Characteristics of the American Akita dog breed. American Akita training course at home American Akita how to raise a smart dog

The American Akita has self-esteem and some stubbornness, so the upbringing and training of the American Akita has a number of features.

The American Akita will perceive tiring long lessons extremely negatively. She needs to do everything thoughtfully, slowly and measuredly. Give your pet time to learn the necessary skills.

The best way to turn the American Akita against yourself is to be aggressive or even overly strict towards her.

In the upbringing and training of the American Akita, stock up on patience, reasonable caution, perseverance and endurance. The dog can become your teacher in this.

First of all, establish contact with the puppy. And remember that any coercion and violence on your part will be met with hostility.

Education and training of the American Akita: what and how to teach?

The American Akita can make an excellent sled dog or guard dog. However, no matter what specialization you choose, first of all you should master the basic commands: “Come”, “Sit”, “Lie down”, “Next”, “Place”, “Fu” and “No”. On our website you can get acquainted with the initial training of the dog. Remember that these commands must be executed flawlessly, because they are the key to the safety of the pet and your peace of mind.

Be sure to praise the four-legged student in a timely manner and try to add variety to the learning process. Puppy training takes place exclusively in the form of a game, so show your imagination and creativity.

American Akita training at home- the task is feasible, but rather difficult. We can say that an experienced owner or a competent dog handler can cope with this. If you have just started your journey as a dog owner, then from time to time you can fall into despair. Therefore, it is worth finding a good specialist in advance who can help if you and your dog find yourself in a dead end.

Sometimes American Akitas are prone to mood swings. A dog can be sociable and affectionate, and then suddenly become sad and withdrawn. This feature should also be taken into account in the process of training the American Akita at home.

If you do everything right, your efforts will be rewarded and you will get a wonderful friend, loyal and intelligent.

Apprentice Angel – Minsk, November 2014

The history of the formation of the American Akita breed is a continuation of the history of the Japanese Akita Inu (it is described in sufficient detail in the article “Akita Inu” under the heading “My students”), but with a peculiar American “accent”. The first Akita Inu appeared in the USA in 1937 and practically from the first days of their stay on North American soil they became very popular. After the end of World War II, the US military brought a new generation of Akita Inu from the Japanese islands.

With American breeders, this breed continued to be very popular because of its extraordinary beauty, quick wit and excellent ability to adapt to various climatic conditions. Very little time passed, and on the basis of the Akita Inu breed, a new breed was formed, more stocky, massive and large, with a greater variety of colors and softer coats, so Akitas in the United States began to differ significantly from their relatives from Japan. Already by 1955, the United States had its own type of Akita, and since then this type and characteristics of dogs have not changed.

In 1972, the American Akita was recognized by the American Kennel Club. On April 4, 1973, the American Akita was granted official breed status. In 1998, the FCI (Federation Cynologique Internationale) recognized two independent breeds: the American Akita and the Akita Inu.

Currently, the American Akita is used as a companion dog, an excellent guard and protector of his family in extreme situations (and, as a rule, there is no need to specially train dogs for this).

In addition, these dogs can be used as a sled dog - it is ideally suited for long hikes with great physical exertion.

FEATURES OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

The American Akita is smart, calm, self-confident, solid, reasonable, independent, proud, but cheerful and energetic.

He is wary and distrustful of strangers, but without strong aggressiveness, barks little and rarely, is loyal to the owner, but even to him outwardly shows his feelings very reservedly.

With the right approach, it can be brought up and trained without any special difficulties, but with some specifics. Only an experienced owner or a dog handler can work with an "American" independently. A self-confident teacher-leader, who has managed to find the right individual approach to the dog, will surely be able to raise a devoted and obedient four-legged friend. A novice dog breeder can quickly lose heart in front of a smart and assertive dog striving to take the dominant position of the leader of the pack, so the owner’s main task is to immediately make it clear to him who is in charge in the house from the moment the puppy appears in the house.

The complex nature of these dogs is one of the features of the breed, therefore, during education and training, confidence, reasonable caution, patience, perseverance, firmness and endurance are required to preserve the individuality of your dog and maximize the full disclosure of its talents. It is necessary to educate and train these dogs slowly, without tedious and tedious activities, as they do not like monotonous training with frequent repetitions of the same commands.

