Questions
Alright I'm going to try this again.. I had probably 20 questions typed up and when I went to submit I got timed out. lol Guess I sat pondering too long.
General Questions.
1. If a dog is already established in the house does the new Akita have to be opposite sex? (I heard that they should be)
2. I crating necessary? (our current boy 6 y/o lab used to be crated but roams free in the house now, I would crate him as well if Akita needed to be, it wouldn't seem fair to crate one and not the other to me, right?)
3. What brand/food does your Akita like? (I saw polls on food but not breed specific)
4. I hear Akitas are very susceptible to bloat, are there foods/treats that should be avoided at all costs? (lab has only dry food, no people food no wet)
5. Is there anything special I would ask a vet to look for in regular check ups for an Akita?
6. I have heard that for it's size the Akita has a small heart and anesthesia should be minimal, is this true?
7. How often do you groom/bathe your Akita?
Breeder Questions:
1. How would you feel about someone interested in the breed coming to you to ask questions about the breed and your dogs/pups? (I would make my intentions clear, I do not like to play games but I do like to have as much information as possible)
2. Do you like to keep in touch with the families that adopt your pups? Would you like them to visit or send photos?
3. Would you mind if a new owner came to your for advice? (I think that a breeder would be a helpful resource they would know habits that run in the family[ie puppy's aunt was a chewer we did x to correct the behavior or the sire is allergic to ragweed, etc], but I wouldn't want to be a pest either if I should just go to a trainer/vet)
Ok, so there we are, there are more but I can't seem to recall them all now.
General Questions.
1. If a dog is already established in the house does the new Akita have to be opposite sex? (I heard that they should be)
2. I crating necessary? (our current boy 6 y/o lab used to be crated but roams free in the house now, I would crate him as well if Akita needed to be, it wouldn't seem fair to crate one and not the other to me, right?)
3. What brand/food does your Akita like? (I saw polls on food but not breed specific)
4. I hear Akitas are very susceptible to bloat, are there foods/treats that should be avoided at all costs? (lab has only dry food, no people food no wet)
5. Is there anything special I would ask a vet to look for in regular check ups for an Akita?
6. I have heard that for it's size the Akita has a small heart and anesthesia should be minimal, is this true?
7. How often do you groom/bathe your Akita?
Breeder Questions:
1. How would you feel about someone interested in the breed coming to you to ask questions about the breed and your dogs/pups? (I would make my intentions clear, I do not like to play games but I do like to have as much information as possible)
2. Do you like to keep in touch with the families that adopt your pups? Would you like them to visit or send photos?
3. Would you mind if a new owner came to your for advice? (I think that a breeder would be a helpful resource they would know habits that run in the family[ie puppy's aunt was a chewer we did x to correct the behavior or the sire is allergic to ragweed, etc], but I wouldn't want to be a pest either if I should just go to a trainer/vet)
Ok, so there we are, there are more but I can't seem to recall them all now.
Comments
1. This really depends on the dog. Most people say that the nihon ken [ Akita, Shiba, Kishu, Kai, Shikoku, & Hokkaido ] do best in opposite-sex pairs, however, there are many same-sex pairs that do "fine" as well. Ultimately, it'll depend on the temperament of both your dogs, the one you have now, & your future pup. However, I will say most breeders will highly recommend you go with a female since you already have a male.
2. Crating isn't necessary, per say, however, it is an excellent way to potty-train your pup & make sure he doesn't get into any mischief when you're not home. Also, since you already have a dog, crating your pups will ensure no scuffles happen when you can't supervise them. Since you're bringing in a 2nd pup, crating would be very beneficial until you are sure you can trust the two pups alone together.
3. I don't really think food preference is breed specific. There are certain nutritional needs an Akita would need, I'm sure other members will post saying what. Also, you might find this article helpful as far as food & dogs go.
