The Japanese Akita Dog

by Ken Charles

Origin and History of the Akita Dog.

The Japanese Akita is not a suitable dog as a normal family pet. It was originally bred in the Akita Prefecture in Japan, as a hunting dog, for deer, wild boar and even bears. For this purpose, it required to be a large, strong dog with confident, dominant tendencies and an independent nature. The Akita is also known as Akita Inu, which is Japanese for dog.

The average height for the Akita is between 24 to 28 inches and will weigh from eighty to one hundred and ten pounds. He has strong, heavy bones and a muscular body. This is a lot of dog!

The Akita has a double coat, which is harsh and waterproof, with a thick, dense undercoat. It sheds profusely, all year round and requires brushing and grooming every day. Colors include white, white with tan patches and other combinations, including brindle. The dense coat of this breed means that he is happy in the snow but he will suffer in a hot climate.

This is not a dog for inexperienced owners, or for people who are elderly or weak. Akitas are intelligent and athletic and when socialized are faithful and affectionate but will always strive for the dominant position in the family group. He may show aggression towards family members and may not suit a family with small children. With this breed, it is vital that you are the Alpha Dog and that he knows his place in your "pack"!

The Akita may show aggression towards other dogs and small animals and should not be allowed to roam off-leash in public areas where there are many people and other dogs.

Training Akitas

The Akita can be difficult to train because they are intelligent and stubborn and can quickly become bored. it should never be a question of "asking" an Akita to do something. It must always be a strong command from a dominant owner. When you say "NO", mean it and make it stick. You may have problems with house training, as Akitas suffer from urinary infections in infancy.

There is plenty of information available online, much of it Free, on the subject of Dog Aggression. Any dog which shows undue aggression, to people or animals, is in urgent need of proper expert training.

If you take an Akita into your family, you must be prepared to spend time and effort on training, socializing, excercise and grooming. This large dog also costs a lot to feed.

Akitas in the Family

There are conflicting opinions about the suitability of Akitas with young children. Historically, the breed had a strong reputation for being protective of young children and were often left in sole charge. Other opinions point out the dominant nature of the breed and the fact that these dogs will compete for their place in the pack. Certainly, a young child will be no match physically for an adult Akita.

Proper supervision of the behavior of the dog and the children is essential in this situation. Having said this, a well socialized Akita will be more comfortable with this.

Akitas make extremely good guard dogs. They have a strong territorial instinct and will be very protective of family and property. As a watch dog, they are quietly effective. They do not bark unnecessarily but will certainly raise the alarm at the approach of any strange visitors or sounds.

The average lifespan of the Akita is about 12 years. Like many other breeds of dog, cancer is the most common cause of death. Recent surveys in both the United Kingdom and the USA/Canada revealed this to be the case, with other causes including cardiac and bloat/torsion.

There is a load of Free information and useful links on Japanese Akitas at http://allabout-dogs.co.uk/akita which also covers all aspects of dog ownership, including Dog Training, Dog Breeds, Dog Food and Dog Health. For the best advice on training the Akita, visit http://allabout-dogs.co.uk/Dog_Trainers

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Taking Your Big Dog to the Pet Store!

What a great idea it has been for some of the pet stores in our area to let us take our pets INSIDE the store. Shadow just LOVES it when he gets to go bye-bye to PETCO! He always seems to hold his head up higher, and kind of prance through the store, trying to see and sniff everything that we will let him get near. Plus, he always knows that the trip is just for him, and that he will get some toys or treats.

And the people there are always amazed at how big he is, and even more amazed at how gentle he is. He is quite a hit!

He is very well-behaved in the store, too. He sees other dogs, that would normally make him go crazy (if they were approaching our yard or something), but for some reason, in the store, he is just happy to be there. I think if he could talk, he would be saying something like "I'm a lucky dog", like they used to show in the old TV commercial.

