Our Akita Puppy

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Our Akita Puppy (Updated 12/03)

Never got round to getting pics of our Akita puppy "Archie" posted on the t'internet until now, so I thought I'd share them with the good people of OcUK

Archie at 5 weeks and still at the breeders

At 7 weeks, on his first day in his new home

At 9 weeks with his favorite toy.... a plant pot

14 weeks on Christmas day (blame the g/f for him looking like a tit )

And finally as he is now at 16 weeks old, weighing 27kg and still putting on around 2-3kg a week.

 

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How heavy do they get when full grown? How much more does it have to grow? Its huge after 4 months, our lab is 4 months old and is tiny compared!!

The breed standard for a full grown male is about 110-120 lbs and around 27-29 inches to the top of his front shoulders

However his dad, seen here
http://calicelesti.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/page1.html
I'm told is around 10 stone (140 Ibs).

I'm told his colour is exactly thesame as his dads was at his age so I'm hoping he'll turn out like him, but tbh he's gonna look great whatever colour he goes

 

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whats his kennel name?

His kennel name (which wasn't chosen by me I would like to add) is....

Captain Caveman!

Tbh it suits him down to the ground

 

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Hi. Do you have any other pets at all? any other dogs in the neighbourhood?

Hi

We've got a cat aswell, they both get on really well, but sometimes Archie can play a little rough, which gets a little too much for her, so she will just go upstairs for a bit.

There are a fair few other dogs in our neighbourhood, a few staffies, german shepards and border collies, a couple of labs, a bullmastiff, and a really old Akita, which incidently was the 1st Akita I'd ever seen back in 2000, and was the dog that made think I'm going to get one of those when my circumstances are right, and here we are nearly 8 years on with our own

 

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Out of interest where abouts is the breeder and approx how much did he cost you?

Arhcie's mum is just from a famliy pet in Glossop. She isn't a show dog but has fantastic pedigree, one of the lines in her family tree was an american dog that was brought across specifically for one mating then took back. Before we bough him we checked the KC certificate and there were only 3 none Challenge Certificate winners in 5 generations.

Archies Dad is from a show kennel in Derby, I was looking for a dog like him so spoke to the breeder who informed me of the panned mating with Archies mum and after the litter was born we went to see the pups picked one and put the deposit down there and then

Archie cost £700, which considering his pedigree is a steal, if his mother had been a CC winner he'd have cost a lot more.

Prices for Akita pups vary from about £500 for lower quality pet quality ones and back yard bred dogs, to £1,000's for top quality show dogs. when looking at pups we visited a Kennel in Doncaster called Redwitch, which is arguably the best Akita kennel in the world, the owner said he would charge £800 for a pet quality dog, when I asked about the price for a show quality pup he just said "a lot" and left it at that. Which kind left the imprression if you have to ask you can't afford it.

 

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Nice pictures and a beautiful dog.

May I ask what their temperment is like as know little about them.

Thanks.

The temperment with the family is fantastic they are friendly, loving, very playful, and amazingly loyal. they do make great pets. In fact their loyalty is pretty well known especially in Japan as this story attests tohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachik%C5%8D

With strangers when mature they reserved and quite aloof, they aren't the kind of dog that go looking for a fuss from strangers, but when properly introduced to people they are friendly once they get to know them a little.

They are a VERY dominant breed, they will try to stamp their authority on every dog they see. Archie has a slight problem with this he will sometimes try and act dominant when he sees another dog, this has included a 5 year old Doberman we met when out walking one day, but we're going to training classes so this will get corrected.

 

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Ok awesome. Just curious cause i've always loved Akitas, but i'd heard they were very terrotorial and protective of family, and that they dont get on too well with strange animals (ie not living in the house). I'm always dubious of accounts that generalise entire breeds because i firmly believe it's how you bring them up (i spent my dog's puppyhood pretending it was a moron and sure enough, it's now thick as pigpoo).

Beautiful Dogger.

They are very terrotorial and make great guard dogs without any real need for training. In Japan mothers would leave Akitas to guard their children while they were out working, collecting food etc. However I'd be wary of buying one from a breeder who talks a lot about their dogs guarding instinct and training they've had, Akitas are very smart and take training to heart. It's fact that Akita who have had guard training would not be suitable for a normal family pet.

The breed was developed for hunting(not fighting) so they have a very high prey drive and will happily chase anything fast moving.

Couldn't agree more about stereotyping breeds, unfortunatly when Akitas get bad press they often labelled as fighting dogs and you hear the press saying they were bred for fighting. This isn't true, they were bred hunting large game (dears, bears etc) and as guard dogs for the emperor in northern Japan, specifically the Akita prefecture in the Odate region. They were used for fighting because of their size and stregth, but when the Tosa was developed Akitas were retired from the ring and carried on with their hunting and guard jobs.

 

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I can't see these being cheap puppies. But tbh can you put a price on the happyness and joy they bring. I wouldn't go pedigree for any old reason. I'd want to see mum and dad and check the dogs out etc as best as possible! I guess like anything they are worth what people are willing to pay. If I went and saw one my bank account would be bleeding .

