Akita Inu: breed description, character and cultivation

Akita Inu is one of the most popular breeds in the whole world, which is not surprising, because many got acquainted with this animal from TV screens - while watching the movie "Hachiko", where the main four-legged hero really amazes with his intelligence, devotion and nobility.

But what do we really know about dogs of this breed, are they really that good? Let us consider in more detail the history of their origin, features and all the most important nuances of keeping these animals.

The history of the Japanese husky - this is the name of the famous Akita Inu breed - is quite interesting, since many chronicles attribute them to the most ancient breeds. This is known not only from various kinds of research, but also from rock paintings created by our ancestors.

The first individuals in the form in which they appear before us at the present time, appeared in the seventeenth century in Japan and belonged to the peasant people. But closer to the eighteenth century, dogs of this breed were recognized as elite, which allowed the animals to receive full custody from the Japanese authorities. From that moment on, only high-ranking, respected people and family members of the emperor himself could engage in breeding these dogs.

The Akita Inu breed has been experimented many times: dogs were crossed with Tosa Inu, then with mastiffs, or even with German shepherds. But none of the crosses gave the desired result, since the external features characteristic only of dogs of this breed were always lost.

Animals of this species were even participants in the Second World War., which negatively affected their numbers. But thanks to a special society for the preservation of the Akita Inu, the breed with its best qualities and purebredness has been preserved to this day.

Before starting a dog of this breed, it is worthwhile to study its description in more detail, familiarize yourself with the characteristics, standards and other important nuances.

Despite the fact that the Akita Inu belongs to the group of large spitz-like dogs, the main purpose of this animal during breeding was to hunt and protect the home from wild animals and strangers. For quite a long time, Akita Inu were used to hunt exclusively large animals., and only relatively recently have they become decorative pets.

It was the Japanese dog handlers who took part in the breeding of this species of this breed, for whom the most important factor was not getting a new breed, but the restoration of old standards that existed in the pre-war period.

It is for the Japanese variety that are characteristic: a special shape of the head, reminiscent of a triangle, a small upturned nose and sly dark eyes of small size. The animal has a strong, well-formed body and powerful muscles, and a strong bone allows the dog to be more resilient.

Experienced breeders state that the most common coat color is a combination of white and red. But in fact, the color can be anything: black, brown or even piebald. The main thing is that it is neat and free from streaks.

In the early seventies, the American Akita Inu was officially registered, the appearance of which only vaguely resembled the Japanese "version". The quality of the coat, height and weight almost completely coincided with the parameters of the Japanese dog, while the muzzle had a characteristic dark color, resembling a mask.

The color, like that of a Japanese dog, can be absolutely anything, but there is one notable feature of monochromatic white dogs - the absence of a characteristic mask in the area of ​​the muzzle.

In addition to these two species, the dwarf Akita Inu is also distinguished, which is a reduced copy of the standard representative of the breed - the growth of the animal at the withers reaches only 40 centimeters. This type is suitable for those who do not dare to have a large dog., but really wants to become the owner of a small, but very intelligent and loyal animal.

Many breeders and owners speak of this breed extremely positively, noting that the negative aspects of the Akita Inu's character are simply absent. Let us consider in more detail whether this is really so, and also understand the peculiarities of the behavior of dogs of this breed.

Indeed, it is believed that the Akita Inu is endowed with all the best qualities., inherent in other breeds of dogs, but there are still several negative sides, but we will talk about them later.

The character of this dog at puppyhood, although it is distinguished by mischief and playfulnessbut still quite calm and level-headed. Akita Inu is not characterized by outbursts of aggressive behavior, anger or sudden mood swings, such manifestations can only be caused by the occurrence of dangerous situations that threaten its life or the life of the owner.

But even in such cases, the dog will restrain itself to the last and remain calm. The keen mind of this animal allows him to fully assess the situation and only when there is an urgent need to take appropriate action.

Among the negative aspects of the character inherent in this breed, excessive curiosity is noted. The animal will react to any rustle and slightest movement and explore with curiosity various objects, holes, cracks and much more.

