good at removing excess and loose undercoat.

The loyal dog likes to rest in its basket. That's why you should offer him a cozy place to sleep. You can also provide him with various toys, but he can be very picky. He prefers to be outdoors. He particularly enjoys meaningful challenges.

A species-appropriate attitude includes plenty of exercise and nice walks. This naturally includes a comfortable lead. A suitable collar or harness should also be available.

akita_origin

Origin & History

The Akita is a Japanese dog breed. The breed name Akita is derived from the Japanese province from which the dog originates. The breed is also frequently referred to as the Akita Inu. With this name, only the Japanese term dog (= Inu) has been added.

Its history goes back a long way. The Akita dog breed was depicted as early as the second century BC. It was mainly found on works of art such as clay vessels or bronze bells. In Japan, the Akita was often used as a hunting dog. Later, it was also used as a guard dog and sometimes as a pack dog.

From the 19th century onwards, people became increasingly enthusiastic about dog fighting. This is why strong dog breeds were often mated with the Akita. In 1931, the Japanese government declared the Akita a natural monument. During the Second World War, dogs were used as a source of meat and fur, among other things. This almost led to the extinction of the Akita - but fortunately only almost.

After the war, some Japanese tried to breed the original breed again. The surviving dogs were crossed with other breeds. This often happened with the Chow Chow and other Japanese sled dogs. This resulted in the somewhat smaller and often reddish-colored dogs.

Some were also crossed with German shepherds. This gave rise to a breed of its own, a large proportion of which ended up in the USA. Today, this breed is known as the American Akita. They are significantly larger and also narrower in build than the original Akitas.

The Japanese eagerly noted down all the data on the crosses. For example, the size, parentage and other specific characteristics. Eventually, four different breeds developed. The Akita Inu, the small spitz Shiba-Inu, the medium spitz Nippon-Inu and the Chow-Chow.