Long haired Akitas

Should we accept long-haired Akitas?

or should breed rules always be permanent?

Source: FCI

Akita breed

The Akita originated in Japan, and is a dog perfectly adapted to colder climates. It can be split into two types, the Japanese Akita and the American Akita. According to the World Canine Organisation, as well as the UK and Japanese Kennel Clubs, these are two separate breeds. The US and Canadian breed associations consider the Akita to be a single breed, with Japanese and American Akitas as different types of the breed.

The Akita breed was originally a hunting and fighting dog, so it has a strong temperament. It requires a strong owner and is not recommended for a person who is new to owning dogs. The Akita is easier to manage when there are no other dogs or pets in the house.

The most famous Akita dog

Hachiko is without a doubt the most famous Akita. It was owned by Professor Hidesaburo Ueno, who lived close to Shibuya station in Tokyo, Japan. Hachiko used to accompany him to the station each morning and wait for him at the station in the afternoon. After Professor Ueno suffered a stroke at work, Hachiko still faithfully went to the Shibuya station twice a day to wait for him. It became a symbol of faithfulness in Japan, and in 1934 there was a statue of Hachiko erected by the station.

History of the Akita breed

Long- vs short-haired

The longer coated Akita dogs appeared about 100 years ago, and tend to more docile than the traditional short-haired ones.

They come up in a few puppies, in a seemingly random fashion. All Akita's seem to be carrying the gene for a longcoat.

Currently the breeding standards for Akitas exclude long-haired ones, and in Japan and the US there are attempts at creating separate shows for long-haired Akita dogs. The biggest question is when, or if, one should change breeding standards to account for an important minority of a breed.

Long-haired or short-haired Akita sculptures

Arty Lobster (http://www.artylobster.com) makes pet sculptures from customer's photos. We are very happy to make both long- and short-haired Akita sculptures, as well as other breeds.