Dogs of this breed get along well with humans, so they can become a real friend for a lonely owner or a favorite of the whole family. The animal gets along well with children, so you don't have to worry about leaving the child with the dog - she will not only not offend him, but will also play, and sometimes even look after him.

Looking at the calmness and balance of the animal, you may get the false impression that the dog is extremely independent and overly self-confident. This is not so, because with a longer contact and trusting relationship between the animal and the owner, the Akita Inu is revealed as a gentle, vulnerable, friendly, very sensitive and sincere creature.

This should be taken into account when training, since too rough handling can negatively affect the character of the animal. With all the external independence for a dog of this breed, a good attitude is very important, and, as a rule, she always reciprocates it.

As for relationships with other animals, everything is much more complicated here. Since the Akita Inu is very reverent and jealous of its territory, the dog will in every possible way protect and protect it from the encroachments of other four-legged animals, showing open hostility towards them.

Like dogs of any other breed, the Akita Inu has its own advantages and disadvantages, which must be carefully studied before purchasing.

First of all, it is worth studying the positive aspects of the character of the pet.

• A dog of this breed has a very extraordinary mental ability.
• Thanks to its well-developed intelligence, the animal lends itself well to training and training.
• She is practically not afraid of anything and is an excellent protector for the owner and the whole family.
• Akita Inu is characterized by such a quality as cleanliness, which cannot but please the owners.
• Puppies of this animal from an early age are rather wary of strangers, so the dog will definitely not go with someone unfamiliar and will not take food from someone else's hands. This is especially important because people have different intentions, and some of them can seriously harm your pet.
• In addition to protecting its owner, a dog of this breed will also show friendly feelings towards him and will become a faithful companion for the rest of his life.
• Despite its considerable size, the Akita Inu is quite suitable for keeping in an apartment without causing damage to the owner's property.

Negative points also need to be taken into account.

• A dog of this breed is very capricious and often demonstrates this character trait, which in itself is not a disadvantage, as long as the manifestation of this quality does not go beyond the boundaries of what is permitted.
• It often happens that the Akita Inu can show aggression towards other large animals.
• During the moulting period, the owners will have to arm themselves with combs and furminators, as well as carry out regular cleaning in the house, since at this time this breed is characterized by a large amount of wool loss.
• The dog can have nutritional problems as it is very selective and picky about it. And if everything is a little easier with natural food, then the selection of a suitable dry food can be a rather protracted process.

Obviously, this breed has many more advantages than disadvantages. It is worth noting that the minuses are also not critical and certainly will not become a decisive factor in choosing a pet, since proper upbringing, care and care will help eliminate almost all the negative aspects of keeping Akita Inu.

Choosing a puppy is a very serious process that needs to be approached wisely. If his pedigree, appearance and activity are not fundamental to you, you can take any baby, he will in any case become a favorite and a faithful friend of the family.

But if you want to buy a purebred animal, are going to participate with your pet in various exhibitions and count on prizes, then it is necessary to pay attention to important nuances when choosing.

• The first step is to review the puppy's parents' medical records as well as the pedigree. Every breeder who fulfills his duties in good faith must provide these documents.
• It is best if the puppy is preliminarily examined by a veterinarian, and the breeder will have an opinion on his health status.
• In addition, for those who intend to participate in exhibitions with their puppy, it is necessary to request health tests from the breeder, which can detect diseases such as dysplasia and others, or to notify about possible future vision problems.
• It is necessary to devote enough time and attention to choosing a puppy, since in a hurry it is easy to make a mistake and choose an animal with a serious illness or defects in appearance. In addition, the future owner is obliged to carefully prepare, study all the necessary materials and purchase all the essentials for the puppy.
• The future owner must definitely pay attention to the conditions in which the puppies and the mother are kept, and also ask the breeder about all the nuances of nutrition for both an adult dog and her babies.
• When choosing a baby, you need to carefully examine him, paying attention to the coat, mucous membranes, ears, claws, the condition of the gums and milk teeth. In addition, it is necessary to take a closer look at how the puppy behaves and how he interacts with others. The kid must have both good health and a stable psyche.
• In addition to the external characteristics and state of health, when choosing a puppy, it is necessary to think about its gender, since boys and girls differ not only in physiology, but sometimes in size, as well as in behavioral reactions.
• And of course, when choosing a puppy with documents and pedigree, you should not pay attention to offers with too low cost, since there is a huge chance of running into scammers. Purebred healthy Akita Inu puppies with a full package of documents are very expensive: the minimum price of one individual is from 30 thousand rubles.

