Favorite Akitas

edited November 2012 in Akita (秋田犬)
My family had American Akitas when I was much younger, so I've always been very partial to them and I fall into these pits of "I'd like another Akita" or "omg Akita puppy" every now and then. I've promised myself not to get another large breed dog for a while after London passes... however, it won't stop me from looking. Anyway, I wanted to ask you guys and give examples of mine - but what are your favorites? I don't think I've ever seen an Akita I -didn't- think was handsome, but to give some examples...

I love this AA:
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I know the white mask/urajiro isn't really common in American Akitas, but I really love seeing the red/fawns with it - maybe because it reminds me of my other childhood (and current) breed, the Malamute. Other than that, I really love this dog's head shape. Too bad I can't find the body. That's usually where I'm turned off of American Akitas - I feel like some people have this idea that they should weigh a certain amount (or are disappointed when they're "so small"), so they feed them way too much and get them chubby. :( Nala, my "Akita buddy" at work is beautiful though - lean and athletic, but solidly built. I like that look to a dog. I also really like this dog that I shared on the Akita x Shikoku page, but I like the agouti-ish, flashy dogs.


For JA, I have to say I really love @poeticdragon's Ghidora from his coat to his color (I'm a sucker for symmetrical markings) to his expression to how he's put together... LOVE him. His pictures always make him look very comfortable and happy. I'm super jealous - but at least I know where to start looking if/when I want a JA. :)


Temperament-wise, I remember my family's dogs as very stately and respectable, but willing to "drop the act" with family and just get goofy to play. I really like a dog like that.
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Comments

  • aykayk
    edited November 2012
    You could always get a female Kotzebue-type malamute. :-) 60 lbs is not too large, is it? Good working drive without the dog aggression.

    And of course, I know someone who has agouti female pups out of proven working dog parents with a gamut of health tests...


    My favorite Akita, based purely on color/pictures, is Hyozan's red brindle female. Toki's sister.
  • @ayk - The Kotzebue are really cute, but I haven't actually known a lot of them! Most Malamutes I've seen are M'loot types (and whatever monstrosity London is). The two Kotzebues I know are females and suffer from some pretty intense separation anxiety, which makes me leery. London has some separation anxiety, but he's very silent about it. He just -waits- around like life has lost all meaning, acting mopey.

    ...but healthy puppies with nice working temperaments are always tempting. Is it a breeder in CA? I've also told myself I couldn't possibly own another Malamute after London because London is obviously the best Malamute there is, but I really doubt I can stick to that throughout my life.


    Back to Akitas - and Zuma IS super cute, very feminine and has a nice coat - I was just trying to figure out everyone else's opinion and why they felt that way about certain dogs or types or lines. I haven't investigated much about Akitas, even though I've always been fond of them. Before I got Russell, I had this GRAND idea that I was going to get a pinto female, but never really got into researching too much and I didn't even have an idea of anything else except that I wanted a flashy color (I. Now I am, just out of curiosity.
  • @ayk I agree with you, (hyozan's red brindle female) Zuma is probably my favorite female Akita. She has a great temperament, too! I hope you get to meet her some day. She is a lady :)

    I also reallyyy like Bijo!! :) (@poeticdragon)
    She seems like she has a really sweet temperment as well.

    First place for males for me goes to Toki. Obviously he is the bestest, fuzziest, smartest, badassest Akita there ever was ;)

    Aside from that, I really like Kitakado of Hidden Cascade Samurai Spirit in Korea. As a generality, I really like all of his akitas and I would def consider importing from him if that ever was an option, and if I had an extra 5 grand laying around, lol
    here is a link
    http://www.hiddencascade.com/?module=Board&action=SiteBoard&iBrdNo=1&sMode=SELECT_FORM
  • edited November 2012
    Here are my favorite Akitas solely based on appearance.

