Japanese Akita ?

[girla]

My Step Daughter has just informed me that she is going to buy a Japanese Akita, i have explained to her that they are strong willed dog's & that they can be agressive to other dogs. Could you give me some pointers on them as i am worried that the dog will be too much for her. I have suggested that she goes off to a rescue centre and perhaps try and find a unwanted puppy there (she wants a pup to bring up) all advice gratefully received.

 

[ucmeicu]

Akitas are very strong, originally fighting dogs, we had a man who walked two in the local park, the bitch attacked various dogs and was eventually pts. They are not dogs for novice owners thats for sure, there are plenty of them in rescue centres awaiting homes and have seen them on the battersea site. Your step daughter needs to think carefully what sort of dog fits in with her lifestyle, does she want a lively dog that needs lots of exercise or more of a lap dog? Having gone from a very quiet well behaved little dog, to a lively energetic collie x they do affect your life if different ways and it would be a shame if she rehomes a pup that would end up being unsuitable and back in a rescue home in 6 months, good luck in persuading her for something more suitable!!

 

[girla]

Thanks for your advice and i agree with you they are strong willed animals and certainly need a strong pack leader to control them. I think i will work on her some more to try and convince her that this certain breed will be too much for her. They are beautiful dogs but not the right breed for her me thinks. Will try and persuade her to go down the rescue route for a more docile dog.

 

[CAYLA]

I have a japanese akita and have had alot of dealings with them in general and have trained a few and have had dealing with them through our rescue, and indeed as suggested they need a firm hand and they are a naturally dominant breed, they are pretty solem animals and IMO not family pets and would not/less likely to stand for boisterous children being around them , they have very unique characteristics, and the males in particular can be well....I will pull no punches here (dangerously aggressive) when not socialised or in the wrong hands........I try to advise one of my clients in regard to socialising a male she bought as a puppy and she took not a blind bit of notice of me and he has never been around dogs, he has the strength of a bear and would no doubt kill a dog with his lack of socialisation and aggression towards them he does not take to kindly to being told what to do by his owner, hence they back down because he is not one to be argued with and they are novice owners

They are extremley quick given their size when retaliating on an animal or to attack and they can do immense damage in a few shoet seconds and they give little or no warning, very little of the usual teeth bearing or growling jsut straight on in there and they literally smother their victim beneath them

On the other hand, after scaring the living day lights of you

you.........mine is fab, she is well socialised and kenneled with another dog and is well used to dogs coming and going here, but my situation is not the norm, she is also very good with people in my presence but would not be approached if me or OH was not present, they are pretty much one with their family and don't take to kindly to people forcing themselves upon them as not outwardly sociable, they prefer to be out doors due to their thick coat and dont tolerate heat to good.
They are a stubborn and strong willed dog when not given the correct training and guidance and have a firm hand to keep them.

I will add to the gore

when I first got mine.........Im talking first day, she was very dominant with other dogs and in the garden when she was spinning around playing

as she does, she accidentally knocked another dog, who in turn latched onto her cheek

........she retaliated at the speed of light and she literally de-scalped the dog

I mean tthe whole scalp had to be stitched back on..........bearing in mind this was not her fault and she did not initiate the aggression but she defended herself and it took seconds to cause such damage,luckily I was there and was able to grab her, but not sure how many others would have done that without panicking.

 

[Spudlet]

Oh. My. God.

What's wrong with a nice spaniel?

 

[girla]

Thank you Cayla for your advice, she has purchased the pup and is over the moon. I have sent her your comments and she said that she will take it on board. She has also read up on the breed and researched it at great length. Basicly i tried to put her off and it didn't work. She has bought the dog and is determined to bring him up correctly, all i can do is keep a watchfull eye (from a distance) and give advice if needed. She is a responsible person which is a good thing and has had animals most of her life, ie horses & dogs so hopefully the relationship with this dog will work out.

 

[CAYLA]

She sounds sensibile and obs had her heart set on a one, so from the day that puppy is vaxed get it out and about and get it socialised with all manor of dogs and training class (a reputable one) would be good, but what ever she does treat it like a dog not a human and install rules, no furniture or bed climbing, they toilet train very quick and are very clean and they are rarely destructive indoors, they love to lie in the shade or under trees or dig huge holes for coolness in the soil

If she chose a male I would recommend castration when old enough to help with the dominance esp if this behaviour rears it's head at any early age.
The longcoats are very different in character than the shorts, not sure which she went for?
I would go for a good quality large breed puppy food to give the puppy the best head start health wise.