In order for a dog to grow up healthy and well-formed, it is necessary to monitor the change in its size. To do this, the future dog breeder needs to know the height and weight of puppies and adult dogs of the Akita Inu breed by months.

• Newborn Akita Inu babies can weigh between 300 and 700 grams. Their size and birth weight will directly depend on the number of puppies that the mother bore and gave birth to.

• By the first month of life, the approximate weight of the animal will vary within 3-4.5 kilograms. During this period, puppies begin to open their eyes and try to take their first steps, and the nimble ones can even run awkwardly. The growth of a puppy during this period can reach 35 centimeters.

• By the second month, the baby is weaned from the mother, as well as the beginning of raising the ears. The weight of the animal is gradually increasing and can reach 10 kilograms, and its height is 38 centimeters.

• By three months, you need to decide on a training and training plan and gradually begin to introduce classes into the puppy mode. Its growth by three months can reach 40–43 centimeters, and its weight can vary between 12–14 kilograms.

• At four months of age, a puppy should have regular exercise and constant physical activity. Also, this period is characterized by the complete formation of the ears. The growth of the baby reaches 50 centimeters, and the maximum weight can be about 22 kilograms.

• By the time the puppy is five months old, it is necessary to begin introducing regular long walks in the fresh air into the daily routine of the puppy, as well as to closely observe his games and prohibit them after eating - this can harm the puppy. By the age of five months, an Akita Inu puppy can grow up to 55 centimeters and gain up to 25 kilograms in weight.

• In the period from six to nine months, the baby Akita Inu looks like an adult dog, and the proportions of the body take on the proper form. In addition, during this period, the puppy finally develops character, so it is very important to conduct effective training before that. The growth of the puppy during this period varies from 56 to 64 centimeters, and the weight - from 26 to 37 kilograms.

• In the period up to a year, weight gain and growth development occurs much more slowly, but the skeleton of the animal is actively formed, the body takes on forms characteristic of adult dogs. Growth parameters by the end of this period are approximately 64 centimeters, and the weight reaches 40 kilograms.

Though by the year the animal looks like an adult, the dog is still not fully formed. The final maturation and full-fledged development occurs only by the age of 3 years of Akita Inu's life: the skeleton is formed and the chest expands.

In order for the animal to be healthy both physically and psychologically, it is necessary to provide it with comfortable conditions of detention and proper care. The animal needs to be regularly combed, bathed periodically, monitor the condition of the claws, teeth and ears. Below is a detailed discussion of what conditions are necessary for Akita Inu to live in an apartment and in a country house and what are the features of the care procedures.

First of all, when a puppy appears in the house, you need to decide on the location of his personal place. It should be a cozy "corner" from which most of the surrounding space is clearly visible, but which is protected from drafts and direct sunlight.

It is also necessary to ensure that the "corner" of the dog is always clean. It is not allowed to rest on a dirty bed with the remains of snacks and food. In addition, you need to feed the dog in a specially designated place, located at some distance from the bedding.

The dog can really be kept in the apartment, but for this it must be provided with everything necessary: ​​regular active walking, hard treats and toys.Active walks and games will help the animal throw out excess energy, and hard treats will warm up the teeth and jaws, and also protect the owner's belongings from damage.

If you plan to keep your dog outdoors, the recommendations will be slightly different, but the principle remains the same: the dog must have everything it needs to live comfortably. It is worth noting that the Akita Inu perfectly tolerates the cold, so it will be able to live outside even in winter.

It is necessary to ensure that on the street, in addition to the territory that the dog is guarding, the dog has its own place to rest. Best of all, it should be a fairly large aviary with a summer couch and a spacious insulated winter booth. It is necessary to place the fenced area in such a way that the rest of the yard is visible to the dog.

