How to Brush a Japanese Akita

The Japanese Akita evolved to live and hunt in cold weather. Because of this, it has a formidable undercoat that can be daunting to new Akita owners. Grooming your Akita is not difficult, but it is time-consuming. Japanese Akitas need to be brushed several times a week to keep their coats under control. Proper shedding tools, such as a curry comb or a rake, are invaluable when it comes to tackling an Akita's undercoat.

Brush out your Akita's fur twice a week. Groom the dog outside on a concrete surface because you will have massive piles of loose hair. There is no substitute for this regular grooming.

Use a shedding tool such as a rubber curry comb or a shedding rake to remove the loose hairs in your Akita's undercoat. Groom the dog until the shedding slows down. This may take more than an hour if the undercoat is heavy.

Use a slicker brush to get more of the undercoat out. The long, thin teeth of this rectangular brush will remove dead skin and hair.

Use a bristle brush on your dog's outercoat. This will smooth the coat and distribute the Akita's natural oils.

When the dog is not in one of its triannual shedding seasons, use a pin brush and a wide-toothed comb on your Akita's coat. Too much brushing during these times can dull the coat.