But as I said, mine is a good example of a well socialised dog that is kept in her place. (I can' see me not owning an akita) but I would never buy, it will always be a rescue

good luck, if u need any advice give me a shout.

 

[CAYLA]

[ QUOTE ]
Oh. My. God.

What's wrong with a nice spaniel?

[/ QUOTE ]

Stop swearing..............I would rather have 10 akitas

 

[FestiveSpirit]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Oh. My. God.

What's wrong with a nice spaniel?

[/ QUOTE ]

Stop swearing..............I would rather have 10 akitas

[/ QUOTE ]

You are both wrong - nice trouble free greyhound any day for me

 

[Sol]

Still trying to convince my mother to allow me to get an Akita... think I might have to wait til I move out though

Damn, we have Australian Cattle Dogs, can't be much worse surely!?

 

[TarrSteps]

Maybe not worse, but similar. And much bigger.

And they have backward pointing teeth, like sharks.

One thing she might struggle with, as Cala alluded to, is keeping the dog inside, especially during the winter with the central heat on. The two I know in Canada live out year 'round (with a proper insulated kennel, of course) now because they were clearly uncomfortable in the house with the heating on. They also shed tufts of undercoat like no Husky you've ever seen!

I always think it's interesting to take into account what the various breeds are "for", as that tells you so much about how they think/react and what they need from life. Dogs bred to hunt/work large, angry game always give me pause for thought.

I saw a video of an Australian Cattle Dog competition once and that explained the temperaments of the ACDs I've met. (I actually really like them but they're . . .um . . .tough.

)

 

[CorvusCorax]

I am glad she is getting and taking sound advice.

They are a very trendy breed over here and I have lost count of the number of people I have seen being dragged around by an Akita in a harness on a chain lead (hmmmmmm....why not strap yourself to an Exocet missile instead?!) as they take it for a ten-minute bimble around the block.

Sorry, not good enough!!!!!

I agree, as with any large breed, socialisation, socialisation, socialisation - I found out to my cost that keeping my dog away from his trigger issues was the wrong thing to do.

 

[girla]

I thought i would update you all. The pup was collected yesterday and i must admit he is a cracker

. He is Blue/Grey with white legs to the belly and a black mask. He seems very laid back and was taking a lot of the admiring in his stride. His feed & paper were put down in the kitchen to establish from the off where he is to eat ect. He hasn't had any needles yet

so is off to the vet this morning to get checked over & have his 1st set of needles. I could not believe it when this little fella picked him self up from a sleep walked off in to the kitchen (in the dark) and had a wee & poo on his paper

. He is a good looking pup with good set bone and a lovely head. My step daughter is determined to bring him up the right way and even when he tried to get up on the sofa last night, she told him quietly but firmly no and he seemed to listen and take heed

. He has been named Diesel and 1st impressions seem to be good. Will keep you up dated and probably be back for advice when needed.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Good news, piccies please!

 

[girla]

I don't know how to put the photos on

, will try & work it out and post them

 

[Andym107]

I have a japanese akita and have had alot of dealings with them in general and have trained a few and have had dealing with them through our rescue, and indeed as suggested they need a firm hand and they are a naturally dominant breed, they are pretty solem animals and IMO not family pets and would not/less likely to stand for boisterous children being around them , they have very unique characteristics, and the males in particular can be well....I will pull no punches here (dangerously aggressive) when not socialised or in the wrong hands........I try to advise one of my clients in regard to socialising a male she bought as a puppy and she took not a blind bit of notice of me and he has never been around dogs, he has the strength of a bear and would no doubt kill a dog with his lack of socialisation and aggression towards them he does not take to kindly to being told what to do by his owner, hence they back down because he is not one to be argued with and they are novice owners

They are extremley quick given their size when retaliating on an animal or to attack and they can do immense damage in a few shoet seconds and they give little or no warning, very little of the usual teeth bearing or growling jsut straight on in there and they literally smother their victim beneath them

On the other hand, after scaring the living day lights of you

you.........mine is fab, she is well socialised and kenneled with another dog and is well used to dogs coming and going here, but my situation is not the norm, she is also very good with people in my presence but would not be approached if me or OH was not present, they are pretty much one with their family and don't take to kindly to people forcing themselves upon them as not outwardly sociable, they prefer to be out doors due to their thick coat and dont tolerate heat to good.
They are a stubborn and strong willed dog when not given the correct training and guidance and have a firm hand to keep them.

