Does anyone here have an akita?

The akita is one of many breeds of japanese dogs and is the most popular. If you like that type of dog take a look at the forum below. My wife and I have a Shiba Inu and a Kai Ken. The female Shiba was a stubborn alpha dog and was a PIA to get her to behave. My Kai is very submissive and a wonderful dog even at 8 months. It maybe something to look at. The other jap breeds are much rarer and pretty unique. The forum below has info on all the breeds and also breeders for them as there are only a handful in the US. Good luck.

http://www.nihonken.org/forum/index.php?p=/categories/kai/p1

 

I know they'll survive, but they're much more lively and tons more fun in a cold climate. In hot climates they tend to park in front of the A/C and if you do take them outside, you really have to pay attention to them since they can over heat easily in the hot sun. Think about it, you wouldn't walk around AZ in the summer with a heavy winter jacket, why would you put a dog through it just because you want one? Just my $0.02 but I'd get a dog that would actually enjoy the heat rather than transplant a cold weather dog to the desert.

 

I had a akitaa few years back. very smart and loyal dogs, but can be very aggressive to other animals. we had to have ours put down because it tore up another dog

 

Hachi: A Dog's Tale

Watch this movie, true story about an Akita (although originally it took place in Japan)

 

i see where your coming from with this.

but our dogs loved it. maybe cause they were born here they were more used too it

and when we brought them to the snow they loved it too. i bet they do like it better!

 

Then this is the example of how some people shouldn't own certain breeds or even pets at all possibly.

This isn't always a dogs fault. The owners have to be on top of things. Animals don't have to be friends with other animals. The only way my dogs will be at fault for attacking another animal is if they manage to escape my yard. If they tend to business in my yard then its a lesson learned for the intruding animal and its owners on properly controlling or containing their pets.

This is why not everyone should own DA dogs. Akita's as APBT's were once used as fighting dogs therefore they have embedded in them the concept that attacking other dogs is what needs to be done. However breeding practices are relaxed to say the least as people breed to sell as opposed to bettering the breed.

 

I've got a friend that has sled dogs (Huskys) up here and in the summer they're just boring! When winter comes around, they're like new dogs and you can't keep them still. They absolutely love running in the snow and will do it tirelessly all day every day. After seeing that, I couldn't have one in a warm climate personally. That's why I got a Lab, they do great pretty much anywhere

 

Your sorry to hear that I talked someone out of an Akita?
Akitas are far from Golden retrievers. The guy I'm talking about couldnt train his own Pug! My Akita is not like most Akitas, he does very well around other dogs and when I have guest over he is like a big puppy. However he seems to know the difference between a friend and stranger. That took alot of socializing and even some obedience training. My parents had an Akita (died last year, 12yr) and he was the typical Akita, loved his family, a shithead to everyone else. They had to put him up whenever company came over. That is not a well trained dog.
The other guy I talked out of doesnt even like dogs, he want "something" to protect his wife. He is such a neat freak and I know he wouldnt stand for the fur. The last dog he had was for about 2 months, he got tired of having to walk it and clean up after it. Not exactly a dog guy.
Please dont assume that I want to deprive someone of a great gift like a loving/loyal dog. But most people dont deserve it. Dogs deserve Heaven, people dont.

 

While Max loves the snow i think that theyre dual coat helps regulate their temp in hot or cold weather. However I keep the walk short in the summer time, or walk him at night.

 

I think he meant he was sorry to hear about yout dogs health. That was my take on his post.

 

we have no yard. we have 35 acres of property where me and my other family members live. we all have dogs of various breeds including shepards, labs, huskys, pits, and akitas. this was my second akita. the first died from getting hit by a car. the second just snapped one day and attacked my cousins red bone. we werent forced to put him down but for the safety and peace of mind of the younger siblings we decided it was best to put him down. great dag other than that

 

I've had 2 akitas (still have one of them). Both females.

One of them was great with people, but very aggressive toward other animals. She was always picking fights with other dogs, including my other akita, and twice killed cats that came into our backyard once. I found a new home for her several years ago.

