- 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)
About the Akita
Origin: Japan
- Typical life span
- 10-13 years
- Size
- Large — from its typical weight
- Weight
- Male
- 45-59 kg
- Female
- 32-45 kg
- Height
- Male
- 66-71 cm
- Female
- 61-66 cm
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI group
- Spitz and primitive types
- Origin
- Japan
- Known hereditary risks
- Not researched yet
About
What is a Akita?
A large, powerful spitz-type dog of Japanese origin with a bear-like head, dense double coat, and full curled tail. Known for its dignified presence, imposing stature, and courageous, loyal temperament.
Akita history and origins
Ancient Japanese breed developed in the mountainous Akita prefecture for hunting large game including wild boar and bear. Revered in Japanese culture as a symbol of health, happiness, and good fortune. The breed was nearly lost after World War II but was preserved by dedicated breeders and designated as a national treasure in Japan.
Akita appearance and size
Males typically weigh 45-59 kg and stand 66-71 cm at the shoulder; females 32-45 kg and 61-66 cm.
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- Companion dog
- Behaviour and temperament
“The temperament is composed, faithful, docile and receptive”
Quoted from FCI standard n°255. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Characteristics
- Size
- Large
- Exercise needsRead from what the breed was bred to do, in the registry’s own words: “Companion dog” That is a working purpose, not a measured exercise requirement — an individual dog’s needs depend on its age, health and household.
- 2 of 5
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- 3 of 5
- Grooming needs
- 3 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- Not researched yet
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the Akita
What you get with the Akita
- Purpose stated in the standard: “Companion dog”
- The standard describes the breed as: “The temperament is composed, faithful, docile and receptive”
What you are taking on
Nobody has written this side yet. It is a judgement rather than data, so it waits for a person — not for a missing source.
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Characteristics
FCI standard · Akita
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording.
Coat
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
- Preferred
- Permissible
- Undesirable
- Disqualifying
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
Shortened from FCI standard n°255 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
What the breed standard says
- Size
- “Height at the withers: Dogs bitches : 67 cm, : 61 cm. There is a tolerance of 3 cm more or less”
- FCI states a tolerance around the figure.
Quoted from FCI standard n°255. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
What the standard penalises
What a judge marks the Akita down for, and what puts one out of the ring, in the registry’s own words. This describes the breed standard — it is not a checklist for the animal in front of you, and a pet with a disqualifying fault is an unshowable dog rather than an unhealthy one.
Disqualifying faults
Puts an animal out of the ring altogether.
- Ears not pricked.
- Hanging tail.
- Long hair (shaggy).
- Black mask.
- Markings on white ground
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Akita in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
What to ask for in a Akita
No breed-specific health panel has been written up for the Akita on this platform yet. That is a gap in our records, not a clean bill of health — ask the breeder which hereditary conditions their lines are tested for, and ask to see the results for both parents, dated and from a named laboratory.
Gallery
No photographs yet
This is where Akita owners’ own photographs will go, from the pet profiles they keep here. Nobody has added one to a public page yet.
A photograph in a pet profile stays private to its owner. We will not put one here unless they ask us to.
Puppies
No puppies listed right now
No Akita breeder has a record on this platform yet, so there is nothing to list. That is a gap in our coverage, not a fact about the breed.