4. Not too sure about this. I don't think food effects bloat...I think it's determined by how fast your dog eats. But, if it helps ne, none of the akita on here have experienced bloat. I don't think it's too common in the breed.
5. Yes. Check for thyroid problems, Hip Dyslplasia, & Luxating Patella. You might not be able to test for these right away, perhaps not til the one or two year marker, however, these are genetic issues that run rampant in the breed. The best way to avoid them in your future pup is by getting an akita from a reputable breeder who runs genetic tests on all their sies & bitches.
6. Never heard of this...sorry.
7. All the nihon ken are strictly bathe-as-necessary. They have a double coat that has natural oils to protect them. Bathing too often strips them of these oils. Also, Akita tend to be pretty clean as it is neways. Most people rarely bathe their akita unless they've been in something. [ dirt, mud, etc.
Hope that was of some help! Interesting tho, did you have ne questions on Akita Temperment? & What type of akita are you looking for, a japnese or american? ~
Also, when you buy from a reputable breeder, they should be there for you for the remainder of the pup's life. They are there to guide you & help you when you need it. That is why picking a good breeder is so important, so that you can refer back to them if you're having any troubles
As far as keeping track of pups in their new homes, many breeders do this & LOVE to get updates to see that their pups are happy & healthy with their new families
1. From both the rescue (breed specific) and the breeders we met with (before we met our rescue), all have said that gender plays a part. In the rescue they've noted that boys and girls (as it were) don't tend to play well together, but it should be noted that these are rescue dogs with other issues. I can't remember know how the breeder set up their dogs, they were separated into pairs but with all dogs being intact I'm not sure who was with who. I'll look into it for you
2. I think crate training is important. To begin crate training and then move away from it towards maturity in the dog is an option but I think it's important to begin crate training asap to encourage "potty training" and to prevent damage to your home during training and to prevent fights between your pup and an existing pet.
3. My fiance read that Akitas don't do well on red meat because, in Japan, they were never fed it and so do better on chicken etc. We feed our Akita chicken and rice, he's lost all the fat from when he was with his old owners and appears to be a very healthy dog. I don't, however, believe that Akitas can't do well on red meat as well and would love to feed our Akita raw (there's a member here who's very good with raw diets, I think her name is Jessica? who you should speak to) but my fiance is not interested at all.
4. Akitas are susceptible to bloat but I think this is more to do with the speed they eat than what they eat. We're very careful to feed our Akita when he is calm and not before/immediately after any exercise. Our schedule is 30 mins in the AM in the garden, 20 mins rest followed by breakfast (we also add a little warm water to his kibble because on this forum we read that dry food can dehydrate your dog. Not sure on the science based on this though, we just do it. He loves it). He gets walked for just under 2 hours (sometimes 3 hours, depends on our work schedule) and then between 45mins - 1 hour later gets fed. So far, so good. But I don't know enough about bloat to be sure, thats just the way we interpreted the "bloat" situation.
5. Number 6 answers this question. The only thing I've ever heard that is breed specific is to be careful of anesthesia and akitas. We're lucky because our vet is tuned into Akitas after having owned one herself, I can ask her for specifics if you want. All we know so far is that anesthesia and akitas is a tricky area and it had to be monitered. Other than that, even if you go to a reputable breeder (which I'm sure you will) the usual for big dog breeds, hip dysplasia and the others that Osy mentioned. We keep a careful eye on Tigers movement and the placement of his legs when he walks. If you get a puppy then I think the standard is to limit your pups movement during growth periods (basically till your pup is maybe a year ? I'm sure someone will specify) because there is so much growth in a short period of time exertion on joints (ie running up stairs or jumping into cars) should be limited.
7. I've heard it said you shouldn't bathe your Akita more than twice a year. I groom Tiger with a mixture of a textured glove and a metal comb nearly every day but we've only had tiger a short time and due to the messed up summer he's been in the middle of a blow (which I believe happens twice a year) since we had him. Because of his I groom him every day. I think I'd probably groom him the same, but get less hair, regardless of the blow. It's a nice way to bond
I'm not a breeder but we've met with a few. The only breeder we trusted is the one who responded like this (in response to your posted questions) when we met. (My fiances dad used to breed staffs which is where we got most of our advice from.)
