2 dogs to 3?Japanese Akita?

[Lochnessgiraffe]

We currently have 2 dogs and my dh has fallen in love with the Japanese Akita inu.
I have 2 questions
Does anyone have one what are they like?
What's the biggest challenge of going from 2 dogs to 3?

Icedcoffee, it doesn’t get over the fact that Labradors are not consistently berated yet cause alot of problems. The public do tend to latch on to large guarding breeds to berate. In the 90’s it was Rotties, which are fabulous dogs.

But the main reason they cause so many problems (and are consistently on top of the bite list) is due to the sheer number of them that are around.

That doesn't negate the fact that there are aggressive labradors out there, but as a breed, they are generally not aggressive and as a rule, they do make great family pets.

But when there were 39,000 Labradors registered last year and less than 200 Akitas (data from the KC), the number of Akitas responsible for attacks is disproportionately high, even if Labs still technically come out on top.

The Akita was not bred as a fighting dog or a guard dog. They were originally bred to hunt wild boar and large game. They were later used in dog fighting but that was not their true purpose.

They were also back bred with one of the ancestor breeds quite recently in terms of canine history in order to standardise the breed. This happened long after they were popular fighting dogs.

It's interesting how the former Akita owners don't have a bad word to say about them and most of the negativity is coming from someone who Googled Daily Fail articles and people who once saw an Akita in the park/beach/local gossip rag.

It does get exercised and entertained , they have 2 small children and are as a family constantly in the garden whatever the weather . It’s reason for attacking the fence is because it wants to get to my dog and as it’s owners have told me that it hates other dogs and has to always be on a lead I assume it’s not trying to get to my dog so that they can play ball together !

Sitdowncupof tea

Even your own link says that whilst dachshunds and Chihuahuas are the most aggressive they are too small to cause any danger which would also be obvious to anyone with any common sense

It's the combination of aggression with large size and bite strength that produces danger as indeed your link says.

You can get away with an ill mannered small dog as whilst it may be unpleasant no-one will die. I loathe and detest my MILs snappy whiny mini dachshund but never have I or my kids felt in any danger from the silly creature. I have also never seen a headline about anyone dying or being seriously mauled by a dachshund but I certainly have with Akitas.

It's not that they can't be lovely dogs in the right hands I am sure but with 2 dogs already it hardly seems the ideal circumstance to take a risk that you are unable to train and control them adequately. The bigger the dog the greater the risk you are taking and the better owner you need to be.

It's interesting how the former Akita owners don't have a bad word to say about them and most of the negativity is coming from someone who Googled Daily Fail articles and people who once saw an Akita in the park/beach/local gossip rag.

But that's the case on every single breed-specific thread. It's not unique to this one.

It happens on threads about Labradors, collies, cocker spaniels, doodle mixes, staffies, and yes, Akitas too.

I own a breed (beagle) that's often slammed on here as being totally inappropriate to own as a pet. But on every beagle thread that's full of non-owners saying how awful they are (noisy, stubborn, awful recall) there are beagle owners who say their dogs are none of those things.

People don't like to see their breeds' negative traits being criticised, so of course they're going to come along and defend them. That's just human nature.

@icedcoffees

Japanese Akitas are known to be dog aggressive and reactive.

I would never own one if I had other dogs in the house. The risk is far, far too great.

I agree. All the ones I have known have been really aggressive.

I'm slightly more encouraged that actual akita owners are saying positive things. When we got our shibas we were told they would be difficult and they have been awesome (except they have no recall so are kept on long leads)

Highly recommend looking at Chinese Chuandong hound. There is very few in the country (35ish), they're from the hills of china and look exactly the same as what they did hundreds of years ago. Prey drive is very much there but personality wise, size, shedding and overall, they are fabulous

Lovely looking dog.
One of things we like about the akita is that it looks like a big version of the shiba

Maybe the Akitas you have known it's the bad owners at fault rather than the dog? Some people in general should not have dogs as clearly they can't train them.

Maybe the Akitas you have known it's the bad owners at fault rather than the dog?

Well, yes, the vast majority of dog bites (regardless of breed) are the result of human error.

Some people in general should not have dogs as clearly they can't train them.

I couldn't agree more.

But although all that may be true, Akitas still have the breed trait of being aloof to other dogs at best, reactive and aggressive towards them at worst.

You can't breed that out of them and personally, I think it's daft (at best) to introduce a breed known for dog aggression into a house with existing dogs.