    My favorite Akita... although a mix. More photos can be found in Rue's dogster account. His head reminds me of my AA but the blue eyes work well with his silver brindle. He is absolutely gorgeous.

    imageimage
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    My favorite Akita Inu:

    I really like the slender frame and the vibrant coat. Looks like she was made to run and hunt! I'm not sure who it belongs to though:

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    edit: I found the owner of the above Akita and the story behind her. The dog came from a breeder The Netherlands.
  • My Favorite akita is~
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    goukai. ghidora's grandfather and my karin's great grandfather~
  • @jellyfart - I actually did meet Zuma and Toki in CA when they were both pups. Zuma had an opinion about being stuck in an x-pen while waiting for the show to start. :-)
  • I have to do it by color cause I have too many favorites!

    My favorite red male is Kotarou Go Musashi Aiwa
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    My favorite red female is Kouzuki Go Hanshin Ichimoto
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    My favorite white male is Chotto Go Namitori
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    My favorite white female is Hanae Go Sawadaka Kensha (aka Mosura~)
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    My favorite red brindle male is Torachiyo Go Shirai (Toramaru's littermate, Toki and Zuma's uncle)
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    My favorite red brindle female is ... Toramaru x Bijo's future daughter (cross your fingers for me!)
    Second to that, though, my favorite red brindle girl is actually this long coat I met in Japan
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    My favorite silver brindle male is owned by Mr. Kazuo Mori (don't know the dog's name)
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    My favorite silver brindle female is Ryuujinmei Go Miyagi Kozaki (aka Karin)
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    My favorite black brindle male is Tora No Seiwamaru Go Ishinoda (Ghidora's father)
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    My favorite black brindle female is ... none, I haven't found one to ♥ yet.

    My favorite mismarked red is Shin
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    My favorite mismarked brindle is Azayaka Halne Wzgórze
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    Another brindle who has awesome markings is Wendbarry's Tiger's Eye
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  • @ayk them hyozan akitas and their opinions. must run in the litter ;)
  • i have to second all the brindles in claires post. I totally forgot about Torachiyo, beautiful akita! My favorite is red brindles, but silver brindles are growing on me a lot!
  • edited November 2012
    As for American Akitas!

    My favorite white male is Regalia's High Noon Cooper (Gryphon's father)
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    My favorite black/silver male is Orients Pride's William
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    I may add some more AA's later. But I love just about any of the Orients Pride dogs. Great heads!
  • @Poeticdragon - what do you mean by "mismarked brindle?"

    Does Emilie's (@Chanur Akita) C'yoto O Chanur count?

  • The AKIHO standard calls for rich and bold colors and these two are extremely dilute with a sparsity of stripes. But both of these dogs are not shown AKIHO, they're shown in Europe (under FCI I guess?), and in the case of Azakaya I think has a championship. I didn't mean anything disparaging by the comment; I think Azakaya is absolutely beautiful. I would be hard pressed to decide if I would keep and breed a dog like her, knowing I'd be breeding against the standard that I do show under.
  • @poeticdragon - ah! I was wondering what they'd call something like that mismarked red. I didn't know if it would get away with being called "white" when it grew and the black hairs spread out and weren't as noticeable. Do you know what type of breeding produced Shin (the colors of his parents)?

    There are a loooot of good looking brindles being thrown around. I wonder if it's because they're just more bold-looking and so, we fall for them... or if there are just a lot of simply good looking Brindle JAs.
  • edited November 2012
    @Crispy Shin is from two brindle parents (obviously they were both heterozygous brindles), Unshou Go Takasaki Yamaguchi and Kaori Tomimopa.

    Full litter album here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.243828559056422.43491.100002878405514&type=3

    In the first few photos when they are only a day or two old, the breeder made a point of hiding Shin from the camera (always has something covering her head, no individual shots). Here's a good look at her white hood and red ears, though:
    image

    There's a ton of really adorable pictures of Shin in there, I could link them all, but here's one more~
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    I wish there was an older picture, I'd like to see just how much the red on the rest of her body has faded. I bet she is a light gold/apricot color.
  • @crispy I think that there are more good looking reds than good looking brindles simply based on the fact that red is more popular. But there are a lot of good looking brindle JAs, and quite a few in the states, too, in my opinion. ("quite a few" being relative, seeing as how there are aren't a lot of JA in the states to begin with). In america, I think that the brindle breeding stock is only going to get better from here out.
  • @poeticdragon - That makes sense! She's actually a bit more red/cream than I realized. The hood and her Urajiro in the pictures were throwing me off. Super cute though! (And I appreciate you color-coded your answers!)

