JA in the shelter?
Sorry to kinda spam the forum with topics, I'll try to hold back from now on, haha.
A few months ago, maybe half a year, an elderly akita, about 9 years old was dropped off at a local shelter.
However, Im wondering, was she a true JA? They aren't my area of expertise, so the answer may be obvious to some of you, so I figured I'd ask.
She seems to have very upright (not tilted forwards) ears, and very round eyes for a JA. Her coat also looks rather thin, but this was taken when she was blowing her coat.
Maybe she was a tweenie? There has to be some reason she was left at the shelter, instead of returned to a breeder, and an irresponsible tweenie breeder might not have wanted her back... Maybe she was just a mix?
Any thoughts? Once again, the JA is not the breed I know most about, so I might sound completely ignorant, lol
Edit: I will try to dig up my profile view photos of her, that might help
Comments
In other words purebred != quality.
That said, you seem to be laboring under a couple misconceptions. JA ears do tilt forward, but generally only when they're very relaxed, worried about something, stacked that way for show, etc. When they are alert and intent, such as this dog here happily smiling for the camera, their ears come up. I see nothing wrong about this dog's earset, though it is not my favorite it is not uncommon.
A better way to see the difference between the two is to look at whether or not the face forms a U shape under the ears (American Akita) or if there is an obvious corner where the ears meet the cheeks which extend out further than the ears (Japanese Akita). This dog's face is like the latter.
Also, her muzzle is much narrower than her cheeks and sharply extends out from them, unlike an AA whose muzzle tends to gradually blend into the cheeks without a sharp delineation.
In terms of overall quality, I see a nicely marked older-style JA who doesn't have any traits that would exclude the possibility of her being purebred. She looks a bit small but that's not unusual. Her small size can contribute to the rounder eyes as well (it's kind of a "small dog look" some JA get).
She reminds me of Sean's Kaede and I wonder if she could be related. Where are you located?
ETA: Here is an American Akita side-by-side with a Japanese Akita, demonstrating what I mean about how the ears and muzzle meet the cheeks.
I have moved since, but this photo was taken in Southern KY, near the city of Bowling Green. Her owners were moving and couldn't take her along, and I found out about her about a week after she got dropped off, so I unfortunately never got the chance to speak with the owners.
I was just so shocked to think there could be such a rare breed at a local shelter, I found it a bit hard to believe she could end up there. Thank you for the feedback!