I will add to the gore

when I first got mine.........Im talking first day, she was very dominant with other dogs and in the garden when she was spinning around playing

as she does, she accidentally knocked another dog, who in turn latched onto her cheek

........she retaliated at the speed of light and she literally de-scalped the dog

I mean tthe whole scalp had to be stitched back on..........bearing in mind this was not her fault and she did not initiate the aggression but she defended herself and it took seconds to cause such damage,luckily I was there and was able to grab her, but not sure how many others would have done that without panicking.

I get fed up with the ill informed and frankly sensationalist nonsense spouted by so-called 'experts'. To start with facts. Akita's (of which there are two distinct breeds), the American Akita and the Japanese Zkita inu. They were not bred for, or used as fighting dogs, but as a hunting dog and hound at which they excell. They are not surely, but are proud and can be aloof. They are powerful and strong willed and need firm boundaries. But they make the most excellent family dog. This is because they are extremely affectionate and loyal. They are very good with children and in fact the Janese used the as baby-sitters. However, with any dog, you should NEVER leave a child alone with them.

As for dangerous? Well, the only dogs I have ever been bitten by have been small ones. People say, 'well, fido thinks he's a big dog'. Well, if any of my dogs behaved in the way that many small dogs do, they would be taken away and destroyed.

That aside, try doing a bit of research before taking the advice from someone who patently knows nothing of the subject. Retrievers and labs. have a SINIFICANTLY Worse history of biting than the Akita. In fact, the Akita barely registers. That may be partly due to them having responsible owners, or because they generally like people. However, like Dobermans, as soon as an incident occurs, they are all over the news with headlines such as 'Daemon dog bites...' etc. they are not helped by the sort of Illawarra-informed garbage put about by people who get off on giving people bad news.

My advice? If you want an Akita, get one. They are the most rewarding dog you could possibly own. But be aware that they need careful and firm handling and need to respect you - and you them.

In conclusion, if you do decide on this path, do your research and avoid the nonsense that you have read on this forum.

 

[Alec Swan]

My Step Daughter has just informed me that she is going to buy a Japanese Akita, ……..

Unless your stepdaughter is highly experienced, and with difficult dogs, then she needs her lead looking at.

Alec.

 

[Alec Swan]

……..

In conclusion, if you do decide on this path, do your research and avoid the nonsense that you have read on this forum.

Understand something, not everyone on this forum, or elsewhere, will have your undoubted depth of experience and knowledge.

There are those dogs to which the tyro will 'progress', and the Akita is one of them. For the novice, those dogs which I have seen, would be the shortest route to disaster.

Alec.

 

[AmyMay]

This is a 5 year old post....

 

[Dobiegirl]

I get fed up with the ill informed and frankly sensationalist nonsense spouted by so-called 'experts'. To start with facts. Akita's (of which there are two distinct breeds), the American Akita and the Japanese Zkita inu. They were not bred for, or used as fighting dogs, but as a hunting dog and hound at which they excell. They are not surely, but are proud and can be aloof. They are powerful and strong willed and need firm boundaries. But they make the most excellent family dog. This is because they are extremely affectionate and loyal. They are very good with children and in fact the Janese used the as baby-sitters. However, with any dog, you should NEVER leave a child alone with them.

As for dangerous? Well, the only dogs I have ever been bitten by have been small ones. People say, 'well, fido thinks he's a big dog'. Well, if any of my dogs behaved in the way that many small dogs do, they would be taken away and destroyed.

That aside, try doing a bit of research before taking the advice from someone who patently knows nothing of the subject. Retrievers and labs. have a SINIFICANTLY Worse history of biting than the Akita. In fact, the Akita barely registers. That may be partly due to them having responsible owners, or because they generally like people. However, like Dobermans, as soon as an incident occurs, they are all over the news with headlines such as 'Daemon dog bites...' etc. they are not helped by the sort of Illawarra-informed garbage put about by people who get off on giving people bad news.