The other akita, which I still have, is not typical. She loves people and animals, and just wants to play all the time. However, other dogs are often intimidated by her. She is taller than most akitas, and as others have said, has a very big bark and likes to "talk". Even though she has not once ever initiated any trouble, if the other dog starts acting aggressive towards her, she will stand up to the challenge and typically kicks their ass in the few seconds they scrap before I get it stopped. I also have a corgi, 2 cats, and a small child and she has always been wonderful with everyone, and protective of my son when strangers are around.
She has been a perfect guard dog, since strangers are terrified of her loud, deep bark, but she never bites anyone; even strangers who aren't afraid can reach out and pet her without any issue.

She is verysmart, and very stubborn. She understands commands but has to be told firmly what to do (sit, lie down, etc.). If you ask nicely, she won't do it. She also knows how to open the refrigerator, so I had to install a lock on it to prevent her from eating leftovers when I'm not home. Often I will come home and find various drawers and cabinets open in the kitchen (we always have dog doors in our homes so she can go in/out at will). If doors aren't securely shut, she will open them also.

She is also extremely loyal, as all akitas are. No matter where I go in the house, she always follows me and lays down nearby.

She is the best dog I've ever had, but as I said, she does not have the severe aggressive tendancies towards other animals that many akitas have.
She'll be 11 this fall, and I can see her hips are starting to get stiff and her hearing is getting bad. Hopefully she'll be around another couple of years; I think the average lifespan is about 12.

The shedding is pretty bad. Mine sheds in the spring, and again in the fall. Brushing helps, but they are big fluffy dogs so there is no way around the fact that they lose a ton of hair.

EDIT:
Also, big deep chested dogs such as akitas are very susceptible to twisted stomachs. My girl got messed up just by jumping out of the back of my Jeep about 2 years ago. Luckily I was home and recognized immediately that she was not behaving normally. Got her to the vet before closing for emergency surgery and was lucky to save her life.

 

I had a friend with one. Great dog but could be territorial at times (not necessarily a bad thing). Very VERY smart. I would definitely have one if given the opportunity.

 

I've read that they only shed twice a year but I've heard others say they shed all the time. like I said supposedly the furminator cuts down on the hair.

 

I'm getting choked up now just thinking of Max getting ill. Max blow his coat twice a year. We get him groomed after he has been shedding for a couple of weeks and then hes good to go. Max has been having prostat problems for the last 1.5yrs and his joints are getting bad. He is still intact and the vet says thats whats causing the prostat issues.

 

I'm sure most akitas that live in hot climates don't grow thick undercoats.

 

It's a breed charactaristic, they have heavy coats. They may adapt somewhat but they'll always have the heavy coat since they're bred to be a working dog in cooler climates. The furminator helps thin out the undercoat but I'd only use it a few times a year, you can't use it regularly, it's not good for the dog.

 

I already shared my input above, but came across this photo of my girl while working on something else, so I thought I'd share

 

I have had 2 first we had to get rid of because my daughters were very young and when he would get backed into a corner by them he would get a wild look in his eye. He never bit or even growled but I just didn't trust it. Other than that an awesome dog. Second died 2 summers ago around 12-13 years old absolutly a great, my girls could poke and prod and ride him all day (115#) and he loved them to death. Akitas are dog agressive meaning they wont stand for another dog around them. But if raised with they can and do get along. Rocky bite everyone of our dogs throughout the years at feeding time, it didn't matter if it was a pup or full grown you went near his food he would kill them. I was there every time so it didn't go that far. Generally speaking anything they grab hold of is dead (that cat in a previous post had no chance). Loyal to a fault, smart but stubborn as all get out. If I lived in a townhouse like op I would not get one. Love akita's but if you have alot of guest or live around alot of people they are not a good dog to have. Akita's were breed origanaly for hunting the japanese yazo bear which is there grizzly so it don't tree. They used a male and female (2 of the same sex would kill each other wheather 2 male or 2 female) even if raised together dominance (sp) is all they know.