American Akita

About the breed

What the American Akita is

The American Akita is a large, heavily built spitz-type breed that the FCI lists as a separate breed, No. 344, apart from the Akita Inu (No. 255). The standard places it in Group 5, the Asian spitz and related breeds section, gives Japan as the country of origin and the USA as the country of development, and names companion dog as its use.

How the two Akitas came to have separate standards

FCI Standard No. 344 says the early history of the American Akita is similar to that of the Japanese Akita; after the Second World War the two developed on opposite sides of the ocean. According to the same standard, from 1603 Akita Matagis, medium-sized bear-hunting dogs from the Akita region, were used as fighting dogs, and from 1868 they were crossed with Tosas and Mastiffs, which increased their size but cost them spitz characteristics. After the war the breed survived as three types (Matagi, fighting and shepherd), and dogs of the Dewa line, with Mastiff and German Shepherd influence, were taken to the USA by military personnel.

According to the standard, the American Kennel Club (AKC) accepted the breed in October 1972. As the AKC and the Japan Kennel Club (JKC) did not then recognise each other's pedigrees, no new Japanese bloodlines reached the USA, while in Japan dogs were crossed back with Matagi Akitas. The FCI accepted the American Akita on a definitive basis on 30 May 1999 and the Akita Inu on 13 March 1964; the UK Kennel Club separated the two in 2006, while the AKC publishes a single standard called Akita.

Appearance, size and colours under the FCI standard

Under the FCI standard the American Akita is a large, sturdy dog with much substance and heavy bone: dogs measure 66–71 cm at the withers and bitches 61–66 cm, and dogs under 63.5 cm or bitches under 58.5 cm are disqualified. The FCI gives no weight; the AKC gives 100–130 pounds (roughly 45–59 kg) for dogs and 70–100 pounds (roughly 32–45 kg) for bitches. The body is longer than the dog is tall (the ratio of height to length is 9 : 10 in dogs and 9 : 11 in bitches), and the head is massive, forming a blunt triangle, with small erect ears carried forward.

The colour range is wide: the standard allows any colour, for example red, fawn or white, as well as pinto and brindle, with or without a mask; white dogs have no mask. Merle and liver are disqualifying faults. The coat is double, with a thick, soft, dense undercoat and a straight, harsh outer coat about 5 cm long at the withers and croup and longest on the tail.

Temperament and natural guarding

The FCI standard describes the American Akita as alert and responsive, dignified and courageous. The Akita Club of America adds that it is proud and confident, affectionate with its family and aloof with strangers; it is generally quiet and not prone to nuisance barking. The club says the breed guards the home by instinct and needs no special guard training, and adds that, given its independence and aloofness, the Akita should never be used for protection sports or protection work. Guarding instinct is therefore a reason for socialisation, not training.

With other dogs: what the sources say

Sources repeatedly flag how the American Akita treats other dogs, particularly dogs of the same sex. The FCI standard says it may be highly responsive to other dogs, particularly of the same sex, and the AKC standard is plainer: Akitas may be intolerant of other dogs. The UK Kennel Club writes that the breed tends to show dominance over other dogs, though the trait is not encouraged. The Akita Club of America calls it a genetic predisposition that may not appear until the dog is fully mature, so an Akita does best as the only dog or in a male and female pair; the club does not advise keeping two Akitas of the same sex. In an owner survey (Duffy et al., 2008), more than 20% of Akitas were reported as showing serious aggression toward unfamiliar dogs.

Family, children and other animals: only conditionally

The American Akita can be a family dog only in a family that has time for extensive socialisation and training. The Akita Club of America says Akitas are affectionate with their family and form strong bonds, but they are not an overly tolerant breed, so contact with children should be respectful and supervised. Because many Akitas have a high prey drive, cats, small dogs and other small pets must be introduced with caution, so living together depends on the individual Akita and on how the introduction goes.

Exercise and fencing

The Akita Club of America rates exercise needs as medium: a good daily walk or jog is enough. The UK Kennel Club lists more than two hours a day among the breed's characteristics, so adjust exercise to the individual dog. The breed climbs and digs, so for time outdoors the club advises a secure fence about 1.8 m (six feet) high, and an Akita must not live mostly outside but be part of the household. Given a genetically strong hunting instinct, it should not be let off the lead in an unfenced area. The UK Kennel Club lists a large house and a large garden, so a flat is possible only conditionally.

Training and socialisation

The American Akita needs clear, consistent boundaries from day one, and a close bond and mutual respect work better than force. The Akita Club of America says the breed has no innate wish to please its handler and thinks independently, so short, frequent sessions beat long ones, because trivial tasks bore it quickly. It responds to respectful commands and positive, motivation-based methods. A puppy should be introduced early to varied places, people, dogs and a travel crate.