Apprentice Angel

ADVICE FOR FUTURE OWNERS

This dog is suitable for experienced owners due to its complex nature and independent disposition. If you are confident, patient, persistent and attentive - go for it! In this case, in addition to self-study, you definitely need to contact an experienced specialist.

The American Akita can be aggressive towards other dogs, as it constantly tries to dominate their society, and this, as a rule, almost always leads to fights. In addition, she has a highly developed hunting instinct, so she perceives small animals (cats, rodents, wild animals, birds, and small dogs) as prey and begins to hunt them.

Dogs of this breed are mood animals, on which behavior directly depends: they can be affectionate and sociable, or they can “go into themselves”, becoming withdrawn and sad. When kept on a personal plot, sometimes they begin to dig tunnels, jump over a fence, but not to escape from the owner, but to chase cats, communicate with other representatives of the canine world - anything, the main thing is to be an independent dog!

American Akitas are large, strong and powerful dogs that can weigh more than 45 kg. Therefore, adequately assess your physical fitness!

The private sector is best suited for keeping these dogs, but if you have the necessary physical activity, a city apartment is not a hindrance. The dogs are not intrusive, do not get underfoot and do not interfere, they are very clean.

The coat does not require special care, it is enough to brush the coat several times a week.

Representatives of this breed are usually healthy and hardy. The most common diseases: bloating (intestinal volvulus), progressive retinal atrophy, hip dysplasia, tooth enamel disorders.

Puppies of the Akita breed are distinguished by devotion and restraint. The dog went down in history as the most devoted and faithful dog, so it's a matter of a few days. However, young dog breeders face a question. Is it possible to teach a small puppy to later become a loyal and helpful dog? Of course, but it is only necessary to train a dog from a very young age.

Raising an Akita

Raising an Akita puppy is a difficult and responsible task. Usually the puppy gets to his owner at the age of one and a half months. What are the main principles of such a dog? She will be interested in everything, she will want to explore every millimeter of the new premises. Be prepared for this.

The character of y is typically oriental. This affects not only the appearance of the dog, but also its behavior. As soon as the puppy begins to perceive the world around him, after a while he will show his independence and individuality. Screaming and threats from the dog will not achieve anything, therefore, during raising an akita puppy try to act slowly and measuredly. Long lessons quickly tire the dog, and the whole process of education will not show its effectiveness. You will have to spend a lot of time of patience before the dog begins to show his true character. Some dog breeders achieve success with education and training only after a few years, when the dog finally becomes an adult. Believe me - the effect of long training will lead to the development of courage, endurance and determination in the dog. This will be an excellent watchdog that will stand to the death (remember the story of Hachiko).

Akita training

How to train an Akita? Akita practically does not recognize the dominance of the owner. If you want to teach her to follow commands, you need to become her friend. Threatening, yelling, and even more so hitting a dog is strictly prohibited. She harbors a hidden grudge against the owner, which will spill out sooner or later. And then the consequences can no longer be avoided. The dog lends itself well to training, but requires spending a huge amount of time with it. Be patient and try to find a way to get the puppy's attention. Try to turn the training into a kind of game so that the dog is interested. See if you can lure the dog into something special - Akita puppy training will be successful, and you will achieve significant results.

What are the hours for dog training? To do this, you have to choose the time interval between feeding. After a successful workout, feed your dog long-awaited treats so that he wants to train again in the future. Fulfilled the necessary command - encouragement. That is why training should begin before dinner. The feeling of hunger will make itself felt, and the dog will execute any command, just to satisfy it.

It is not necessary to bring up a professional detective in an Akita. However, if you work diligently with her from childhood and give treats for the executed commands, the dog will soon understand what “sit”, “lie down” and “voice” means. The “come to me” command is the most difficult to train, because on the street the dog can be distracted by other objects. Therefore, first work out the execution of the command after the dog has played enough. Nothing will distract him, and he will be able to fully concentrate on your voice. The command is given in an inviting and joyful voice without any shades of severity and anger. When the dog turns his attention to you, show him a treat. Be sure - he will instantly rush to the call. Repeat this procedure several times - and the dog will always come to your call.

Akita training at home presents some difficulties. But her results are simply amazing.

Many people have a passion for large breed dogs. At the same time, the owners want their dog to be not only big, but also kind. One of these dogs is the American Akita (another name is a large Japanese dog). This powerful and beautiful animal usually becomes very attached to its owners and gives them all its love.

