American Akita

Description:
The American Akita can best be described for its strength and dignity. Akita's have wide triangular heads, and they are massive dogs but very well balanced. They have small pointed up ears and their Nordic tail curls. They are very good looking and well balanced dogs. The nose of this dog should look wide and full, their head should be flat. Check to see it does not have a dewlap under its neck. The neck should be wide and muscular, short and broadened towards the shoulders. The body should be slightly longer than the actual height of the dog and the chest should be wide and deep. The back of this dog is straight and it's lumbar should be muscular and the stomach should be slightly drawn back. These dogs do not have light bones or fragile ones. Their skin folds but it should not feel loose. The hair on the front of their legs should not be removed. These are double-coated dogs and their undercoats are thick, dense and soft. Their outer coats are straight and stick up. The standard color of the Akita is blackish with and tigered white. There are also several colored ones that have spots of other colors symmetrically distributed around their bodies. Male Akitas grow to be around 66 to 77 centimeters in height and the females are usually around 5 centimeters less.

Ideal owner:
The American Akita is an ideal housedog, although some people become intimidated because of its big size. Female Akitas usually get along better with children than the males do (they have a tendency to be short tempered). This is a dog that must be chosen carefully since these are a one family dog. It is very important to train them from the minute they are puppies because the minute they discover they can bite, they will do so and it won't be very good if this occurs when they are older. Akita's are very intelligent, they are excellent guard dogs and they need to be around a very secure family with a lot of character, since these dogs are the same way. This breed does not get along very well with other dominating dogs, however it has been seen that they are quite nice to cats. Just like with any big guard dogs, they need to be kept an eye on when around children or strangers. Having an Akita is a fascinating challenge, it's a very potent yet very gentile dog as well as graceful and functional. They are not destructive and you will be happy to find out that they are the cleanest of all the breeds. They bury their own feces like a cat.

Growth:
An American Akita should weigh anywhere from six to eight kilograms at the age of eight weeks. The females reach their full physical maturity at the age of three, although some develop quicker. The tail curls over their back around the age of four weeks. The ears rise between six weeks to six months of age. Veterinarians will sometimes suggest to give the dog vitamin and mineral supplements until its ears rise completely. This process can sometimes take up to a year though. When this dog reaches its adolescence you will notice how it's dominating character begins and they can sometimes become stubborn, so good training is absolutely necessary. Look into getting the appropriate dog trainer because this breed does not do well with aggressive training. Consistency and positive reinforcement is the key to training this dog well. As this dog grows, its angulations diminish, their back narrows, and their back looks longer and the length width of their noses becomes pointier. Their color can change during the first two years of life.

General health:
This dog is generally lives a long time and they are quite rustic. It is not unusual for them to live up to fifteen years of age although there are some that only have a ten-year life span. It has been observed that there are sometimes nervous abnormalities including epilepsy. Hip dysphasia is also a known problem in this breed and radiology checkup is necessary. There is also the possibility for this breed to have problems with progressive retinal atrophy, and Von Willebrand disease. Ectropion has also been observed, although since the eyes of this breed are small, it might not be ectropion, and as the puppy grows it can correct this problem. Autoimmune and hypothyroidism diseases are also common and it will be necessary for the owner to become informed about these. During shedding stages it will be necessary to brush the dogs hair frequently in order to keep the coat at its best. And obviously, this dog needs a lot of physical activity outside.