My New Japanese Akita

[Hydro]

Hey everyone, I'm new to this forum and I'd like to introduce myself. My names Alex and I am in the United States Marines. I recently put a deposit on a puppy Akita who is 9 weeks old the day I will pick him up. I was looking for a website where I can discuss my new pet with other people. I have never owned a dog or any kind of pet before except a goldfish.

I am going to pick up my pup on Wednesday and I was wondering what other things I need. Such as dog food, leash, wee-pads (he'll be staying inside for his younger days), I guess a brush but he sheds twice a year, maybe toys? Anything you guys can recommend to me would be awesome and a lot of help!

I would love some contact info of anyone who may have owned or owns an Akita, whether it's a phone number, AIM, MSN, or an e-mail address! Thanks!

 

[Gustav]

Hello Alex and Pup and welcome!!!!!! Toys are a must!! A good toy is a Kong you can stuff them with things like peanut butter and freeze them, it keeps them entertained for hours trying to get the peanut butter out!! lol

A good food is Innova! It is the nearest thing to natural food! But there is a wealth of info in the dog food section!!

 

[Sapphire-Light]

I s japanese one?? cool!!!
I like a LOT more the japanese than the american, the great japanese dog.

I don't know why the AKC don't wan't them to recinize

 

[joce]

Congrats! I would stay away from the pads though. It only seems to confuse the dogs. YOu definately need to read up and get into some training groups eventually. The akitas I know are quite a challenge Good luck!

 

[3furkids]

Getting a new member of the family is so exciting! Wow, you are getting a lot of dog for your first one! Once you get your new baby you may want to look into a puppy class. They are so much fun and you get to learn some training techniques and socialization.

Congrats!

 

[Vickih]

Welcome to the site

 

[Love4Pits]

My roomate i guess thats what i would call him has a 6 year old Japanese Akita named Buzz. Be prepared for a dog that is going to want to challenge you 100% of the time. Their not recommended for 1st time dog owners but i think you will be fine . Puppy years will be filled with tough house training and sharp needle like puppy teeth and lot of yips and barks and growls. Just be patient and all will be good. Alot of socialization is the key with a Akita the more new experiences you introduce your puppy too the more well adjusted dog you will have in the future that is no way threatening. Good luck I love Akitas .


He'll need to be brushed daily the older he gets no matter his shedding pattern he will shed all year long just not in large amounts. When they lose their winter coats is the worst. But grooming is key and baths get a good puppy shampoo or I use regular Baby Shampoo. He will definatly need toys the more toys the less he will chew on things you don't want him to . Puppy kongs are great but just about anything is great NO RAWHIDES though there horrible for dogs. A bed or crate if you don't want him in the bed with you are good. A baby gate or crate for when your not home and you don't want him getting hurt you will either want to put him in the crate or put him in a play pen of gated off puppy proof area of the house where its easy to clean up messes.

Just a thought training a puppy to go on puppy pads like you will be doing often makes the transition to real housetraining a problem in the future. Unless you have anouther reason other then hes's young it would be fine for him to start house training at a young age. I would also reccomend that when he is old enough to have him neutered it will mellow him out a bit and keep him from wondering.

Im a musher and own over 25 dogs all but 4 are racing/working dogs. So any other advice or questions i will be happy to answer I have alot of experience .

 

[Renee750il]

Welcome, Alex! I had a wonderful companion, Bear, a rescued German Shepherd/Akita mix for years. Undoubtedly one of the most intelligent creatures I've ever known - and one of the most gentlemanly. He became a certified animal therapist through the University of Tennessee and was a huge favorite with the kids at the runaway shelter and the women and children at the spouse abuse shelter we visited - especially after he ran two men off who were looking to drag an abused woman and her kids out of the shelter!

You'll really want to consider ditching the wee pad idea and training him to do his thing outside. He's going to grow quickly and so will his puddles. It's also much easier to teach them about outdoor toilet habits if you haven't already trained them to go inside.

He's going to shed more than twice a year, lol! Daily brushing will keep the shedding under control and he'll learn to enjoy it if it's an everyday treat.

The most important thing you can remember when raising a pup like this is that you must earn his respect. Never take it for granted and never, ever make the mistake of using fear as a shortcut to earning your dog's respect. An Akita won't forget and as he matures will lose his fear - and respect - for you. These are highly intelligent creatures - smarter than a lot of the people you'll meet, lol!

A valuable tool I've always used with my dogs to bond and establish our relationship is sharing my last bite of food with my dog(s). Only the last bite. Never, ever the first bite or while I am eating.