Historical reference

Oddly enough, the American Akita is of Japanese origin. The progenitor of dogs was one of the oldest dogs in Japan - Akita Inu. In ancient times, these animals participated in dog fights and went hunting with the Japanese. During World War II, pets were on the verge of extinction. That is why they began to cross with. Successful mating made the dogs larger and more massive. Soon representatives of the new breed were brought to America.

Despite the fact that the Akita Inu and the American Akita had a lot of differences, until 2000 they were considered one breed. Only at the beginning of the XXI century there was an official division, each breed received a complete description and its own standard. Today, large Japanese dogs have become popular in many countries around the world.

Appearance

Adult dogs of Japanese origin can grow at the withers up to 60-66 centimeters (females) and up to 65-70 centimeters (males). The weight of an adult usually reaches 40-60 kilograms or more. Japanese dogs have a strong physique, powerful and heavy bones, and a muscular neck. Animals of this breed have a very wide massive head, shaped like a triangle with obtuse angles. The limbs are powerful, protruding bones are visible on the paws. The tail is fluffy and large, folded into a single or double ring (you can see how it looks in the photo).

The large Japanese dog has almond-shaped dark brown eyes with black eyeliner. The nose of these dogs is black. Erect triangular ears are medium in size. The bite in animals is either scissor-shaped or pincer-shaped.

Thick double coat with a soft dense undercoat allows dogs to easily endure even the most severe frosts. The colors of the coat can be any, while the most common are white, fawn, red, brindle colors. The standard does not allow only spotted colors on white coats.

Character and training

A large and powerful dog has a good-natured character. Japanese dogs are very sociable, balanced and calm. A pet will never bark in vain, he will give his voice only when he really needs to tell the owner something important. These animals are very attached to a person and begin to get bored very much alone. If the dog is alone in the apartment for a long time, he will experience severe stress, which may affect his behavior. Pets treat strangers with indifference, they will not attack a stranger without a good reason.

Japanese dogs are impressive in size, so living in a small apartment will not be very comfortable for them. An ideal place to live for such dogs would be a country house with a large adjacent territory. Pets make excellent guards, able to protect their home from burglars.

Dogs of Japanese origin get along well in families with small children. Akita will be happy to play with the child and take care of him. A patient dog will not show aggression towards the baby, even if he drags him by the ears or tail. At the same time, parents are still not recommended to leave the pet alone with the child.

You should not start an American Akita if other animals already live in the house. The dominating Japanese dog does not tolerate competition and may fight another dog of the same sex. On smaller pets (cats, rodents, etc.), Akita can open a hunt.

Dogs of this breed quickly remember nicknames and lend themselves well to training at home, but sometimes they are very stubborn and independent, so the owner must be persistent during training. It is impossible to use force during training, any physical punishment will only embitter the pet. To instill a good upbringing in a puppy, it is necessary to start training with him from an early age. Some breeders believe that the training of such an animal should be carried out by a professional dog handler.

Features of care

The long-haired American Akita is considered a very clean dog. Owner reviews confirm that caring for her is very simple. It is enough to comb the dog once a week. Only during the molting period, which happens twice a year, the coat will have to be combed out every day. You need to bathe the animal as its coat becomes dirty (every 3-6 months).

There is no need to cut the American Akita (before exhibitions, special compositions are applied to the coat that give volume). But the dog's nails need to be trimmed regularly. Once a month, the owner should clean the pet's ears by wiping them with a damp cloth. It is also necessary to monitor the condition of the dog's eyes. With tearing or inflammatory processes, they need to be wiped with tea leaves or special products that are sold in pet stores.

Health and Nutrition

On average, American Akitas live about 10-12 years. These strong and powerful dogs are distinguished by good health. Despite this, dogs have a predisposition to diseases of the organs of vision, skin, and hormonal disorders. In addition, thoroughbred pets are prone to allergies and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. To prevent the occurrence of such ailments, the owner must carefully consider the nutrition of the dog.

You can feed Japanese dogs with natural food. Ready-made dry food is also suitable for the animal's diet, as long as it is not too cheap and of good quality. Prohibited foods for dogs include sweets, fatty meats, fried, salted, smoked foods. Also, do not feed dogs with tubular bones.

The nutrition of the animal must be rational and balanced. The dog must receive a sufficient amount of fluid daily. The owner needs to make sure that the pet always has clean fresh water in the cup (this is especially important for those dogs that eat dry food).