1. Before we met the breeders dogs we spoke for an hour and a half. We had already done nearly a years worth of research and most of what we asked we already knew, but it showed us when the breeder was willing to sit and talk for so long, that they were dedicated to the breed and weren't just hoping to earn money from it. If the breeder doesn't want to know all sorts of questions about you and isn't willing to answer your questions I'd be a bit weary about them.
2. The same again, our breeder was very helpful and offered to help (even when we decided to rescue) with training and other health questions. Despite the fact we ended up rescuing an Akita, our chosen breeder is still at the end of the phone to help us when we panic
3. See number 2, but yes. Our breeder is completely dedicated to the breed and as such would have required us to sign all sorts of papers to say that our pup, should we not be able to keep him, went directly to them not to a rescue. I think a willingness to see the outcome of their breeding and to know how the pup turned out means that they really are interested in the breed.
if you have any more questions then I can give you my fiances email, I'm the enthusiast and he's the wise, knowledgeable one
Good luck
I hope someone could make a FAQ of General Guide kinda deal and sticky it.
I've learned so much from this post, especially food section by Osy.
1- I'd say this depends mainly on the dogs, but it also depends on you, on how much work you are willing to put in to make it work. If both of the dogs are of a good nature, I can see a same sex pair living together with no problem.
2 - I don't crate Kuma, but I close the doors from the rooms I don't want him to be in when I'm not home. The entrance and the kitchen are his and Nyx's (the cat).
3 - Kuma's on Acana Pacifica (salmon, no grain). He does really well on it. My advice is to select a good brand based on the ingredients and see how the dog reacts to it. There's also great resources on raw or home cooked meals around the forum.
4 - Akitas are, be definition, a deep chested, well pulled back abdomen breed. So, although not the epitome of bloat, they are somewhat prone to bloat. I think most of the prevention will have to go through behaviour, and not food. The dog can't be exercised right before or right after a meal (allow a good 20 minutes before and an hour after, to be safe). Feed from floor level bowls, not elevated. There was a tip here on an old comment that said to add a table spoon of cooking oil to every meal. I've been doing so with Kuma, and if it hasn't helped, it hasn't harmed him either.
5 - As every large breed, pay attention to the joints. Hip dysplasia, is a possibility (that can be reduced drastically by getting your pup from a reputable breeder that tests his/her breeding stock). Check the eyes and the skin, Akitas have sensitive skin (almost every Spitz breed does have somewhat sensitive skin).
6 - I've read that they are sensitive to a certain kind of anesthesia, but I don't know the cause for that sensitivity.
7 - Kuma gets a bath around every 4 months, normally 2 or 3 weeks before a show. They are very clean dogs, with little to no odor at all.
If you're planning on getting an Akita, plan on giving your dog some training. It will make your life as well as the dogs life much easier. They can be stubborn, so a good base of training can be very helpful. They respond very well to positive reinforcement training.
Hope this was helpful.
1. If a dog is already established in the house does the new Akita have to be opposite sex? (I heard that they should be)
>> With ALL dog breeds it's best to have male/female pair, that is the safest route. Having said that, we see absolutely no female-female or male-male or female-male aggression with our (fixed) Akita Inu. Nor do they show any aggression toward our other intact or fixed male or female dog breeds.
3. What brand/food does your Akita like? (I saw polls on food but not breed specific)
>> We have gone through a lot of different food with our 4 Akita, and the food that does the BEST with ALL of them is Acana. It is the only food Hilo does well on.
5. Is there anything special I would ask a vet to look for in regular check ups for an Akita?
>> If you get a white footed Akita, make sure your vet is aware that they have certain special sensitivities that other Akita may not have (to meds).
