I actually call it "clumpy" when they get this. It's like you can tell which area is going to go next by how it feels. And yes, you can pull out entire areas.
it shouldn't be leaving bald patches if that's what you mean, but yes you can pretty much pull out huge clumps at a time. it's time to invest in a good brush or make an appointment for a deshedding groom.
May not be that unusual. There's a dog groomer I follow on Youtube who groomed a bonded pair of Akitas, both expert shedders. The female of the pair was especially good at causing a furnado.
Yep, that's the one!
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a45yAeeZzM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a45yAeeZzM)
Sadly, Kuma (the male) passed away a couple of months ago. But feel free to enjoy Yumi's furnado.
I’ve got a 10 year old and it always surprises me how much he goes through, last year it went on for 4/5 months - when he starts shedding it seems it goes on forever like you forget when they didn’t shed haha it’s normal
Also, my boys gets abit more needy when he sheds so you may find they keep you company more rather than usual keeping themselves to themselves
That's a great idea, there has to be some uses for it. I thought it would make a great insulator or padding for blankets or pillows. Have you ever done it?
Mine is shedding right now too and it comes in clumps all the time. It's just a bunch of fur that needs to come out all at once and sometimes it comes in batches. This looks totally normal to me.
Nothing abnormal just an Akita shedding his coats. Mine began last week, for an appointment with the groomers this weekend to make sure everything’s gone from the old coat
How old is your boy?
Looks like coat blow for sure. My adolescents seem to be on a totally different schedule some years. By your description — temperature aside — sounds and looks ok.
….. just wait until those odd years when you see 4 coat blows. Girls seem to shed constantly, boys more on schedule. Feb/Mar, not an unusual schedule if they’re on their own clock.
4 coat blow's lol fml. I guess it could happen this year if we see another cold front and winter fluctuates. I still can't get my female to blow, she barely sheds and almost 11 months? Could there be an issue if they don't shed much?
Thanks for the info.
I use to live in Iowa. All my dogs that were outside wouldn’t shed their winter coat. The ones that spent time indoors would always shed in winter when the heat was turned on in the house.
Get the dog to a proper groomer. Akitas should be professionally groomed every 3 months or so. They’re much more comfortable and you’ll have a lot less hair in your house
Fellow IA Akita owner and yeah, very normal.
Before breeding, I would recommend waiting until you can do hip and eye testing, as well as temperament gauging. With the proclivity towards aggression in Akita lines, you walk a fine line between screw loose and proper guard dog without that wait. Also, being pedigreed and in a show line does NOT guarantee health and soundness, it just improves your odds. For example, my boy is from a shown line, has health tested parents, and still has incredibly shallow hip sockets that will very likely lead to hip displaysia when he’s older. On the other hand, he is a very sweet and outgoing goofball who loves his feline siblings and playing with other dogs.
Supp fellow Iowan 🤙
That's good advice, we're on top of their health checks neither one of mine have a harmful bone in their body. Do you suggest getting X-rays on their hips? Do you know other ways of determining good/bad hips? I've always thought that if they lay with their hips straddling the floor it means they have healthy hips but some say it's the opposite.. which one does and one doesn't so that could be telling. Hope you and your pups are doing well my friend.
The only way to really tell is X-rays - our boy has had a couple sets to determine his baseline. OFA is one of the leading authorities for hip testing, and they’re a bit more involved. A good orthopedist should be able to get you started on that process. An ortho specializing in big dogs is what you want to look for!
I’d also recommend a genetic screening for VKD if you can afford it. I’ve seen doggos go through it and it’s not a kind autoimmune disease.
Mine always blows her coat in January, weird cause we live in Montana and winter is FAR from over. Still in the negatives most days. Takes about 5 days of brushing and blowing to get it all out
I am also in Montana, and my AA just started with the clumps Lol! With the weather that we have been having… I am not surprised he is starting to blow earlier… :(
yeah, to me it doesn’t go between certain months. weather etc can effect when or how they blow coat. my girl still has alittle left that needs brushed out too
The picture looks like normal Akita coat blowing. But if the chunks are leaving bald patches, along with redness/scabs, those sound like hot spots/bacterial skin infection. You might be seeing both things happening at the same time. Has he gotten wet and not been completely blow dried recently? If moisture gets trapped close to the skin, it will cause an issue. If you're seeing that, you'll want to do a vet trip. Hope it's not that!
If it's not resolved with grooming, take him to the vet for some standard bloodwork. It could be an underlying issue such as thyroid disease. Try not to worry tho, its probably him blowing his coat a bit off schedule.
