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Bark!, Bark!, Bark!
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Hello evreyone,
I'd like to put this out there and see if anyone else has this problem or can offer me some insight. I own 2 wonderful loving Akita's one brindle female 85lbs. and one fawn male 105lbs! They are big dogs with a lot of voice. My problem is that they bark at everyone. I simply can not have strangers in the house and people in the street passing by. They simply will not tolerate their presence. Well, they will quiet down if they can not see or hear the person at all. They like maybe a handful of people. These people they have known since they were puppies. The female will snap and pursue if a stranger tries to pet her. The male can be very friendly, he is just very vocal. Their bark has an outragous volume, if I put them outside they annoy the world, if I keep them inside they intimidate the visitor and drive me up the walls. They seem unable to discern the difference from friend or foe. Can I get them to accept visitors? I have no real problems with my dogs except this one. I mean they will bark FOR HOURS! I don't believe in those bark collars, their efficacy or the pain they bring. I really wish they can learn to enjoy others I feel the quality of their life will be improved if they can make friends with well meaning strangers. I am fearful of these introductions. Can anyone offer me any suggestions. It is nice to hear the opinions of experienced Akita owners. Have a good day and thank you.
Andrew
I don't have a solution, but I understand what you are going through. Our akita is the same way. Outside of the immediate family, she only likes (I should say tolerates) a few other people. Any stranger that goes by can start the barking process until they are completely gone. The mailman routine is terrible each and every day. She watches him and barks at him from the time she sees his truck until he is off the porch and actually off of the street. If I see him before she does, I will put her in another room until he is gone. Also, when company comes over, I have resorted to putting her in another room during those times as well. Fortunately she is quiet after I do so. I guess it is the nature of the akita. This is our first experience with this breed and I have never seen a more stubborn dog. Although she is most loving, other people never get to see this and are extremely afraid of her. Maybe someone else out that has some suggestions.
My 12 year old Akita just passed and I have to say I have had 3 of them and this was never an issue for me. However, a good friend had an akita and had this problem, the cure, took months but they are now well behaved. First always leave a TV and or radio on for them.
Then call all your friends over and tell them before they come that you are having a party for the dogs, in actualality you need their help. THe more people at one time, often the less intimidated they will be to others, hopefully eventually finding their voice only when appropriate. We did this for about 3 months with varying groups of people, the more in a group the better. They have been great since.
We found a puppy living under a car that was just under 4 months. It has grown to be a loving dog. At first I thought it was a shepherd, but after checking the curled tail and its grown-up face, we were convinced we have an Akita. And bark, bark, bark YES constant mouthplay YES
Difficulty with guests YES, stubborn YES.
Easiest dog I ever housebroke. Least destructive through teething. Very loving and plays carefully with adults. Children might need some care as the dog is fairly solid.
We have been working on the stranger thing -- lots of tolerant guests at the holidays, herds of tolerant teenaged guests, etc. This has improved a good deal. Of course dog savy people are the easiest. But the barking -- I am nearly at wit's end. He barks at the dishwasher, cycle by cycle. The only solution I've heard of is the collar, but I'd also heard of a dog that quit barking and stopped going outside where it wore the collar.
I need some ideas to control this barking.
I still love this dog. Imagine -- like a challenging kid... L.E.
I have a 2-1/2 year old male, neutered Akita (no papers) who I have to find a good home for. We live in Rhode Island. Does anyone know of an organization locally who can help us find a good home for him. He is a great family dog. Good watch dog, also but is not aggressive. He has been to obedience school. I do not want to give him to a shelter but I'm not sure where to go next. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
i've grown to love and respect my husband's akita. however, the dog hair is driving me insane. i've read previous posts about olive oil to help and lots of brushing. any other suggestions? will a groomer be able to thin the coat out? and how often should he get groomed and a bath?
I did the same thing. The dog is sweet for the most part, but makes a huge mess of the carpets and flooring. When he is shedding it is everywhere, we eat it and breathe it, it seems. A groomer can blow out the undercoat when it starts to come loose. Brushing helps too.
I have a kitten and we have just moved into a new house and one of out new roomates has an Akita. The Akita has attacked the cat twice.
Any suggestions on how to get the cat and dog accustomed to each other or how to get the Akita to respect me? I don't need the dog to do tricks but I do need it to obey when I try to put him outside
Beware of Akitas and cats. I have 2 Akitas and had 3 cats. Notice I said had! The dogs grew up with the cats.My dogs killed our persian cat one day. They broke the tail of another. The other one ran away. My mother took in the broken tailed one. Books will tell you that Akitas and cats can get along and I'm sure this is the case sometimes. Avoid these situations if possible, I have learned my lesson and will NEVER own cats with Akitas again. Don't get me wrong I LOVE my dogs, it was my fault and I let the cats down, I only thought it would work itself out. I think the prey drive of Akita's is just too high. They cannot resist running after something! It was a bad scene and I still feel sad about it. Well, thats my opinion on the matter.
