Akita

Loyalty is a key characteristic of Akitas, and made ‘Hachiko’, a Japanese Akita dog, famous worldwide. His owner was a professor, who would commute to work every day on the train. When he returned from work, Hachiko would go to the train station to meet him. One day the professor suffered a cerebral haemorrhage and never returned from work. Every day for the next nine years, Hachiko continued to go to the train station at the exact time that the train was due to arrive, even though his owner had died.

Adaptability

The Akita will adapt to an apartment so long as it gets regular exercise – although it is most suited to a good-sized yard. It is not the best choice for a first-time dog owner because of its stubbornness, and because it can be difficult to train. You also want to make sure that if you get an Akita that you socialise it with other dogs and people early on so that it doesn’t get too protective and aggressive with strangers. They function best as inside dogs, and like to have companions. Originating from the snowy mountains of Japan, Akitas love cold weather and will happily play around in snow. They will hunt rabbits and squirrels, eat the snow, and roll in it.

Friendliness

They are friendly towards their owners, and deeply loyal. However, because they are very good guard dogs and have a strongly protective nature; Akitas are not so good with strangers. You may need to check with your insurance company before getting them, as they tend to be on the ‘bad breed’ list. They can also be unfriendly towards small animals, and should be supervised around small children.

If they feel that either they themselves, or their human family, or territory is threatened they will start by growling. They will then bite if the threat doesn’t go away.

Grooming

The Akita is often known for its cleanliness – it doesn’t tend to be messy, and even sometimes cleans its face after eating. They also have a low tendency to drool. A weekly brushing is usually needed, but there are twice-yearly shedding seasons where they will shed more than usual. Daily brushings during the shedding season will help keep your house clean.

Because their coats are weatherproof they don’t absorb dampness which means that they won’t smell like other dogs. You will need to regularly trim their nails and brush their teeth, and groom them weekly.

Trainability

Not ideal for a first time dog-owner, Akitas are stubborn and independent. However they train well and are obedient if they’re given firm instruction from early on. They are very good at guarding and hunting, and are known for their courage. But this also means they may turn on smaller animals, so are often best kept in a house where they are the only pet. They only usually bark if they feel there is a need to.

When you are training an Akita, you will need to use a confident and firm voice. Make sure he learns to respect you – otherwise he will think he is the leader of the house. Reward him with treats, and don’t use aggression as this will most likely result in him becoming aggressive in return. Socialise him with other people early on so that he learns not to turn on strangers.

Ideally an Akita should be trained to only bite when it’s absolutely necessary. If a puppy bites, you can react verbally with a yelp and then ignore it for a few minutes. Don’t wrestle with him, as this can lead to biting. Also don’t put him by himself when people come around as he may become resentful of visitors.

Exercise Needs

Akita dogs do well with regular exercise, but keep them on a leash if you’re taking them out in public. A large yard is ideal for them to run around in, but they can manage with smaller areas if they’re taken out for walks. Walks should be taken daily, but they only need moderate exercise.