The Akita is a breed that generates some controvery around the world. There are really two types of Akitas. The American Akita, whose breed standard allows a black mask, is most common in North America. The Akita Inu is the original breed of Japanese origin and does not allow for a black mask. In most of North America, these are considered to be one breed with differences in type. In some other areas of the world, however, they are considered different breeds. For the purposes of this article, I will use "Akita" to refer to the North American standard, which means both breeds with just a slight variation between the two.
This large and sturdy breed has a well defined head with a solid color nose. The ears are strong and erect, but rather small in relation to the massive head. The rims of the eyes and the lips are black, but the tongue is pink. The tail is large and curled, straight and full, and often carried over the back. When extended, the tail would reach down to the hock. They may not look it, but a mature Akita can weigh as much as 120 pounds.
The Akita has a double coat with a thick, soft, and dense undercoat. The outer coat is straight, harsh, and standing somewhat off the body. The Akida may be of any color, including white, pinto, or bridle. The colors should be rich and distinctive and the markings well balanced. Some Akitas have a mask or markings, some do not. The markings mostly depend on the lineage of both parents. Some Akitas have longer hair, but only if both parents carry the recessive longhair gene.
An Akita can be very vocal, but they're not really barkers. Instead they make a variety of odd sounds. This breed is very social and makes a wonderful family pet. They feel an intense need to be with their family. They are intelligent, docile, and friendly, which makes them easy to train. But they are also courageous, almost fearless, and will go to any lengths to protect their family. They are willful and need a guiding hand to remain calm. Without this guiding hand, they can become aggressive, usually to other dogs and small animals. The Japanese version of this breed is so protective that Japanese mothers would often leave their children in the care of the family's Akita. I don't endorse this practice, but it was common in Japan for many years. Akitas, however, are attached just to their own family. Don't leave unfamiliar children alone with any Akita.
The Akita is unfortunately prone to hip dysplasia. Hypothyroid and autoimmune thyroiditis, immune diseases like VKH and Pemphigus,
skin problems like SA, eye (PRA, Micro, entropion) patella, problems with the knee also seem to affect the breed. Look for a reputable breeder and ask about any health problems.
Akitas are great family dogs and remain loyal to their family. Bear in mind, however, that they are a large breed and can be quite stubborn. They benefit from an organized obedience class and a strong human pack unit.
If there was ever a dog born for herding, it's the Akbash. This dog is white and well built. It has keen hearing and is incredibly strong, even when compared to other breeds of similar size. The double coat is non-matting, coarse, and weather resistent. The coat does require regular grooming to help with the shedding, since Akbash dogs are above average shedders. Oddly, especially for a dog this large, there is very little odor associated with this breed. The ears of this dog flop forward and lie close to the skull, though some imported Turkish may actually have cropped ears. This cropping practice is unusual, but it does happen.
The eyes are set well apart and are almond-shaped with colors ranging from golden brown to a brown so dark it's almost black. The tail of the Akbash is long and bushing, hanging down to the hock of the animal when relaxed. When walking, this breed has a springy gait that makes it appear excited to get to wherever it happens to be going. This dog is not recommended for apartment living since it's BIG. It weighs between 90 and 130 pounds and can be as tall as 32 inches at the shoulder.
The Akbash dog is an interesting combination of dominance and submission. The dogs must be submissive enough to not disturb the livestock they're expected to guard but dominant and aggressive enough to stand up to wolves and bears. This is a breed that must be given a job to do. Preferably the job they were bred for -- guarding livestock. If you want to make this dog a companion, you have to be willing to socialize with your dog all the time. You can't lock an Akbash up in a yard all by itself for 12 hours a day and expect to have a loving companion when you get home. The Akbash isn't a Poodle. It's just not wired the way a more social dog is. They're a working breed and need to be respected as such.
An Akbash is a guarding dog that both patrols and barks, so your dog will bark if left outside on its own. A lot. It's a bother-the-neighbors kind of bark. So don't think you can stick this dog in the backyard with nothing to do all night. It will not impress your neighbors. If, however, they are guarding a flock, they will bark only when necessary to protect their charges. They are very contentious guard dogs, but they tend to be dog-aggressive, so you probably don't want other dogs around.
This dog is not usually recommended in household with children under 8 or 10 years of age. All children in the household must be able to establish dominance over the dog. If this can be done, problems are relatively rare. Most of the problems that might crop up will do so during visits by friends and family. An Akbash will view visitors as intruders. As long as the alpha (usually the owner) is present, things tend to be fine. The dog will bow to the behavior displayed by its alpha. But leave the dog alone with the "intruders", especially if the "intruders" are children, and you're asking for trouble. So just don't. Take the dog with you when you go to get the snacks for the children. Of course, I usually tell people not to leave children unsupervised with dogs, especially dogs who don't know these particular children, but be extra careful with a dog like the Akbash.
Oddly enough, the Akbash might resent children, but is really good with infants. This is because this breed, both male and female, has a strong maternal instinct. They bond quickly to the livestock they guard, especially if introduced to this livestock before 6 months of age. They are so good with all manner of babies that sheep and cattle will often let the dog sniff and clean their own newborns. But don't be fooled. This dog will immediately react to any threat and will lay down its life to protect its flock.
These dogs definately have a mind of their own. They are trainable, but they are incredibly independent. This means that any Akbash will think twice about any command, even one given by someone considered the "alpha". It's just the nature of this particular breed. I do not recommend that the Akbash be anyone's first dog and it's not a dog for anyone who doesn't want a serious guard dog.