Coat and grooming: heavy shedding twice a year

The American Akita sheds heavily all year and most during the seasonal coat change. The Akita Club of America says it usually blows its coat twice a year, so the coat needs regular brushing. The thick double coat should not be shaved. The UK Kennel Club gives grooming as once a week, while the American club stresses daily brushing, so expect frequent combing and more during the coat change. An Akita grooms itself like a cat; nails need regular trimming, so start handling the paws early.

Health: what the clubs recommend

According to the Akita Club of America, the breed is predisposed to hip and elbow dysplasia and to congenital eye and thyroid problems, and autoimmune disease also occurs. Among its main concerns the club also lists patellar luxation, sebaceous adenitis, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) syndrome and gastric dilatation-volvulus (bloat), which it calls an emergency and says Akitas are particularly susceptible to. For breeding, the club recommends an OFA hip result (Excellent, Good or Fair) and normal thyroid and eye results, with elbows and patellae as optional but recommended. The UK Kennel Club lists the BVA/KC/ISDS eye scheme and the BVA/KC hip scheme among its recommended pre-breeding tests. A KZS notice on the Klub 5 breeding assessment in Slovenia (7 Feb 2022) makes hip radiography compulsory for the American Akita.

A 2005 study (Angles et al.) found low diversity of DLA class II genes in American Akitas and an association of one allele with uveodermatologic syndrome, which resembles VKH. In a survey of club members (603 dogs, owner-reported), 112 dogs (18.6%) had vet-confirmed hypothyroidism and 57 (9.5%) bloat with torsion; this is a member sample, not the prevalence across the breed.

How long the American Akita lives

The AKC gives a life expectancy of 10–14 years, and the UK Kennel Club lists over 10 years; neither describes a method. The Akita Club of America survey (2000–2001) of members reports a median age at death of 9.4 years in dogs and 11.0 in bitches, but this is not a life expectancy: it covers only the 164 of 603 followed dogs that died (69) or were euthanised (95) between 1 January 1995 and 1 October 2000, while the other 439 were still alive at the end. The 9.4 and the 10 years therefore cannot be compared directly; treat all figures as a frame of reference, not a forecast.

American Akita or Akita Inu: what differs

The FCI standards set them apart mainly in the description of head and muzzle and in colours, while the heights overlap and neither gives a weight. Both are in FCI Group 5, with a double coat and a tail curled over the back. By the FCI standards:

• Height at withers: American Akita dogs 66–71 cm, bitches 61–66 cm; Akita Inu dogs 67 cm, bitches 61 cm, with a tolerance of 3 cm either way.
• Muzzle: deep and full in the American Akita; moderately long with a broad base, tapering but not pointed, in the Akita Inu.
• Colours: American Akita any colour, pinto and brindle, with or without mask; Akita Inu red fawn, sesame, brindle or white, all but white with urajiro. A black mask is a disqualifying fault in the Akita Inu.
• Temperament wording: American Akita alert, responsive, dignified and courageous; Akita Inu composed, faithful, docile and receptive. Differently worded descriptions, not a behaviour comparison.

In the United Kingdom the American type is simply called the Akita, and its standard gives the same heights as FCI 344.

What to ask a breeder

A breeder should be able to show health results for both parents. The Akita Club of America says they should hold passing results for hips, elbows, patellae, thyroid and eyes (the club's minimum recommendation is hips, thyroid and eyes), and that a general check at the vet is not adequate for breeding stock: hips should be assessed by OFA, PennHIP or a comparable scheme. In Slovenia a 2022 KZS notice makes a hip radiograph compulsory for the Klub 5 breeding assessment (check the current rules with the club), so ask whether the parents have passed it. Also ask how the parents behave with unfamiliar dogs, how the puppies were socialised and whether the breeder offers a contract setting out both sides' responsibilities. It advises a breeder who belongs to that club. Look for a breeder of American Akitas and check that the breed really is No. 344.

Three myths the sources correct

• "Akitas are aggressive to everyone." In the Duffy et al. study, aggression in Akitas was primarily directed toward unfamiliar dogs, and the club says a well-socialised, trained Akita is not unsafe if people give it space and respect.
• "An Akita must be trained to guard." The club says the opposite: it guards by nature, and protection work does not suit it.
• "The American Akita and the Akita Inu are one breed." Not for the FCI or the UK Kennel Club, although the AKC publishes a single standard.

Who it suits and who it suits less

The American Akita suits an experienced owner with time for long socialisation and consistent handling, a home with a high fence, and either one dog or a male and female pair. It suits less first-time owners, families with small children and no constant supervision, households with two Akitas of the same sex, and owners who want a guard dog trained for defence. The conditions are health results for both parents, early socialisation, a secure fence and readiness for heavy shedding.

Pros & cons