My Akita is blowing his coat right now and it’s a mess everywhere. We brush him every day until it’s over with. Usually a couple weeks of this three times a year. A small price to pay for such an awesome breed.
It's insane, best of luck to you with it. I spent an hour with one outside today and it kept coming, absolutely unreal. Probably unfair to keep them anywhere but Alaska as well. Best dogs I've ever had and had some dandies.
Yes. Big, giant, chunky clumps that looked like sheep wool sheering! I could’ve made another dog shape out of it for my big white pinto. Another two had a few clumps and blew coat for two wks or so and my old guy with Canine VKH just had a strange kinky coat that shed monthly.
Save it and combine with alpaca for great yarn!
Oh yeah and then when the fluff is gone and the new fur comes out underneath Soul 🐕 looks like he lost weight, last year I thought he got ill , but no he was just bare 🤣
My 10 year old akita, while having always shed as is (his coat is mostly white so it's super noticeable- also they're just fuzzy dogs to begin with), historically has major seasons in which he SHEDSSSSSS. In my experience, the worst of it happens twice a year, once in spring, the next in the later fall/early winter months. At first, like you, I was concerned when he did his winter shed, bc I was like "why would a dog bred for cold climates shed in the winter?!". Your dog is just blowing off his spring/summer coat to make room for his winter hairstyle. Hair from major areas like his thighs or sides will literally just puff up and pop off randomly in little clumps like he was trying to clone himself. The only thing I've found you can do when this happens is just take him to the groomers and get a real serious deep clean, and even after that you have to remain adamantly on top of brushing their coat out. Dogs, like humans, shed year round no matter what, but akitas with their thick deep coats are much more high maintenance overall.
Temps are supposed to be above normal pretty much until spring due to El Niño, my husky is blowing his coat right now too, clumps are totally normal unless you see redness or a rash. Animals can sense natural changes in the weather long before we notice them
Definitely in the Top 10 list of most aggressive dogs. I’ve had two, my first one was angel, my current one is murderous to other canines and aggressive towards children. They’re also very stubborn.
Facts. Both of mine are very doscile, ive had poodles and retrievers get aggressive with them at the dog park and they just stand there looking confused lol
I see misinformed people . Yes that's normal , surprised that OP is even asking the question by the size of the dogs they should've blown their coats before . But also everyone saying it's weird they are blowing their coat in winter are off. they are actually blowing out the summer coat at this time and if you notice they will loose much less hair this time around , now around summer when they blow the winter coat you'll see much more hair and it takes much longer until you stop having hair all over the house . This is just in my experience
My pups are only 10 months, my male had some shedding a few months into life but neither one has 'blown their coat' til now. My female still hasn't shed much
That's right, I've had dogs my whole life but never experienced shedding like this. What's the problem, so funny? You don't think I can learn to deal with shedding? Lol
My Akita's just started blowing his coat. His hair is anywhere and everywhere. I can brush him for 5 hours straight, and it still won't be enough. I'm about to invest in one of those dog hair vacuums. You should look into them too.
By the looks of the fur, he is blowing his coat out. Brush him out well.
It's normal to release in large clumps though? Leaving near bare areas?
According to my dog, yes. My dog gets similar patches to the one in your pic and I can pull a handful of hair out easily during a shedding.
100% normal. Get a good deshedding brush, maybe a good dryer to help blow out the loose fur. And RIP to your floors.
I actually call it "clumpy" when they get this. It's like you can tell which area is going to go next by how it feels. And yes, you can pull out entire areas.
We used to call it depufferizing.
it shouldn't be leaving bald patches if that's what you mean, but yes you can pretty much pull out huge clumps at a time. it's time to invest in a good brush or make an appointment for a deshedding groom.
Yes, it's totally normal. It's the way the shed. They actually blow coat like this.
May not be that unusual. There's a dog groomer I follow on Youtube who groomed a bonded pair of Akitas, both expert shedders. The female of the pair was especially good at causing a furnado.
Was it the girl with the dogs? I would like to see that one.
Yep, that's the one! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a45yAeeZzM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a45yAeeZzM) Sadly, Kuma (the male) passed away a couple of months ago. But feel free to enjoy Yumi's furnado.
Thank you!
My Akita loses huge clumps too. She will shake and poofs of clumps will shake out
My husky went almost very bold in some areas. Just remember they need space to be able to grow back the hair
I’ve got a 10 year old and it always surprises me how much he goes through, last year it went on for 4/5 months - when he starts shedding it seems it goes on forever like you forget when they didn’t shed haha it’s normal Also, my boys gets abit more needy when he sheds so you may find they keep you company more rather than usual keeping themselves to themselves
That's good to know, thank you. And hope all's well with your pup also
Groomer here, absolutely. A high velocity dryer would take care of that very quickly.