My advice? If you want an Akita, get one. They are the most rewarding dog you could possibly own. But be aware that they need careful and firm handling and need to respect you - and you them.

In conclusion, if you do decide on this path, do your research and avoid the nonsense that you have read on this forum.

I Cant believe someone has dug up an old thread and you joined to do this, how many Akitas have you owned? and you are doing Cayla a diservice as she has a wealth of experience with the breed, not only has she owned one but has taken them in with behavioural problems and turned them around.

 

[Alec Swan]

This is a 5 year old post....

Well done!!

Alec.

 

[Andym107]

Understand something, not everyone on this forum, or elsewhere, will have your undoubted depth of experience and knowledge.

There are those dogs to which the tyro will 'progress', and the Akita is one of them. For the novice, those dogs which I have seen, would be the shortest route to disaster.

Alec.

In which case the reply should be honest and balanced.

 

[Andym107]

This is a 5 year old post....

I know. But the same misinformation is still on the web - people will still read it - as did I.

 

[Dobiegirl]

I know. But the same misinformation is still on the web - people will still read it - as did I.

You haven't replied to my questions.

 

[Equi]

5 years! how did someone even find it.

 

[CAYLA]

I get fed up with the ill informed and frankly sensationalist nonsense spouted by so-called 'experts'. To start with facts. Akita's (of which there are two distinct breeds), the American Akita and the Japanese Akita inu. They were not bred for, or used as fighting dogs, but as a hunting dog and hound at which they excell. They are not surely, but are proud and can be aloof. They are powerful and strong willed and need firm boundaries. But they make the most excellent family dog. This is because they are extremely affectionate and loyal. They are very good with children and in fact the Janese used the as baby-sitters. However, with any dog, you should NEVER leave a child alone with them.

As for dangerous? Well, the only dogs I have ever been bitten by have been small ones. People say, 'well, fido thinks he's a big dog'. Well, if any of my dogs behaved in the way that many small dogs do, they would be taken away and destroyed.

That aside, try doing a bit of research before taking the advice from someone who patently knows nothing of the subject. Retrievers and labs. have a SINIFICANTLY Worse history of biting than the Akita. In fact, the Akita barely registers. That may be partly due to them having responsible owners, or because they generally like people. However, like Dobermans, as soon as an incident occurs, they are all over the news with headlines such as 'Daemon dog bites...' etc. they are not helped by the sort of Illawarra-informed garbage put about by people who get off on giving people bad news.

My advice? If you want an Akita, get one. They are the most rewarding dog you could possibly own. But be aware that they need careful and firm handling and need to respect you - and you them.

In conclusion, if you do decide on this path, do your research and avoid the nonsense that you have read on this forum.

Well for a start I never said they where a fighting dog, I know exactly what they where bred. Do I still to my original post (absolutely) from 5 years back when I owned and trained the breed on a smaller scale and we offer refuge in our rescue on a smaller scale, we have now dealt with vast amounts of Akita,.
Did you notice in my post below I said I would rather have 10 akitas than 1 spaniel??
Did I come over strong? (hell yes). We are one of the few few maybe the only one rescue in my area who will give refuge to Akitas Why? people have learned their lessons and learn by experiance. I only a few months ago (after being begged by the Akita rescue girl) accepted a large young Akita male from a pound in LONDON! no other rescue would offer back up and the pound it's self would not rehome such a breed direct to Joe public (good job too) these dogs are so hard to assess for the inexperianced and especially in a kennel environment, more than any other breed once taken from their familiar place where indeed they bond strongly they suffer the most horrendous time placed in solitary and withdrawn from all they know (and yes rescue is stressful) but believe me if you saw the difference you would know why my opinion remains as strong as ever that this breed is not for the inexperianced. Very rarely can they be rehomed with other dogs due to their lack of socialising coupled with their natural
So once they land in rescue or commonly to the pound the outlook for these dogs is not comparitable to other breeds, not even sbt (so thank god) we don't see the same numbers.
You can mess up with any breed...but with the outcome be the same (hell no)...are people more commonly bitten by little ankle biter (of course) that is logical, they are the more commonly owned breed of dog, along with labradors, if there where as many Akitas in the hands of Joe public then there where labs and yorkies then we would be in serious bother. I am not dissing the breed and im not a fan of yorkies and labs, but I would rather a mistake be make with one of those breeds in the wrong hands than the likes of an Akita, so we can agree to disagree all day long.

