Breed Standard – American Akita
GENERAL APPEARANCE
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.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS
- The ratio of height at withers to length of body is 9 to 10 in males and 9 to 11 in bitches.
- The depth of the chest measures one-half of the height of the dog at withers.
- The distance from tip of nose to stop corresponds to the distance from stop to occiput as 2 does to 3.
BEHAVIOUR - TEMPERAMENT
Friendly, alert, responsive, dignified, docile and courageous.
HEAD
Massive, but in balance with the body, free or wrinkles when at ease. Head forms a blunt triangle when viewed from above.
CRANIAL REGION
Skull : Flat and broad between ears. A shallow furrow extends well up on forehead.
Stop : Well defined, but not too abrupt.
FACIAL REGION
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; 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.
LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS
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.
HINDQUARTERS
Strongly muscled, width and bone comparable to forequarters. Dewclaws on hind legs customarily removed.
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. Hindlegs 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 colour like red, fawn, white, etc; or even pinto and brindle. Colours are brilliant and clear, and markings are well balanced, with or without mask or blaze. White dogs (solid in colour) have no mask. Pinto have a white ground colour with large, evenly placed patches covering head and more than one-third of body. Undercoat may have a different colour from the outer-coat.
SIZE
Height at withers :
For males : 66 to 71 cm (26-28 inches),
for bitches : 61 to 66 cm (24-26 inches).
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.
- Feminine dogs, masculine bitches.
- Narrow or snipey head.
- Any missing tooth (except 2 of the PM1 and/or M3).
- Blue or black spotted tongue.
- Light eyes.
- Short tail.
- In or out at elbows.
- Any indication of ruff or feathering.
- Shyness or viciousness.
SERIOUS FAULTS
- Light in substance.
- Light bone.
ELIMINATING FAULTS
- Totally unpigmented nose. A nose with unpigmented areas (Butterfly nose).
- Drop, hanging or folded ears.
- Under- or overshot bite.
- Sickle or uncurled tail.
- Dogs under 63,5 cm (25 inches), bitches under 58,5 cm (23 inches).
N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