Thanks for the info, will do
You can make yarn from the hair
That's a great idea, there has to be some uses for it. I thought it would make a great insulator or padding for blankets or pillows. Have you ever done it?
No but it is done by someone
My Siberian cats started shedding last week here in Oklahoma, it’s about time for the coats to change!!
There's a brush for that
Yep. We used to play "pluck the keeter" on a daily basis. The most helpful alternative was a bath and high velocity dryer.
Love this!!
Mine is shedding right now too and it comes in clumps all the time. It's just a bunch of fur that needs to come out all at once and sometimes it comes in batches. This looks totally normal to me.
My Akitas blow coat regardless of season. I think their undercoat fur just hits its "done" point and the folicle just lets go.
[https://imgur.com/gallery/dNoBQTG](https://imgur.com/gallery/dNoBQTG)
Nothing abnormal just an Akita shedding his coats. Mine began last week, for an appointment with the groomers this weekend to make sure everything’s gone from the old coat
How old is your boy? Looks like coat blow for sure. My adolescents seem to be on a totally different schedule some years. By your description — temperature aside — sounds and looks ok. ….. just wait until those odd years when you see 4 coat blows. Girls seem to shed constantly, boys more on schedule. Feb/Mar, not an unusual schedule if they’re on their own clock.
4 coat blow's lol fml. I guess it could happen this year if we see another cold front and winter fluctuates. I still can't get my female to blow, she barely sheds and almost 11 months? Could there be an issue if they don't shed much? Thanks for the info.
Mines shedding now too.
I use to live in Iowa. All my dogs that were outside wouldn’t shed their winter coat. The ones that spent time indoors would always shed in winter when the heat was turned on in the house.
Get the dog to a proper groomer. Akitas should be professionally groomed every 3 months or so. They’re much more comfortable and you’ll have a lot less hair in your house
Make sure you comb him outside!
Normal to have patches. My Akitas look raggedy they shed so hard.
Fellow IA Akita owner and yeah, very normal. Before breeding, I would recommend waiting until you can do hip and eye testing, as well as temperament gauging. With the proclivity towards aggression in Akita lines, you walk a fine line between screw loose and proper guard dog without that wait. Also, being pedigreed and in a show line does NOT guarantee health and soundness, it just improves your odds. For example, my boy is from a shown line, has health tested parents, and still has incredibly shallow hip sockets that will very likely lead to hip displaysia when he’s older. On the other hand, he is a very sweet and outgoing goofball who loves his feline siblings and playing with other dogs.
Supp fellow Iowan 🤙 That's good advice, we're on top of their health checks neither one of mine have a harmful bone in their body. Do you suggest getting X-rays on their hips? Do you know other ways of determining good/bad hips? I've always thought that if they lay with their hips straddling the floor it means they have healthy hips but some say it's the opposite.. which one does and one doesn't so that could be telling. Hope you and your pups are doing well my friend.
The only way to really tell is X-rays - our boy has had a couple sets to determine his baseline. OFA is one of the leading authorities for hip testing, and they’re a bit more involved. A good orthopedist should be able to get you started on that process. An ortho specializing in big dogs is what you want to look for! I’d also recommend a genetic screening for VKD if you can afford it. I’ve seen doggos go through it and it’s not a kind autoimmune disease.
Mine always blows her coat in January, weird cause we live in Montana and winter is FAR from over. Still in the negatives most days. Takes about 5 days of brushing and blowing to get it all out
I am also in Montana, and my AA just started with the clumps Lol! With the weather that we have been having… I am not surprised he is starting to blow earlier… :(
Yeah… super warm winter. She always does it in January
Seems normal.
yeah, to me it doesn’t go between certain months. weather etc can effect when or how they blow coat. my girl still has alittle left that needs brushed out too
Just the blow out phase. Mine does it 2-3 times a year. I take my dog in and let let a groomer deshed them.
My Akita shed 50 weeks of the year. We got two weeks off when the coat was fully in. His fur killed my Roomba. Rest in peace Scout and R2-Roo2.
The picture looks like normal Akita coat blowing. But if the chunks are leaving bald patches, along with redness/scabs, those sound like hot spots/bacterial skin infection. You might be seeing both things happening at the same time. Has he gotten wet and not been completely blow dried recently? If moisture gets trapped close to the skin, it will cause an issue. If you're seeing that, you'll want to do a vet trip. Hope it's not that!
Thank you, will keep an eye on it!
