I am sure thsi dog is the absoulute exception to the norm, but there is an old guy who brings his Akita to the park. It's name is happy and it is one of the friendliest, well mannered dog I have ever seen. It loves other dogs and is always playing with them big or small. He is always off-leash.


This dog really surpised me the first time I saw it. I had always thought of Akitas as aloof, agressive, and particularly dog aggressive. This dog acts like a Golden Retrieve.

I've trained several Akitas ages 5 months to 3 years for pet dogs owners. I also know an Akita breeder who I speak with regularly.

From my experiences with this breed is male or female they tend to really, really need leadership from day one. Even more than alot of GSD's. If you give an inch they see weakness and WILL TAKE A MILE in a heart beat. Once they see that you are not going to take guff from them they are pretty cool dogs. Aloof, not ever clingy, quiet and apart from their profuse shedding they tend to be very clean in the house.

I never met one Akita without some tendancy towards dog aggression. Even the young ones I've worked were very pushy and confident with all other dogs, even more dominant dogs. Pushy is a word I would use alot with this breed. Training can go well but training maintinance is on-going and all the time to keep them in line. They are not dogs I would ever just assume the training is done on. I have really liked a couple of them I've worked with they were beautiful and very manageable companions for their owners. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

~Jamie

Hi Brock !

Here's a contact for you who works his Akitas in obedience trials:

Martin Moss
Suki Na Akitas
1(949)859-8175
sukina@worldnet.att.net

My non-showline Akita bitch is almost 16 months old (26 inches at the withers & 80 pounds, which is about average for a female her age) and she graduated at the TOP of her basic obedience class, which is NOT unusal at all with a dog-savvy master...

This breed is not for inexperienced, or lazy, or passive, or wimpy owners, nor for people who don't have much interest in or time to socialize, train & interact with their dog -- Akitas are bear hunters NOT stock herders & do not have the temperament of a German Shepherd, so if you're honestly hoping to find "a GSD in an Akita costume" then I wouldn't get one...

BUT with that said, here's the deal, IMHO:

Most Akitas tend to be fairly aloof, very bold, dog-aggressive, usually dominant, rather hard, moderately independent, people-friendly, extremely prey-driven, highly self-confident, quite serious, somewhat stubborn, and WAY smarter than the average pet-lover -- They want, need, love & readily submit to fair, consistent, well-versed leadership & obedience training, but the owner must be committed, determined, firm, kind, knowledgeable & pre-disposed to LIKE their personality traits (!!!)

Akitas do NOT shed year-round, but do blow their whole coat out in tufts for a week or two, once or twice a year, so you need a Furminator grooming rake for those times -- They are very calm & quiet indoors, and can get by on a couple of 15-30 minute power walks per day, so they actually make GREAT apartment dogs (if crate-trained!)...

Akitas cannot be neglected or relegated to isolation outside without dire consequences such as becoming antisocial escape artists, cat killers, yard wreckers, or worse -- But if you raise & maintain them in accordance with "Alpha Boot-Camp Rules" (see Ed Frawley's article titled Groundwork on the Leerburg website) they make outstanding companions for people who appreciate their dignity, drive, devotion & endearing qualities <:-)

Drive?

Akitas have drive? I'm going to disagree with that one. . . .

Robert,

I agree, no prey drive for anything except cats, small dogs or anything else that you might NOT want them to chase. Toy drive??-- not unless it's the dogs idea, and even then it might not play with you just take the ball and run off with it.

Food drive?-- some but still food won't always win over the Akita that decides a sit or down isn't what it wants to be doing.

disclaimer: not all Akitas fit this discription, just the ones I've seen <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Mine is always in over-drive for stalking, chasing, catching, killing & eating LIVE prey, not playing with a handler's toys -- she's a much better mouser than any CAT we've ever had, and could thrive on a diet of self-supplied wild rodents alone...

Brock is interested in a housepet, not a Schutzhund competitor, gentlemen.

No "insult" intended with my gentlemen comment, LOL, and if Brock's still interested in checking out Akitas as companion dogs, he may want to access:

http://www.akitaforum.com

That site is frequented by housepet owners and/or show breeders who love Akitas & enjoy answering questions honestly <:-)

I wasn't at all insulted. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I get that all the time, I am always assumed to be male when someone reads my name. LOL <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Candi, sounds exactly like my husky/Rottweiler mix. High prey drive, very high dog aggression, give an inch, will take a mile, needs a lot of structure to feel secure kind of thing. He still will not even like me to roll him on his side for a scratch. It take a good two minutes to get him submissive enough to do this, especially in front of my other dogs. He weighs only 60 lbs, but most people guess that he's about 80-90 lbs and he's very imposing looking with his very light blue eyes on a mostly black coat. He's a good dog, but he's got his limitations for sure...he's technically a long term foster, so if the original poster were interested....however, he's probably here to stay, so we'll see.