I recently got my first akita and I think that I agree with Michaela's email to you. Long-haired akitas are not representative of the breed and you really shouldn't try to propagate such a defect if you do decide to have a litter. Both me and my boyfriend got an akita each from the same litter and his turned out to be long-haired... now he loves the dog but we both know that it will never look like the "standard" for the akita.
Now all that means for him is that he can't show the dog... but since you are really looking for a pet showing the pups are not a deciding factor for you. However if you do love the breed then my suggestion is to try to play your part in keeping the breed to its AKC standard.
But even besides that you should also consider the nature of the akita when you are thinking about breeding. Now Michaela raised a very valid point of having 8-12 people to give the pups to... most people cannot deal with the strength, size, stubborness (otherwise called "independent nature"), or dog-aggressive nature of the breed. Before you give people pups you should make sure that they are aware of the dog they are getting... most people buy pups because they are sooooo cute... but as a responsible person who loves the akita you should do your part to ensure that the pups go to homes that are aware and capable of managing such a powerful and precious dog.