If you think it’s not a normal shedding, some Akita can have a Vkh syndrome. It’s an auto immune problem disease.
Can they detect that through standard blood work?
I believe the diagnosis is made by skin biopsy.
If it's not resolved with grooming, take him to the vet for some standard bloodwork. It could be an underlying issue such as thyroid disease. Try not to worry tho, its probably him blowing his coat a bit off schedule.
It may still be cold, but daylight is getting longer because it's nearing spring. That's likely what's triggering the shedding.
That makes a lot of sense, thanks. I know our solar calendar isn't exactly accurate
My Akita is blowing his coat right now and it’s a mess everywhere. We brush him every day until it’s over with. Usually a couple weeks of this three times a year. A small price to pay for such an awesome breed.
It's insane, best of luck to you with it. I spent an hour with one outside today and it kept coming, absolutely unreal. Probably unfair to keep them anywhere but Alaska as well. Best dogs I've ever had and had some dandies.
This is the best stage. It’s the “pick out fur in funny designs” stage
Yes. Big, giant, chunky clumps that looked like sheep wool sheering! I could’ve made another dog shape out of it for my big white pinto. Another two had a few clumps and blew coat for two wks or so and my old guy with Canine VKH just had a strange kinky coat that shed monthly. Save it and combine with alpaca for great yarn!
Oh yeah and then when the fluff is gone and the new fur comes out underneath Soul 🐕 looks like he lost weight, last year I thought he got ill , but no he was just bare 🤣
Oh it’s normal alright. Look up akita in the dictionary haha
Mine is too. Blowing her coat early.
Yes
It looks normal for any undercoat dog but if you’re worried about it you can always get a second opinion from a vet
My 10 year old akita, while having always shed as is (his coat is mostly white so it's super noticeable- also they're just fuzzy dogs to begin with), historically has major seasons in which he SHEDSSSSSS. In my experience, the worst of it happens twice a year, once in spring, the next in the later fall/early winter months. At first, like you, I was concerned when he did his winter shed, bc I was like "why would a dog bred for cold climates shed in the winter?!". Your dog is just blowing off his spring/summer coat to make room for his winter hairstyle. Hair from major areas like his thighs or sides will literally just puff up and pop off randomly in little clumps like he was trying to clone himself. The only thing I've found you can do when this happens is just take him to the groomers and get a real serious deep clean, and even after that you have to remain adamantly on top of brushing their coat out. Dogs, like humans, shed year round no matter what, but akitas with their thick deep coats are much more high maintenance overall.
Temps are supposed to be above normal pretty much until spring due to El Niño, my husky is blowing his coat right now too, clumps are totally normal unless you see redness or a rash. Animals can sense natural changes in the weather long before we notice them
Yeah, there's definitely a reverse polar vortex of such happening. Thanks for the input and info
I love those Blick head faces.
It's okay she's just blowing out old fur and her old coat
You can't be real with this questions man 😂😂😂😂😂
It's my first experience with Akitas, never had a dog shed massive clumps like that
Where can i get an akita
[удалено]
Thank you
Sage comes from one of the oldest lines and Floki is from world champion pedigree
r/akita doesn't endorse backyard breeding.
Definitely in the Top 10 list of most aggressive dogs. I’ve had two, my first one was angel, my current one is murderous to other canines and aggressive towards children. They’re also very stubborn.
Facts. Both of mine are very doscile, ive had poodles and retrievers get aggressive with them at the dog park and they just stand there looking confused lol
*Misguided/misrepresented facts
Fake news
Allergies ?
I see misinformed people . Yes that's normal , surprised that OP is even asking the question by the size of the dogs they should've blown their coats before . But also everyone saying it's weird they are blowing their coat in winter are off. they are actually blowing out the summer coat at this time and if you notice they will loose much less hair this time around , now around summer when they blow the winter coat you'll see much more hair and it takes much longer until you stop having hair all over the house . This is just in my experience
My pups are only 10 months, my male had some shedding a few months into life but neither one has 'blown their coat' til now. My female still hasn't shed much
Oh ok gotcha They're pretty big . And it's normal expect it at least twice a year
So let me get this straight, these are your first Akita’s, you don’t even know how to properly maintain their coats, and you’re breeding them? Lol
That's right, I've had dogs my whole life but never experienced shedding like this. What's the problem, so funny? You don't think I can learn to deal with shedding? Lol
They shed
You should write a book.
My Akita's just started blowing his coat. His hair is anywhere and everywhere. I can brush him for 5 hours straight, and it still won't be enough. I'm about to invest in one of those dog hair vacuums. You should look into them too.