American Akita Colors and Variations

The American Akita is a stunning breed with a rich history and a diverse range of colors. There are 13 recognized colors in the American Akita breed.

One of the most striking features of the American Akita is its thick double coat, which comes in a variety of colors. From the classic sesame to the rare brindle, each color has its own unique characteristics.

The American Akita's coat color is determined by the interaction of two types of melanin: eumelanin and pheomelanin. This complex process results in the wide range of colors seen in the breed.

In addition to its coat color, the American Akita also comes in a variety of patterns, including solid, sesame, and brindle.

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American Akita coat colors are a fascinating topic. The American Akita breed comes in a variety of standard and non-standard colors, including sable, brindle, and black.

Most American Akitas are sable (k/k A/- or A/-) or brindle (k/- A/- or A/-) with a black mask (E) and white markings (s). But fully patterned dogs without any white (S/S) are quite uncommon.

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The genetics of American Akita coat colors are complex, involving multiple genes and alleles. The E-LOCUS, K-LOCUS, A-LOCUS, B-LOCUS, D-LOCUS, S-LOCUS, and M-LOCUS all play a role in determining the breed's coat colors and patterns.

Here's a breakdown of the major coat colors recognized by the AKC, FCI, and KC:

The standard coat of an American Akita is a beautiful sight to behold. The breed's coat colors and patterns come in a variety of shades, but most Akitas are either sable or brindle with a black mask and white markings.

Sable Akitas have a mix of black and red pigments, giving them a distinctive brownish-red coat color. Brindle Akitas, on the other hand, have a striped or mottled pattern of black and red stripes over a fawn or red background.

The genetics of an American Akita's coat color are determined by two pigment types: eumelanin and phaeomelanin. Different proportions of these pigments create different patterns, such as the black mask and white markings found in most Akitas.

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Most American Akitas are either sable (k/k A/- or A/-) or brindle (k/- A/- or A/-) with a black mask (E) and white markings (s). But fully patterned dogs without any white (S/S) are quite uncommon.

Here's a breakdown of the different coat colors and patterns found in American Akitas:

Red Akitas can also have shading, a black mask, or white markings, making them a stunning addition to any family.

Black Akitas are often darker than dogs with just an abundance of dark overlay, commonly referred to as "shaded black".

They can have an undercoat of a lighter brownish, red, fawn, or silver color and a somewhat solid black saddle.

Black Akitas usually don't come with a solid black coat, they always seem to have some level of phaeomelanin shading.

Puppies can have very dense black overlay looking almost solid black.

Some of these almost black dogs might be extremely heavy-shaded sables with an extended black mask.

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The liver-colored coat of an American Akita is a unique trait that's worth understanding. A very small percentage of Akitas carry a gene variant for liver-colored eumelanin, which is a recessive trait.

This means that a dog needs to inherit two copies of the gene, one from each parent, to express the liver color. But carriers of the gene can still pass it on to their offspring.

In Akitas, the liver color is often referred to as liver, but in other breeds, it's commonly called brown. However, in Akitas, the term "brown" is reserved for dark and shaded areas of phaeomelanin.

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Sable Akitas are the most common variation in the American Akita breed, and they come in a range of shades of phaeomelanin, including brown, red, fawn, and silver.

These shades are often accompanied by black hair tips, which can create a darker overall appearance. Dark shading is also common in sable Akitas, often referred to as black overlay.

American Akita puppies often display more black shading than adults, which may fade over time. This is a normal phenomenon in breeds with shaded sable coats.

Some sable Akitas also have countershading, while others may have white spotting and a black mask, which can result in watermarking along the edges of colored patches on white.

Sable American Akitas are quite common, and their coats come in a range of shades of phaeomelanin. These shades are often referred to as brown, red, fawn, or silver.

In fact, most American Akitas have a sable pattern, which is characterized by the presence of black hair tips. This is a key feature of the breed.

Akitas rarely come in clear sable, and instead often have a shaded sable coat with unusually strong hair banding and lots of black hair tips. Dark shading is also common, especially on the neck, back, and tail.

This dark shading is often referred to as black overlay, and it can be quite sparse or heavy. Some American Akitas may even have a melanistic mask, which is a common phenomenon in breeds with shaded sable coats.

Some sable Akitas also have white markings, which can be minimal or cover larger areas. This is due to the presence of piebald (s) in the breed.

Overall, the combination of phaeomelanin intensities, black hair tips, black masks, and white spotting leads to a wide range of possible coat patterns in American Akitas.

Brown Akitas can have a darker look due to black hair tips, which is called brown, black overlay.

