is this the right breed for me?

Question
my husband and I have been in search for a new pet for our daughter and son. Im not to fond of dogs but my son insists on having one. my husband stated that an akita would be a marvelous choice since it is considered to be friendly and can serve as a great protector. I have heard that this breed can be aggressive though and is not fond of other animals. is it a smart choice to get this puppy? also, what is the average life span of this breed? on a seperate note, my we will be getting a cat for my daughter later on this week. if you have any knowledge on that as well, it would be much obliged. also, any suggestions from a personal experience on naming an animal would be nice? can you give examples of what you have named your pet(s) as well as show how they look now when older? how would we go about grooming an akita and what would be a good recommendation for its feeding nature? examples and images would go a long way. thank you for your time and we will be awaiting a response.

Answer
Hi Alyssa,

Akita's are great family pets for people who fully understand that they are not just your typical, everyday dog.

Yes, they are wonderful home and family protectors - sometimes a little over protective.

Akita's are loving, highly intelligent and obedient but are not always gentle and placid.
The mains problems are their antisocial behavior around other pets (dogs especially) and it's resentment toward strangers. So if you are looking for a dog that you can let off the leash and play fetch with around other dogs, the Akita is not for you.

They are an extremely domineering breed and can (and most likely will) attack another dog if it so happens to get close enough. Although not all Akita's are like this due to proper socialization when puppies, it is a common trait that's never to be overlooked or underestimated.

I have always known Akita's to be good around older children, but will not tolerate strange children from outside the family.
The Akita is typically unfriendly around any stranger and may bite, even if not provoked. They are incredibly territorial and protective of their family and so any guest should definitely beware.

This particular breed needs to be trained immediately and socializing is mandatory from the start. As l said, they are not social animals but you can teach them to be.

Here are some commands I suggest you should teach your puppy if you want a safe and obedient dog. These are commands I teach every dog l train:

1.    To eat on command
You are the pack leader. What you say - goes.
He eats when you say he can eat. This is the perfect way to reinforce your dominance daily.
Use a word that isn't typically used in the household to avoid confusion. I use the word 'munja' which is italian for 'eat'.

2.    To sit, stay and lay down.

Many people teach their dogs these 'tricks', not realizing how beneficial it is when the dog is completely obedient to them.
For instance, if your Akita happens to get loose and there's another dog in the park and your dog is obedient, you can command him to stay, sit and lay down from afar - long enough for you to catch up and re-attach the lead.


3.    To never cross roads unless permitted
This helps to prevent your Akita from running off and could even save him from being hit by a passing car.


4.    To bite/play and drop/let go
This is a very  important  command and I'll tell you why.
Two years ago, my male Akita, Kunsa, was with me in the front yard while I was with a friend washing the car.
Out of nowhere, a stray pitbull came out of nowhere and aggressively approached my dog while he was lying down in the middle of the lawn.
As soon as the pitbull ran towards my dog, Kunsa leaped forward, grabbed the pit by the throat, forced it down and proceeded to choke it like a lion chokes his prey. Kunsah did not let go. My friend was the first to get there and as he went to grab Kunsa off, he was met with a menacing growl. Bear in mind that I am the master.

One word: 'Chi', which is the word I use to command my dogs to drop/let go, was all that was needed for Kunsa to let the pit loose.

Now you understand the importance of having such a command.

I use the word 'zen' as a command to bite/play - but it is only ever used with toys. It is never to be used on another human or animal. It is there to counteract with 'Chi' to avoid confusion.

I strongly advise you to teach your puppy these commands as it could potentially keep your family safe if such an incident occurs.. And is also great when your Akita decides to run off with one of your favorite stiletto's!



The average lifespan is 10-12 years. Sadly, my boy is now 8.

As for the cat; I have one living with me and my dogs right now. The male is fine with her. The younger and more energetic female, however, likes to try to 'socialize' with the cat.
The cat wants absolutely nothing to do with either of them and shows it with plenty of claw swipes and hissing. Then again, I brought her in from a cat shelter.

If you bring in both puppy and kitten at the same time, they will grow up and probably be used to each other so there shouldn't be any problems. Then again, it depends on their personalities.

As for names, I suggest a strong and powerful name as Akita's were bred as hunting and guard dogs. They were used for hunting bears (not to mention their heads resemble that of a bears) and so a strong and powerful name is only fitting.
For example; My male dog, Kunsa, is named after a Thailand warlord.

Sticking to their Japanese heritage is nicely suited.

Here's some names to consider.

Males:
Fujin - God of wind
Kamachi - Famous Japanese warrior
Ronin - A famous Japanese rogue warrior

Or if you have a female:
Kaiken - The name of the dagger of virtue that samurai women used or
Chiyo - A famous wife of a Samurai who was known for her loyalty and kindness as well as protection of her family.

So there are a few names you could use, but I think it's much more fun to do some research with your family to find a name you'll all love.



As for food, I've always fed my dogs raw meat and dry food.
No, that doesn't mean you need to go out and buy rump steaks! Raw meat is packaged and sold for dogs at your local supermarket and pet stores.
The more natural the food, the healthier your dog will be and so raw meat is ideal.

However, there are plenty of canned foods that are completely fine to feed.
Brands I recommend are Karma Organic, Newmans, Innova, Eukanuba, Evo and Mother Nature.
Candidae is the more cost effective brand but it is still generally healthy.

Try to stay away from feed that contains fillers like corn and maize as well as by-products.


Puppies need to be fed twice daily - morning and night unless otherwise advised by your vet or the seller.

A good exercise to practice daily from the very start and then later on - every so often, is as your puppy is eating, move the bowl slightly away from him or do things to 'get in the way' of him eating.
Try picking up the bowl, waiting a few seconds, then putting it down again and allow him to eat using the command.
Remember the commands. This is important and should be used by everyone in the household at all times. Failure to do so will result in confusing the puppy.

Remove the bowl immediately after he's finished. Never allow food to sit around, even when he walks away from it.

This exercise prevents food aggression when older.
You should be able to take a bone right out of his mouth even when he's 5 times bigger than he is as a puppy.

If he does show aggression, intervene immediately and hand feed him until the problem is solved.
Always reward good behavior.

Adult Akita's generally eat around 400-500 grams of wet food a day. But this can be altered when taking into consideration the dogs eating habits and level of exercise. Akita's aren't hyper-active dogs that demand a lot of exercise. Even though walking them once daily is ideal, an Akita has no problem missing out a day.

My dogs are fed 500 grams of raw meat and 2-3 cups of biscuits each, daily.

Meat is generally fed in the mornings.



As for grooming, Akita's are a Spitz breed which means they have a thick double coat.
Typically, they shed their coats twice a year. This can be very messy as their under coat is very thick and tends to come out in chunks. You can use a long bristle hard brush to remove it, but it's a great deal easier to gently pull it out.
Akita fur is not generally prone to knotting and although brushing once every 1-2 days is ideal, once a week is completely fine.

Bathing is fine only when absolutely necessary and with a very mild shampoo. Over bathing and using a strong shampoo can easily strip an Akita of the natural oils in his coat which can result in bad skin conditions.



Unfortunately I am prohibited to use copyrighted images or images from other sites and since I am using my cell phone to write this answer, I will have to update this answer with images of my dogs,  both puppy and adult, when I am back on my computer.

However, I hope I've answered your question to your satisfaction.

Best wishes and I hope you update this question with a few pictures of the pup if you so happen to get one!

If there's anything else you wish to know, do ask.

Kindest regards and good luck!