Alice White
The Akita Inu has a beautiful thick medium-length coat with a very soft undercoat. But this breed sheds.
The shedding is abundant and seasonal, 2 times a year: January to February and May to June. The dog can be without an undercoat in summer, and it begins to grow back only by fall. When kept in an apartment with dry warm air, the dog can shed for the whole year. Another reason for the constant shedding is improper nutrition or health problems.
The main advantage of the care for the coat is that it does not need grooming or trimming. The disadvantage is that the dog sheds a lot but the period lasts only a couple of weeks. The coat falls out in shreds during an intense shedding.
The only bad thing is that during such a shedding, the hair falls out in large quantities and it is difficult to keep the room clean. You constantly have to wield a vacuum cleaner and a rag. Sterilized Akitas, those that live indoors or in a moderate climate, shed less. If the dog is kept in an apartment, ventilate more often, as the shedding is less noticeable in a cooler climate.
Aside from the shedding period, the Akita Inus require minimum care. They require neither trimming nor shaving. You only need to comb out the hair from time to time to remove dead hair and keep the coat in a good condition. There are some long-coated Akitas that require more serious care. A brush with several rows of metal bristles can help.
During the shedding periods, you need to brush your dog every day with:
- a slicker brush;
- a furminator (use it gently, so as not to cut the guard hair when the coat starts to come in shreds)
- a metal brush in the form of a rake.
