Akitas - deserving of the rep?

[Equi]

The mali thread made me think of this..

I worked in boarding kennels when i was younger. A few would not take Akitas at all and one of the few that did had them either in the "red" kennel (the one with the slides/doors you can open and close from the outside so no need to ever come into contact) or for the ones that were not deemed to be as much of a threat (because they had known them a long time and had them before etc) strict rules about never actually doing anything with them bar open the door to feed/let them out to the runs. They were not walked so we didn't have to come near their personal space and the owners were made very aware of how things happened before they were left with us and they were just happy a kennel would take them, new owners who didn't quite know what their dogs would be like were put in the red kennels. It was very much a "don't try to befriend/interact with these dogs. Feed them, Let them out, let them in, if they want to stand for 50mins in the hallway not going into their kennel just let them stand there. don't ever let them be between you and the exit"

I can't say we had too many but i do remember one who was safe to let in and out without the red kennel, they didn't want any interaction with us at all and gave absolutely no acknowledgement of us being there bar being a super polite dog. waiting for the door to open, set bowl down, eat when you left..wait for the door to open so they could go out and make their own way without looking back at you. We didn't really exist to that one. When the owners left them/got them again they again didn't really change.

Outside of the kennels i have never actually interacted with an akita. So any knowledge/info i have on them is based on kennels and "media" so though i would say im fairly confident with all dogs and not much phases me i would def be apprehensive with an aktia.

Does anyone here actually have one ?

 

[CorvusCorax]

I know a few rescues who won't take them because they're hard to read. Some staff got nailed with allegedly no warning.

There was a local dedicated breed rescue but they closed as they just couldn't cope. It was absolutely relentless. There weren't the homes and they just had a huge number of either adolescent/crazy or old/ill dogs to feed and very little funding.
There is a pretty prolific husky and akita guy on FB and again, he's overwhelmed. He ends up transporting a lot to Scandi countries.

 

[SOS]

Seen a fair few in veterinary practice and had a friend with a few rescue akitas. Majority been absolutely fine, sometimes slightly anxious dogs id say but that is a sweeping statement.

I tend to find with these husky/wolf/big fluffy tough dogs the problem is not the dog but the owner. Owner out of the equation = dogs fine to handle.

You do get difficult dogs in all breeds, almost always down to the owner - whether that’s through poor training, not understanding breed instinct and needs or general dumb f*ckery. Some dogs are just more tolerant to poor owners and less scary when it does go wrong. Hence they don’t get the rep.

I see the Akita as an intelligent, mentally and physically active, large and very quick witted breed. Not good for poor ownership as it quickly unravels. For that reason I treat them as a breed with respect and monitor their body language carefully.

 

[bonny]

I knew one that became so dangerous she was shot at a distance, the last person who could get anywhere near her was her owner and he wasn’t prepared to try and have her put down by the vet. He told me she was capable of killing an adult man and he thought that she would given the chance. I don’t think they should be kept as pets although I’m sure some of them are ok, you just don’t know with them.

 

[Equi]

Seen a fair few in veterinary practice and had a friend with a few rescue akitas. Majority been absolutely fine, sometimes slightly anxious dogs id say but that is a sweeping statement.

I tend to find with these husky/wolf/big fluffy tough dogs the problem is not the dog but the owner. Owner out of the equation = dogs fine to handle.

You do get difficult dogs in all breeds, almost always down to the owner - whether that’s through poor training, not understanding breed instinct and needs or general dumb f*ckery. Some dogs are just more tolerant to poor owners and less scary when it does go wrong. Hence they don’t get the rep.

I see the Akita as an intelligent, mentally and physically active, large and very quick witted breed. Not good for poor ownership as it quickly unravels. For that reason I treat them as a breed with respect and monitor their body language carefully.

Absolutely. The one i was in that did let them in the owner is very knowledgeable and the mantra/training was always watch the body language...but on akitas they would say don't try to read them..they will react without notice if they feel they need to. It won't be their fault or yours or the owners.

We dealt with many dogs of varying degree of behaviours but the Akita just always kind of made me run a bit cold. And i don't like that lol

 

[PurBee]

I had a friend with an akita, as a house/garden pet dog, paired with another dog that looked like a rottie crossed with a black lab. (I cant recall its breeding)
Both male dogs - both really pleasant to humans, even strangers visiting. They weren’t really guard dogs that barked at every sound they heard outside either, really chilled out, and often playful, the pair of them.

