FCI General Assembly Meeting in Mexico City on May 31
and June 1, 1999
The following is a report of the FCI General Assembly meeting in
Mexico City on May 31 and June 1, 1999. This is in a letter to
Al Cheaure, President of the American Kennel Club, from Toyosaku
Kariyabu and Hirofumi Keitoku of the Japan Kennel Club.
Proposition of the General Committee concerning the AKITA
problem.
Under the name “Akita” there are two definitively
different types of dogs to be found: Akita of the Japanese type
and the Great Japanese Dog (formerly American Akita). The recognition of the
“Great Japanese Dog (formerly American Akita)” as a special
breed within the FCI is a useful measure, but this alone will
not help to clear up completely the present confusing situation.
The following solution should put an end to the present
intolerable confusion.
In all the countries belonging to the FCI, all dogs registered
under the name “Akita” have to be assessed individually by a
body of three judges qualified for the breed (nominated by the
country’s Kennel Club). Dogs which conform to the FCI Akita Standard #255 will keep
their pedigree under the name of “Akita”. Dogs conforming with the
FCI standard #344 “Great Japanese Dog”(formerly American
Akita) will receive a new pedigree under the new name. In case of doubt as to
how to assess a dog, the Japan Kennel Club will provide judges
to make the final decision.
The assessments mentioned above should be done within 6
months from the official recognition of the “Great Japanese
Dog”(formerly American Akita) and be finished by the end of
1999. The new registration of each dog is definite and cannot be
altered.
As from January 1st, 2000 onward, the breed
“Akita”(under FCI standard # 255) and the “Great Japanese
Dog” (under FCI standard #344) are to be considered two
totally independent breeds, any cross between these two breeds
will be prohibited. From
the 1st January 2000, the “Great Japanese
Dog”(formerly American Akita) will be eligible for CACIB.
Settled matters at the FCI General Assembly.
Valid votes: 43
1) To
divide the Akita into two different breeds.
In favor: 42 Opposed:
0 Abstained: 1
2) To adopt
the Standard of the Great Japanese Dog (formerly American Akita)
In favor: 41 Opposed:
0 Abstained: 2
3) Which
FCI group should the Great Japanese Dog belong to?
Group 2 (Pinscher and Schnauzer type - Molosian and Swiss
Mountain and
Cattle Dogs) : 25
Group 5 (Spitz and Primitive types): 9
Abstention : 9
4) To name
the new breed “Great Japanese Dog (formerly American
Akita)”.
In favor: 29 Opposed:
0 Abstained: 14
5) To set
the starting time and deadline of the assessments as mentioned
above.
In favor: 39 Opposed:
0 Abstained: 4
Great Japanese Dog
(formerly American Akita)
Origin: Japan
Development: USA
Utilization: Companion
Dog
Classification FCI: Group 2
Pinscher and Schnauzer - Molossians - Swiss Mountain and
Cattledogs and related breeds.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY:
In the beginning, the history of the Great Japanese Dog
(formerly American Akita) is identical with the development of
the Japanese Akita. Since
1603 in the Akita region, Akita Matagis (medium sized hunting
dogs) were used as fighting dogs.
From 1868, the breed was crossbred with Tosa (a mixture
of Shikoku with German Pointing Dogs, St. Bernard Dogs or Great Danes) and Mastiffs. The size of this breed
increased, but characteristics such as erect ears or curled
tail, which are associated with the Akita (Spitz type) were
lost. As in 1908
dog fighting was prohibited, the breed were nevertheless
preserved as a large Japanese breed and in 1931 was designated
as Natural Monument.
During World War II (1939-1945), it was common to use dogs as a
source of fur for military garments. The police orderd the
capture and confiscation of all dogs other than German Shepherd
Dogs used for military purposes.
Some fanciers tried to circumvent the order by
crossbreeding their dogs with German Shepherd Dogs. When World War II ended,
Akitas had been drastically reduced in number and existed as
three distinct types: 1) Matagi Akitas 2)Fighting Akitas
3)Shepherd Akitas. This
created a very confusing situation in the breed.
During the restoration process of the pure breed after the war,
Kongo-go of the Dewa line enjoyed a temporary, but tremendous
popularity. Many
Akitas of the Dewa line, which exhibited characteristics of the
Mastiff and German Shepherd influence, were brought back to the
United States by members of the military forces. The Akitas from the Dewa
line, intelligent and capable of adapting to different
environments, fascinated breeders in the United States and the
line was developed with increasing number of breeders and a
great rise in popularity.