You'll need to socialize your pup well and early so he grows up understanding the difference between normal behaviours and threatening behaviours and how to have good manners out in public. It's incredibly rewarding to be able to take your dog with you into all sorts of social situations and have people marvel over what a well mannered and handsome creature he is - and an Akita with impeccable manners is just over the top!

 

[smkie]

bitter apple, spray or gel..or both haha renee..we do last bite here too!

 

[gaddylovesdogs]

Congratulations on your pup and welcome to the boards!! My neighbors have an Akita...I can't say their my favorite breed, but their gorgeous dogs.

I would stay away from pads. They kind of confuse the dog....just take him outside to go every hour or so. He should catch on pretty quickly. That's what we did with the girls and it worked very well .

For dog food, I highly recommend brands like Innova, Wellness, and Flint River Ranch. Stay away from brands like IAMS/Eukanuba and Pedigree.

My three dogs have nylon buckle collars and nylon leashes. We also have a large Flexi, rarely used though. And two leather collars for special days.

I really like slicker brushes. Great for loose hair.

My dogs' favorite toys are kongs and tennis balls. You can fill kongs with food and freeze them to keep your puppy busy while your gone. It'll occupy his mind and the puppy kongs are good for teething.

 

[Hydro]

Thank you for all the help ladies and gents! I've gotten some great information from you guys! About the discipline, I also have heard that, you must train the Akita by shouting and never by smacking or contact. Sounds a little bit hard to believe, that shouting can train the dog to fear you and show it that you are it's leader. My brother had a Doberman Pinscher, and it was his first dog and I believe he gave it a little smack with a newspaper when it would misbehave but now the dog is completely crazy. Once again thank you very much! If you guys would like, I'll put up some pictures of my pup when I get him.

 

[sharpeilover]

you must never hit a dog, it will just fear u after a bit, i wouldnt shout at the dog either, u use a deep voice on the dog when hes doing something wrong, if he gets hold of yr shoe in a deep voice NO. so when he done something good, its a happy voice oh wat a good boy, then the dog will then know when hes done wrong by the sound of yr voice.

 

[gaddylovesdogs]

If my dogs have been EXTREMELY bad they get a slap on the backend, but it's not hard. Just enough to let them know we mean business. Otherwise a strong, loud, "NO! BAD DOG!" works perfectly fine. If they've torn something up or made a mess (which rarely happens), we point at it and say, "What's this? NO! BAD DOG!" and they get a time out while we clean up.

 

[Renee750il]

Shouting won't help at all. It just excites a dog more and they get confused. A quiet stern voice works much better. Mine thoroughly understand the concept of "dammit" especially when muttered under my breath

 

[3furkids]

Dogs respond really well to positive training techniques. I love using a clicker. The best training tool I have.

Yelling and hitting can make problems worse. Have your heard of NILIF (Nothing in Life is Free)?

http://www.ddfl.org/tips.htm

Just scroll down a bit.

http://www.clickertraining.com/home/

Just cause I love this website!

Okay, I don't know why the links are not working. Copy and paste into your browser.

 

[Renee750il]

Oh, very important! Your dog doesn't obey you or respect you because it fears you - that's a terrible (and with a dog like an Akita, risky) tactic. Respect has nothing at all to do with fear, and everything to do with a bond built on love and trust.

Think about it. Could you respect someone who had to stoop so low as to try to use fear as a control mechanism?

 

[Hydro]

That's how we train new recruits in the Marines, haha!

 

[Hydro]

Also what kind of Vet visits should I be making. I really have no idea, and I'm totally new to this. I heard about booster shots, also I read about behavioral assessment tests and so on. Can you people inform me. I can't say thank you enough for helping me from the start everyone!

 

[3furkids]

Hydro, I sent you a PM about possible trainers in your area!

 

[Renee750il]

That's how we train new recruits in the Marines, haha!

You'll find your Akita much more difficult than raw recruits, and not nearly as willing to take orders without a reason, lol! These are THINKING dogs.

As far as vet visits go, your breeder should tell you what boosters your pup will need and when. It's always a good idea to take your new pup in for your vet to look over fairly soon after you bring him home. Your vet should also appreciate it if you'll bring your pup in for little social visits periodically so he can get to know the vet, techs and others who will be handling him before any unpleasant things (like shots, temperature taking, etc.) take place so that he'll know and trust these people. They should play with him and pet him a bit and put him on the scales to get used to being handled. You shouldn't be charged for social visits; a good vet will appreciate your concern for the safety of the staff as an Akita is a big dog that is temperamentally not extremely tolerant of being handled by strangers. Truthfully, if the vet doesn't do this I'd look for another vet. Mine was THRILLED when I suggested it with my Filas, lol! He's one of the few who has actually heard of them and he'd worked with one in the past. He knows "the Look."