You could sit on the floor and cuddle and roll around with them, so their behaviour to humans and the vets (i took the akita to the vet once) were really well behaved. A lovely great fluffy bear of a thing.

I think theyre hard to read because they dont do the overt wagging happy dog glistening happy eyes reaction like most dogs do, to show theyre happy. Theyre pretty serious in their mannerisms, not overtly demonstrative with their emotional state, and just like with humans who dont show their emotions facially, theyre hard to read so we are naturally cautious.

This akita would look at you inquisitvely and slightly move its tail once, to say ‘hello!’
Its the one and only akita i had lots of close contact with, and am always surprised to hear theyre considered dangerous generally.
Although the owner of the one i knew was a lion-tamer/trainer/owner and i guess if you can tame a big cat, a dog like an akita isnt a challenge.

The point you made @SOS about animals being a reflection of the owners is generally true, rather than tar an entire breed with ‘dangerous’ tag. I’ve met too many lovely, well-socialised ‘dangerous dogs’ and horrid ‘socially acceptable breeds’ to never assume anything about any breed.

I’d not shy away from having an akita, from a puppy. Absolutely. But retraining an older known aggressive/weird behaviour akita as a rescue, i personally wouldnt. Just due to sheer size. A dog that weight/size can really hurt an adult if inclined. Its sad to hear many struggle to be rehomed, because well-trained they really are gorgeous playful fluffy bears.
I’m so glad i got to experience one really well-behaved, just to be able to share my experience that they can be trained well and be a house pet like a labrador.

 

[Boulty]

I've never met an adult one that I'd 100% trust & have met some really nasty ones (although my all time least trusted breed is sharpeis as I've only met ONE that hasn't tried to bite me). I did once bundle an Akita puppy into the back of my 3 door city car when I found it wandering on a busy road in the dark though & it was fine although understandably nervous.

 

[Books'n'dogs]

I've only come into contact with one Akita but she was a sweetheart, she lived down the road from me and was constantly jumping the fence to go visiting (the owners would put her out in the yard for hours unattended), she frightened some people but as far as I am aware she never exhibited any aggression.

 

[Equi]

I've never met an adult one that I'd 100% trust & have met some really nasty ones (although my all time least trusted breed is sharpeis as I've only met ONE that hasn't tried to bite me). I did once bundle an Akita puppy into the back of my 3 door city car when I found it wandering on a busy road in the dark though & it was fine although understandably nervous.

Ah yeah the shars haha i worked with one and it was fine with whoever was handling/walking it but was very aggressive to anyone/anything else so could only be walked alone with no other dogs or people on the walking field. Cute little dog. Wouldn't want it.

Best dog i ever had in the kennels was a beagle named Wanda. Literally smiled at you and said hello with out jumping up fussing type thing, just sitting looking at you with a tail wagging, went out directly, came back in directly, sat to have her lead connected for walkies, walked to heel, was able to be let off lead in the field and came back to call first time. Just such a very very pleasant dog the type you see in movies of a dog being a good dog. I cant really remember any other names of dogs..but ill always remember wanda.

 

[Bellasophia]

Beautiful dogs,but in the wrong hands it can all go so wrong.
They were very popular over here a few years back,after the Richard Gere film .we have a breeder locally who shows,makes trips to Japan for his breeding stock,yet will sell to anyone.There is a recessive variety with long coat that can occur in a litter,very prone to matting and he sells these as pet quality,”teddy bears”.The local groomers say they won’t take the breed ,unless they are muzzled during the groom ,as they are unpredictable biters.
The breeder,s dogs are under socialized ,kept in large cages outdoors.
Just look at the kennels here..huge marketing project,dressed up in Japanese hype,,cage after cage of breeding pairs..yet he sells ,and sells..to people who have no idea of what they are taking on.
http://www.casasaporito.eu/
This link below gives a good summary of this hunting breed … it’s a uk rescue.
https://www.secondchanceakitarescue.co.uk/about-the-akita

 

[planete]

https://www.secondchanceakitarescue.co.uk/about-the-akita

Like. Managing genetics is a must with working breeds. I really wish more people would realise it. You have to work with nature, ignoring it mostly ends badly.

