barking

powaqqatsi999powaqqatsi999
edited March 2010 in Akita (秋田犬)
this may be a stupid question but do akitas bark a lot. i read somewhere that there quiet dogs and only bark when needed. is that true or does it just depend on the dog. the reason i ask is because i have a decreased sound tolerance. its complicated so i'll leave it at that.

Comments

  • RedAutumnRedAutumn
    edited March 2010
    I was kind of wondering about this too since there seem to be a lot of different postings about it on the web...xDI can't tell if they're talking about the Akita Inu or the American Akita. I've read that they bark a lot...
  • shibamistressshibamistress
    edited March 2010
    I suspect it depends on the dog. I had an akita years ago, and she looked very much like a JA and not at all like an AA, but who knows, because I was young and stupid and bought her from the worst kind of backyard breeder (here's a hint to the type of "breeder" I got my girl from: he said you can give me $200 or a gun. I am sometimes stunned at how clueless I was then).

    anyway, she barked like crazy. She was fearful, undersocialized (nearly 5 mos. when we got her) so maybe it was that.

    Some people say Shibas don't bark that much, but I haven't found that to be true. Mine can be pretty quite. And then they might want to stay outside and bark all night.

    All dogs bark. Even Basenjis make noise, even if it is not barking. I think it is really hard to make generalizations.
  • BradA1878BradA1878
    edited November -1
    No, ours do not bark a lot. Hilo mooos a lot, but its not loud.

    I can tell you this tho, when they do bark I *HATE* their bark. Its very fast and kinda "nervy" sounding... Like they are saying "OMG I HEARD SOMETHING WHAT IS GOING ON I'M FREAKING OUT OMG OMG"... While some of our other breeds are more like "Oh No, Not My Yard Mutha F.....!"

    ----
  • akitariseakitarise
    edited March 2010
    I think it depends on the dog. my akitas are different when it comes to barking. Kina barks for everything while kai will watch and wait to see if anything is worth barking at. Kina barks weird tho.. She starts out barking and ends howling or sometimes howls instead of barking. Its really annoying when you're trying to go to sleep!
  • powaqqatsi999powaqqatsi999
    edited November -1
    alrighty thanks for the comments. much appreciated.
  • RedAutumnRedAutumn
    edited November -1
    Brada your answer made me laugh a lot xD. Haha, guess it really does depend on the dog :D
  • BradA1878BradA1878
    edited March 2010
    So, I can give a more educated answer as well - but first I'll note that my Akita are JA and not AA. I think "akitarise" has AA, right?

    JA are a hunting breed, like all the NK they are silent hunters that bay their prey. Baying is basically "holding at bay" by barking - some NK "catch" too, per Shigeru's and Gen's experience (and they are the forum experts on the hunting topic).

    Typically (and I'm generalizing here) dogs have 2 types of bark - a defensive bark that's low and rumbling sounding (often called a "warning bark") and a higher pitched, sharp sounding, fast bark which is the prey motivated bark - the one used while baying.

    So, with that info, I will say that the Akita bark tends to be that of a prey bark - a higher pitch, rapid, energetic bark. This also means they are not acting defensively when they do the bark I mentioned above - they are "alerting", like a watch dog... which comes back to a point I have made a lot: Akita are not guard dogs, they are watch dogs.

    So, looking at the mechanics of the breed, being a silent hunting breed and not a guardian breed, they tend to bark less but when they do bark it is higher pitched and faster.

    ----
  • BradA1878BradA1878
    edited March 2010
    When I say "higher pitched" I am speaking relative to the individual dog. A dog with a deep bark will have a deeper "prey bark" than a dog with a higher pitched bark - but, relative to the individual dog's dark, you will notice a difference (a tone range) from defensive - prey.
  • tjbart17tjbart17
    edited November -1
    That's really interesting. I never thought of it like that but Koda has a definite defensive bark, and Maymay has a really annoying prey bark. Which totally fits their different personalities.

    BTW to the OP I'm not talking about Akita :-) I am not fortunate to have any.
  • WrylyBrindleWrylyBrindle
    edited November -1
    Reilly (not an NK) has a BOOM bark for things like trucks and strangers, and a high bark for "Let me in" I can't think of any bark for hunting- she's pretty quiet in alert-->pursuit, and doenst bark at deer- though she will chase them and oh, the look on her face and posture when she sees em!

    Sage barks at deer, hawks, vultures, fishers, other dogs, oddly positioned flowerpots and pants on the neighbor's lawn and makes a very broad range of noises. He is a watchdog, like other Kai. If he's barking, something really IS different, though it may seem irrelevant. His distance increasing display is very impressive and desperately urgent, but he is a panic-prone individual.

    A good read: "Barking: The Sound of a Language" by Turid Rugaas- it's short but covers barking in detail and all the various patterns, tones and accompanying postures for various motivations. :)
  • BradA1878BradA1878
    edited November -1
    I've noticed the high-pitched tone (hunting tone) is used for demanding things too, as well as play and herding.
  • powaqqatsi999powaqqatsi999
    edited November -1
    brada thanks for the info and clarifying everything, very helpful. and yes im interested the in the JA. wryly, thanks for the book recommendation i'll definitely pick up a copy.
  • MnVMnV
    edited November -1
    Our Aki doesn't bark at all.