And if you think the breed are owned more commonly by responsible people and this is why we hear of so few incidents then I am wondering if you are aware of the dire rescue statistics and the statistics of these dogs owned as status symbols in the hand of billy the lad!!. When Akitas go wrong in the hands of the irresponsible they are simple PTS without a second thought, the likes a labradors/ankle biters are swiftly forgiven it may be the same crime but the difference in damage is significant. So based on "your" logic all dogs are treat fairly and that's where you are not seeing that in the bigger world (they are).
Do I love the breed? yes, they are incredibly rewarding, do they suit most family homes....no. Especially those with no dog experiance.

You say yourself "They need careful and firm handling and need to respect you", I could say that to everybody who asks me but I don't feel it's enough im affraid, they need to know the consiquence of what can go wrong once ruining such a breed..... In reality most people cannot even manage that with the most docile of breeds, so there it is.

 

[Andym107]

Well for a start I never said they where a fighting dog, I know exactly what they where bred. Do I still to my original post (absolutely) from 5 years back when I owned and trained the breed on a smaller scale and we offer refuge in our rescue on a smaller scale, we have now dealt with vast amounts of Akita,.
Did you notice in my post below I said I would rather have 10 akitas than 1 spaniel??
Did I come over strong? (hell yes). We are one of the few few maybe the only one rescue in my area who will give refuge to Akitas Why? people have learned their lessons and learn by experiance. I only a few months ago (after being begged by the Akita rescue girl) accepted a large young Akita male from a pound in LONDON! no other rescue would offer back up and the pound it's self would not rehome such a breed direct to Joe public (good job too) these dogs are so hard to assess for the inexperianced and especially in a kennel environment, more than any other breed once taken from their familiar place where indeed they bond strongly they suffer the most horrendous time placed in solitary and withdrawn from all they know (and yes rescue is stressful) but believe me if you saw the difference you would know why my opinion remains as strong as ever that this breed is not for the inexperianced. Very rarely can they be rehomed with other dogs due to their lack of socialising coupled with their natural
So once they land in rescue or commonly to the pound the outlook for these dogs is not comparitable to other breeds, not even sbt (so thank god) we don't see the same numbers.
You can mess up with any breed...but with the outcome be the same (hell no)...are people more commonly bitten by little ankle biter (of course) that is logical, they are the more commonly owned breed of dog, along with labradors, if there where as many Akitas in the hands of Joe public then there where labs and yorkies then we would be in serious bother. I am not dissing the breed and im not a fan of yorkies and labs, but I would rather a mistake be make with one of those breeds in the wrong hands than the likes of an Akita, so we can agree to disagree all day long.

And if you think the breed are owned more commonly by responsible people and this is why we hear of so few incidents then I am wondering if you are aware of the dire rescue statistics and the statistics of these dogs owned as status symbols in the hand of billy the lad!!. When Akitas go wrong in the hands of the irresponsible they are simple PTS without a second thought, the likes a labradors/ankle biters are swiftly forgiven it may be the same crime but the difference in damage is significant. So based on "your" logic all dogs are treat fairly and that's where you are not seeing that in the bigger world (they are).
Do I love the breed? yes, they are incredibly rewarding, do they suit most family homes....no. Especially those with no dog experiance.

You say yourself "They need careful and firm handling and need to respect you", I could say that to everybody who asks me but I don't feel it's enough im affraid, they need to know the consiquence of what can go wrong once ruining such a breed..... In reality most people cannot even manage that with the most docile of breeds, so there it is.

I agree with most of what you say and agree that there are an increasingly large number of people looking for status dogs, with which I agree and that is not good for any breed. As for their origin,I was replying to an earlier post with yours.

In terms of dog bites, yes there are a significantly smaller number of Akita's, but by the same token the relative number of dog bites is smaller. I would say that say that if there were an equal number of Akita's as labs, then there would be. Lot more Akita's in the docks. As with any dog, in the wrong hands, they react to the treatment meted out to them. Would I recommend that just anyone get one? No, not unless they were prepared to put the effort in, which is, I think, what I said. Are they surely? No, they are not and they do have a great sense of humour. Are they for everybody? No. But they are decidedly NOT demons!

I am not really clear as to what you are saying about my logic - may be because you typed it in a hurry.

