Think he's a young dog? His coloring is striking, but his limbs seem a bit gangly with long pasterns. Course, my eye may have become permanently biased after staring at Musashi for too long. :-)
Yea, i noticed his confirmation was a bit off - I have no idea of his age, I just liked his colors and head. His hips seem kinda narrow too - could just be young tho.
So many aka-tora's and chu-tora's have that black mask. It's a fault, which is what makes Musashi's coloring all the more amazing. brindle right down to the end of his muzzle. Haru's face was pretty dark too, but has lightened with age.
Sweet Kai's though. Wonder what he was whining about.
I think it harks back to the days when a lot of GSD's and other foreign dogs started mixing into the gene pool over here. Black masks were seen as a sign of impurity, and in all NK black masking is a fault. I think they used to be a bit more lenient about it in Akita, but I think that's changed.
It's not a major fault, but it's one of the things that makes showing aka-tora so difficult. The brindle has to be right, no masking, and that has to be on top of all the usual conformation etc.
White anywhere other than a small area on the chest, and lower parts of the feet is a fault I believe. I'd have to double check about the weiner. I've never seen that before.
Haru as a pup. Lot's of black on the muzzle.
Haru now.
From a few Tenrankai's ago. Brindle all the way down the muzzle on this male.
OMG Haru is SOOOO beautiful :o) Can't you make a clone and send it to me? ;o) Heheh...
I didn't know the black mask was a fault either. I'm used to it being okay in american akitas, but I believe they don't accept it in akita inus. At least not by FCI standard.
Wow, that's one beautyful Kai, you are showing here, Shigeru. It confirms that Kai shouldn't be to big, do you think their size equals Shikoku? The pattern is stricking!
Thanks for the comments on Haru. I'll be sure to give her a good ear scratching later and pass on the compliments.
@Reno&;Rico The Kai is right in between the Shiba and Shikoku in size. Nippo changed the standard for the Kai to reflect this recently (+/- 5cm of the standard instead of +/- 3cm for the other medium type NK). The majority of Kai are registered with the Aigokai, and the Aigokai standard is 40cm-50cm. Haru is 46cm at the withers.
Comments
OK I'm not odd, but I had to point out that the other one's wiener is white. I find that wierd. lol.
OK I'm not odd, but I had to point out that the other one's wiener is white. I find that wierd. lol."
*lol* Tara that made me laugh so hard I could hardly stand it. And you know it is...um....striking. *lol*
Love the brindle though!
Sweet Kai's though. Wonder what he was whining about.
I like the masks, or at least, when the muzzle is black.
It's not a major fault, but it's one of the things that makes showing aka-tora so difficult. The brindle has to be right, no masking, and that has to be on top of all the usual conformation etc.
White anywhere other than a small area on the chest, and lower parts of the feet is a fault I believe. I'd have to double check about the weiner. I've never seen that before.
Haru as a pup. Lot's of black on the muzzle.
Haru now.
From a few Tenrankai's ago. Brindle all the way down the muzzle on this male.
I didn't know the black mask was a fault either. I'm used to it being okay in american akitas, but I believe they don't accept it in akita inus. At least not by FCI standard.
@Reno&;Rico The Kai is right in between the Shiba and Shikoku in size. Nippo changed the standard for the Kai to reflect this recently (+/- 5cm of the standard instead of +/- 3cm for the other medium type NK). The majority of Kai are registered with the Aigokai, and the Aigokai standard is 40cm-50cm. Haru is 46cm at the withers.
(And, um, kind of the size of my male Shiba, who is clearly just too huge!)