    The only times I've heard her bark is to initiate play with other dogs using that high pitch tone.
  • pejman50pejman50
    edited November -1
    My akita is now 16 weeks of age, and I think I have only heard her bark maybe 10 times total since I got her at 8 weeks. Its usually when she wants to play and is looking straight at me, or someone from across the street is screaming about how cute she is, and she gets excited and just gives them 1 bark cause she is so excited.
  • white_bearwhite_bear
    edited November -1
    I'm with Brad on this, but I would add one thing: I think a JA uses the warning bark if there is no other dog in charge of this. I may be totally wrong, of course, but my impression is that Brad's JA have left the watching and the 'guarding' in the hands of more capable dogs, that's why Brad hears mostly that high-pitched bark (excitement); which is very annoying, so true LOL I'll try to catch my bear inviting the cat to play, you'll see exactly what I mean.

    Even when they use the warning bark, it's extremely rare. I mean really rare. I live in an appartment and Tenshi doesn't bark when he hears noises in the corridor, he barks only when it's something new that he hasn't heard before. From this point of view JA are great living indoor.

    I agree with Chrystal, Barking by Rugaas is a good read.
  • shirleylouiseshirleylouise
    edited November -1
    My two female Akitas pretty much never bark in the house - I wonder sometimes if they are even paying attention. Outside in the yard, on the other hand, they bark too much. We are working on it, and it has been getting better fortunately..
  • AdeleAdele
    edited April 2010
    Hi:

    I have a pure breed JA, and despite being very active physically, it is very rear to hear her barking.
    Adele
  • jellyfishjellyfish
    I'm going to bump this thread.


    Does anyone else's JA bark as much as mine does? I think I got the noisy one out of the litter, lol! :P

    I understand it is on an individual basis, and I guess I am just more perplexed, but I get a little embarrassed when Toki barks and howls his head off at clients coming into the apartment for a photoshoot. When they go into another room, he will walk by that room an scoff at them, like, a low bark/huff. He gets fairly grumpy. I usually have to remove him from the room we are in or else he will continue to bark and bark and bark. I know it is because he is a watch dog (a big reason why I got an Akita); he feels these barking episodes are very necessary, but how can I show him it is okay for people to enter our house when I am around?

    Also, he barks at everyone on our walks in the apartment complex. Barks at people through the window. Barks at people minding their own business. What is going on thru his head? Lol!
    He does fairly better when we are outside of the apartment complex, but it happens from time to time. I guess the car is his extended territory...he will bark at people on sidewalks from the car, window rolled down or not.

    He does not bark at ducks, cats, birds, ect...

    (I must clarify, I don't really mind the barking ever except when i have clients over. I just wanted to see if anyone else has a noisy JA)
  • PoetikDragonPoetikDragon
    Mine aren't as bad, but they do bark - especially the girls. Gryphon will stop if I tell her to knock it off, but Gojira has to have the last word. I don't mind it so much except when her barks get more stressed/coyote-like.
  • lwrothlwroth
    Interesting comments. I've had about 25 Akitas and none barked much except some barked when people walked by the house (about 20' from the sidewalk) and some only barked when someone got to the door. Most of these were AAs; I don't think my male JA barked much at all; but the 50/50 female had a horrible, high frantic-sounding bark when anyone was in sight from my front window or front porch. I don't think she was socialized much as a pup, and I wasn't able to persuade her not to bark. Fortunately, we live in a quiet neighborhood with not much foot traffic. My blind AA usually barks when someone walks up the drive or if a person with a dog he doesn't like passes by. The door doesn't fit well, and there's a crack that lets scent in. He doesn't usually bark for the regular mailman or a couple of my friends he knows well.
  • jellyfishjellyfish
    My boyfriend and I bought windchimes today. Well, Toki did NOT approve. He barked/howled/growled his fool head off until I had to pursued him with string cheese that wind chimes are not scary.

    Though, oddly enough, he is totally okay with thunderstorms.
  • sachismomsachismom
    My AA only barks when someone walks past on the sidewalk right near the fence to the backyard, if it is after dark. She goes to daycare 4 days a week and has since she came home at 8 weeks old, last August. The daycare provider told me yesterday that she has NEVER heard her bark. I was only mildly surprised. She doesn't bark with excitement at parks or with other dogs. Also, I've notice if I go to greet someone at the door, like a pizza delivery guy, she follows me and stands close to me, but doesn't bark at all. So, to your question in my very limited AA experience, mine doesn't bark much at all.
  • kumonlandkumonland
    i have a JA (14 weeks old) for little over 2 weeks now and i have only heard him bark twice ..and he only gave 2/3 barks & then stopped. The first time he did it was when he sat at the gates to my backyard and seen a man in the park across the road with his hoodie on talking on his mobile. Obviously Kumon thought he looked a bit dodgy and gave him a growl and a bark.
    The second time was when we were in the vet's room and he heard people and a dog coming through the doors and gave a curious bark.
    A friend of mine has an AA and he hardly hears her bark too. It seems Akitas only bark when they need to.
  • drsashadrsasha
    Perfect thread to, hopefully, find an answer for our puppy.. we have a 7 month old JA girl, and she picked up a bad habit of barking/howling at our neighbors (most of them are old and very quiet - she only has to see them walk by our yard & starts going crazy). Anyone can suggest any hints/tricks on training her not to bark this much?
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