 Barked: Sat Nov 3, '12 6:43pm PST |
 | |  | | Thank you!
They are going well! Potty training is MUCH easier with him than it was with Bear, so that was a nice relief. He has plenty of energy, therefore needs exercise, which has been great for me to conclude my evening with a 1-2 mile walk! We are doing our best to socialize him, he's met around 20-25 new people in the 2 weeks we've had him. Some have come to our house, others have been on walks or in public. He's met several other dogs besides Bear, and does well upon introduction to them. He is not aggressive with Bear, he just acts like any puppy would, though I always walk him for a while before they interact in order to calm him down a bit, since he does get rambunctious! So we are still working on gentle play with the two dogs, but I feel as if it is going very smoothly. Especially for it being the first two weeks.
We met up with another Akita owner, who upon meeting him, said how amazed she was at his temperment. We play with his paws, are around him while he eats, and have worked on several commands: heel, sit, stay, come, and leave it. He has most of them down pretty good. He is FANTASTIC with out daughter. He caught on really quick that it was not ok to jump on her, or anyone for that matter, and is very gentle with her, even for a puppy. Although for a nearly 3 year old, she is VERY good and respectful to animals. If he grabs one of her toys, she firmly tells him no, then takes it from him. He listens, and gives her the toy back.
He does have the traditional Akita temperment. He is alert: attentive while I'm walking him, often seeing people I don't, and stopping to see what their next move is. He is cautious around strangers, but as soon as I pet him and tell him "it's ok" he is fine, his tail is wagging, and he's ready for some TLC!
We tend to get a lot of, "What kind of dog is that? He is beautiful!" and "His paws are huge!" I also find that people think he is older than he is due to his size. He is an excellent addition to our family, and I have fallen in love with the breed. I like that he's not an "in your face" kind of puppy, and has some need for independence. I can tell he will be our protector, especially my daughter and myself. But once he meets you for the first time, he considers you a friend. I think that's a good start for only having him two weeks now! |  |  | |  |
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I think I did tell you that they are very intelligent and catch on quickly to most things. Your daughter sounds like she was born to be an Akita person,my granddaughter now 7 is the same way with ours. If I haven't warned you already,the breed when it is with the right people is addictive,you will never again imagine your life without an Akita in it.
on continued sucess.
Leah. Keep working with her. I know it can be frustrating but she will respond. Please also keep trying to socialize her.Use a muzzle in public if you aren't sure how she will react but the more you get her out there around other people and dogs,the better she will become at handling it. Start slow in less busy places where she will be welcome,use treats to keep her focused on you rather than becoming overwhelmed and please if you would start your own thread so that other posters and I can adress your concerns on a more individual basis,for me personally it can become very confusing trying to adress two different problems in the same thread and I feel it also makes it confusing for others as well including the original poster of this thread to follow what is going on. You are also welcome to p-mail me for help if you would like. Pam(Mika &Kai's Mom)