I have an akita and two cats. The dog tries to bully the cats but my one cat backs down and the other one stands up to him. The dog has learned that the cats are not a threat to him.
My husband had three cats when we moved in together and I had an Akita and a German Shepard/Golden Retriever mix...I had heard about Akitas killing cats and I was really concerned...it was ridiculously easy to get them use to each other and now that my GS/GR has passed on my Akita is extremely protective of the cats when strays come around
I adopted an Akita mix and have three cats. I had no idea about prey drive until I brought Gordy home--and then did my homework. Any suggestions to getting my dog to get along with the cats? Maybe it will never happen, but I need to try everything first. Thanks.
As for the cat. Once The dog has learned it's place in the family pack. You should be able to start to familiarize the akita to the cat. First in seperate rooms, thru a door. Then thru a screen door, etc, etc. NEVER have the dog and cat together when food or treats are around. But first start with the alpha training.
Please help!!!! I am the owner of an 11 mo. old male. I love him to death but he's going to drive me crazy. Recently (within past few months) he has used the bathroom (#2) in the house. Although it happens infrequently, I cannot for the life of me understand why he's doing this. He's been crated since he was about 3 or 4 months and he KNOWS he's not supposed to do this. He does this secretly and then stays in his crate when he knows he's been found out. Most of the time he'll simply whine and go to the door. But I just don't know why he would have to go and not alert anyone. I am not exaggerating......I have taken him out and he will go #1 & #2 and THEN come inside and go again. He has even gone in his crate twice!!! And keep in mind that he never, ever pees in the house. I wonder sometimes if he has an attitude and does it out of spite. Any ideas, suggestions, prayers, etc.?????????????????
Eleven months is still fairly young. Just like little kids who sometimes have accidents and sometimes do things deliberately. There is room for behavior patterns to establish themselves more routinely. It wouldn't hurt to have him checked by a vet to make sure it isn't a medical type of problem first. This sounds ridiculous, but this is what I did when our akita had similar occasional slip-ups. I would gently but firmly point to the little present left behind and say NO. I then put a rubber glove on, took the matter outside and set it on the lawn. I showed our akita where it should be and praised her there.
After a few incidents of this, she got the idea and I have never had a problem since. So, I guess my ridiculous idea worked. Hang in there and good luck!
Hi I wonder if anyone here has the book Akita: treasure of Japan vol.2 by Barbara Bouyet. Would you like to comment on it. Is the high price of $125 justified?
Hi I was just seeing if anyone knows of any akita litters available or coming up. I am looking for a large female with dark facial markings (pet quaility and standard or longcoat is okay). No puppy mills please, would like a reasonable price Thank you
My aunt is a former breeder of wonderful Akitas. She has recently moved to California and is unable to find homes for two of her remaining Akitas. They are a male female pair, she is 9 and he is 8. They are wonderful and playful. I don't believe they are housebroken. They do not bite, are affectionate with people, but should not be mixed with same sex dogs. I was wondering if anyone had advice on how to find them a good home (or homes) with people that can understand the breed and appreciate them.
My husband wants an Akita, no other pet, I bought him a cat and tried to buy him a dog but he still wants the Akita. I have breed large breeds in the past but am very clueless about Akitas. We have a two year old son, a very sweet/timid Maltese and now a cat. I have raised everything from farm animals to tropical fish. Any animal would have a wonderful life with us; the best of care, training. I stay home with every new animal 3 to 8 weeks in order to build a good relationship. But all the care and love in the world can not make up for a poor choice. I do not know if this is the right breed for my pint size family.
PLEASE HELP ME. I have a few questions about the breed.
How large do they get? Weight?
Are they as unfriendly as what is posted on this forum?
How do they get along with other pets? People? New babies? and New pets?
How do the react to moving?
What about health issues?
Do they require lots of care?
I have one female(2yrs old)and one male(18mos)and have recently aquired a new male pup(3mos old). Have you purchased an Akita yet? I also have 4 chihuahuas and 2 cats and used to have a 50lb mixed breed.(my female Akita and her did not get along too well). Please e-mail if you want or need more info.