6. I have heard that for it's size the Akita has a small heart and anesthesia should be minimal, is this true?
>> I have no idea about the heart size of an Akita relative to their body size, but I do know that most of our Akita have not done well with anesthesia. If you find a REALLY good vet who understand the NEWER levels of anesthesiology then you (and your Akita) will be fine.
7. How often do you groom/bathe your Akita?
>> Very very very rarely. Hilo has not had a bath in a few years! Akita are freakishly clean!
----
As for breeders and your questions, I have no advice on that for Akita.
----
Next questions,
How often (days a week) and for how long(hours) would you exercise an Akita puppy? I know that they are still growing so we wouldn't want to over work a pup.
What type of training do Akita respond best to, group or one on one? Is it good/necessary to do both or might that be overwhelming to the pup?
>> IMHO, very little. I would not give them longer than a 30 minute walk until they are 6+ months. Not so much because of orthopedics, more due to exhaustion.
What type of training do Akita respond best to, group or one on one? Is it good/necessary to do both or might that be overwhelming to the pup?
>> Positive training. Our Akita Inu do very well with clicker training, an Akita will do anything for you if you give them some praise and positive reinforcement. NEVER hit or act aggressively toward an Akita. As for group vs. one-on-one, I would go with group then you get the benefit of socialization too - the more the better!
----
----
We have visited 2 vets since we got Aki. Once for general checkup when we flew her back from Mexico, and the 2nd one to get her vaccination and rabies shot.
BOTH vets recommends dog diet like Science Diet, Eukanuba, and IAMS which are all rated ONE star in your article dog food 101. Both advice against BARF and RAW. That bugs me a lot that most people on this forum know more about Dog Nutrition than Vets whom we pay money to consult. Should we change and scan for vets who are more progressive or up to date with new info?
The ones that are willing to research, will be amazed at the perceived quality of foods like Orijen, Acana or Solid Gold, just to mention a few. My vet once mentioned Hills Science Diet for Kuma. The next visit I took the ingredient list I clipped from the packet of Acana. She was amazed she had never heard of it and at the list. She never mentioned Hills again.
About RAW and BARF, it can be a wonderful way of feeding your dog, if you have the time and you do the research. I think most vets are just playing the safe card, and covering their behinds in case anything goes wrong because the owner didn't put in enough work to it. I'm not saying it is the right approach, but sometimes it just feels like that's what they're doing, since most people (I think) will not plan they're feeding plan properly.
There are very few vets who actually know the difference between one food from the next. Essentially, they make a contract deal with Eukaneuba / Science Diet / etc. & those companies say "sell this" & the vets say "sure."
However, just looking at the bag of these crappy foods, & you can tell something is wrong. Dogs are carnivores, so when you pick up a bag of the aforementioned foods...what is listed as the [ primary ] ingredient? Corn...wheat...etc. etc. [ ie: CRAP for your dog! What the primary ingredient SHOULD be is some form of meat, not some filler. ]
Now there are some vets that go above & beyond & study a bit of nutrition information to add to their repertoire, but they are few & far between. If you can find one, great! If not, well, stick to it, & if they decide to "shun" you for your choice of feeding your pup QUALITY food instead of science diet garbage, just lay out your case & educate them.
For example, the Vet I adopted my cat from [ not a dog, but the same brand name quality applies to cat food ] recomended [ & had been feeding her ] science diet. When they asked what I would switch her to, I told them Orijen 6 Fish & they told me Orijen is a "designer" brand. um. NO! She was very thin on science diet, barely ate, & had brittle fur. As soon as I switched her to Orijen [ 6 star, grain free, & 75% Protein ] almost immediately her fur became nice & thick, & lustrous, she put on a healthy weight & became more active.
Also, remember those dog / cat food scares that happened a few years ago? Most of those contaminated foods were of low quality 1 / 2 star brands.