 

[CAYLA]

Yes I'm typing in a hurry I was on my way to work lol. I will read back.

I read, I typed on my phone (I will explain) in a sec when a little less busy here.

 

[Andym107]

Yes I'm typing in a hurry I was on my way to work lol. I will read back.

Sorry if Icame on strong with you, but I do read so much nonsense about different breeds. I have to say that I would be cautious about taking on any rehomed dogs, particularly large, powerful ones. I suspect that your reply had that in mind. Would I want a rescued Akitain my home? Not with other animals - otherwise yes, but with the expectation of putting in the work. Would I be happy about recommending one as a puppy? Absolutely if the owner was responsible, in the same way as with any dog. There are so many abandoned dogs in kennels that it breaks my heart, many because they got too old, people didn't realise how hard work puppies are, etc., etc. when my uncle (a vet) got his (Akita) the dog had been rehomed five times, but he and his wife couldn't figure out why, as it was such a nice dog.

Mine? Absolutely fabulous, though She has needed a firm hand. Her best friend? A bishon fries. Which dog have I been bitten by? The bishon fries. Which dog has bitten a policeman or gardener or uncle? Yup, the Bishon. Who do I trust the most? My Akita. Who needed the most work? My Akita.

 

[CAYLA]

THIS ONES MAKES MORE SENSE LOL

Well for a start I never said they where a fighting dog! I know exactly what they where bred. Do I still to my original post (absolutely) from 5 years back when I owned and trained the breed on a smaller scale and we offered refuge in our rescue on a smaller scale, we have now dealt with vast amounts of Akitas in rescue.
Did you notice in my post below I said I would rather have 10 akitas than 1 spaniel??
Did I come over strong? (hell yes). We are one of the very few maybe the only one rescue in my area who will give refuge to Akitas Why? people have learned their lessons and learn by experiance. I only a few months ago (after being begged by the Akita rescue girl) accepted a large young Akita male from a pound in LONDON! no other rescue would offer back up and the pound it's self would not rehome such a breed direct to Joe public (good job too) these dogs are so hard to assess for the inexperianced and especially in a kennel environment, more than any other breed once taken from their familiar place where indeed they bond strongly they suffer the most horrendous time placed in solitary and withdrawn from all they know and being dealt with by strangers (and yes rescue is stressful for any dog) but believe me if you saw the difference you would know why my opinion remains as strong as ever that this breed is not for the in experianced. Very rarely can they be rehomed with other dogs due to their lack of socialising coupled with their natural
So once they land in rescue or commonly to the pound the outlook for these dogs is not comparitable to other breeds, not even sbt's (so thank god) we don't see the same numbers.
You can mess up with any breed...but with the outcome be the same (hell no)...are people more commonly bitten by little ankle biters? (of course) that is logical, they are the more commonly owned breeds of dog, along with labradors, if there where as many Akitas in the hands of Joe public than there where labs and yorkies then we would be in serious bother. I am not dissing the breed and im not a fan of yorkies and labs, but I would rather a mistake be make with one of those breeds in the wrong hands than the likes of an Akita, so we can agree to disagree all day long.

And if you think the breed are owned more commonly by responsible people and this is why we hear of so few incidents then I am wondering if you are aware of the dire rescue statistics and the statistics of these dogs owned as status symbols in the hand of billy the lad!!. When Akitas go wrong in the hands of the irresponsible they are simply PTS without a second thought, the likes a labradors/ankle biters are swiftly forgiven it may be the same crime but the difference in damage is significant. So based on "your" logic "all dogs in your eyes are treat fairly"...... and that's where you are not seeing that in the bigger world (they are). What I mean by this is you said "any dogs bites to such a degree in your house and you would pts? but in my households a yorki or lab or spaniel can repeat offend, Akitas cannot!! mainly because the first time is severe enough and B, that's one huge head strong animal to lose control of!!
Do I love the breed? yes, they are incredibly rewarding, do they suit most family homes....no. Especially those with no dog experiance.

You say yourself "They need careful and firm handling and need to respect you", I could say that to everybody who asks me but I don't feel it's enough im affraid, they need to know the consiquence of what can go wrong once ruining such a breed..... In reality most people cannot even manage that with the most docile of breeds, so there it is.
Read more at http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?308702-Japanese-Akita/page3#ljmGE7Y5VlwKSJG7.99