Acquiring a dog should be a lifetime commitment on your part; for an Akita, that lifetime can be 12 years or more.  Before you make the decision to own - and be owned by - an Akita, you should know the bad points as well as the good!

The Akita is an impressive, striking animal, with proud regal bearing, size and strength to match his magnificent looks.  The drawbacks of the breed are minimal to those who love these animals, understand their needs and appreciate the loyalty and devotion of the Akita dog.  However, they are not for everyone, and if any of the drawbacks go against your nature, or you cannot handle a large, dominant dog, then the breed is probably not for you.

SIZE

Akitas are large dogs.  Males usually stand from 25" to 27" at the shoulder, females from 24" to 26",  although some are taller.   Although big dog owners do seem prone to boasting (you know, bigger is better), an average weight range for males is probably between 90 and 120 pounds; the females  from 75 to 100 pounds.  They often look like they're heavier than they really are.

COAT & SHEDDING

Akitas carry a thick double coat, and will generally shed twice a year, profusely, with tufts of undercoat falling out, followed by guard coat.  Volumes could be written about how much hair these guys seem to have when they're in the midst of a coat blow!

Bathing in hot water, blow-drying, thorough raking and combing will all help hasten the process of blowing coat along, but you can't avoit it.  They are not usually continuous shedders unless there are health issues involved.  However, if you dislike the idea of dog hair - on your clothes, piles on the floor, sometimes in your food! - this is definitely NOT the breed for you!

Their undercoat is thick and soft, usually a different color from the guard layers.  The guard coat should be of harsh texture, and it should stand off the body naturally.  There are also long-coats in the breed, a treat controlled by a recessive gene(s), which means they must be carried by both parents.  Long coats, or woolies as some call them, have a longer, softer coat, which requires  more brushing and combing to maintain, but they are beautiful too, and make excellent pets. 

Any color or marking pattern can occur in this breed.  There is no such thing as a rare color, so don't be fooled by such claims! 

EXERCISE REQUIREMENTS

Although they don't usually require enormous amounts of exercise, Akitas do thoroughly enjoy rough-house playing, running, or good walks with their owners.  It is virtually essential for the owner of an Akita to have a fenced yard, or at least a large exercise area for the dog.  Akitas cannot under any circumstances be allowed to roam, nor can they usually be left to their own devices, inside or outside, without good, quality attention and training from their owners.  Akitas thrive on the companionship of their family, and if left alone, like any dog, they can become destructive when bored and lonely.

AKITA TEMPERAMENT

Akitas are highly intelligent, loyal, strongly territorial, naturally protective and generally affectionate with their family and friends.  They can also be independent and/or stubborn!  They may test your authority throughout their lives, especially if you have not established your rules and your position as leader from the time they are pups.  They are quick learners, and do not require or respond well to physically abusive training.  They often seem able to think through situations almost as quickly as you do, so you must always be a step ahead of them, or you could become the victim of an Akita-style practical joke, a refusal to obey your command, or worse.

Early training, lots of socialization, good obedience classes, and as much contact with other people, dogs, and places as you can come up with will help you develop your loving, obedient, reliable Akita.  When pups are young, you must establish your role as the boss.  If you fail to do so, your Akita will be more than happy to take over that role, and this could mean big trouble down the road.  Early training will win you the respect of your Akita, as well as his loyalty and love; and isn't this what you wanted from your dog?

As your Akita matures, he will become less welcoming of strangers.  It is important for him to meet people early on, so he becomes accustomed to interacting with non-family members.  As an adult, an Akita should accept strangers after introduction by his owner, but may show reserve or aloofness with them.  An Akita who has been well socialized should have no problem with this, and quickly learns to differentiate between friends and strangers.

Akitas should never be aggressive toward people!  They will naturally protect their family, and closely watch strangers near their property; their alert body stance warns strangers that they are doing their job as a guard.  They're not usually big barkers, so when they do bark, there is usually a good reason.  You must be alert to the "body language" of your Akita - they frequently give little or no warning of their impending action, particularly against strange dogs, cats or other prey.

Akitas generally are not tolerant of other dogs, particularly strangers to them, although many get along very well with a house-mate, particularly of the opposite sex, as long as their owner is the boss.  They alsohave a very high chase and prey instinct, and many regard cats as prey.  Although they usually accept a family cat they are raised with, that feeling seldom carries over to stray cats or wild animals such as rabbits, possum, etc.

The subject of temperament is extremely complex.  I couldn't possibly do a better job of handling it than Sherry Wallis of Sherob Akitas does!  The link below will take you to her web page and several top notch articles on temperament in dogs.

HEALTH PROBLEMS

All breeds (mixes too) have some health problems which breeders and owners should screen for.  Careful selection of a breeder who does a good job of screening his breeding stock for genetic diseases and defects will give you a much better chance of owning an animal who is not affected by one of these problems.  If there is not a direct hereditary relationship for all these problems, there is still definitely a genetic basis for them.

Over the years, I've developed my own standards for breeding, which are above and beyond what is called for in the Akita Club of America Code of Ethics.  I think dogs should not be bred until they are mature (that means over two years old); this allows time for the expression of some of the autoimmune problems that unfortunately occur in our breed, and for the dog to mature mentally too.  Breeding dogs should be OFA certified for hips and elbows, and patellas and hocks should be normal.  Eyes require yearly examination until 7-8 years of age.  Thyroid screening should start after puberty, and I believe breeding animals should be screened and normal within each year that they are bred.   Will this prevent any and all problems from occurring in puppies?  No.  But the chances will be much higher that puppies will be healthy and strong.

Akitas have the usual problems that occur in large dogs - some incidence of hip dysplasia, and less frequently elbow dysplasia and/or OCD.  Popping hocks and patella problems are more frequent, and ruptured cruciates are also not uncommon in this breed.  Bloat is a problem, with high incidence in some lines.  PRA (progressive retinal atrophy), although not prevalent, has been found in the breed.  Microphthalmia also occurs, as well as entropion and ectropion, cataracts, etc. 

Autoimmune thyroiditis is another significant problem in the breed.  Other devastating autoimmune problems that occur are pemphigus, discoid lupus, SA (sebaceous adenitis) and VKH, or more properly, uveodermatalogic syndrome.  Often these diseases are diagnosed around 18-24 months, which is another good reason to postpone breeding until after 24 months.  You can read more about these and other diseases at several different sites, with links posted below.

SO......IS THIS THE BREED FOR YOU?

Do your homework well.   Visit dog shows and kennels, talk to as many different breeders as you can.  Don't grab the first puppy that comes your way, and above all don't be fooled by "hype."  It's so very easy for a person to develop a website these days, but dig below the slick surface of some of these pages.  Remember too, you'll hopefully be maintaining a relationship with the breeder you eventually buy from; it's important to deal with someone you trust and are comfortable with.

Responsible breeders don't breed often; they certainly don't have puppies available at all times.  They often have a waiting list for their puppies when they do breed, and  they are usually picky about who might get one of their puppies.  Look for a breeder who house-raises puppies,  shows regularly and does all the important health testing.

Most of all, treasure the loyalty and love of your Akita!

This page was last updated on: October 19, 2007

The Akita

This is the single, most important Akita reference available.  Written by Barbara Bouyet of Akita Rescue fame.  Click book image to go to order page.

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