| Bred in Japan, many years ago. | | | | mean it and make it stick. You may have |
| | | | problems with house training, as Akitas |
| The Japanese Akita is not a suitable dog as a | | | | suffer from urinary infections in infancy. |
| normal family pet. It was originally bred in | | | | |
| the Akita Prefecture in Japan, as a hunting | | | | There is plenty of information available |
| dog, for deer, wild boar and even bears. For | | | | online, much of it Free, on the subject of |
| this purpose, it required to be a large, | | | | Dog Aggression. Any dog which shows undue |
| strong dog with confident, dominant tendecies | | | | aggression, to people or animals, is in |
| and an independent nature. The Akita is also | | | | urgent need of proper expert training. |
| known as Akita Inu, which is Japanese for | | | | |
| dog. | | | | If you take an Akita into your family, you |
| | | | must be prepared to spend time and effort on |
| The average height for the Akita is between | | | | training, socializing, excercise and |
| 24 to 28 inches and will weigh from eighty to | | | | grooming. This large dog also costs a lot to |
| one hundred and ten pounds. He has strong, | | | | feed. |
| heavy bones and a muscular body. This is a | | | | |
| lot of dog! | | | | Akitas in the Family |
| | | | |
| The Akita has a double coat, which is harsh | | | | There are conflicting opinions about the |
| and waterproof, with a thick, dense | | | | suitability of Akitas with young children. |
| undercoat. It sheds profusely, all year round | | | | Historically, the breed had a strong |
| and requires brushing and grooming every day. | | | | reputation for being protective of young |
| The coat can be white, brindle or tan and any | | | | children and were often left in sole charge. |
| mix of these. The dense coat of this breed | | | | Other opinions point out the dominant nature |
| means that he is happy in the snow but he | | | | of the breed and the fact that these dogs |
| will suffer in a hot climate. | | | | will compete for their place in the pack. |
| | | | Certainly, a young child will be no match |
| This is not a dog for inexperienced owners, | | | | physically for an adult Akita. |
| or for people who are elderly or weak. Akitas | | | | |
| are intelligent and athletic and when | | | | Proper supervision of the behavior of the dog |
| socialized are faithful and affectionate but | | | | and the children is essential in this |
| will always strive for the dominant position | | | | situation. Having said this, a well |
| in the family group. He may show aggression | | | | socialized Akita will be more comfortable |
| towards family members and may not suit a | | | | with this. |
| family with small children. With this breed, | | | | |
| it is vital that you are the Alpha Dog and | | | | Akitas make extremely good guard dogs. They |
| that he knows his place in your "pack"! | | | | have a strong territorial instinct and will |
| | | | be very protective of family and property. As |
| The Akita may show aggression towards other | | | | a watch dog, they are quietly effective. They |
| dogs and small animals and should not be | | | | do not bark unnecessarily but will certainly |
| allowed to roam off-leash in public areas | | | | raise the alarm at the approach of any |
| where there are many people and other dogs. | | | | strange visitors or sounds. |
| | | | |
| Training Akitas | | | | The average lifespan of the Akita is about 12 |
| | | | years. Like many other breeds of dog, cancer |
| The Akita can be difficult to train because | | | | is the most common cause of death. Recent |
| they are intelligent and stubborn and can | | | | surveys in both the United Kingdom and the |
| quickly become bored. it should never be a | | | | USA/Canada revealed this to be the case, with |
| question of "asking" an Akita to do | | | | other causes including cardiac and bloat |
| something. It must always be a strong command | | | | torsion. |
| from a dominant owner. When you say "NO", | | | | |