Your reasons for placing four of these five Akita examples (the fifth
must be disqualified) must be based on both type and soundness. In this
short essay, type relates to the Akita's head, neck, body, legs, and tail.
Soundness is confined to forequarters and hindquarters.
TYPICAL The Akita is a Japanese
hunting dog, primarily a hunter of large game in northern mountainous
country. The breed is a wonderful combination of dignity with good
nature, alert courage and docility. He, and only to a lesser extent,
she, presents a picture of a large Spitz breed, powerful, with substance
and heavy bone. The typical Akita's head is massive, free from wrinkle,
and triangular when observed from above. Skull is flat between small
erect ears. There is a well-defined, but not abrupt stop. Eyes are
small, triangular and set well into the head. The rims of his dark brown
eyes are tight and dark. Broad nose is black (white Akitas are permitted
flesh-colored noses). The bite is scissors, the lips are tight and
black. Coat color (any color) is brilliant, (mask and blaze not
obligatory).
Neck is thick and muscular, comparatively short, with pronounced
crest blending with base of skull. Body is slightly longer than high
(bitches a little more). Chest is wide and deep, the brisket (and elbow)
one half his 27-inch height. Back is level, the loin firmly muscled, and
tuck-up is moderate. Skin is pliant but not loose. Angulation is
moderate front and rear. Feet are cat-like, toes are dark, hocks are
well let down. Tail is large and full, set high and carried over the
back in a three-quarter curl (may be full or double curl) dipping below
the back. Weight is about 100 pounds.
1st
2nd 3rd 4th
(You can type in your choices here before looking at
Robert Cole's descriptions)
DOG A
His large, pointed ears and longer than ideal body are disturbing.
His body length to height ratio would be considered ideal for a bitch
(11 to 9), but not for a dog (10 to 9). This average-height male is 27
inches tall and 33 inches long, instead of the ideal 30 inches long. The
average height for a bitch is 25 inches. A 25-inch tall bitch is ideally
30.5 inches long, a half inch longer than a 27-inch tall dog. This type
of long-bodied male often is handicapped by light bone making him appear
rangy, a concern in this breed. You have probably decided this Akita's
placement; however if his bone was light, would you place him Second,
Third or Fourth?
DOG B
This Akita departs from typical in only two ways: his head and leg
length are
incorrect.
The ideal distance from nose to stop and from stop to occiput is a
ratio of 2 to 3. The average Akita head measures ten inches, the muzzle
measures four inches, the skull six inches. Dog B's short muzzle
measures three inches; a ratio of 1 to 3, a serious Akita fault.
Dog B's legs are shorter than the length specified in the breed
Standard. The distance (amount) they are short, is equal to the height
of his well-knuckled toes. Not much, but enough to change Akita balance
and reduce Akita agility.
DOG C
This Akita illustrates the virtues defined in the paragraphs
describing typical.
DOG D
This unsound example's steep front has created an abrupt break at
the juncture of neck and withers, forcing the forequarter assembly
forward on the body, thus reducing forechest and upsetting balance. In
the rear, his flat pelvis has caused the hindquarters to steepen
reducing angulation at both stifle and hock.
He has heavy, unwanted wrinkle across the forehead and on the side
of the eye. His tail is faulty because it is short, so short that it
would not reach his hock when let down, reducing both functional and
aesthetic balance.
DOG E
This pinto Akita has seven visible faults:
(1) drop ears
(2) flesh colored nose (a disqualification)
(3) round, light eyes
(4) long neck
(5) long body
(6) long legs
(7) sickle tail (a disqualification)
Robert Cole's Placements of 1, 2, 3, and
4
1) Dog C represents typical.
2) I gave Second Place to long-bodied, long-eared Dog A.
3) Third place went to short muzzled, short bodied Dog B.
4) Fourth Place is unsound Dog D.
Fourth Place Dog D, regardless of his unsoundness, has type. Would
you award him First Place and Winners if the other three were inferior?
What if he also had Dog A's long body and long ears? What if in addition
to his own faults he had Dog B's short muzzle and short legs? As a
judge, at what stage by not awarding points, would you say: "Stop, this
Akita should not be bred"?
If my Second Place Dog A, in addition to long body and
long ears, was light of bone and appeared rangy, I would have awarded
him Third Place.