Where can I buy?

Those planning to purchase an American Akita will need to find out how much such a dog costs. In our country, this is a rare breed, so its price is quite high. American Akita puppies cost from 30 to 100 thousand rubles (the final price depends on the pedigree, the health of the puppy and some other factors).

The sale of purebred dogs is carried out through kennels where breeding animals are mated. It is in these organizations that you can get a detailed description of the breed, learn about the nature, upbringing, feeding and maintenance of puppies, see how their training goes. In Russia, the following kennels are engaged in breeding large Japanese dogs:

• "Japanese Garden" (one of the largest Russian nurseries, located in Moscow);
• "Indigo Smile" (St. Petersburg);
• "Astra Victoria" (Yekaterinburg);
• "Black Garden" (Orel);
• "Yuki Tenshi" (Murmansk), etc.

In US history, the Japanese Akita survived crossbreeding with the German Shepherd and the Mastiff, resulting in a larger dog, the American variety. Strong and intelligent, in our time it is used in bear and wild boar hunting, but the American Akita needs training and education in Moscow.

Excellent vision and sense of smell are combined with a balanced character and stubbornness. If a person decides to link his fate with this breed, he will have to work hard so that the Akita obeys and respects him. It is not for nothing that many breeders note a sly look, as if the Akita is evaluating its owner.

Secrets of raising an Akita in childhood

By analogy with other giant breeds, an American Akita puppy must understand from the first days who is the boss in the house. How to achieve this:

1. At the age of up to two months, the owner, when raising, should make every effort to correctly adapt the American puppy to the outside world. Daily training lessons on getting used to your place, using a diaper, contact with family members should take place in a good-natured atmosphere.
2. It is better to raise a dog in a private house in Moscow, where there is a plot. In an apartment, an adult Akita will feel cramped, and she needs a lot of space.
3. Short-term walking during education begins first on its own territory, gradually adapting the American puppy to the street and meetings with relatives. It is desirable that the dogs were well-mannered and calm.
4. By the age of three months, training and training for the performance of the service commands "sit / lie down", "place", "fu / can not" begin. The puppy may be distracted, tired of doing activities. You need to patiently, day after day, repeat the exercises using game manipulations, rewards with treats while fully working out the commands during training.
5. The main secret of education lies in the attitude of the owner himself to become a friend and leader, persistently and with interest to spend training time with an American pet, and he feels it well. It is necessary to completely rebuild yourself for restraint and affection, not to use force, not to scream and not to punish with a lack of attention during training.

At 3-4 months, walk an Akita with a leash, teach it to walk nearby, not gnaw on a rope, and not show aggression towards other animals. When playing with dogs, completely control the behavior. It should not be embarrassing that the animal barks a little. This American silent breed, thinks and analyzes more. Barking can only be with a real threat.

From six months of training to a year, the most important stage of education begins. In addition to practicing the Akita commands, you need to develop strength and endurance. A lot of energy will have to be given to running and strength exercises. Here it is best to use the assistance of experienced dog handlers.

Specialized organizations for service training of American hunting and guard breeds have strong advantages over home education.

The benefits of professional training

Cynologists, as multifunctional specialists, will conduct courses on interaction with the dog for the owner himself:

• during training, scientific methods are used that have been worked out over the years and have high efficiency in a short period of time;
• the specialist will select a corrective course individually for each Akita, taking into account its characteristics of the nervous system and habits;
• students of cynological schools always have support in matters of health, finding a pair and mating, caring for offspring;
• if the owner wants to prepare the dog for shows, the pet will take special courses for the ring with his handler.

Canine center "Araks" in Moscow provides high-quality training at specialized sites, unique training and education courses. With the help of experienced dog handlers, special techniques will reveal the valuable natural skills of the American breed, which will benefit the dog and its owner.

• obediently walk next to the owner both with and without a leash;
• when the owner stops, the pet will also stop and sit next to it without an additional command;
• execute commands both near the owner and at a distance;
• execute commands when the owner uses only gestures;
• for a long time to behave patiently in any position;
• at the command "to me!" approach immediately to the owner in any situation;
• always follow the command "in place!" ;
• execute the command "Aport!" and bring any items;
• immediately execute the command "fu!" ;
• do not react to loud sounds on the street: traffic noise, siren sounds, gunshots and other loud sounds.