The Akita Club of America was established in 1956 and the
American Kennel Club (AKC) accepted the breed (inscription into
the stud book and regular show status) in October 1972. However, at this time,
the AKC and the JKC (Japan Kennel Club) did not have reciprocal
agreements for recognizing each other’s pedigrees and
therefore the door was closed for the introduction of the new
bloodlines from Japan. Consequently,
Akitas in the United States became considerably different from
those in Japan, the country of origin. They developed as a type
unique in the United States, with characteristics and type
unchanged since 1955. This
is in sharp contrast with the Japanese type that was crossbred
with Matagi Akitas for the purpose of restoring the original
pure breed.
GENERAL APPEARANCE: Large-sized dog, sturdily built, well
balanced, with much substance and heavy bone. The broad head, forming
a blunt triangle, with deep muzzle, relatively small eyes and
erect ears carried forward almost in line with back of neck, is
characteristic of the breed.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS:
The ratio of
height at withers to length of body is 9 to 10 in males and 9 to
11 in bitches.
The depth of the
chest measures one-half of the height of the dog at withers.
The distance from
tip of nose to stop corresponds to the distance from stop to
occiput as 2 does to 3.
BEHAVIOR/TEMPERMENT:
Friendly, alert, responsive, dignified, docile, and
courageous.
HEAD: Massive,
but in balance with the body, free of wrinkles when at ease.. Head forms a blunt
triangle when viewed from above.
CRANIAL REGION:
Skull: Flat and broad between ears. A shallow furrow extends
well up on forehead.
Stop: Well defined,
but not too abrupt.
FACIAL REGION:
Nose: Broad and
black. Flesh colour
permitted on white dogs only, but black always preferred.
Muzzle: Broad, deep
and full.
Lips: Black and not
pendulous; tongue pink. Flesh
coloured lips permitted in white dogs only.
Jaws/teeth: Jaws
not rounded, but blunt, strong and powerful. Teeth strong with
regular and full dentition; scissor bite preferred, but level
bite acceptable.
Eyes: Dark brown, relatively small, not pronounced, almost
triangular in shape. Eye
rims black and tight; flesh-coloured eye rims permitted in white
dogs only.
Ears: Strongly erect and small in relation to the rest of the
head. If the ear is
folded forward for measuring length, tip will touch upper eye
rim. Ears are
triangular, slightly rounded at tip, wide at base, not set too
low. Viewed from
the side, the ears are angled forward over the eyes following
the line of the neck.
NECK: Thick and muscular with minimal dewlap,
comparatively short, widening gradually toward the shoulders. A pronounced crest
blends harmoniously into the base of the skull.
BODY: Longer than high.
Skin not too thin, neither too tight nor too loose.
Back: Level
Loin: Firmly muscled
Chest: Wide and deep. Ribs
well sprung with well developed brisket.
Underline and Belly: Moderate
tuck-up
TAIL:
Large and well furnished with hair, set high and carried
over back or against flank in a three-quarter, full, or double
curl, always dipping to or below level of back. On a three-quarter curl,
tip drops well down on flank.
Root large and strong.
The terminal bone of tail reaches hock when let or pulled
down. Hair coarse,
straight and dense, with no appearance of a plume.
LIMBS:
Forequarters: Forelegs heavy-boned and straight as viewed
from front. Shoulders:
Strong and powerful with moderate layback Pasterns: Slightly
sloping forward in an angle of approximately 15 degrees to the
vertical.
Hindquarters: Strongly muscled, width and bone comparable to
forequarters. Dewclaws
on hind legs customarily removed.
Upper thigh: Strong, well developed, parallel when viewed
from behind.
Stifles: Moderately bent
Hocks: Well let down, turning neither in nor out.
Feet: Straight, cat feet, well knucked up with thick pads.
GAIT/MOVEMENT: Powerful, covering ground with moderate
reach and drive. Movement
parallel when viewed from front and behind, back remaining
strong, firm, and level.
COAT
Hair: Double-coat. Undercoat
thick, soft, dense and shorter than outer coat. Outer coat straight,
harsh/stiff and standing somewhat off body. Hair on head, lower legs
and ears short. Length
of hair at withers and rump approximately 5 cm, which is
slightly longer than on rest of body, except tail, where coat is
longest and most profuse.
COLOUR: Any
colour like red, fawn, white, etc; or even pinto and brindle. Colours are briliant and
clear, and marking are well balanced, with or without mask or
blaze. White dogs
(solid in colour) have no mask.
Pinto have a white ground colour with large, evenly
placed patches covering head and more than one-third body. Undercoat may have a
different colour from the outer coat.
SIZE:
Height at withers: For males: 66-71 cm (26-28 inches)
For bitches: 61-66 cm (24-26 inches)
FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be
considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault
should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.
Feminine dogs,
masculine bitches
Narrow or snipey
head
Any missing tooth
(except 2 of the PM1 and/or M3)
Spotted tongue
Light eyes
Short tail
In or out at elbows
Any indication of
ruff or feathering
Shyness or
viciousness
SERIOUS FAULTS
Light in
substance
Light bone
ELIMINATING FAULTS:
Butterfly nose
or total lack of pigmentation on nose on dogs other than white.