    It just seems like anytime I turn around, someone on the forum has another handsome brindle dog. :)
  • edited November 2012
    Favourite red male : Zuigansakura Go.
    Proud body and gorgeous face!

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    @Timkim - I love Goukai too!
    My favourite red female is @Poeticdragon 's Momonosachi. :)
  • Gojira Akita is Best Akita <3
  • My favorite male Akita for awhile was Oskar's father (here's a link to his page: http://www.hoka-hey.com/caesar.htm ) because he is so gorgeous, and I was so thrilled to get a puppy from him. I'm less thrilled now that I know all of Oskar's health issues, at least one of which had to be carried by his sire (micro). Good looking dog, but in my mind should not be bred further (though he probably will be if it hasn't already been bred. He's now in europe).

    So my next favorite Akita is the one I still want a puppy from, Bugatti. his page is here: http://libertyakitas.com/Bugatti.htm
    I think he's gorgeous, but he also was just one of the sweetest, goofiest Akitas I've ever met. I met him when he was still a puppy and couldn't quite focus on showing (though he did well), so he may be different now, but I suspect his sweetness is still there.

    Of course, my real favorite Akita is Oskar, who is not a show dog, and has health issues, and can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but he's my boy!
  • edited November 2012
    ^^ after reading Poeticdragon's reply.

    Here is my fav for all colors.
    overall still Goukai!!!

    Silver brindle
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    Torajou

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    Daikichi

    Red brindle
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    Unkai

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    ginji



    black brindle.
    I don't really have any fav Black Brindle.

    White.
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    ren

    and ofcourse Mosura!!

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    Red~
    I'm not really a red akita person.
    but I recently saw pic of this male and fall in love with him.
    i will get red if I can get this type of male~
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    Yeah I have alot of dogs that I like.

    Like Toranoseiwamaru, Ryujjin No Tora, Fukuske kou, Seihou, Ryuhou, Seiunpou, most of them are from Kozaki Kensha.

    i know that there are alot more good brindle out there. but I really like dogs from Unshou line-Goukai.


    another Goukai pic
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  • edited November 2012
    The more I look at this photo the more I really like this silver brindle. I wish I had a recent pic (young here):
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    I also really like Ryuujin No Tora:
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    I like Ghidora's silver brindle littermate, Seiwamaru, and think got a better coat/head than my boy (but I prefer my boy's size and color/markings):
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  • Ghidora got more TORANO face than this one.

    I like coat of seiwamru but Ghidora has better structure and face.

    Good thing is all of Torano's litter(ghidora and Seiwamaru) are bigger size than Torano.

    only problem he has was Height and tail.

  • edited November 2012
    Wow these are all gorgeous dogs, I haven't seen enough JAs independently to pick out others.

    BUT out of the ones I've seen

    Red: @poeticdragon's Gojira has always been my fav, she just has the most gentle/friendly face and really pretty eyes. I was really sad when she developed pyometra because she would have made really beautiful pups

    Brindle: Toss up between @jellyfart's Toki and @timkim's Tachi, both very handsome dogs with great faces!
  • randomly came across this dog. friggen badass looking akita. After looking through this person's gallery on facebook, I saw a photo that leads me to believe that this person is actually on the nihon ken forum. So, hopefully it wont be too creeper-like to post this, lol! I can't find the person on the forum.

    some_text

  • Oh man, that's a beautiful dog. I'm really digging these red brindles. Their coloring is so amazing!
  • LOL @jellyfart and @Derf, i am happy you like my boy. His call name is Kito, short for yukitora (snow tiger). Not creepy seeing his pic here, but shocking :-)
    In all fairness, his brindling should be better, but you can't have everything :D
  • White bear I love your brindle boy, I have been reading and learning more about Japanese Akitas. When I am ready for one I am wanting a brindle. The problem I have found is it appears almost no one breeds JAs here in the states. gorgeous dogs
  • There are some JA breeders on this forum! :)
  • I really like this one:

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  • kokuryu!!! tokyou winner! I know his offspring!

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