“AN AKITA’S MOVEMENT IS SIMILAR WITH MANY WORKING DOGS.
The rear legs move in line with the front.”
top line and gently putting it back where I found it. Th en I run my hands down his hips/thighs verifying muscle tone and slip one hand in to check testicles if it is required. His upper thighs are well devel- oped, he will have a moderately bent sti fl e and well let down hocks. I step away, mov- ing to the right behind the handler and around to the front. Th is puts me at the top of the down and back without walk- ing up beside the dog from behind. Th is is what I do with all breeds. An Akita’s movement is similar with many working dogs. Th e rear legs move in line with the front. Although an Aki- ta doesn’t actually converge, he will have a tendency as he moves along to come in toward the middle line. From the side, he should have a moderate stride. Brisk and powerful but moderate. And here, I will discuss feet. Th e Akita’s foot is a cat foot. Toes are knuckled up and short, pads are thick. You know, like a cat. Flat feet with
splayed toes and incorrect ears are my per- sonal pet peeves. Not the only ones, but certainly worth mentioning here. As I’m observing this dog, I remember other parts of the standard. His tail will be curled over and touching his back. It could be a tight curl; it could be a ¾ curl with the end dropping over his fl ank, but it must be touching his back. A tail that hangs straight down behind or is a sickle tail is a disquali fi cation (DQ#4... and you thought I’d forgotten!) We all know, on really hot days we feel a little droopy or when we’re young, we are perhaps timid and in Akita’s case, their tail may just hang down. Nor- mally, a go round the ring will pop the tail back up on the back where it belongs. Th at is a qualifying tail. Th e Akita is a double coated breed. Th e under coat is soft and dense with a longer harsher guard hair. And, although everything is great about an Akita, one of the best is they come in all colors. We tell
judges and potential puppy buyers that color should not be a consideration BUT its still great they can be so many hued. Our standard allows any color including white (white Akitas have no mask), pin- to (a pinto has a white background with large, evenly placed patches covering the head and more than ⅓ of the body) and brindle. Th e colors are brilliant and clear and markings are well balanced with or without a mask. And, the undercoat can be a di ff erent color than the top coat and quite frequently is! Dogs are 26"-28" tall. Under 25" is a disquali fi cation. Bitches are 24"-26" tall. Under 23" is a disquali fi cation. ( Th at’s DQ #5 and our last one.) Th is INCLUDES puppies. If there is a question on height I measure and I’m asking you to do so. Our standard is very speci fi c about size with under the minimum being a disquali fi ca- tion. Th e Akita is considered a large breed, let’s keep it in the range speci fi ed.
“THE AKITA’S FOOT IS A CAT FOOT. Toes are knuckled up and short, pads are thick.”
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