No More Akita! :(

[Hydro]

Unfortunately the puppy Akita I was so waiting to get for the past 2 weeks was born with a disease and died on its way from the breeder

It was a little upsetting to hear that from the store owner who is a friend of mine, but I think it may have bettered of my decision. He offered me another Akita batch, born on March 28th but I decided to ask him a few questions about guard dogs. He told me Akita is a great guard dog, but sometimes it gets attached to certain people and that can be a very negative trait of a dog. We spoke about it for a good 20 minutes, and I have switched the puppy I am getting.

I am now getting an 8 week old German Shepherd, in 5 days! I'm even more anxious to get him now!

 

[blue]

That sucks. A friend years ago had an Akita that was an interesting dog and allmost landed them in trouble a few times but still a good dog. Better luck with the GSD.

 

[BigDog2191]

My Rocky's a 15-week-old GSD. I got him when he was six weeks old.

They're a lot of work and extremely stubborn. But all in all, it's well worth it.

If you have any questions or need any help, please feel free to ask.

They're wonderful guard dogs and I wish you luck.

 

[juliefurry]

I'm sorry to hear about your akita. They are such beautiful dogs. Although German Shepards are just as beautiful.

 

[azcowgirl]

aww im sorry about about your akita i have a german shepherd 1/4 chow chow and i usto have a purebred one but he was old and had hip displaysia but to tell you GSD's are i think really good dogs! cant wait to see pics

 

[bubbatd]

Sorry i'm slow...what did you mean "on it's way from the breeder " ???

 

[Gustav]

Unfortunately the puppy Akita I was so waiting to get for the past 2 weeks was born with a disease and died on its way from the breeder

It was a little upsetting to hear that from the store owner who is a friend of mine

I'm (confused) Were you getting your Akita pup from a pet store? And he died on the way to the store?

If this is the case then please read some of the responsable breeder posts, Back yard breeding can and does create litter after litter of unhealthy pups!!

Are you going to be getting the GSD from the same place?

As I say! I'm confused, doesn't take much at the best of times!

 

[avenlee]

I'm confused too Doesn't take me much either.

Sorry to hear about the Akita though. I frankly, wouldn't want another dog for a bit to get over the dissappointment. I just hope your not jumping into anything too soon.

Good luck and the best to you!

 

[Amstaffer]

Try a Akita Rescue program lots of good Akitas looking for good homes.

Try this
http://www.petfinder.org/
http://www.akitarescue.com/
http://www.akitarescue.org/
http://www.akitas.org/

There is a few good stops to start, but just go to google and enter Akita rescue and you get lots of links. They have Puppies to, not just older "problem" dogs. I got one of my Amstaffs from a Dog Rescue and she is wonderful!!

 

[poeluvr]

oh i am so sorry for ur akita....i am glad u are getting another pup...i have a feeling he'll be perfect!!

 

[smkie]

that would raise all kinds of red flags for me..where are u getting your pup from again? IF it is a pet store..i would rethink..in fact i would run away..and research a bit more.

 

[Amstaffer]

With all the shelters and rescues I can't imagine why anyone would buy from a petstore. If you want to have a show dog then a petstore is not the answer. For a show do you go to a dog show look at the different dogs and talk to a breeder who has the look that you like and talk to them about get one of their next litter. However....Please check out the shelters and rescues. Lots of great dogs who really really need you.

 

[gaddylovesdogs]

that would raise all kinds of red flags for me..where are u getting your pup from again? IF it is a pet store..i would rethink..in fact i would run away..and research a bit more.

Ditto. Pet Shops that sell puppies and/or kittens are up to no good.

 

[Doberluv]

double Ditto!

 

[Fran27]

Well mostly, if the pet shop is buying sick puppies, which is obviously the case, I would certainly not buy from them again...

 

[showpug]

It sounds like you asked whomever you were getting the Akita from about the breed characteristics last minute. This raises red flags for me! MAKE SURE YOU DO EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON THE BREED YOU DECIDE ON. Extensive research includes (reading books, attending dog shows, meeting and talking with breeders and owners etc.) A dog is a big deal and an important new addition to any family. GSD are good dogs, but they need a lot of socialization and training. They can be terrific, but you need to be educated on their strenghts and weaknesses before you dive into a purchase. Check to see what the main genetic health problems are with the breed and ask your breeder tons of questions about the tests they run, what problems they have had with health in the past etc. Any reputable breeder will ask you a ton of questions as well to see if you would be compatible with one of their dogs. Many have you fill out an application and do a reference check and home inspection. If the person you are getting your puppy from did not do any of this, then I would re-think your choice of breeder. GSD are powerful and at times a stubborn breed, you don't want to get one that is poorly bred and pre-disposed to temperment issues. Please do your research so you choose the breed that is right for you. Never buy a dog based on looks or a movie you watched. All dogs are different and require different needs to be met etc. Good luck.

 

[poeluvr]

i think showpug makes an excellent. GSD's are beautiful, but dont just get it because it is a guard dog they need much work, and since the natural guard dog is alrady in them socializing is key!

 

[Hydro]

My friend Mike, owns a pet store. All their pups are AKC registered and they are bred by private breeders. They are not from puppy mills, and he got me a pure breed GSD. They weren't too big on Akita breeders they had one or two and the puppy they drove to the shop went to their private vet checkup and came up with a disease in its blood. Their dogs come with guarantees to ensure their health, if the pup gets sick at any time or anything happens within its first year they will do everything for you. I'd rather trust my buddy, rather than a shelter or anyone else.

We have a dog trainer from the former Soviet-Union who trained German Shepherds for 23 years to be attack dogs. He's going to help me train it.

 

[Amstaffer]

We have a dog trainer from the former Soviet-Union who trained German Shepherds for 23 years to be attack dogs. He's going to help me train it.

Train it to do what? I hope you are not going to encourage your dog to be aggressive. German Shep. are plenty protective naturally, you don't need to encourage them further. Also make sure you talk to you insurance agent, if your dog ever bites someone and they uncover the fact that he was trained to do any bite work....your in big money trouble!

Pet stores-- The reason most dog people are against Pet Stores selling puppies is the vast majority of them are unethical. Just because dogs have AKC papers does not mean they have been well bred or taken care of correctly. Plus they charge WAY too much for a dog. You can (with a little research) find plenty of good breeders that can get you a much better dog for a lot less $$. Better yet you can go to a shelter and save a dog who really needs a good home.

 

[Debi]

Just gonna second that thought that I hope you do NOT train your dog to be aggressive. I can assure you, GSDs are quite capable of being a protective dog without any 'attack' training. I am hoping you meant he will just help you with general obdience training. Also..just throwing this info out there..in my area, homeowner insurance is much higher for some breeds..GSDs being one of them....so I'm agreeing with Amstaffer....you want to be careful on what you train your dog to do. It could be a HUGE liability.