BEFORE GETTING AN AKITA, BE AWARE THAT:

• As far as temperament goes, Akitas are not for everyone. The breed is known for its loyalty and protectiveness as well as its stubbornness and dominant personality
   

• Given their hunting background, Akitas can be animal aggressive. They are also commonly aggressive towards dogs of the same gender and tend to be reticent towards strangers
   

• Early training and socialization are encouraged for all Akitas. It is important to note that the breed does not respond well to negative training tactics and cruel corrections. Furthermore, owners and trainers should keep in mind that Akitas are likely to become bored easily by repetitive training sessions. Therefore, using positive reinforcement and firm corrections is the preferred method for training an Akita
   

• Exercise is a must for an Akita so if you are not an active person, it would be better for you to bring a lap dog into your family
   

• Akitas do not do well in the heat so if you do not plan on keeping your Akita indoors, a well-shaded area with access to fresh water is necessary and humane
   

• On average, Akitas shed profusely twice a year. During this time, daily combing and/or brushing is required

(Source: Japanese Akita Club America)

 

 

Below are some of our own thoughts and experiences of Japanese Akita's in the home. You can use this to go hand in hand with your own research and findings on the breed.

 

Temperament

Adult Akita's by nature are quiet, laid back and calm members of a household.

They are extremely loyal to their owners and are wary of strangers. They can treat visitors to the house with disinterest and are often aloof to strangers outside of the home. They are also inclined to bond more strongly with one particular family member.

 

They have a strong guard drive and will alert you of anything unusual in or around your property.

Traditionally, they are not good with other dogs, particularly dogs of the same sex, and don't neccessarily go well with small animals such as Cats, Rabbits, Chickens etc.

 

All that being said there always exceptions to the rule and depending on the Akita, their age and the diligence of an owner, many can be taught to happily accept some of the above in their enviroment

 

If you have small children or want to have children soon we would not recommend adding an Akita to your family unless you have previous experience with the breed.

 

Training

When it comes to housetraining, they are an extremely clean breed and will not take long to understand that the place to go is outside. Often puppies will go to their new homes with some level of toilet training, but you must always remember that while they are young they need to go more often so you need to be mindful of their body language and their needs.

As far as obedience training goes, another breeder once said to me "Akita's are like 2 year olds, you need to reason with them" and I have to admit it is an apt description. They need to be trained in a firm but fair manner, and they will continue to push the boundaries for their entire lives. They do not respond to cruel or over the top discipline, and yet you still need to be able to express clearly when they have over stepped the mark.

No matter what you believe Akita's are exceptionally smart, so convincing them to do something that doesn't make sense to them is difficult.

Often food and toys will work for you in the comfort of your own home, but when you are out and there are higher distractions it can get more difficult to gain their attention.

 

We find with our Akita's that you need to form a bond with them of mutual love and respect before you get the most out of them. It is own of the challenges an d yet a part of the beauty of owning this breed.

 

Grooming

For the most part Akita's are reasonably low maintenence - they are exceptionally clean animals so you will find that they wont get smelly quickly. The biggest concern when it comes to grooming is the shedding of their coat.

They dont shed much through out the year but you will find you will need to vacuum for dog hair once or twice a week.

They do however, have a big "Coat Blow" twice a year - usually in Autumn and Spring. This is when they drop their dense undercoat in order to prepare for the next season.

Be warned, when an Akita blows coat they shed and shed and shed, and when you think there surely could be no more hair to lose they will shed some more,

 

Regular grooming will help during this shedding season as you will become aware as soon as it starts and will be able to adjust your grooming habits accordingly.

I recommend that you invest in a few things and get your puppy used to using them while they are young:

 

1. A "Greyhound" style Comb. This is a straight steel comb with usually with a grade of Tooth gaps from fine to course. This is a great tool for helping to detangle and comb out dead undergrowth. These will be stocked at your Local dog Show venue, some pet shops might have them or an online store like Clipperworld does too
    

2. A dog blow dryer. This is a high velocity dryer you can buy from a grooming store or just get one off of ebay. if you get your dog accustomed to the use of it while they are young they accept it pretty happily and it helps with getting them dry after a bath as well as lifting the dead under coat. I also find that it is a good tool to part the coat and find any thing "abnormal" on their skin, particularly as they get older.

 

Some other things that you might like to consider:

 

1. A Pet Nail Dremmel/Grinder. We have found that our Akita's keep their nails reasonably short naturally while they are young. But as they start getting older and lazier and their activity levels drop off they're nails start to grow longer and can cause damage to their feet if they are allowed to grow too long. I bought one from Wahl in the UK but local grooming businesses such as Clippwerworld will have them too.
    

2. A grooming table is an easy way of keeping your dog still while they have their brush as well saves you from discomfort. Most people who show their dogs will have one to save their backs over hours of grooming but they are truly dead handy
    

3. Another alternative is a Dog booster Bath. This is good for those who cant affrod $3000+ for a hydrobath and can also double as a grooming table. I got one second hand quite cheap off of Gum tree, other wise you can also by them from ebay. It might seem like a bit to pay if you do get one new but it really makes the world of difference when you are washing your dog to not need to stoop down.