Akita Grooming/Washing tips.

Akitas are a ‘double-coated’ breed meaning the Akita has an undercoat, this should be soft to touch, but dense and reasonably short unless you have a Longcoated Akita (Please see our LC Akita post from the home screen). Akitas lose all their fur twice a year we call this ‘blowing/shedding’ not ‘malting’ and for newcomers to the breed it can be quite a shock just at the sheer amount of fur that comes off them! If you don’t act and ignore your Akitas coat  especially when they are ‘blowing’ then expect a scruffy looking Akita that’s dropping big clumps of fur for about two months! You will also need a good hoover. You can get that 2 months down to 3weeks and have your beautiful Akita back in no time looking flashy as ever!

Akitas are a Spitz breed, Some breeds categorized as Spitz are the American Eskimo Dog, Akita, Chow Chow, Finnish Spitz, Keeshond, Norwegian Elkhound and the Pomeranian. It is important to note that these dogs shed moderately, however they generally “blow” their coats in the spring and fall months. We always get asked how to groom an Akita and hows best to speed up the process. If you don’t take time and care into your Akitas coat you will find yourself finding their fur everywhere! In your bedding, all over your clothes, at your work desk, in your food even and the odd hair in your mouth! You get the point it gets everywhere! So make sure to follow these simple tips below to avoid all that unnecessary furyness.

Tips for grooming your Akita

• Tools, if you don’t have the right tools to groom your’re going to struggle and worse damage your Akitas coat! We recommend two great tools to get the job done efficiently and the best thing about them is they can be found in most pet stores/supermarkets. That’s a ‘slicker’ brush and a ‘rake’ comb (undercoat comb) they are cheap too, please avoid the ‘furminator’ many Akita owners swear by it others hate this tool, in novice hands it can be dangerous for your Akita and damage their coat. For £/$5-10 you can get a slicker and rake brush/comb and get great results from them!
• During the ‘blowing’ stage brush daily, if you don’t spend at least a hour working on their coat you will be waiting for what seems like a life time before they have finished and that sleek, smooth new coat comes through.
• The most effective way of going about brushing and combing the coat is by line combing or brushing. This is brushing the coat in sections by placing one hand on the coat and while the other hand has the brush or comb. You would then brush the coat by where your hand rest. Then move your hand up on the dog by an inch or so, there would then be a part of hair. Repeating the brushing or the combing with other hand moving up on the dog doing this in sections would make sure that you clear out the coat. Make sure that you get down to the skin which is vital. If you don’t get down to the skin you would just be clearing out the top coat leaving the undercoat untouched causing matting.
• Brush indoors in a room that is small and easy to clean, outdoors if fine but if you have neighbours you may receive complaints when they get a garden full of Akita fur, it blows all over and attaches itself very well to shrubs, walls, trees and their clothes hanging our to dry!
• Akitas should be brushed weekly to stimulate healthy coat and skin. Brushing will remove the old hair, and stimulate new.  An Akita that isn’t ‘blowing’ their coat generally keeps it well, you won’t find much that has come out but a weekly brushing will avoid that and you will practically have a fur free home!  The Akita is known for it’s easy maintenance as they are known to be ‘self cleaners’, but with intervention by you brushing often and maintaining good health you’re going to have a very clean, odour free Akita!
• Fish oils are great for a smooth, shiny coat on an Akita (Please read up on supplements good for a dogs coat)

BATHING YOUR AKITA

• Never use Human shampoo, always buy and use a formulated shampoo for dogs.
• Do not bathe your Akita too often because that will dry out the skin, deplete healthy oils from the coat and skin, and lead to scratching and irritation,  Akitas really don’t need bathing any more than 2-4 times a year. If your akitas get muddy, use some luke warm water and a clean cloth to wash them down.
• To keep your Akitas clean looking and fresh between baths, brush vigorously and regularly, preferably daily. This is good for their coat and skin, and helps the dog look and smell good too!
• Wait until a puppy is more than five weeks old before giving him his first bath.
• Make sure water is warm but not hot. Then, fill the water to knee level.
• Never fuss too much, try your best to make it a positive experience. Reassure them that they’re going to be just fine.
• No matter what shampoo you use – even if it says it’s “safe around the eyes” avoid using it on your Akitas head. If for some reason you have to, it’s important to hold the Akitas’s chin up and rinse the soapy water back toward the neck and not down over the face to avoid getting shampoo in the eyes.
• Place cotton wool in their ears, avoid getting water in the ear canal which can lead to an infection
• Place a towel in the bottom of the bath tun to avoid slipping
• It’s vital to rinse all the soap and residue off your Akita, which can take some time with an Akitas double coat. Shampoo that dries on your Akitas’s coat or skin can be irritating, and it will also get dirty and matted. So take your time and make sure you’ve rinsed thoroughly. Make sure your Akita is dry, DO NOT leave them wet to dry naturally, this can cause health problems.

HOW TO CLEAN YOUR DOGS EARS. VIDEO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99x64TF8ppU
HOW TO BATHE YOUR DOGS. VIDEO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QDd-c4yJDM
HOW TO CUT YOUR DOGS NAILS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66Uhv6179bU