This darker look can also be achieved through various markings and colors.

A brown Akita can have black overlay, which adds to its overall darker appearance.

Black overlay can be combined with other markings, but it's not a requirement.

A brown Akita can also have a black mask, which is a distinctive marking on the face.

White markings or pinto patterns can also be present on a brown Akita.

A "white mask" or face-white, blaze marking can also be found on a brown Akita.

Here are the possible markings a brown Akita can have:

Most breeders try to avoid non-standard American Akita colors. These colors occur in any dog breed and can happen due to recessive alleles.

Non-standard colors are not as common as standard colors, but they can still be found in American Akitas. They're often the result of intentional breeding or accidental occurrences.

There are non-standard American Akita colors, but no specific list is provided in this text.

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Non-standard colors occur in any dog breed. This is because of the presence of recessive alleles that can cause these rare colors to appear.

Most breeders try to avoid non-standard colors, but some intentionally breed them on purpose. This is because these colors can be unique and desirable to some owners.

These non-standard colors can occur by accident, and sometimes they're even more beautiful than the standard colors.

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Silver Akitas have a light phaeomelanin intensity, giving them a greyish to off-white appearance. They should not have any hint of fawn or red color.

A grey or silver Akita with a white coat is likely to have a sable pattern with silver phaeomelanin, not a true silver coat.

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White American Akitas are recessive red, meaning they have very low phaeomelanin intensity.

Their coats are solid white, and they can never express patterns that require black pigment, such as masks or brindle stripes.

These dogs are prone to fading nose pigment, a common issue in recessive red dogs.

A white American Akita's phaeomelanin is very pale, but it's not entirely absent, which is why you won't see blue eyes in these dogs.

Piebald markings are possible in white American Akitas, but it's hard to see the contrast between their lightly pigmented patches and white markings.

It's worth noting that a white American Akita should never be an extreme piebald, as this would indicate a lack of pigment.

Here's a summary of the genetics behind white American Akitas:

This means that a white American Akita needs to inherit the recessive red allele (e/e) and the white spotting allele (s) to display a solid white coat.

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American Akita colors are determined by two pigment types: eumelanin and phaeomelanin. The unique combination of these pigments creates different coat patterns in Akitas.

The genetics of Akita colors are complex, involving multiple genes and alleles. For example, the E-LOCUS gene determines whether a dog has a melanistic mask, normal pattern, domino, or recessive red coat color.

Only some of the possible alleles found in dogs produce the different colors of Akitas. The genes and alleles involved in American Akita's standard coat colors and patterns include the E-LOCUS, K-LOCUS, A-LOCUS, B-LOCUS, D-LOCUS, S-LOCUS, and M-LOCUS.

Here's a brief breakdown of the genes and alleles involved:

Kennel clubs, such as the American Kennel Club (AKC), recognize different Akita colors, including red, brindle, and white. In the United States, the AKC also recognizes black, sesame, and pinto patterns.

Merle is a color variation that can occur in American Akitas, but it's not a standard color according to the breed standard.

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The breed standard describes all the different traits an American Akita should have, but not every standard mentions all the possible combinations of colors and markings.

Some backyard breeders produce blue merle Akita puppies on purpose, but this is likely due to recent outcrossing as the merle allele is not a standard part of the breed.

Not every major club recognizes the merle color in American Akitas, sticking to the typical breed colors.

American Akitas get their coat colors from two pigment types: eumelanin and phaeomelanin. Different proportions of these colors create different patterns.

Most American Akitas are sable or brindle with a black mask and white markings. But fully patterned dogs without any white are quite uncommon.

Black is an umbrella term for very dark-colored dogs and is considered one of the most rare Akita colors. Very few dogs are agouti-patterned or have a saddle pattern.

Only some of the possible alleles found in dogs are involved in producing the different colors of Akitas. These genes and alleles are:

These genes and alleles interact to produce the various colors and patterns seen in American Akitas.

Phaeomelanin intensities in American Akitas are officially called white in recessive red dogs, or silver, fawn, red, or brown in sable or brindle dogs.

Many descriptive terms like tan, blonde, yellow, orange, or grey are used to describe different shades of red, but these are not officially recognized phaeomelanin intensities.

The different phaeomelanin intensities in American Akitas can affect their coat color, with some dogs having a more intense red color than others.

In sable or brindle dogs, the phaeomelanin intensity can range from silver to red or brown, while in recessive red dogs, it is typically white.

Here's a breakdown of the officially recognized phaeomelanin intensities in American Akitas:

These different phaeomelanin intensities can have a significant impact on an Akita's appearance and can even affect their recognition by kennel clubs.