If you plan to keep the Akita Inu with other pets, you must immediately, from a young age, begin to teach the dog to respect other people's space and respect other animals, especially if they are smaller in size.

In addition, it is necessary to feed the dog separately from other animals and, in the process of training, mark the boundaries of someone else's space while eating: Akita should not climb into someone else's bowl and eat food from other animals (just as they should not touch the dog's food).

Caring for the animal should be started already from puppyhood, gradually accustoming the dog to regular washing of its paws, combing the hair and trimming the claws, which is especially difficult, since there is always a risk of damaging the vessels in the claws and causing pain to the animal.

After bringing the puppy into the house, it may be necessary to bathe, because when keeping a large number of babies, breeders may simply not have time to take care of the cleanliness of the coat of each of them.

In order not to scare and injure the baby, you need to carry out the procedure correctly.

• First, you need to cover the bottom of the bathtub with a thick towel or rubber mat so that the dog's feet do not slide over the surface of the bathtub.
• In order not to harm the skin and hair of the baby, it is necessary to select gentle shampoos that correspond to the characteristics of the dog's skin and its age. It is not recommended to wash your puppy with a product for adult dogs: it can cause irritation or an allergic reaction.
• Some shampoos are concentrated, you need to take this into account and dilute the product with water before washing. Otherwise, the shampoo concentrate can cause dry skin.
• After washing, you need to thoroughly blot the animal's fur with a towel. It is necessary to have a personal thing for the dog that will be used only during its bathing or washing its paws.
• If your house is cold and the dog cannot dry out on its own without freezing, you should dry its coat with a powerful hairdryer and comb it well.

The paws of the animal need to be washed every time after a walk, otherwise the dog will move around the rooms, leaving dirty tracks everywhere. The procedure can be carried out in any way convenient for you, for example: in a small basin, in the bathroom or in a special device for washing paws.

Akita Inu has a dense coat that needs careful maintenance. Without combing, the coat can become caked and tangled, and often tangles can even form. You need to tidy the dog's coat at least several times a week, starting from the head and gradually moving towards the tail.

If necessary, you can turn to groomers who will cut the animal's fur, and if you are afraid to cut your dog's nails yourself, you can also turn to professionals for help.

When starting to trim your nails yourself, you must follow some rules.

• Since the claws of the Akita Inu are very strong, a large nail clipper is needed for a haircut.
• It is necessary to cut off the claws in small pieces, even if they have a very impressive length. This must be done for safety reasons - so as not to injure the animal and not cause discomfort.
• If sharp edges remain after cutting, they need to be trimmed and smoothed with a file, and the nails can be polished for shine.

In addition, you need to take care of your dog's ears, teeth and eyes. Ears can be wiped with special wipes or just cotton pads, there are many veterinary lotions for eye care, and veterinarians will help you cope with dental problems.

For your pet to be healthy and active, you need to choose the right, balanced way of eating and adhere to it strictly. For example, if you feed your dog dry food, veterinarians do not recommend pampering the animal with food from your table, or, conversely, when eating natural food, it is better not to add dry food to the diet, since the digestive system may not cope with such loads, which will lead to indigestion. ...

As for the food from the master's table, it must be completely excluded., unless, of course, we are talking about fresh steamed vegetables - such products will even be useful for the dog. But most often people eat sweet, salty or spicy foods, which are very harmful to our four-legged friends.

If you decide to feed the Akita Inu with natural food, you must first familiarize yourself with the list of permitted foods, which includes:

• dairy products;
• lean meats and offal;
• fiber and the right carbohydrates found in rice, buckwheat and millet porridge;
• vegetables;
• fruits (can be included in the diet from 4-5 months);
• eggs.

It is necessary to control the amount of portions of the dog, which should be calculated approximately like this: for every 30 kilograms of the dog's weight, there is a 400 gram portion of food. In addition, you need to control the protein content in the diet, as excessive consumption of it can cause an allergic reaction in the animal.

When it comes to dry food choices, some dog owners think they are all the same, so you can opt for a cheaper option. This is an erroneous opinion, since the low cost of feed says only one thing - the composition contains raw materials of poor quality. This will not do any good to your pet's body.

