Akitas are described as courageous, dignified, and profoundly loyal dogs who are categorized in the working group of dog breeds. Akitas come in a large variety of coat colors including, white, red with white mask, red with self-mask, red with black overlay, red, silver with black overlay, silver brindle, red brindle, fawn brindle, black brindle, black with silver undercoat, black, and liver color. They are known to shed quite a bit, and do require constant grooming. They are considered a large dog breed with a height ranging from 26-28 inches for the males, and 24-26 inches for the females. They have an average weight of 100-130 pounds for the males, and 70-100 pounds for the females. Their life expectancy is 10-13 years.