Page 20 - ShowSight Presents The Akita

“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. Then 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 stifle and well let down hocks. I step away, mov- ing to the right behind the handler and around to the front. This puts me at the top of the down and back without walk- ing up beside the dog from behind. This is what I do with all breeds.
An Akita’s movement is similar with many working dogs. The 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. The 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 3⁄4 curl with the end dropping over his flank, but it must be touching his back. A tail that hangs straight down behind or is a sickle tail is a disqualification (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. That is a qualifying tail.
The Akita is a double coated breed. The 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 1⁄3 of the body) and brindle. The colors are brilliant and clear and markings are well balanced with or without a mask. And, the undercoat can be a different color than the top coat and quite frequently is!
Dogs are 26"-28" tall. Under 25" is a disqualification. Bitches are 24"-26" tall. Under 23" is a disqualification. (That’s DQ #5 and our last one.) This INCLUDES puppies. If there is a question on height I measure and I’m asking you to do so. Our standard is very specific about size with under the minimum being a disqualifica- tion. The Akita is considered a large breed, let’s keep it in the range specified.
Th
“THE AKITA’S FOOT IS A CAT FOOT.
Toes are knuckled up and short, pads are thick.”