Thats the thing, I'd rather pay more and get a dog from a decent pedigree, preferably from a show line. So you know the dogs stand the best chance of being ailment free and should also inherit a sound temprement.

 

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Pretty big post incoming

Very nice mate.

Got a few questions if you don't mind, have been thinking of getting a dog myself and the breed looks very interesting. Got no experience with dogs so am a bit wary about getting one. I've heard that they are very dominant so I am worried how they will deal with other people and whether for someone with no experience with pets if they might be too difficult for me.

Thanks

They are very dominant and when grown up will between 8 & 10 stone, so they aren't a dog for everyone. However there are things that can be done to curb the dominance, socialisation with other dogs is very important from a young age, preferaby big dogs, who will be able to put the puppy in it's place.
For a non show dog getting it castrated at 6 months will definatley help curb the dominance, by removing his nads you'll stop the supply of testosterone and the urge to mate dead in it's tracks and this will get you a calmer more friendly dog. Also with castration you are removing the chances for the dog getting testicular cancer later in life. Like all blokes when it was first suggested to me before we got Archie I didn't like the idea, and if we decide not to show him then it's fairer on him, they'll be able to smell a bitch in heat from a fair distance and it's not fair on the dog, having strong mating usrges and not being able to do anything about it.

Got a very large garden as well and it is easy to get out of the property and in the summer there are usually loads of rabbits around so don't want the dog going mental chasing after them!

To be fair for their size they don't require that much exercise, but will be able to handle as much as you can give them. Our garden is really long and narrow and he loves tearing up and down it so the bigger garden the better. However - and this a big however, as a breed developed for hunting they have a strong prey drive and will chase anything small and fast moving, they are also very inquisitive and if they can get out of the garden so they can go exploring, there's a good chance they will.

Also not sure how they are with strangers, especially children.

It depends on how well they are socialised really, after a couple of days of settling in we got as many people to come round and see Archie as possible, and of course he got a lot of fuss so he's now pleased to see people after we've welcomed them in. Same when out on the street, if people come up to us to ask about him(and LOTS do ) he's fine as again he's been out and about and had positive expiriences with them. With Children again it's important to socialise them with kids when they are puppies, they grow at such a rate that they will quickly becime bigger than children and if they are playing boisterously could hurt them. When researching the breed before getting one, every book and breeder you will speak to will always tell you never, ever leave dogs and children together unattended.

I've still got a lot to learn to be honest and am finding out more about Akitas each day. Check out these websites you'll get some great information about Akitas on here.

http://www.akitarescue.org.uk/
http://www.jawt.co.uk/

One thing is for sure they aren't a dog that everyone would want to own, but put in the research before getting one and the work when you get a puppy and you'll get a friendly very playful, extremely intelligent and devoted friend
Hope this helps a little.

 

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to be honest I hate all dogs, rather have a cat any day

Think you're in the wrong thread mate

 

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I am very jealous

I want an akita, I wanted one for so long, parents wont let me yet!

lol know the feeling, I waited 7 years for my circumstances to be right before I got one.

 

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No worries

It'll probably be the same with any dog to be honest, if theres a way to get out of your garden they will, the only difference is if it was a Labrador walking down the road people would want to fuss it, but if it was an Akita they'd call the police. You can get things from pet shops that are like large corkscrews that are pushed about a foot into the ground and have a lead attached to them so the dog can run around but not get anywhere, although I'd be wary of using something like this with a dog with the strength of an Akita, they'd probably just end up happily trotting down the road with a large piece of metal been dragged behind them.

With regards to kids, if it's taught to behave properly around people you shouldn't have problems with kids coming round, as long both are supervised you should be ok, just make sure they treat the dog with respect and get them to play away from your Akita so as not to arouse it's guarding instincts

 

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Evening all.

At the request of a breeder we got talking to at Cruft last Saturday I took some pics for her, Also thought I'd share them with you all. He's 5 months old, stands 24' at the shoulder and weighs 5 1/2 stone.

Here he is on Monday morning while doing some training with his new Halti Harness

 

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A Halti Harness

 

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Its getting huge. How much does it cost to feed?

It costs about £60 a month at the mo, we feed him Enukaunba Puppy (Large Breed) food, it'll go up as he gets bigger. But puppy food is more expensive than adult food.

 

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how do you bring up the puppy around working?

Its just, i'm going to get one exactly the same as yours after I finish uni, but if you're work 9-5 who looks after the pup during the day?

We walk him before work, I leave at 07:30 the g/f leaves at 08:30, either myself of the g/f will come home around 12ish for 1/2 an hour to let him out to go to the toilet and have a 10 min walk to stretch his legs etc, then I'm home from work around 16:15. he then goes on his evening walk around 18:00ish

Also mt parents live about a 5 min walk away and they absolutely love him so they spend at least 3 days a week round at our house with him while we're at work so the most he spends on his own is about 3 1/2 hours, but some weeks he'll have almost constant company all day.