I have had my male akita from 8 weeks old. he is now 13.He is in perfect health, he still acts just like a puppy, however he is losing his hearing. I will tell you, with my own dog, he is very loyal to me, and protective.He is also stubburn, hard headed and doesn't take to well to strangers, especially them trying to touch him.I got my dog as a pup when I was 21. I am now 34 years old. This dog has been with me through a few boyfriends, a husband (my dog never liked him) and now single motherhood.He was in his younger years very aggresive with just about everyone, even people in my family, he has bitten a few times before. so when I found out I was pregnant, I got alittle scared (My dog had never been around kids before).My vet told me to socilize the baby and the dog as much as possible. When I brought my son home from the hospital,I let the dog smell him.As my son got alittle older, I put him in his walker, and gave him a cookie to give to the dog. My son is almost 8 years old now, and the dog has never even growled at him, through all the tail and ear pulling and trying to ride him like a horse.Someone else child is a totally diffrent story.He is very much my baby boy, before I had my real baby boy, and as anyone will tell you, very much MY dog. This dog is by my side 24 hours a day!! I trip over him cooking dinner, doing laundry, coming out of the shower, etc.He is the best dog in the whole world.I tell him that every day. The hair on these dogs can get alittle overwhelming, so make sure you have a good vacum cleaner.I hear people say ,"When they start to shed...." My dog never stops shedding. But, like I said, 13 years later, and 4 vacums later, he is worth it all!! I hope this helped you in somw way. Good Luck
hello.I read your post and since i have owned 4 akitas(3 females and one male) i am pretty knowledgeable about the breed.I have also bred a pair of my akitas that produced 8 puppiies.Not a easy task!At this time,I have 2 females and my male.They are all socialized due to being walked daily and introduced to everyone that ask about them are that want to pet them.I also have a child that is four and many nieces and nephews.They adore children!Some akites may put their mouth over your hand or arm but this is not aggressive it is gentle and their way of communicating along with the vocal sounds that they may make.One of my females even get's along with my kitten that we recently gotThey play together.On the other hand my male looks at the cat and licks his chops!you need to observe the body language of your dog to read it.This can be done.i DO IT ALL THE TIME AND MY AKITAS know that I am the alpha in the pack.One way i do this is I walk them all holding them on my sides and i do not allow them to walk ahead of me!My male pinto is 27 inches at the withers and his weight ranges from 115- 130 pounds.that is on a feeding routine of 4 to 6 cups a day.they love Canidae dog food and i believe that it is among the best dog foods.The key to owning a Akita is socialization and allowing it around your family and other people whenever possible from a puppy.They require combing often and frequently during sheeding.They can have autoimmune diffenciency problems along with a hereditary eye desease.If you want to know more look them up on the internet or read about them at the library.
I just recently inquired about my akita not wanting to eat her regular brand of dog food. Now a new problem has cropped up with her behavior. She is carrying all her toys around one at a time and hiding them everywhere. She whines pitifully while she does this. What can be going through her canine mind and is this normal? She is four years old. How do I stop the whining? Just for the record, there are no small children that she would be trying to hide the toys from.
On the dog food, some Akitas can just be picky eaters. Especially if she had sampled something she liked better lately. Feeding lots of treats can also allow an Akita to hold out until she gets something she wants. Unless she has medical problems re her weight, dont worry about her not eating for a day or 2(assuming you freefeed). If you arent freefeeding (this is according to what I've read, as I always freefeed), placing the food down for a limited period of time, say 20-30 minutes, can teach her she only has a 'window' of opportunity to eat.
FWIW, I HIGHLY recommend freefeeding a quality food and strongly suggest you dont give in to a picky eater unless it is effecting her health.
Re the whining: when she does that, play with her. If she's upset, do something she likes. This will also train her to come to you and 'speak' when something isnt right for her.
My first akita was an OB'J Akita. She died last September at the age of 12. I am looking for another OB'J Akita to purchase as a show prospect. However, if I am correct, Bill and BJ Andrews have stopped breeding Akitas...Is that right? If OB'J Akitas are no more, I am still very interested in that bloodline and/or that type of Akita.
Any information that you could provide would be greatly appreciated.
You might research the Goshen line as they came primarily from OBJ stock. Get the latest copy of Akita World($9+ yikes!) and look for breeders close to you. Call them up and discuss their lines/ancestors. Good hunting!
(my Akitas also trace their lineage back to Widowmaker)
Help!! My 1 year old male has an attitude problem.
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Hi
I have a 1 year old male that is about 90 pounds. When he sees another dog he goes into a frenzy to try to get to the dog. I have a choke coller but it doesnt help at all. He knows the sit command and will do it for about 30 seconds untill he cant take it anymore and he goes crazy to try to get to the other dog. The other problem he has is kids running. If a child runs past him he will nip at them,Not bite but nip.Other than that he loves people and is very well behaved. Any suggestions on how to break his bad habits would be great. I will be haveing him nuetered tommorow.I hope this will help.
Thanks John
I worked for three hours at the beech on my baby boy...
he was 2 at the time.... a mama cat and about 8 babies drove him crazy.... just like the dogs do.... I jerked his "pinch" collar... NOT the choke collar and made him sit... just a fer seconds.... then give him the chance to heel properly.... the instant he lunged at the cats, I would repeat... jerk and sit.... 3 hours later, he would walk on by. The next day at a marina, the first attempt at a pelican... jerk and sit... and once was enough.... and every time thereafter. Stubborn as only an Akita can be... he may attempt it once, it is so long between his experiences with strange creatures, but still, one strong tug followed by a sit, and he is good to go... he is 4 now... I do, however still have the nipping problem... and I guess he will never tolerate the scuffling, roughousing, or screaming.