So anyway, if you haven't tried it, give your big dog a special treat by taking him out to the pet supply store. It's great exercise for them, and they really love it!

Help for Ailing Pets - Mangosteen Juice

I am forwarding this message because I know that a lot of the large breed dogs have back and hip problems, and mangosteen juice has been known to improve joint function and boost the immune system. I have a site titled www.mangosteennation.blogspot.com that has some more information about mangosteen. I use this product continually to keep my family healthy, and periodically for Shadow when he has minor injuries or hip pain. (he is one clumsy dog, and sometimes trips going up stairs) Anyway, if your pet is suffering from health issues, it may help. If you are interested in learning even more about mangosteen, check out the product site at www.myxango.com/mangosteennation.

Mangosteen and 13 year Old Miniature Dachshund With a Disintegrated Back Disc...

When asked to write about the effects of aging and the danger of some of the most important folks in our lives, (our little dogs), I almost immediately got tears in my eyes.

My best little four legged friend is "Ms. Scarlet," our long haired, miniature dachshund. We've had her since she was a tiny little puppy. She loves to sit on my lap.

As many of you may know, this breed of dog is very prone to back issues because their little legs are just too short to support their long bodies. We, our family, have always watched that Ms. Scarlet didn’t jump off of furniture, or climb stairs, because of the inclination to have a back injury.

Ms. Scarlet is now 13 years old and last year, just overnight, Scarlet woke up one morning, and she couldn’t stand or walk, and if she tried, the pain would cause her to urinate on the spot. She couldn't even move her real legs, and curled them up under her. I immediately made her an appointment with her Vet and was told that she had a disintegrated disc, and that surgery would be the ONLY solution, and that at her age it would be a real risk.

Ed and I were faced with a decision that most pet owners are faced with at one time or another. It was at this point that Ed said, "Before we make any difficult decisions, let’s see if Xango will work for her."

It was at that point that I started giving Scarlet a dropper of Xango twice a day. It didn’t take but a month, and Scarlet was running around the house with the rest of the dogs and she still is. Our little girl, "Ms. Scarlet." is now almost blind and can’t hear very well, but she's as frisky as a puppy. She hops around in and out of the house, and scampers to the back door to run and play outside with our 2 other miniature dachshund puppies (1 year old). She is much slower than the puppies, but she is 13 years old, and still alive and well, and she's actually still hopping around. God has given us more years with Ms. Scarlett, that we didn't think we would have, and we are so grateful to God for that.

I know that God played a big part in this, because we pray for all our pets, along with all of our family and friends, but I also KNOW in my heart, that if we had not given Ms. Scarlet her Xango every day, she would not be here with us today. By the way, she sends her love and said to tell you that she is still taking her Xango faithfully.

Yvonne Johnson

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The products and information contained herein are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases or, medical problems. It is not intended to replace your doctor's recommendations. The information is provided for educational purposes only. Nutritional benefits may vary from one person to another. TheCompany, XanGo LLC, cannot and does not make any medical or therapeutic claims about their product, XanGo, nor may any XanGo Independent Distributor. The XanGo Mangosteen Juice is made with the whole Mangosteen fruit that is rich with over 40 xanthones, under an International Patent. Mangosteen and Xanthones have been researched for many years by independent scientists, researchers, and medical schools who have no affiliation with XanGo. Many of the abstracts of their papers can be found at www.pubmed.gov . Enter "Xanthones" into the search bar. Any personal mangosteen story or experience you hear or read about is not to suggest or imply that you or anyone else might have the same reaction or benefit.We merely say, "Try the Mangosteen Product made by XanGo and see what benefits you receive."

Great Holiday Gift Ideas for Big Dog Lovers!

Hey, I was just surfing the web, and stumbled upon this great site that sells holiday ornaments and gifts using big dogs as the focal points. They will also post pictures of your big dog, and even have a holiday photo contest.

Anyway, I thought it was a great site to check out:

www.bigtalldog.com