Often confused with the Japanese Akita or the Akita Inu, the American Akita is an alert and friendly breed. But how do you know whether you are ready to purchase a pet and if this breed is right for you? This information is absolutely necessary in making the decision to purchase a pet.
History
The origin of the American Akita can be traced back to 17th century Japan. Upon its arrival in the United States during the 1800’s, breeders slowly began experimenting with the breed and eventually crossed the Japanese Akita with such breeds as the Tosa Inu and the Old English Mastiff, and in 1955, the American Akita was finally born.
Throughout its short history, the American Akita has been most commonly used as a watch and guard dog and kept as a pet, proving its superior abilities to work and protect while providing friendship.
Today, while the American Akita has attained an underground following as a rare family pet and companion dog, the breed remains extremely rare outside of the United States.
Personality Traits
Best known for its friendly and curious nature, the American Akita is full of character. This breed is highly intelligent, yet stubborn, independent, and dominant, creating difficulty in training. The American Akita is very alert and aware of its surroundings, and loves to solve problems. As a pet, these dogs are obedient, loyal, loving, and affectionate. This breed enjoys spending time outdoors and playing games such as fetch and tug-of-war.
Train-ability
Due to its stubborn, independent, and dominant attitude, the American Akita can prove challenging to train. These dogs are known for growing bored and even annoyed with repetitive exercises and tasks, and can be especially hard to housebreak.
Establishing immediate dominance, trust, and respect is key to successfully training the American Akita. This breed requires a confident, strong, patient handler with experience training large breeds and a stern yet gentle approach.
Benefits and Disadvantages of the Breed
There are many benefits to owning an American Akita. These active dogs are always on the go, and are often quite amusing and entertaining to watch while at play. When properly socialized from a young age, the American Akita gets along well with small children and other pets. This breed is very protective and territorial, making an amazing watch and guard dog, announcing the arrival of guests and unwanted visitors, and serving as a deterrent to would-be intruders. The American Akita is obedient, loyal, loving, and affectionate, making an excellent family pet and companion alike.
Unfortunately, there are also disadvantages to owning an American Akita. This energetic and athletic breed requires large amounts of daily exercise and room to run and play. Anyone wishing to purchase this breed lacking the adequate amount of time and space to dedicate to the dog is strongly advised against doing so. An American Akita not receiving the proper amount of exercise and space will often act out by destroying property, chewing, barking, whining, and ignoring basic training such as housebreaking.
The American Akita has a strong instinct to hunt and will occasionally indulge in a good chase. When on the run, these large dogs are surprisingly quick, and may pose a threat to other animals, neighborhood pets, and small woodland creatures. The American Akita must be leashed or properly secured at all times when outdoors.
Like most Spitz breeds, the American Akita has a thick and full coat which requires almost constant attention such as brushing, bathing, and grooming in order to prevent matting and maintain its attractive appearance.
As previously mentioned, the American Akita remains very rare outside of the United States and can prove difficult to obtain. Individuals seeking to purchase this breed often encounter such challenges as inability to locate a breeder, high prices, and being placed on long waiting lists.
While the American Akita is typically known as a healthy and hearty breed, they do suffer from a few health problems, including: hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, glaucoma, cataracts, distichiasis – ingrown eye lashes, pemphigus – a condition causing the immune system to attack skin cells, various skin allergies and sensitivity, obesity, and bloat.
Now that you know all about the breed, do you think you are ready to own an American Akita? Remember, purchasing a pet is a big decision and should be discussed thoroughly and seriously with your entire family.
