Comparison: American Akita and Shiba Inu

American Akita and Shiba Inu are marked as similar in our database. The table compares only the data we have on the breeds.

	American Akita	Shiba Inu
FCI group	5. Spitz and primitive types	5. Spitz and primitive types
Country of origin	Japan	Japan
Category	Large	Small
Height at withers	–	35–41 cm
Weight	–	8–11 kg
Life span	–	12–15 years
Recognition features	Large, powerful dog with broad wedge-shaped head and small erect ears Large well-furred tail carried over the back in one or two curls Any colour including pinto and brindle; solid white dogs have no mask	Spitz type, red, black-and-tan or sesame colouring Tightly curled tail, foxy face 35-41 cm tall
Coat	Double coat: thick, soft, dense undercoat and straight, harsh/stiff outer coat; any colour including pinto and brindle.	Stiff outer coat and soft undercoat; red, sesame, black-and-tan.
Purpose	Large companion dog developed in the USA from Japanese Akitas; powerful and dignified.	The smallest Japanese native breed, bred to hunt small game and birds in mountainous terrain.

Breed page: American Akita · Breed page: Shiba Inu

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The information is indicative. Texts are based on available sources and may contain inaccuracies; for binding details (e.g. for breeding or shows) use the official breed standard.