As far as RAW / BARF go...a lot of time is invested in this. Tracking nutritional requirements for your dog, making sure they get all the essentials, freezing food to kill off bacteria, etc. so many vets dont even pretend to agree with the practice as if something is not don right, they don't want to get sued for it. It's very much a "cover your ass" type of deal.
Ultimately, tho, Aki is your pup & you both need to decide what YOU think is best for her. Research, read, ask questions, & do what you feel you think is best for her.
So today's questions of the day...
Is the AA a barker? I have heard that Akita are pretty quiet, but then when I watch vids it seems like they are talking, barking or howling... I think this may be people taunting them and putting it on YouTube though... Wasn't exactly thrilled with some of what I saw... Nothing wrong with barking/talking, Merlin enjoys a good bark when he sees animals in the yard. (opossums, ground hogs, squirrels, the occasional rogue cat)
Is the AA an escape artist? We have a 6ft chain-link fence that surrounds the property and I just want to be sure that is enough. Merlin was an escape artist/digger as a pup so we've fashioned the lower portion of the fence below ground so that he wouldn't be able to get under the fence.
Are AA diggers? If they dig is it out of boredom or is it just something they enjoy? As stated above Merlin was a digger, he doesn't do this so much now that we go for walks and play. Only digging he does now is in the sand to get a cool belly spot in summer. The yard isn't immaculate by any stretch of the imagination so I am not too worried about digging, just curious.
Thanks again everyone! I'll be back with more soon I'm sure. lol
I am thinking that when I get a pup I will take 2 weeks off to dedicate myself to getting her and Merlin adjusted. (her to the new surroundings and him to a little sister) And luckily with my job I could probably squeeze the week or two after that working from home and slowly ease her into the idea of being home with Merlin by herself. (probably would crate them at first to be safe) I'm hoping this would be a good idea. Also as luck would have it the office is only about a 15 minute drive from home so I could go check on them at lunch time.
Does this sound like a good idea or would this have a bad effect being home so much and then going back to a regular work schedule?
We have shipped several dogs and they do great.
----
Is the AA a barker?
>>>> No, they do not bark unless they have something to bark about. Relative to other breeds (like LGD breeds) they bark very little. Our Akita tend to be kinda talkative, when they are excited they moo, howl, and chirp.
Is the AA an escape artist?
>>>> I think Kyla helped you here. On of our male JAs is an escape artist.
Are AA diggers?
>>>> Yes, they like to dig. Hilo loves to dig, tho he is not super skilled at it.
----
Next question, if you've bought your pup out of state/had pup shipped, how did you know the breeder was the right one for you? Did you research the breeder, ask for references, etc? Or was the breeder referred to you by someone you knew?
>>>> To be frank, you don't - so don't buy a dog from a breeder you have not met in person or put your hands on the sire or dam. Take it from me, please, don't make the same mistakes we made - we have 4 Akita here as proof of what you get from not meeting a breeder/dam/sire before buying a dog.
Did you research the breeder, ask for references, etc? Or was the breeder referred to you by someone you knew?
>>>> Oh yea, we did a HUGE amount of research before we imported our Akita - and the kennels were recommended to us from trusted friends, breeders, geneticists. One of the kennels is a TOP Akita Inu kennel in the world - still, look at what we got.
----
If you read our story, we've researched breeders all over the world by emailing and talking to them. Thank God we found Mr. Fujimoto in Mexico.
He and his son Hideki are super nice people. We still keep in touch these days. It was totally worth it for me to fly to Mexico City just to pick up Aki and meet with the Fujimotos.
Aki is from his kennel. He does this for the love of Akitas, not as a business. Mr Fujimoto is also a renowned judge of Nihon Ken traveling worldwide.
IMO buying a dog, even from a so-called reputable breeder, without meeting them is like a crap shoot. Seriously, take Brad's warning on this one. He went through what most would call reputable breeders. So much for reputation.....