 

[NR88]

In short I'd say that yes their reputation is "deserved".

They often fall into the wrong or inexperienced hands so that doesn't help.

I've never know of any, not matter how well trained they appeared, that could ever be off the lead in public or that could be trusted around other dogs.

Close friends had one and it is the only dog I've ever been afraid of. How they kept it as a pet and sround their child was beyond me. I've been around all sorts of dogs in my life including big hunting dogs when I've travelled and nothing gave me chills like this Akita.

There was a pretty hopeless RSPCA rescue kennels not far from where I lived at one point. I was running training classes/puppy classes/ring craft when a young man phoned as he'd just acquired a rescue dog as his first dog from this rescue. He showed up to class with an akita x. I have no idea of its exact breeding but it had thr akita coat and eyes but was the colour of a weimaraner. The man had gone in wanting something Jack Russell sized! The dog was already aggressive towards the man and had feed and guarding issues. He was scared from it and it knew. It worked OK for me but just with a look. I advised he take it back to the kennels but to keep in touch but I never heard from or saw him again.

 

[fankino04]

Is there much difference temperament wise between American and Japanese Akitas? I only seem to see American ones, never had enough to do with them to form an opinion though, there is one local to us who is a lovely big softie, still very young though and I worry that the owners are too trusting with it and maybe as it matures things might change, they let their 12 year old walk it and it is always off lead playing with other people's dogs and meeting everyone it can, as I say lovely friendly dog currently though....

 

[Aru]

They are on the proceed with extreme caution list for me.
Hard to read and poor at bite inhibition when they decide they have had enough... they don't airsnap generally they go directly to drawing blood type bites.Most dogs have better inhibition and warning signals and work their way up the warnings before they decide to bleed you.
I've heard of multiple people being badly bitten with little to no warning including one vet nurse who was knocked to the ground and mauled/seriously bitten multiple times by a dog who had been tail wagging, friendly and happy to interact moments before.
I've met some lovely ones but I don't trust them to do anything invasive without good restraint. A lot of the larger spitz breeds are pleasant appearing dogs until you do something invasive ?

Not completely unexpected for them to be somewhat challenging for strangers to handle given the breed history and type.

As usual the biggest issues come from owners making poor choices of breed for their lifestyle or refusing to acknowledge the potential for harm coming from their "baby".

So far the Americans ones I've met have been worse then the Japanese one's.

 

[ycbm]

I've been part of only one decision to order the destruction of a dog. It was an Akita.
.

 

[Mary3050]

Hum I am a bit on the fence with the Akita breeds . As when I was young the lady next to my auntie breed them. They always had been well trained and nice dogs . I was about 7 was running on the front garden to great my auntie . A young male around 8 months old who has always been friendly pulled away from her as she was putting them in the car . He cased after me when I got to my auntie he stopped when I did . As the owner went to pick his lead up he leap and bit my arm . Luckily they managed to get him off and I went to the hospital i have scars . He had shown nothing else for almost 18 months after most people just took it for a young pup wanting to play. He did it again thought he jumped the fence a massive fence to get to some teenagers playing football in the road. He bit one on the leg and let go to after the ball . I am not sure what happened to him . I think his owner said she didn’t breed him and brought him to breed from she thought it was genetic . As she trains them all the same . It’s sadly put me off Akita’s more due to fear of getting bite again

 

[planete]

And yet I had a good experience with an Akita. A man brought a couple of them into the exercise field where my dogs and others were minding their own business playing with their owners. One of the dogs made a beeline for my boss bitch and she suddenly crouched and yelled looking terrified. I just went to them, put my fingers into his collar, pulled him away and held him until his owner collected him. All the time the dog was mild mannered and compliant. I have no idea what he was saying to my bitch though but I have never seen her terrified of a dog apart from this one time. If I had not acted on impulse I would not have done what I did but my confident attitude may have worked in my favour. Any dog who lets a stranger pull him away by his collar without any reaction should really have a great temperament.

 

[skinnydipper]

On the whole not a breed I am fond of. There are three I sometimes come across on one of our routes. Two I avoid, one a small bitch who grumbled at my dog as we past - just as the owner was telling me she was friendly. A large male, the first time I saw him was on the other side of the beck, he stood motionless with a fixed stare at my dog and his owner couldn't get him to budge. Looked predatory to me and I was uneasy especially as he is walked on a Flexi. I turn and walk the other way if I see him. I have heard since then that he doesn't like some dogs and that's a good enough reason for me to keep avoiding him.