Hi Linda
Yes I agree with your method and I believe it will work for me. I think I just need to keep at it. He seems very smart and easy to train,Just a little stuborn. Is the pich collar you talk about the ones with the spike like barbs? Thanks again John
Our akita has suddenly become picky when it comes to her dog food. She is four years old and has been on the same food all this time. She has never had a problem with it before. She really liked and enjoyed it. I don't think it is a medical issue because a friend brought over a different brand and she ate that with no problem. However, the new brand is supposed to be for older dogs. Has anyone ran into this problem before and had to change the food? Any problems with the digestive system as a result of doing so? Thanks.
Hi,
My akita is almost 15. I think the "average" age is 10-12 years. We are so lucky to have our girl this long. She's not without health issues, though. Very lame, nearly blind and deaf.
Hi,
My name is Gail, I was blessed with Toshiba for 13 years, great breed, but more so, lots of TLC. She was my BABY, Olliver (Ollie) we adopted to keep her going abouut 3 years ago did just great with her. He knew when to play and when not to. He has since healed, I have not.
Me female, Toshiba, is 10 1/2, i have her on a supplement for her hind legs, works wonders. She is overall in good shape. I am so happy to hear they can live long, starting to wonder, i don't know life without her, will destroy me. thanks.
Thank you for repsonding to my question. What supplement do you have your dog on? Murphy is getting that he can hardly get into the standing position any more. We sure would love to try anything that may help him.
Check out Springtimeinc.com There are supplements here created by an akita owner to benefit his own akita. They are called freshfactors. They sound great although I have not used them yet. They were recommended to me by someone who uses these products for her horse. I am getting my first akita puppy in 2 weeks and am definitely going to give these a try.
My female Akita is now 15 years and 4 months old. I was actually looking to find any records of the oldest living Akita and found your question. Did you ever find the answer? Is your Akita still alive?
it gets really hot where we live and i was wondering if anyone out there has any tips on if we should cut our akitas hair. we have him groomed regularly but he still seems uncomfortable. also, any female long hairs out there for sale?
I have a wonderful 5 month old,very smart and very independent puppy; just like the breed standard. The only problem is when he gets hyper or is teething ( in pain ) he will start to bite the furniture etc. When he is verbally corrected and pulled away from the furniture etc. he will try to bite me. When he is told not to bite he will try again then run away. ( he knows its wrong ) is this normal for a teething puppy? Is it because he is in pain? My previous dogs did not do this. Thanks for your help
the akita breed can be very willful even at 5 months.
and yes,they do get a bit grumpy when teething. still...
do not allow them to be boss.if you ask him/her to do or not to do something make sure they listen and follow thru. they test constantly even as the years go on.if you are firm yet gentle and in charge but loving they will repect you. pushing, hitting them or shouting will make them more agressive. "no" following by asking them to sit or lay down and then praise works well. Akitas are very smart and very, very sensative ( something some overlook because of the size) from my experence they are worth the training for the love they give back is amazing!
the next few months are the most difficult stage... Good Luck!
My 18 month old Akita started shedding a month and a half ago and hasn't stopped. I got a shedding comb and got almost all the undercoat out but still lots of hair. Any good grooming instructions out there? What times of the year should I expect this?
olive oil on the food helps, and LOTS of combing....
at least that helps to stop it from flying like a cotton gin.
I have a Thermax cleaner, also. I use it on my Akita to remove loose hair, he love it, and on the carpet to suck up what sheds off... it is the only cleaner that can clean after an Akita.. It is a water filtration system, and does not stop up or loose power... I sell them:) see it on thermaxvac.com they steamclean, also.
Akita's blow their coat twice per year. My female would always blow her coat in the spring and then again in the fall. I found two solutions that both work rather well. Seeing as your pup is 18 months old, try to acclimate him/her to a vaccume cleaner/shopvac. Once the hair starts to look ratty, you can just suck it right off the dog. This is rather hard to do with dogs that you are not alpha over and are not comfortable around vaccumes. You have to start early with the vaccume to get them used to it though. The second option is very labor intensive, but it was the only thing i found that could work on a regular basis. Go to the dog store and buy a horse stripper. It is a piece of metal with little teeth on one side and a handle, looks very similair to a horseshoe. Take your dog to the backyard and with fast strokes strip the hair out. It should remove large clumps at a time. If you can't figure out how to use it, take it back to the pet shop, or dog groom place, without your dog) and just ask them to show you how to use it.