American Akita - Description of the Breed and Character of the Dog

Representatives of the breed American Akita like every dog ​​lover. They have a beautiful view and a good build. Dogs are confident. But, if you want to buy such a dog for yourself, do not forget that their character is quite complicated. They received this trait from ancestors from Japan. Therefore, choose a dog not only according to external characteristics.

Breed history

The ancestors of this breed are Japanese and English dogs. According to sources, the breed belongs to the ancients. Mention of it is found even in ancient products. But officially this breed is quite new. She appeared when the ports of Japan opened in 1854. People from all over the world began to come to Japan, and brought representatives of the breed home.

When these dogs arrived in the USA, specialists immediately set about breeding and improving their features. The years of World War II had a very bad effect on the breed. A lot of dogs were destroyed. But few individuals were exported from the United States. They were considered American dogs that came from Japan.

Larger dogs were added to the breed. Breeders used bullmastiffs and mastiffs for this. Later, the breed began to be restored. This happened in her homeland. Introduced a color limit. And in the USA they continued to breed larger dogs. Outwardly, they have differences from the Japanese breed Akita Inu.

Breed description

Japanese Akita and their American relatives are very similar. But there are still differences. American dogs are larger, their coat can have a more diverse color. Their head is larger, it has the shape of a triangle.

These large dogs have wide bones. Dogs grow up to 72 cm, and bitches are about 5 cm lower. The weight of the breed representative is 65-70 kg. The Japanese brother weighs only 45 kg. Here is a description of the standard:

1. Brown eyes, small size. The nose has a black lobe, but if the dog is white, then the lobe may be brown.
2. The ears are small. They are standing and leaning slightly forward.
3. Powerful neck with good muscles.
4. The limbs are powerful and strong. The paws are fleshy and large.
5. The tail is fluffy, curled with a ringlet.

The hair of representatives of the breed is straight and thick. The undercoat is also very thick. Wool can be of different lengths and colors. But, if there are spots, they should be clearly delineated. The color of the coat may vary from the color of the undercoat.

A long-haired variation of the breed, which was called akita-longnik, was also randomly bred. These dogs have longer hairs on their limbs, ears and tail. Today, Akita with long hair is considered a consequence of a genetic disorder. There is always the possibility that a long-haired puppy will be born to parents with hair of normal length.

Dog character

Previously, Japanese Akita hunted animals and guarded people and chic palaces. Their American descendants gained some of their instincts and character traits.

Representatives of the breed are independent dogs with a stable psyche. But, if you have never had a dog before, and you decide to buy a pet, then you should not choose akita. Their owner must have a certain experience and character.

The dog will not tolerate rudeness and negligence in relation to itself. The owner should be calm, but show that he is the leader. Akita require constant attention and communication. Representatives of the breed bark rarely, so they can be attributed to quite peaceful and friendly dogs. If the dog is barking, then there is a reason for this. To those people with whom the dog constantly communicates, he becomes attached.It concerns strangers rather indifferently.

If the host's guests are guests, then the dog will meet them quite well-mannered and calmly. But, if there are no owners, and at this time someone makes an attempt to enter the house, then the attacker will not be greeted.

Note! Akita do not get along well with other animals, they can behave aggressively with them. Therefore, keeping them along with other pets is undesirable.

Walking with American Akita is better on a leash. The dog may not listen to commands, run around the yard and scare away animals and birds.

With children, they get along well. If the child and the dog grew up in a family together or the baby grows in front of the dog, then they will have a good relationship. But in order to avoid trouble, you should not leave the baby alone with the dog. If the child is too active and makes a lot of noise, the dog may decide that it is a danger to her beloved master.

These dogs are very loyal to the owner, but this devotion must be earned. Provided that you are brought up correctly, you will get a true friend. If the dog is not raised, she will become shy and naughty.

Training

Training representatives of the breed is very difficult. To do this, you need not only to have experience with dogs, but also to arm yourself with knowledge about the characteristics of the breed. Otherwise, it simply does not work out to train and educate a pet. Akita is not one of those dogs that obediently execute commands a hundred times a day. Before obeying, the pet will think about it, evaluate the situation, and only then will decide whether to respond to the command. If the dog decides that the owner gave him a useless task, then it will not be completed.

If the owner knows about these features, he will be psychologically prepared for the fact that it will take a long time to train Akita. This will be a real test of patience and endurance. If you are not sure that you are ready to go for it, or you do not have enough time and character, then it is better to give preference to a more obedient breed. There are many breeds of dogs that are not so difficult to train.

