advise re akita

[marglsc]

hi i am new to this site and a dog lover i do have a akita she is 2 years old i have had her from 6 weeks old and taken her to dog training since she was 12 weeks old but i have a problom were as she doesnt like men as if she is on guard all the time i do think she is the alfa in the family she will bite people but not me she does growl if i try and take anything of her , she is realy very good with children , but that doesnt meen i will leave her in a room with a child as i would never do that i would love some advise of any one as i love her to bits i will not part with her , she does do urban mushing ( pulling a scooter) she goes every were with me and i meen every were she has never in 2 years been left on her own in the house, i would love any advise any one has got to my problom. many thanks in advance .

[Wiztherewoz]

There is soooooooo much information that could help you out, there really is, but you'd have to change your entire outlook, I think.

You said your dog thinks she's in charge, so at least you're aware of the problem! Which is good. :)

If she thinks that she's in charge, she isn't going to be a well-balanced dog, so she's bound to be on alert when there's a strange man in sight, as she feels that it's her job to protect you. You need to teach her that you're the one who'll protect her. It'll take time and you'll have to be persistant, but once she realises this, she should relax a little and let you take charge.

I can throw some suggestions out, if you want me to, but I think that maybe the best thing for you to do would be to find a professional in your area to come and help you out face-to-face for some regular sessions.

I think it's great that she's getting plenty of companionship from you, and good exercise from the sounds of it, but you'll need to get your pack-leader head on, so to speak, to get her out of this dominant, bitey phase. Which means if you tell her to do something, you tell her once then make sure she does it.

I have an aggressive dog, and what I've found works well is to walk him with a Halti headcollar, if he starts to fixate on something (in your case it would be a strange man) I pull his head up, turn him around and have him sit, looking up at me, the halti clamps his jaws shut. As soon as he relaxes, I relax his halti, and we walk on, making sure we set off at a calm pace. If he starts again, or sets off at a rush, I get him straight back into the sit position.

Most dogs will get the idea very, very quickly and will realise that it's much better to continue walking quietly without growling/launching/fixating on anybody than it is to be stopping and sitting every two minutes!

Hope this helps a little. Let us know if you want any extra tips. :D X

[marglsc]

hi thank you very much for your reply, i think every thing you have said i have took on board, and i am gratefull for you intrest , i would like to add kasey ( my akita) first drew blood on the gentleman next door when she was 6 months old and she was very aggressive towards him , he only went to stroke her , i found that very distressing i then realised just what she was capable of and since that happened i have not let any one touch her, so i believe i have caused the problom with her. i also had her nueted if she had one pup that bit a child i would of been devastated , i think i did the right thing at the time, but i have made a rod for my owm back she has also bit the trainer i had she says kasey is the devil dog and wants putting down , but i wont go down that road as she is very loveble towards me , i do have grand children which she is good with , i would love some information that you may have to try . as kasey is dominant but she will do as she is told ie in the house . many thanks marg.

[Macawpower58]

If you research Akita, you may find her behavior is in the norm for her breed. They need intense training and socialization to become good neighborhood dogs. They are not usually stranger friendly, they are a dominant, suspicious, and strong willed breed.

[marglsc]

hi becky you are so right regarding my akita, but my son has a akita and i tell you he is that laid back he falls over lol and they from the same breeder they both have the same dad diffrent moms though, i do think it is me she is good in the house she isnt intrested in people or other dogs regarding attention of my visitors she wont go near them just lays there staring at them and certanly wont let them touch her at all she would bite if they tried as well.

[Wiztherewoz]

she has also bit the trainer i had she says kasey is the devil dog and wants putting down

No, I have dibs on the devil dog! :) But, honestly, the last thing you need is a trainer with this attitude. You need to find someone experienced with aggressive dogs who can help you, who will support you trying to rehabilitate Kasey.

It's very stressful having a dangerous dog, but with a bit of determination and patience, I think you can at least make her a little bit less of a menace to your neighbours and the general public!

Have you heard of NILIF training? If not, google it and put it into practise straight away. NILIF helps to show the dog that you are in charge, in a positive way.

