American Akita

A dog for many…but not for all

This proud and strong member of utility dogs is renowned for his great courage and his true loyalty.
Wary with strangers, this race can instead create very strong ties with the members of his family. Thatís why in his country of origin the Akita was performing the same tasks as the German shepherd: guard and defence.
Very smart and with a passion for playing, when motivated and involved emotionally the Akitas respond well to orders, while they show ultimate stubbornness whenever they are forced. Because of their pride and strong character, you canít abuse them.
Originally, this breed was chosen for the hunt, so you should train them well before taking them to forests and mountains without leash. In fact, their instinct leads them to seek any type of game going away from the master. This will not happen if you teach them from the very beginning to stay close to their “pack leader” even when you let them run in the fields.
The same also applies to the relationship with other dogs. Their strong personalities and sense of “dominant dog” makes Akitas indifferent to those subjects who show calmness and non-offensive behaviour, while they would display their proverbial aggressiveness with dogs that challenge them by looking them straight into the eyes. For this reason, since the first months of their lives you should make every effort in order to socialize your beloved baby Akitas with dogs of other breeds and sizes. This will mitigate a lot their instinct of dominance. In fact, it is not hard to find some Akitas playing with other dogs even in the bustle of dog shows.
As already mentioned, since they are guardians by instinct, with a few hours of training you will have extremely reliable guards, signalling all potential dangers for you and your family. However, their owner should teach them that not all strangers entering the house are harmful.
Their beautiful double layer of hair can have all the combinations of colours. For their cleanliness they are sometimes compared with cats, in fact you will hardly have a dog of bad odour. Sometimes you will be positively surprised by how carefully they clean their coat.
Twice a year they will change their hair, forcing their owners to collect hair for twenty days; unlike other races, during the rest of the year their hair fall is limited.
With regards to grooming, it is not necessary to brush nor wash them frequently. Periodically a good brushing will make their coat bright and soft.
A peculiarity of their character that many people do not realize is that having to do with a proud dog you cannot expect him to cheer every person he meets in the street. We are not dealing with a labrador or a golden retriver. Normally the females are much more inclined to socialize with strangers. In general the character of the dog can vary from subject to subject both depending on different training and different genetic lines.
Their love is “exclusively” given to the members of the flock, so make your friends aware that your dogs are not cuddly toys. Maybe they will accept a few strokes but nothing more. Itís the opposite for the family members. When you return home (even if you have been away only for a few minutes to the neighbour) they will welcome you with licks, jumps of joy and cries, almost as if they had been abandoned for years! Once their sweet and deep look touches your heart you cannot do anymore without their company.
Because of the strong relation that they create with the family you will need to consider them as a further family member. In fact, even when free to wander around the garden, they always prefer to stay close to the rest of the family. They would lay down quietly in the house until you take them for a run. For that reason it is not hard to find dogs that would adapt very well to life in an apartment, logically you will have to devote some of your time for their daily walk.
If you make an Akita part of your life, a whole new world will open to you, made of love and true loyalty.

P.S. Dedicate a lot of time to your puppy, teach them from the first months the basic rules. So when he will grow up you’ll have an unparalleled companion.