Akita and new born

edited December 2017 in Akita (秋田犬)
I'm not sure if this post has already been posted. If it's a replicate, please give me the link to the post. Thank you.

Like the title said, I want to know how JA behaviors around new born?

We planning to get an akita sometimes next year. That being said, we also planned a baby in the next 2 years. So if things going according to plan, we will have our first born when the dog is around 2 years old. He/she will be quite big by then. Are they good around baby? Should I wait until after we have baby and get the dog? Could someone please give me some insight? How should I prepare because I don't want to end up giving up the dog when they baby come should they have any issues?

Thank you in advance.

Comments

  • I would not want a 2 yr old Akita around a new born. I think that could be risky, you could never relax. A young child can irritate the dog easily, and the dog may react aggressively, by no fault of his own. I just think it is a bad mix.Wait until the child is about 5, then let him/her be involved with raising the puppy.
  • I have some experience with this - I got my first Akita as a puppy (in my avatar) when my eldest daughter was 4-yrs-old and all was well. She was well trained (both my akita and my daughter - LOL!), they bonded, and we never had issues. Then I had two more babies (surprise!) when my Akita was 3-yrs-old. Although she did not have any aggression issues AT ALL, she was very big and "scary" for them when they were toddlers. She was gentle but would accidentally knock them over and they would unintentionally startle her when playing while she was sleeping. Both of these things can end up being a bad situation. However, we never had any issues. This also would depend on the temperament of the particular dog too. Nika was good and tolerant but not a "nanny dog". My second Akita, Keiko, turned out to LOVE kids, extremely calm. Every dog is different and you never know. Regardless, I never left them alone, I am a stay-at-home mom, my dog was well trained, and my children were well trained to respect animals.
    With all that said, some people are unable to give that much attention to both a dog and children plus be that diligent, and the poor dog ends up needing a new family because it is hard to manage a new baby and a dog (This can true for ANY dog - not just Akitas!) Sadly, I've seen it happen too many times. So, I agree with Greg, if you don't already have a dog, and you're planning to have children soon, it's better to just wait. Just my thoughts.
  • I am currently have a shiba, she’s 1 year old, very possessive with others dogs around me. She would barks at any other dogs trying to be around me. But i’m not worry about due to her size and she is living at both my house and my parents-in-law’s house. So worst case scenario i can have my in laws take care of her. Now the akita will be different because of their size. Plus i want to be the one who take care of the dog so i dont plan to send him/her to anyone.
  • Talk to Tae Kim at Daiji Kennels, he’s had two little girls since getting his Akitas and they have such a great relationship.

    Personally I’ve places pups with families with children almost every litter and had no issues. The youngest child was two years old. Obviously it comes down to the parents’ ability to control the interactions between the two. And simply watching isn’t enough — you need to have an understanding of canine behavior and body language or you’ll miss all the signs the dog gives that it’s uncomfortable and then be surprised when it escalates. Generally, the kids are the problem (they know nothing of dog behavior, lack the discipline not to pester the dog, don’t know how serious the repercussions could be, etc) and breed is irrelevant.

    Some of the WORST bites I’ve seen (and nastiest temperaments) have been from small dogs so please don’t judge on size alone. That’s definitely not the biggest factor. It’s all about behavior, management, and training (for both dog AND child).
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