Beautiful dog!

I'm just a tad worried as to why you chose THAT breed though ...... ?

I hope that you socialise him early and that he learns to play and have fun with other dogs.

Sorry to sound a little aggressive, it's just that I see/hear so many people with Akitas/Bull terriers/Pit bull crosses etc that I have become very sceptical as to why one would coose that breed.

Thanks, and you've answered part of your own question there, they are quite the most spectacular breed of dog I've ever seen. I've waited for my circumstances to be right before I got one, it took nearly eight years for that to happen.

The first time I saw one I amazed, and promised myself I'd get one eventually and while waiting did a lot of research into the breed and its characteristics & qualities were really appealing I visited breeders dog shows, to see them first hand

Don't think you're being aggresive tbh, they are an extrmely dominant breed and when we're out with him we keep him on the lead at all times. When we collected him from the breeder, one of their children informed us quite innocently that we'd picked the dog was the dominant one and he could be a bit of a bully. There are some dogs he likes and is happy to meet, but there are some dogs he doesn't like.

Unfortunatley like you say there are certain breeds that attract the wrong sort of owner due to their appearance and parts of their history. the owners who know the breed make the effort to socialise their dogs and make sure they are under control at all times when out in public, are the ones who you never hear about, when we're out we get stopped a lot by people wanting to ask all kinds of questions about him.

Awesome looking dog How is the training with the Halti going?

Dog with socks rocks

Thanks, the training is going well, I'm happy walking him on a normal lead, but as he's getting bigger and pretty strong we bought the halti to give the g/f (and my mum if she ever holds the lead when they are out) a bit more control, he sometimes pulls if there are strange dogs around of we are in unfamiliar place, but the hlati seems to be doing the trick.

Hows your Boxer getting on? Sorry to hear about you having to get a rat on a rope Ay luck in talking her out of it?

 

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Archie is the same, we've recently finished a puppy training class, and he would be fine with the commands and obidient when doing the training, but the minute another dog would bark or act up he'd start.

We don't him him off lead outside unless it's in an enclosed space, there is a tennis court on the park across the road from us where he has a run around, but off lead anywhere else and he'd be off over the nearest hill.

 

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still really angry with you wordy!

i want that dog lol

Cool, I'll give you a shout the next time he starts acting up

 

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Time for an update I think.

Archie is now 8 months old, I got talked out of showing him so he was castrated at 7 months. At the moment he's about 28" tall at the shoulder and weighs 7 stone. The castration hasn't altered his temprament all that much yet, but we've been told by the vet that the testosterone already built up in his system will take a while to clear,. He's still very boisterous around other dogs and gets very excited when we get visitors.

From my expiriences with owning an Akita so far it seems they are very much a love or hate 'em dog, while walking the comments we get are for the vast majority positive. On the same walk we can get people crossing the road to avoid him then crossing back after they've got past us, to people in cars slowing down to admire him or on one occasion stopping to ask about him.

Anyway enough yakking heres some pics.

Here he is on todays morning walking checking a couple of horses out

He's currently blowing his coat (Shedding) and for the last week we've been brushing him everyday. today we got a big shedding brush and the result is on the bottom letf of these pics.

Wanting to play

Posing

I left a box of tissues on the side, went upstairs for 30 seconds and this is what I was greeted with

And finally Archie saying hello to next doors cat, who he absolutly loves.

When he stands up like that he's about 5'8. the g/f is 5'10 and he's almost as tall as her.

 

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Oh and the fur is a killer, in the picture above you see all that fur in the bottom left, you get that at least once a week in summer, it's hell.

They need a big open spaces and quite a bit of exercise. And the personalities of each dog can be very interesting, ours loved fast food lol.

But he was very loyal and protective, affectionate and always fun to play with. I wouldn't however recommend them as a first dog as they can be quite complicated and hands on to look after.

And they all are beautiful

The fur has been the same for a the last couple of weeks, he usually gets a quick brush every day, but at the weekends he get a proper comb, and that fur was about the same amount each time.

Ours has a thing for fruit and veg, he absolutley loves carrots, especially frozen ones

To be honest I thought it was a bit of an overstatement about them not been good for first timers, and thought "how hard can it be?" but he's so strong willed, has such a dominant temprament, and is so powerful. my parents had a labrador when I was a child and this is the first dog I've owned, and after having him for 6 months I can see why they aren't recommend for first timers.

My god, he's huge. Lovely dog, but I could never own one that big - he'd destroy our house.

To be honest he's been fine round the house, the only damge he's caused, apart from a shredding a couple of boxes of tissues, is chewing one corner of the skirting board in the kitchen, which you can see in the pic with the tissues.

Haha love it! Brilliant picture. Love the way hes still stood there staring at it like its going to repair itself or something.

It was great, he just stood there looked at me then pretended to just notice the tissues as if to say "how'd that happen?" but he forgot he'd still got a bit of the box in his mouth