@icedcoffees I've owned many different breeds over the years. I always have more than one dog usually different breeds. Personally I don't make assumptions until I've owned that breed. Saying Akitas are aggressive is wrong.
I own huskies saying they pull sleds is wrong for example. You have to "train" a husky to pull a sled. Many dogs could do this if they were the right build and "trained".
Labelling a Akita aggressive and a guard dog or protection dog is wrong. You have to " train" them to guard or be a protection dog. Where do you get the information that Akitas are known for dog aggression from? Why are you assuming they are aggressive?
Many people are scared of Akitas probably due to size. My akita has been out on walks and other smaller dogs have been off leash and gone for him. I'm sure if he retaliated he would get the blame though just because he's an Akita and the big dog always gets the blame.
All the Akitas I have Personally known have been friendly. It's the same as any dog brought up correctly.

@lochnessgiraffe Personally I would ask Akita owners for the information you want rather than people who have no experience with them. You can see the difference in posts by those who own Akitas and those that don't and never have.
Any dogs capable of aggression no matter what breed.

I have three dogs with one being an akita, he is also a rescue which makes him more of a challenge.
However he has fit into the family really well, we have no issues with dominance, or food aggression within the three dogs. They all get on really well and I like the balance of having three dogs.

As a breed Akitas are hard work, you need to find parents who have nice temparements. Then do a lot of socialising with them as a puppy, with other dogs and people. They are a stunning dog to look at but i'm not sure if I would have another, even though I love our boy.

Best advice would be to meet breeders, and other akita owners. You'll get a lot of bias from non owners who only read about bad akitas or see ones with idiots for owners.

I've owned many different breeds over the years. I always have more than one dog usually different breeds. Personally I don't make assumptions until I've owned that breed. Saying Akitas are aggressive is wrong.

Where do you get the information that Akitas are known for dog aggression from? Why are you assuming they are aggressive?

From personal experience. As a professional who works with dogs, I've got experience with many breeds - including Akitas, and unfortunately, I have never once met one who wasn't (at best) aloof with strangers and other dogs. Unfortunately, the last one I worked with was severely aggressive and I had to refer the client to a behaviourist as after several weeks, I still couldn't get within six feet of it without it aggressing.

I'm glad you've got a positive experience with the breed and I'm glad the ones you've owned have been friendly, but breed stereotypes and traits exist for a reason. Of course not every single Akita will be aggressive, just like not every Labrador will be greedy and not every single Chihuahua will yap. But there's a reason they're known for aggression and it's not because everyone is making it up or has no experience.

I also own a breed that gets very negative reviews on here - I know what it's like to want to defend your breed to the hilt, but I'm also not blind to their negative traits and I know full well that the negative stereotypes around my breed (beagles) exist for a good reason!

In my opinion, it's really important to be aware of the potential negatives of a breed before bringing one into your home - especially when that breed is known for dog aggression and you already have resident dogs.

The paper I linked to above states that more than 20% of akitas displayed dog aggression.

It says the same about Jack Russells. I used to own a JR cross who wasn't, but I'm not blind to what JRs can be like.

@NotJustfriends

3 dogs is hell trust me... Mine are only small breeds, but I would never ever again own more than two dogs. The constant pack mentality, dominance asserting, obsession with eachother is wearing. Two was perfect, three is awful. My friend also has three dogs and has the same issues. Just completely changes the dynamics, and you're permanently outnumbered by dogs.

Bit of a generalisation! I’ve never owned as few as two and have never encountered the problems you speak of. But can’t advise on Akitas as only occasionally come across them at dog shows where they were well trained & beautifully behaved.

My friends uncle used to have one
Whenever we went to her nans we couldn't walk in until the dog was locked out
It once locked on his arm. Was a total mess. He got put down after that

@icedcoffees

I've owned many different breeds over the years. I always have more than one dog usually different breeds. Personally I don't make assumptions until I've owned that breed. Saying Akitas are aggressive is wrong.

Where do you get the information that Akitas are known for dog aggression from? Why are you assuming they are aggressive?

From personal experience. As a professional who works with dogs, I've got experience with many breeds - including Akitas, and unfortunately, I have never once met one who wasn't (at best) aloof with strangers and other dogs. Unfortunately, the last one I worked with was severely aggressive and I had to refer the client to a behaviourist as after several weeks, I still couldn't get within six feet of it without it aggressing.

I'm glad you've got a positive experience with the breed and I'm glad the ones you've owned have been friendly, but breed stereotypes and traits exist for a reason. Of course not every single Akita will be aggressive, just like not every Labrador will be greedy and not every single Chihuahua will yap. But there's a reason they're known for aggression and it's not because everyone is making it up or has no experience.

I also own a breed that gets very negative reviews on here - I know what it's like to want to defend your breed to the hilt, but I'm also not blind to their negative traits and I know full well that the negative stereotypes around my breed (beagles) exist for a good reason!

