any akita owners here??

[Gixxermike750]

Just thinking about buying an Akita and liked to see if any owners are on here who can give pointers and advice about the breed. I know alot of the history, but know few owners who have experience with these dogs as they seem to be somewhat abscure. Looking for a pet, guard, campanion, & all around house dog.

[mooingtricycle]

Be prepared to be THE Alpha Dog, as will the rest of your family.

Akitas are not for "Beginner" dog keepers, especially not people who have never trained a dog in their life.(this dosnt necessarily apply to you, if you have had other dogs before, its more of a general statement for one of my favorite breeds, and im just cautioning )
They can be very wary of other people and if not properly trained, Agressive. They need to be properly socialized in their early months, with both humans, and other dogs and other family pets if you have them. You have to be very firm in your training.

These arent a, get a puppy, and leave it alone for its first year... kind of dogs. They need structure.

[CeraDigital]

I don't keep any...I'm more of a Mastiff, Shepherd, and Husky guy, but my cousin and his wife breed them. The only thing I can say about them, is they're a pretty good sized dog, and pretty smart.

[photoman100169]

I have had a couple akitas, they are a wonderful breed. All of them that I have had, have been very protective of their home and their owners. Something that I just saw on tv the other day is, home insurance agencies see akitas the same as they see pitbulls(as aggresive) and raise your rates. which I think is sad, its not the breeds, it is the way they are raised and trained.

[ThyTempest]

My Akita mix passed away last year, but I thought he was a really good dog. We took him in as a stray, but he definitely possessed the traits of the Akita, along with the German Shepherd. I agree with the earlier posts, be ready to be the alpha, because if you wont be, they will be more than happy to do it for you, which will mean a lot more work for you later. Also, if you are getting them as a puppy, set routine and discipline early...especially leash walks. Jango was a very strong puller, which I didnt mind because then we both got the excercise, and he didnt get free run time very often. Keep excercise demands in mind with ideas like fetch, load pulling or just a big yard for them to run around in to their hearts content.

As for the loyalty and aggression, which seem to be what you are looking for, I wouldnt suggest any other dog breed for a good mixture of intimidation and loyalty. They are very loyal to their family to the point that they will die rather than let their house, home and pack be threatened. This means a little extra work for you when having new houseguests, etc, but I wouldnt worry too much. Until you learn to know your dogs boundaries, I wouldnt let anyone unexpected/unknown into the house alone with a full grown Akita. The first time my girlfriend came over the house w/o me there w/ another new friend, my dog scared them away from even coming inside. Next day with me right alongside, acted like nothing was wrong, just curious/hyper like always. These dogs, along with several other breeds, seem to have a knack for being able to size up someones intentions, hence why when I am opening the door for a guest, no problems, guest comes in with no one around....hes gonna think twice.

Again, I also agree that training makes the dog. My sister has a pitbull that is the sweetest dog I know...but she doesnt realize that she is extremely strong...so get used to having to be the enforcer before they get too strong for you to control, which could definitely happen with a big male Akita.

Another consideration that often goes unnoticed is grooming requirements. It is by no means difficult, and runs along with the ideas of most medium/double coated large dogs, but keep in mind that Akitas have a ton of fur and will shed a ton more. Invest in a shedding blade...best 10 bucks I ever spent on Jango. It works wet or dry, they tend to really like it, and it will keep your house cleaner and your dogs coat cleaner and healthier.

If you have any specific questions or just want me rant some more, post or send me a pm.

Also, you said you know a lot of the history, which is good....but if you have not read/heard of the book Dog Man, I have heard it is really good. It is about a man that dedicated his life to preserving the breed in Japan.

[Gixxermike750]

I read that they only shed in the spring and the fall for a couple of weeks.

[onebreitgirl]

I had one years ago....As a puppy she was the most awesome dog.
Unfortunately as she hit puberty she changed. She started getting really moody. Never aggressive with people, but would just kind of shut down and not want anything to do with me or anyone else for that matter. She would be running around the yard playing with the other dogs and then suddenly attack one of them, and wouldn't stop even when they didn't fight back. You would have to physically pry her mouth off the other dog...Spraying with a water hose wouldn't even get her off.

We rehomed her to a family with no other dogs or children because her dog aggression got progressively worse, to the point she would try to go through doors and windows if she saw another dog walk by outside. I always felt like I just somehow catastrophically screwed that dog up. I was reading training books everyday trying to figure out how to fix her, and every book pretty much said if you're dog has issues, it's the owners fault, but none of the methods worked. She had no motivation at all. A few years back I was googling to show my boyfriend what they looked like and found some information about hypothyroidism and aggression in akitas. The descriptions fit her to a tee...and while I wish I knew about that when I could have helped her, at least the info is out there now. Thyroid issues can be present in any dog, but I've seen statistics saying that up to 70% of akitas have hypothyroidism and it's something that you are going to want to discuss with the breeder. It's a fairly easy "fix" with daily medication.

Here is one link:
http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-...e_behavior.htm

All of that aside...I think they are among the most beautiful dogs in the world

[broadude]

I had them for a while. Raised them from puppies. The male and I attended dog training classes from the moment I got him and signed him up. Alpha is what you will need to be, they are correct, and more so if you are a woman.

They are fearless and other dogs respect them (this has been my experience).

My dogs didn't obey anyone but me, and tolerated the kids and my lover, but was never agressive to them. Strangers could not come to my door if the dog was loose and I wasn't there. They were never far from me. . This dog took down a police woman once that came in my yard..they are strong and because they don't have a tendency to bark warnings, their protectiveness should be taken seriously, they were even more so protective of me because of my Deafness.







I have resized them, not sure what i am doing wrong.

[Calift]

Akitas are a really strong, beautiful breed but they do need a firm hand. You must be willing to use a NILIF-type training practice or you could end up with a very protective dog....and that goes with most all working breeds.


In order to decrease behavioral/health concerns, please research where you get your dog from. Do not purchase anything from a petstore, classified ads or any backyard breeders. There are over 800 Akitas listed for adoption on www.petfinder.org, and many more in humane societies and dog pounds. If you do go through a breeder, make sure you get one that is approved by the Akita Club of America (www.akitaclub.org) and not simply AKC registered.


Good luck on your search!

[Typical_08]

There are some very good comments in here. I would only add one bit of advise. If you are wanting it for protection, they are a good breed for that. But before doing any protection training, please work with a professional. I have had several protection dogs in my life, and have been working with dogs since I could walk. But I never take on a task like this without the aid of a professional. It can be the difference between an ok protection dog, and an outstanding one.