If you still decide, then for training it is recommended to choose the form of the game. In addition, the owner should get to know the dog better in order to understand its mood. Akita do not like boring activities that require multiple accomplishment of the same tasks. The dog will get bored and stop executing commands quite quickly. If this happens, you can entertain the dog with a toy or motivate something delicious. In no case do not use force against Akita. This will not only discourage the desire to learn, but also cause a strong resentment. After that, it will be very difficult to restore the dog’s confidence. The desire to practice is also very dependent on the mood of the dog. If Akita does not want to train, then it is better not to persevere and postpone training for another day.

American Akita is one of those dog breeds that have the character and cleanliness, allowing them to be kept even in an apartment. These dogs do not make excessive noise and have no unpleasant smell. Places for them, too, will not be needed. Many contain representatives of this breed in the yard. This option is also acceptable. These dogs have a thick coat. They are not afraid of either intense heat or frost.

If you live in an apartment, but still decide to buy an American Akita, immediately think about whether you will have time to walk with such a dog for a long time. The owner of a private house can simply let the dog go so that he can walk on his own. On the other hand, it is important to remember that these dogs need communication. If the dog lives on the street, attention must be paid to it. Lack of communication will lead to a stressful state of the pet.

Also, Akita masters should know another characteristic. At the first opportunity, the dog can run away, as they are distinguished by a special love of freedom. If the animal lives in the yard, make the fence higher and consider the possibility of undermining.During the walk you need to hold the leash tightly. After all, Akita is quite capable of starting a fight with other dogs.

Representatives of the breed love to dominate, so they can coexist with their own kind only if they recognize its leadership. And if there will be small animals in the apartment, then the Akita will begin to hunt them.

Care

Leaving is not difficult. Combing Akita should be every month. When the dog molts, naturally combing it is recommended more often. But this applies to dogs that live in the house.

If you are the owner of a dog that belongs to the show class, then before the exhibition it will not hurt to take the pets to a special salon, where it will be brought in proper order. If the claws of the dog do not grind, then they need to be cut. The ears and teeth of the pet also require attention.

Akita Nutrition

A representative of this breed, like many others, can be fed with finished food or cook it yourself. If you decide to buy food, then choose the highest quality one that fits the size of the dog and its age. You can buy food that contains fish. Ready-made food has certain advantages. If you do not save on your pet and buy good food, you can be sure that there are already all the substances that are needed to maintain the health of the dog.

If for some reason you prefer to cook food for your pet yourself, then Akita will require products such as cottage cheese. It should be low in fat and be fortified with calcium. Of other fermented milk products, representatives of this breed need kefir and yogurt. They also need animal protein in the form of eggs and lean meat. If you give meat or fish, you need to cook them.

Aitas often like different fruits. You can give them apples, berries and even bananas. It depends on what your pet loves. It is better to feed the puppy more often, but gradually transfer it to three meals a day, and then to two meals a day. The dog should not be given more food than it eats at a time. If the feed remains, then the serving is best reduced.

Here is an example of an adult Akita diet

1. 700 g of meat. At the same time, it should be non-greasy. For example, chicken, turkey. You should not feed the dog pork or other fatty meat. It could hurt him.
2. Croup should be around 350 g. The best option would be rice and or buckwheat. Porridge for the pet is cooked with vegetables and meat. You can add greens and oil.
3. About 500 g - fruits and vegetables. They should mostly be fresh.

Food intended for the day is divided into two parts. It is also very useful to add such additives to food.

1. If you periodically add dried kale to your dog’s food, the coat will be healthy and shiny.
2. Eating eggs will also improve the condition of the dog’s coat.
3. If you replace meat with fish once a week, increasing the mass by 2 times, this will saturate your pet's body with fatty acids and minerals.

Vitamins should be selected based on the recommendations of the veterinarian.

Puppy price

Akits are a rarity in Russia. Sometimes you can see the Japanese representative, but the American ones are even more rare. But in some large cities of the country there are nurseries that deal specifically with American Akita. The price of a puppy depends on its class.

1. If he does not have a pedigree, then the price varies from 10 to 12 thousand rubles. But in this case, the buyer runs the risk of stumbling upon a cross or a puppy having defects.
2. A puppy that is not intended for breeding due to non-compliance with standards, but is a representative of the breed and has no disease, costs about 15 thousand rubles.
3. Puppies that have a pedigree, and subsequently can be used for reproduction, but have minor flaws that will not allow them to participate in competitions and exhibitions, will cost about 20-30 thousand rubles.
4. At least 50 thousandrubles will have to pay for a representative who is a descendant of eminent dogs, and will subsequently be able to participate in competitions and exhibitions.

In the end, we can say that American Akita are big dogs with good stamina. They are distinguished by a certain self-respect, which does not allow them to behave stupidly and be distracted by rubbish. You need to buy such a dog for people with a strong character and determination. Only such a person will be able to raise from Akita a good faithful friend and favorite of the whole family.

Video: American Akita dog breed