Drop, hanging, or
folded ears
Under or overshot
bite
Sickle or uncurled
tail
Dogs under 63.5 cm
(25 inches), bitches under 58.5 cm (23 inches)
N.B.: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles
fully descended into the scrotum.
Akita (Japanese Type)
Origin: Japan
Utilization: Companion Dog
Classification FCI: Group 5 (Spitz and primitive type)
BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY:
Originally Japanese dogs were small to medium in size and no
large breeds existed. Since
1603 in the Akita region, Akita Matagis (medium-sized
bearhunting dogs) were used as fighting dogs. From 1868 Akita Matagis
were crossed with Tosas and Mastiffs. Consequently, the size
of this breed increased but characteristics associated with
Spitz Type were lost.
In 1908 dog fighting was prohibited, but this breed was
nevertheless preserved and improved as a large Japanese breed. As a result, nine
superior examples of this breed were designated as Natural
Monuments in 1931.
During World War II (1939-1945), it was common to use dogs as a
source of fur for military garments. The police ordered the
capture and coniscation of all dogs other than German Shepherd
Dogs used for military purposes.
Some fanciers tried to circumvent the order by
crossbreeding their dogs with German Shepherd Dogs.
When World War II ended, Akitas had been drastically reduced in
number and existed as three distinct types: 1) Matagi Akitas 2)
Fighting Akitas and 3) Shepherd Akitas. This created a very
confusing situation in the breed.
During the restoration process of the pure breed after the war,
Kongo-go of the Dewa line, which exhibited characteristics of
the Mastiff and German Shepherd Dog influence, enjoyed a
temporary but tremendous popularity. The Akitas developed
with increasing number of breeders and a great rise in
popularity. However,
sensible learned fanciers did not approve of this type as a
proper Japanese breed, so they made efforts to eliminate the
strain of foreign breeds by crossbreeding with the Matagi Akitas
for the purpose of restoring the original pure breed and
succeedd in stabilizing the pure strain of large sized breed as
known today.
GENERAL APPEARANCE:
Large-sized dog, sturdily built, well balanced and with much
substance; secondary sex characteristics strongly marked, with
high nobility and dignity in modesty; constitution tough.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS:
The ratio of height at withers to length of body is 10:11,
but the body is slightly longer in bitches than in dogs.
BEHAVIOUR AND TEMPERMENT:
The temperment is composed, faithful, docile and receptive.
HEAD
Cranial region
Skull: The size is in proportion to the body. The forehead is broad, with distinct furrow. No wrinkle.
Stop: Defined
Facial region:
Nose: Large and black. In
case of white coat, flesh colour permitted. Muzzle: Moderately long
and strong with broad base, tapering but not pointed. Nasal bridge straight.
Lips: Tight
Jaws/teeth: Teeth strong with scissor bite
Cheeks: Moderately developed
Eyes: Relatively small, almost triangular in shape due to the
rising of the outer eye corner, set moderately apart, dark
brown: the darker, the better.
Ears: Relatively small, thick, triangular, slightly rounded at
tips, set moderately apart, pricked and inclining forward.
NECK: Thick and muscular, without dewlap, in balance with
head
BODY:
Back: Straight and strong
Loin: Broad and muscular
Chest: Deep, forechest well developed, ribs moderately well
sprung.
Belly: Well drawn up
TAIL: Set on high, thick, carried vigorously curled over
back; the tip nearly reaching hocks when let down.
LIMBS:
Forequarters:
Shoulders: Moderately
sloping and developed
Elbows: Tight
Forearms: Straight and heavy boned
Hindquarters: Hindlegs well developed, strong and moderately
angulated.
Feet: Thick, round, arched and tight.
GAIT: Resilient and powerful movement
COAT:
Hair: Outer coat harsh and straight, undercoat soft and
dense; the withers and the rump are covered with slightly longer
hair; the hair on tail is longer than on the rest of body.
Color: Red fawn, sesame (red fawn hairs with black tips),
brindle and white. All
the above-mentioned colors except white must have “urajiro”. (Urajiro - whitish coat
on the sides of the muzzle, on the cheeks, on the underside of
jaw, neck, chest, body and tail and on the inside of the legs.)
SIZE: Height at the withers: Dogs - 67 cm
Bitches - 61 cm
There is a tolerance of 3 cm more or less
FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be
considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault
should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.
Bitchy dogs/doggy
bitches
Undershot or
overshot mouth
Missing teeth
Spotted tongue
Iris light in
colour
Short tail
Shyness
DISQUALIFYING FAULTS:
Ears not
pricked
Hanging tail
Long hair (shaggy)
Black mask
Markings on white
background
N.B. Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles
fully descended into the scrotum.
