AMERICAN AKITA
ORIGIN: Japan.
DEVELOPMENT: USA.
UTILIZATION: Companion Dog.
FCI-CLASSIFICATION: Group 5 - Spitz and primitive types.
Section 5 - Asian Spitz and related breeds.
Without working trial.
Large-sized dog, sturdily built, well balanced, with much substance and heavy bone.
The broad head, forming a blunt triangle, with deep muzzle, relatively small eyes and erect ears carried forward almost in line with back of neck, is characteristic of the breed.
Friendly, alert, responsive, dignified, docile and courageous.
SIZE:
Height at withers: For males: 66 to 71 cm (26-28 inches), for bitches: 61 to 66 cm (24-26 inches).
HEAD:
Massive, but in balance with the body, free of wrinkles when at ease. Head forms a blunt triangle when viewed from above.
Skull: Flat and broad between ears. A shallow furrow extends well up on forehead.
Stop: Well defined, but not too abrupt.
Nose: Broad and black. Slight and diffuse lack of pigment on nose is acceptable in white dogs only but black is always preferred.
Muzzle: Broad, deep and full.
Lips: Black. Not pendulous; tongue pink.
Jaws/Teeth: Jaws not rounded, but blunt, strong and powerful. Teeth strong with regular and full dentition (lack of PM1 and M3 allowed). Scissor bite preferred, but level bite acceptable.
Eyes: Dark brown, relatively small, not prominent, almost triangular in shape. Eye rims black and tight.
Ears: Strongly erect and small in relation to the rest of the head. If the ear is folded forward for measuring length, tip will touch upper eye rim. Ears are triangular, slightly rounded at tip, wide at base, not set too low. Viewed from the side, the ears are angled forward over the eyes following the line of the neck.
NECK:
Thick and muscular with minimal dewlap, comparatively short, widening gradually toward shoulders.
A pronounced crest blends harmoniously into the base of skull.
BODY:
Longer than high. Skin not too thin, neither too tight nor too loose.
Back: Level.
Loin: Firmly muscled.
Chest: Wide and deep. Ribs well sprung with well-developed brisket.
Underline and Belly: Moderate tuck-up.
TAIL:
Large and well furnished with hair, set high and carried over back or against flank in a three-quarter, full, or double curl, always dipping to or below level of back.
On a three-quarter curl, tip drops well down on flank. Root large and strong.
The terminal bone of tail reaches hock when let or pulled down.
Hair coarse, straight and dense, with no appearance of a plume.
General appearance: Forelegs heavy-boned and straight as viewed from front.
Shoulders: Strong and powerful with moderate layback.
Pasterns: Slightly sloping forward in an angle of approximately 15° to the vertical.
General appearance: Strongly muscled, width and bone comparable to forequarters.
Dewclaws on hind legs customarily removed (Note! Removal of dewclaws is not legal in Denmark).
Upper thigh: Strong, well developed, parallel when viewed from behind.
Stifles: Moderately bent.
Hock joints: Well let down, turning neither in nor out.
FEET:
Straight, cat feet, well knuckled up with thick pads.
GAIT/MOVEMENT:
Powerful, covering ground with moderate reach and drive.
Hind legs move in line with forelegs.
Back remaining strong, firm and level.
COAT HAIR:
Double-coat.
Undercoat thick, soft, dense and shorter than outer coat.
Outer coat straight, harsh/stiff and standing somewhat off body.
Hair on head, lower legs and ears short.
Length of hair at withers and croup approximately 5 cm, which is slightly longer than on rest of body, except tail, where coat is longest and most profuse.
COLOUR:
Any color like red, fawn, white, etc.; or even pinto and brindle.
Colors are brilliant and clear, and markings are well balanced, with or without mask or blaze.
White dogs (solid in color) have no mask.
Pinto have a white ground color with large, evenly placed patches covering head and more than one-third of body.
Undercoat may have a different color from the outer-coat.
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.
