The Gentle/Soft Akita General Chat

Discussion in 'Akita' started by akitamax, Jan 11, 2017.

  1. akitamax

    akitamax New Member

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    The Gentle/Soft Akita

    I adopted my American Akita, Max, about a year ago when he was six months old. Max has grown into a handsome young dog, who is fifteen months old now. He is a great dog, but nothing like I had expected an Akita would be.

    The one thing about him that I noticed quite early on was that he was not adequately socialised during his formative months. He was very skittish outside of the house, with a lot of positive reenforcement and late socialisation I have actually made great improvements with him and he is now a very well adjusted dog and has for the most part beat his fear issues but still not the bravest dog out there.

    Which brings me to my question about what you would consider normal temperament for an AA. He is very selective when it comes to people, but once he gets the OK from me he is friendly and playful with everyone. He is suspicious of new people but not aloof, if anything he is timid until I give him reassurance that the person is OK to socialise with and then he becomes a golden retriever. I think the initial timidity has a lot to do with the lack of early socialisation. But his timidness manifests in retreat, and never aggression. Early on I feared that his fear as a puppy would manifest itself as aggression as an adult but that has not happened thankfully. l I have yet to hear him growl or bark at a single person (except for the odd bark he gives if he sees someone getting close too the front yard). It definitely does not seems like he would make any kind of protector or guard dog :)

    With dogs it is a bit of a different story, my friend is a dog trainer and behaviourist so we worked a lot with him towards socialising him with dogs after I got him. He is now great with almost all opposite sex dogs and good with most male dogs if given the proper introduction (oddly enough his number one nemesis seems to be labradors and golden retrievers, he is not fond of them at all). My behaviourist friend says that he actually has a pretty strong and hard personality when I am not around, but is much more mellow and cordial when I am around.

    So I guess my question is, is this normal for an AA? I read so much before I got an Akita about the fearlessness and the strong nature of the Akita, my guy is really just a sweet adorable dog, he could pass for a lab if it weren’t for the stubbornness, physicality and relative independence that is characteristic of an Akita. I do keep in mind that he is still a young dog at 15 months and I have read that they really don’t come into their own completely until the age of around 3 physically and mentally, however, is it normal? Will he ever become a bit more characteristic of the fearless and strong Akita that seems to be the standard? Quite honestly, I don’t mind too much one way or the other, even prefer him this way. He is a great dog and was never intended to be a guard dog, but I am curious if this is normal.

    Also, as an aside, when it comes to his size. Last I measured him he was 64cm/25inches and 36kg/80lbs. I know his height won’t increase after this, but how much weight will he put on as he grows?

    Any feedback is more than welcome! unnamed.jpg
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  3. 6JRT's

    6JRT's Member

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    Lovely dog :007:
  4. akitamax

    akitamax New Member

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    Thank you :)
  5. GsdSlave

    GsdSlave Member

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    Genetics also play a part in temperament If bred from a line of so-called “nervous inherited, (not developed. ) A dog's core temperament never changes. Some behaviours can be modified through training, but the temperament itself never changes.
    Not all dogs of any breed always follow the stereotype, your boy sounds lovely just enjoy him.
    As for weight again it depends on the individual dog, bone and structure.
  6. CaroleC

    CaroleC Member

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    My Beagle boy has insecurities, and has exactly the same problem with Labs and Goldens. Because these breeds are so outgoing, they are usually off lead, and can be seen by the more reserved types as being, 'in your face'. I have found that the best way of dealing with these encounters is to teach a 'Watch me', where you reward generously for keeping his attention on you for a gradually lengthening period. I try to avoid close contact, but it is not always possible as the friendly types tend to circle round you, so the best way seems to be, 'Watch me', and walk on at a smart pace.
  7. akitamax

    akitamax New Member

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    I do think a lot of it has to do with lack of socialization in the most important months of his life. He came from a very solid line of champions but of course genetics surely must be playing a role. He is indeed a great dog, thanks for the feedback :)

    We are all about the watch me and "positive distraction" :) I start playing with him or feeding him treats well before he notices a potential problem dog and he has started to decide that I am far more interesting than most things he may find threatening or distracting. I do think you are right about the labs and goldens, my GSD used to also get along with all dogs but had issues with labs/goldens. Thanks for the feed back!
  8. muddymoodymoo

    muddymoodymoo New Member

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    Your dog is beautiful and lucky to have an owner who is willing and able to work on his issues. Hopefully your boy will stay gentle, but will gain more confidence. I knew a gentle male Akita, but, I guess, they are in the minority, at least around here. Lots of Akitas are used as status symbol and therefore not bred or encouraged to be 'soft' by certain type of people.
  9. akitamax

    akitamax New Member

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    Thank you, that is my ideal scenario, I would like him to gain a bit more confidence so he can get more pleasure out of life but stay the same gentle dog. In the beginning I feared that his timid nature would lead to him being a fear-aggresive dog but that has not happened at all, I know he is still young but so far it has been all good development: no aggression and more confidence, fingers crossed he continues down the same path :)

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