The third is a youngster of about a year and he and the big girl hit it off straight away with invitations to play from both sides. I hope he doesn't change as he matures.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

Over the years I have met two that I liked. Both were small stocky dogs, not the big dogs you mostly see now. One of the very experienced trainers at our local dog club had one of the big American types. That dog was properly socialised, trained from day one and yet he had a dodgy temperament towards other dogs. He killed another dog when the owner's partner was walking it, she took it straight to the vet to be pts. Right thing to do as it wasn't his first attack. Don't think her OH has ever forgiven her though.

 

[Equi]

I wonder if it is an American vs Japanese then - the aloof one we could work with was Japanese but I remember a massive one in the red kennel maybe it was American, but idk how many of them would be here.

 

[Antw23uk]

Unfortunately the reputation as a 'big hard mans dog' means the people who usually own them should have been castrated at birth and not allowed anywhere near such a breed! Same with most fighting/ guard type breeds i suppose. My neighbour has two 'rescue' anatolian shepherds and the best thing for all of us would be for them to be shot! If they ever get out ... well i dread to think what they will kill!

 

[Cortez]

I once got a job because the resident Akita didn't try to bite me. I always got along well with him thereafter, but I did see him go for random people for no discernable reason. A chap in our village has one, a beautiful bitch, I often pass him walking her and as far as I know she hasn't caused any problems. I lived in the Far East (Japan & Korea) for a couple of years, and dogs in general were not often kept as pets.

 

[blackcob]

I was sitting ringside for utility group judging at a championship show a few weeks ago and the akita stopped in front of us - a strikingly handsome dog but absolutely enormous up close. The person next to me asked how much he weighed and the handler said he was 65kg. This was not a fat dog and he weighed almost exactly what all three of my dogs are put together. He was impeccably well behaved but the expression on that massive head was just something else, completely aloof.

 

[mini_b]

I haven’t read all comments but I do think it’s deserved…

As said above they are difficult to read so folk tend to get in their space like a “normal” dog.

Someone I knew had one from a puppy it was their first dog as a couple. It lived in a flat and sometimes went to work with them. It was really poorly socialised/under exercised.
I personally had never seen the dog behave badly as it seemed to quite like me. It bit someone in the face requiring plastic surgery and through someone’s hand when they went to pry it off their border terrier.
It also stalked behind someone into a room silently and then jumped when they sat down.

it was PTS but not after it had gone for 2 people and went to a specialist Akita person who said it was too dangerous.

 

[Jenko109]

No idea why anyone would want one.

Eerie dogs.

 

[Cherryblossom]

I fostered an akita x huskey that was rescued from a puppy farm. I struggled with working out how to train something that isn’t motivated by food/praise/toys. She almost reminded me of a reptile; I had no idea what was going on in her head and she was completely standoffish. She was rehomed to someone who adored her, but had to put her down when, after a year of living together, she almost tore the throat out of her other dog.

 

[druid]

I don't trust them, they give little to no warning and have poor inhibitions about agression/biting. There's a few breeds that fall into the same category for me

 

[druid]

Thought of an encounter that sums up Akitas for me - large farm machinery contrator had two as guard dogs. Had a call out to the yard for a vet visit. The Dog is silent when we drive in, stands up and makes eye contact and does one circuit of van before retuning to lying on top of a pile of straw bales. Farmer calls it in and puts it in a pen. My assitant asked him how it can be a good guard dog if it doesn't bark....he replied that he didn't need the dogs to tell him someone was in the yard, he needed them to deal with it

 

[maisie06]

I really don't trust them, They are very hard to read and often are in the wrong hands. There is a dog training place on the yard my friend keeps her horse at and there was someone with a young Akita that was turning it's self inside out trying to get free and have a go at a horse in the paddock, I had gone there to turn a friends horse out after a farrier visit - I waited in the car until it had been dragged inside the training hall....

 

[stangs]

the reputation as a 'big hard mans dog'

You’re right, but I’m having a little chuckle at this because American Akitas fit this to a T but Japanese Akitas ime are such slim/fox like looking things that a real ‘ard man would be embarrassed to be seen walking one.