Most large breeds have health problems, and the Akbash is no exception. Thankfully, however, they seem to have fewer health problems than other large dog breeds. Hip dysplasia and OCD have occured, but they are still relatively rare. To decrease the chances of getting a dog with hip dysplasia, buy only from OFA hip certified stock. If your breeder doesn't know what this means, look for another breeder.
These dogs are great for what they are -- flock guard dogs. If you're looking for a breed to guard your sheep or cattle, the Akbash might be for you.
It's important that you understand the mentality of a dog before you begin training and socializing. When dogs live together as a group, they have a pack leader, someone who is in charge. This leader, this alpha, decides when everyone eats, how much they get, where everyone sleeps, when playtime begins and ends, and what kind of play can take place. The pack leader also decides where the group will go and how fast they will get there. When you bring your dog home, you're essentially giving your dog a pack, even if that pack is only you and the dog. And most dogs will automatically look to you as the pack leader. In fact, you dog needs you to be pack leader. If you don't assume the role of leader, your dog will, and this will not lead to a harmonious existence for either of you.
So how do you go about establishing your role as leader? It's actually easier than it sounds. When you teach your dog to obey commands and to conform to the rules of basic etiquette, you are taking the first steps to establishing yourself as alpha. Be firm with your dog, but never harsh. You don't need to be mean to be in charge. Avoid using techniques such as alpha rolls (forcing the dog onto his back and staring at him) unless you know exactly what you're doing. These thing can backfire and cause aggression that will be directed toward you and other humans. Praise works better than punishment, at least most of the time. Most dogs crave praise and approval, so give them what they want when they do what you want. Be consistent with what you ask of your dog and insist that he comply, provided he understands what you want, of course. This will get the ball rolling.
But you're probably wanting something specific, some little trick that will allow you to show your dog that you are in charge. Training is one way, and a necessary way, but an easier way is all about food. Think about it. The life of a dog revolves around food. When do I eat? What do I eat? Who is going to feed me? Can I eat after I go outside? Before? Since food is the center of a dog's life, use food to establish exactly who's the boss.
Do this by NEVER letting your dog just free feed. By this I mean that you should not have a huge bowl of food sitting out for your dog to eat whenever he feels like it. Water, yes, but not food. Never. Under any circumstances. And if you bought an automatic feeder, shove it in the closet and leave it there. It's only use is if you're going to be gone for a couple days and can't convince anyone to feed your pooch.
Instead, divide the food your dog should receive into two portions and feed him every twelve hours. Insist that your dog sit nicely for a while (just a few seconds, really) before you give him the food. And make sure he sees that you are the source of the food. You get the bowl and you fill the bowl and you control when he gets that bowl. There's nothing mean about this. It's what we do to babies, even if we don't realize we're doing it. You control the food. Therefore, you control the household.
By controlling the food and insisting on training and obedience, your dog will quickly learn that you are in charge. You are the alpha. This will make your home life easier on everyone involved and your canine companion will thank you for it.
All dogs are different. Some would never challenge the people in their home, much like my son's little poodle Brownie. But others are looking to take over the household from the moment they get home. My old dog Darby is a fine example of this second type. And with this second type (and really all types), it's important that you establish yourself as the leader at the very beginning of the relationship. I am certainly not implying that you must be mean or even bossy, but you do have to be consistent in your dealings with your dog so that she (I'm going to use the feminine here simply because the problem dog I'm working with at this moment is a female) learns to respect you and all other two-legged members of the household.
Formal obedience classes or puppy kindergarten (depending on the age of your dog) are one step on this road to respect, but it's probably not the first or even the most important. To teach your dog to be a polite member of the family, you have to work with your pooch at home. This is not to discount the importance of organized classes. I firmly believe that each and every dog would benefit from the most basic of obedience classes. But classes aren't enough to get your dog or puppy to behave in the comfort of her own home.
So before you get started with the classes full of other dogs, consider the basic behavior you want in your home. Do you want your dog jumping all over everyone? Probably not. Walking on the table? No. Sitting patiently with a wagging tail when you come in the door? This is always nice. Moving off the couch when people need to sit? Yep, that's polite. Knocking over children? Definitely not.
Once you have the desirable and undesirable behaviors ironed out, you can start working toward conditioning your pet to display these behaviors. Reward those behaviors you want and gently correct those you don't. A little praise or a single treat is a good reward, but the reward has to be immediate. And never ignore good behavior. You want to make sure that good behavior is acknowledged and rewarded so that it is repeated.
As for corrections, you must be gentle. A firm "No" can yield wonderful results, but only if your dog knows what that word means. They don't come preprogrammed, after all. You have to do the programming yourself. So when your dog does something you don't like, such as jumping on the table, let the dog know that's not acceptable with a firm word that is neither loud nor angry. While you're doing this, immediately remove the dog from the situation. Take the dog from the dining room to the kitchen, for example. This tells the dog "If you're going to jump on the table, you're not going to be allowed in the dining room."
This same idea applies to other etiquette issues. Your dog knocked over a child deliberately while playing? Remove the dog from the game. She'll get the picture, though it may take a few repetitions. But beware of correcting an accident. I had a large golden retriever named Misty who knocked over my neighbor by pushing open a door to come in the house. He was standing right there when she came in and and tumbled forward. Accident. Almost like when my older son opened his bedroom door and my younger son got smacked in the head. If it's not deliberate, let it go. The dog probably didn't even realize she did it. Misty certainly didn't.
This should take place from the day the dog enters your home, though it's never too late to learn. But if you're consistent in your rewards and corrections, the dog will develop an undestanding of her place in the family and will become well mannered and polite as a result. But you have to keep at it, and you should certainly think about a formal class, mostly for the socialization of your dog. It can be a good experience for you both.
