Long Hair in the Akita

It's interesting to note that some American Akitas, like their Inu cousins, can be born with long hair. This characteristic can sometimes occur even in a litter where both parents have short hair.

This is explained by the presence of the "long hair" gene in the parents, even if they themselves have short hair. American Akita puppies with this "long hair" are the result of their parents' genetic inheritance.

Note that this characteristic is not sought after. My job as a breeder is to select dogs free of this mutation over time.

Technically, long hair is caused by mutations in the fibroblast growth factor-5 (FGF5) gene. To date, five mutations have been identified.

The long hair test in the American Akia identified the c.578C>T mutation, present in the Akita, Eurasier, Samoyed, and Siberian Husky breeds. The short hair allele (L) is dominant over the long hair (l), so two copies of the long hair allele are required to produce long-haired dogs.

There is a test that can identify this gene; however, it is not completely reliable, but three results are possible:

An SS (Short/Short) result = no carrier.

An SL (Short/Long) result = carrier that has not developed.

An LL (Long/Long) result = carrier with long-haired characteristics.

Your Breeder: Eric Emonnot