In my opinion, it's really important to be aware of the potential negatives of a breed before bringing one into your home - especially when that breed is known for dog aggression and you already have resident dogs.

You say your a professional who works with dogs therefore you should never generalise a breed. Dogs can be aggressive for any number of reasons not just because of a breed name its given. If you could not work with a supposedly aggressive Akita and refer that person to a behaviourist I personally would question how qualified you are in dealing with dogs. Also just because one Akita was aggressive it does not mean everyone is. I've owned many breeds similar to Akitas that have a bad reputation labelled by people who have never owned one. I dont like sweeping generalisations from people who have little experience of dog breeds. Akitas are not known for aggression unless you read tabloid rags.

Akitas are not known for aggression unless you read tabloid rags.
I linked to an academic study upthread which found that akitas were very prone to dog aggression.

The whole point of breeds is that they have traits. And while not all dogs in any given breed will demonstrate the full range of traits for which the breed is known, or may not demonstrate them strongly, on balance you expect to find that:
collies and huntaways will herd (but do it in different ways, in line with their breeding)
pointers will point (and e.g. braccos will hunt the ground before they point more slowly than, say, a vizsla)
spaniels will hunt cover as if their lives depend on it
Malinois will bite, which is why they are one of the preferred breeds in the protection sports instead of, say, labradors. A well-trained Mal will hang on until told to out, because most Mals (if the protection sports people know what they're talking about, and I assume they do) find biting intrinsically rewarding. Good luck trying to do that with a Lab.

Akitas were developed to hunt large, aggressive animals (wild boar are dangerous buggers), and later used for fighting and guarding. It's hardly surprising that they are are more likely to be dog aggressive than many other breeds. Not every akita will show that trait, and many of them - especially if from lines bred for a more pet-appropriate temperament - could well be chilled and easy dogs -, but enough of them do to put them up there with JRs and a couple of other breeds.

@grumpymiddleagedwoman you can put links to various articles and if you google longer you will find contradictory studies. The best research is asking owners of the breed. Hands on experience of a dog breed beats any study article. The only dog breed I have ever owned that was dog aggressive was a chihuahua! I would not tar every chihuahua with that brush. A bit like saying all blonde people are dumb.

@Sitdowncupoftea, the study I linked to did ask the owners - two groups, one group found via a random sample of breed club members, one from an on-line survey.
From the abstract:
The present study surveyed the owners of more than 30 breeds of dogs using the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ), a validated and reliable instrument for assessing dogs’ typical and recent responses to a variety of common stimuli and situations.... More than 20% of Akitas, Jack Russell Terriers and Pit Bull Terriers were reported as displaying serious aggression toward unfamiliar dogs.

This does not say that all Akitas will display dog aggression, just that they are at relatively high risk of doing so.

If you have a study showing anything different, I would be genuinely interested in reading it.

I don't think people should be able to keep Akitas as household pets.

@DocAutumn

I don't think people should be able to keep Akitas as household pets.

And what ground breaking study do you base that generalisation on.

[quote GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman]@Sitdowncupoftea, the study I linked to did ask the owners - two groups, one group found via a random sample of breed club members, one from an on-line survey.
From the abstract:
The present study surveyed the owners of more than 30 breeds of dogs using the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ), a validated and reliable instrument for assessing dogs’ typical and recent responses to a variety of common stimuli and situations.... More than 20% of Akitas, Jack Russell Terriers and Pit Bull Terriers were reported as displaying serious aggression toward unfamiliar dogs.

This does not say that all Akitas will display dog aggression, just that they are at relatively high risk of doing so.

If you have a study showing anything different, I would be genuinely interested in reading it.[/quote]
Have you owned an Akita ?
Certain breeds as pointed out by many on here are stigmatised. The top breed for dog attacks in this country is labradors. All the labradors I know are lovely by the way. I cant stand generalisations by people on Certain breeds if they have no hands on experience of ever owning that breed.
The same stigma is on wolfdog breeds assumptions based on watching too much TV or reading silly articles in the press. I didn't take part on the "study" your quoting nor am I sure the other Akita owners on here so to me it's meaningless. I've adopted many dogs who have lived out their days happy and have been labelled "dangerous " breeds. I also own a low content wolf dog. Education rather than ignorance is what is needed. In my opinion many people need to go on a training course never mind the dogs before they even contemplate owning a dog. The pandemic has highlighted the amount of idiots out there that don't train their dogs and cause many of the issues themselves and the poor dog suffers and ends up in a rescue. If anyone wants to know about a specific breed ask "an owner" of that breed.