Our new adopted Akita, Keiko

edited January 2011 in Akita (秋田犬)
We have been considering another Akita since ours passed away last May. There are not many here in South Carolina but we have been keeping our eyes open to some of the nearby rescues. I decided this time I wanted a young adult rather than a puppy from a breeder. My daughter volunteers at our local Humane Society and rarely do they get any akita's. Occasionally, they get a dog with a curly tail and call it an "Akita Mix". So when they posted a 3-year old female akita (without picture), we went in to see. We walked in to find this pretty, pinto girl... completely emaciated and having just weaned pups. I am almost 100% certain that she is a pure bred. She was found under a porch with pups and taken by the Animal Control. When they located the owner, the owner said they don't want her or her pups. So Animal Control placed her and her 6 pups at the Humane Society.

We took her out and walked her, she was very calm, very sweet and seemed to adore my children. She did not react toward other dogs or volunteers and seem to be well behaved. I watched her for quite a while and we went to see her pups. I just knew that she was the right fit for our family. So we adopted her on the spot. The people at the Humane Society said it is the first time ever that the mother was adopted before her pups.

She has been home with us for the past 2 days and is so wonderful. She must have had basic training because she knows and responds well to the commands. However, she does not like the crate, so we are gently working on that. I keep her leashed with me in the house, so she will bond and learn our "house rules" and patterns. So far she has been a gem and learns VERY quickly. I will post some pics later... and maybe some before and after because she looks so skinny with a thin coat right now!

Since this is my first adult adoption, I welcome any "words of widsom". I have done a lot of research and reading, but I can always use any advice. And if anyone wants to see her pups or wants to pass it on to other forums, they can be found at : http://www.greenvillehumane.com/pages/searchforapet
They are all males and mostly white. (listed as Tux, Melvin, and Evan). They look like they may be mixed with a boxer?

I will try to figure out how to post pics!

~Jenn

Comments

  • Wow, congrats on adopting and being the first to adopt a mom instead of her pups! You should get a certificate of awesome for that.

    Sounds like you are going in the right direction by taking things slowly and keeping her close so she learns the rules. I dunno what else to say really since I've only adopted one adult dog and that was so long ago, I can't remember what she looked like.
  • edited January 2011
    Thanks! We're happy to love a dog that is so deserving of a good home.

    Here's some pics:

    At the shelter when we first got her outside into the "walking area". (my daughter is holding her and talking with one of the vet-tech employees)
    http://mysite.ncnetwork.net/res13oolm/Pics/Keiko_AdoptionDay2.jpg

    This is at the adoption desk... she is smiling because she knows she is coming home with us!
    http://mysite.ncnetwork.net/res13oolm/Pics/Keiko_AdoptionDay.jpg


    This is in our backyard when we got home.
    http://mysite.ncnetwork.net/res13oolm/Pics/Keiko_1st_day.jpg

    I will post an update in a few weeks when she gains some weight. Right now she is 54 lbs and about 23" at the withers. She probably should be around 70-75lbs.

    ~Jenn
  • Oh, what a pretty girl! I'm so glad she's found a home with you!
  • What a beauty, I really like her coat pattern...Congratulations!!
  • She is beautiful! She kinda reminds me of my akita Kina :)
  • Sounds like that pretty girl hit the jackpot! Kudos to you guys for rescuing. I'm really looking forward to hearing about her progress. :-)
  • Thanks everyone! She has adjusted to our family so quickly, it's like we have always had her! Even though we had planned to wait until spring, I knew when I met her, it was meant to be! I will keep you all posted on her progress.

    akitarise: She does look a lot like Kina! How pretty! (I just searched for your pics.) I hope her coat looks as pretty as Kina's when she recovers. Any advise on getting & keeping a white coat so clean looking??
  • Cute! Congrats!
  • Ah! The smiley face!! Kina has that exact face when she knows she did good:) I usually give Kina a bath once a month to keep her coat clean tho i haven't recently due to the cold weather. Right now she is blowing coat so its kinda a pain..
  • She looks so kind and friendly! I am so glad that you found her and took her in. She deserves to have a good life!!

    With a little more weight she will be absolutely gorgeous!! I really like her color :D

    Can't wait to see updates ;)
Sign In or Register to comment.