It is best to use high quality food for feeding the Akita Inu. Many veterinarians recommend paying attention to some proven brands.

• DukesFarm - British food with a high content of natural meat products. In addition, the food is good because it does not use chemical additives and flavor enhancers.
• Eukanuba - feed, which is produced both in European countries and in Russia.It can rightfully be attributed to dietary nutrition, since the main protein components in it are chicken meat, lean lamb and lean fish fillets. There is a special line of veterinary diets and medicinal feeds. In addition, there are no various additives of artificial origin in the composition.
• BritCare - excellent Czech food with natural ingredients. A large amount of meat goes well with the carbohydrate component in the form of cereals, allows the feed to be quickly absorbed and provide a supportive and curative effect on the joints and bones of the animal. In addition, this food is one of the best nutritional options for neutered animals.

There are also many other brands that produce high quality food, so every owner can easily choose the option that suits his pet for health reasons and taste preferences.

As previously mentioned, it is necessary to start raising and training a dog of the Akita Inu breed from an early age. It is up to 6–8 months that the animal assimilates information best of all, remembers commands, and also forms its opinion about who is in charge and who needs to be obeyed.

When training, you must take into account some important nuances.

• The carrot-and-stick method is not acceptable. Akita Inu only takes reward-based training methods well. With rough treatment and the use of punishments, the dog can withdraw and stop obeying.
• During training, it is important to keep in mind that this breed is very easily distracted, so all distractions must be eliminated.
• The owner must become the undisputed leader for his pet, but this must be done without the use of brute force.
• Educational processes, training and training should take place in the intervals between meals.
• The result that must be achieved in the course of training is the immediate execution of commands.
• If it is possible to involve a professional dog handler in the training process, it is recommended to do this, since it may not be so easy to independently build the correct training process with a very wayward Akita Inu.

The health and life span of this dog can be influenced by many factors: from nutrition to external circumstances. On average, Akita Inu lives for 14 years, but there are also centenarians with a much longer life expectancy.

First of all, it depends on the health status of the pet. Akita Inu quite often undergo the following diseases:

• dysplasia of the joints, which is almost always hereditary;
• volvulus is a disease acquired as a result of a violation of the diet or the use of inedible objects by a dog.

It is worth noting that with proper and timely treatment of these diseases, Akita Inu will be able to live a long happy life, and proper care and reverent attitude will help prolong the life of your pet.

Perhaps there is not a single person who has not heard the touching, but rather tragic legend about Hachiko - a devoted and loyal Akita Inu who has been waiting for his deceased master for many years.

Many can get acquainted with this story through books, articles or an incredibly touching film, but not everyone will immediately be able to believe this amazing story, which shocked the people of Japan in 1932, and a little later struck the whole world.

A devoted dog came to the railway station every day to meet his master and go home with him, but one day a tragedy happened to the owner of the dog - he died right at work and did not return home.

For the next nine years after the death of the owner, the devotee Hachiko continued to come to the same station every day at the time when his owner usually returned from work. The dog continued to wait for him, no matter what.

The love and loyalty of this dog conquered the inhabitants of Japan so much that the day of his death was even symbolized by general mourning. And the monument erected at the place where Hachiko was waiting after his death became a symbol of selfless love and devotion.

It is quite difficult to find negative reviews of the owners about this or that animal, since everyone loves their pet and even sees something good in the negative sides. Basically, those who, without paying attention to their upbringing, expected complete obedience and obedience from the dog, speak badly about Akita Inu dogs.

For example, some people consider hard treats to be excessive pampering, but at the same time they complain that the puppy chews on shoes and furniture during the growth period.

Others, not providing the dog with a fairly active walk, are unhappy with its excessive energy.

People who pay the necessary attention to the training process note only the positive aspects of keeping this dog, which are manifested both in everyday life and in conditions of hiking, country trips, hunting or even fishing.

When choosing a pet of this breed, you should not pay attention only to such reviews, since, based on them, a false impression of the breed may develop. It is best to consult with a dog handler, evaluate your own strengths and only then make a decision.

Learn more about the Akita Inu dog breed in the following video.