[marglsc]

HI , Well thank you for that i have just read the NILIF as you said
and it was a very good read and to be honest it makes sense
i will start it straight away , i must says she no's the sit /stay/and lie down/
she also does the waiting at the door while i go out first i have come a long way with her
it is just the aggresion with people, she barks at any body on a walk but when they have passed us she turns to see were they are very strange, as if she is watching them to make sure they have gone .

[ReesAkita]

I've had Akita's for 20yr.s and as was said before a lot of this is part of the breed...They have a natural guarding instinct and normally don't take well to strangers....

However and please don't take this the wrong way....Your Akita is running your house not you....She does not see you as the alpha but herself and this is extremely dangerous to allow with a dog especially of that breed....

usually when an Akita bites with the exception of one that's been abused or not socialized it's because they feel they are the head of the pack and it's their job to decide who can come around their home and family and not yours...

This is a behavior you need to get corrected immediately....When any dog exhibits this behavior it's a very dangerous situation and with Akita's having the guarding instinct that they do the absolute worse thing that can be done is to allow them to think they are in control...

I believe I read that you said she growls at you?....Just more evidence that she does not see you as the pack leader...That is a totally unacceptable behavior from any dog...

I would contact a behaviorist right away as you have a very dangerous situation on your hands....Until her behavior is corrected I would not allow her near people she does not know and I would personally put a muzzle on her when you take her for a walk....

Akita's can be very difficult to call off of a person they've attacked even by an owner they respect and see as the alpha but since she does not see you that way I doubt you would be able to pull her away from someone and in fact she may attack you if you try...

I hope things work out for you.

[marglsc]

i think that it has been taken out of contexd or may be im miss reading what you have said , any one can come in my house, she doesnt attak any body she just doesnt crave attention from outsiders as i would call them,but because she bit the gentleman next door and drew blood i do not wish people to touch her , as i have said many times before all dogs have teeth, she is fine with my children when they visit and my grand children, the reason i posted on here is she is very protective of me , which i do agree she should not be and she watches people she doesnt like men she doesnt no and she watches all the time as if she is on guard, i do hope i havnt offended you in any way with my reply , marg.

[ReesAkita]

Sorry about the misunderstanding...I'm glad there isn't an issue as far as people coming in your house....I don't think it's wrong that's she's protective of you,that's natural especially for an Akita....The way she handled it with your neighbor however is not good as you know....It's also normal for the breed to be very aloof and wary of strangers and to keep a watch on them as well....

I still however think she does not see you as the alpha especially if she growls at you when you try and take something away from her...

I'm glad you don't leave her alone with the grandchildren because if she will growl at you for taking something away from her she may do the same or worse when alone with a child...

While I'm sure she's very protective of you since again it's her nature I also think it may be a bit more then that...If she doesn't see you as the alpha then she sees you as something that belongs to her,almost like property in a sense...she sees you as a lower member of her pack so when she acts the way she does with strangers or men it's not so much to protect you but to keep those people away from something or someone she feels is hers and that can again be dangerous....

I hope you will consider looking into my suggestion of a behaviorist.

[Macawpower58]

Hopefully we're reading more into your dog's actions than are really there.

I do know that at 2 years of age, she is just coming into her own. This is the age where she is feeling her full maturity, and if she is going to escalate in her protective state, it will be now. Usually between 2 and 4 years of age for large breed dogs, they are becoming fully mature.

Just be cautious when she is in situations she may take a dislikeing too. It is also always a good idea to establish some pack rules (with you on top) with any dog, but with a dog like the Akita, it is even more so.

[marglsc]

HI REES,i understand what you are saying , and i do believe that when im out with her it is a problom i have a cani-collar on her which i find i can controll her at my side , she doesnt listen to me on walks at all, its as if i am not there , i have never known a akita bark like her it is continues when im out , i have her in a cage in my van for transportation reasons , because if she was loose in the van as soon as i opend the door she would be gone and she wont come back to me she just runs she will not come with in 10ft of me thats when i get my worried head on , so im not sure i think she is in charge of me but not to sure how to aproach the situation,i have done alot of research on the net , kasey hasnt bit me but i think she would i was taking food of her that she had picked up she did growl and i backed of , i no i shouldnt do that but i think it was instint.marg