Akitas > Akita Discussions

I Think I'm a Bad Owner of an Akita

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einalem:
Hi my name is Melanie, and my Akita name is Shoda. I also own a chiwawa pomeranian name Russell. Russell is almost three years old and Shoda is a year and four months, and he is a stud. I got him when he was four months.

The reason I think I am a bad owner is because:

1. I don't think he respects me. He doesn't exactly listen, he growls at me if i try to move him out of the way and sometimes over random things. He even shows his teeth and does the bark growl

2. I need help on disciplining. I try to speak loudly and stern to show i'm serious and this is when he says i don't care and growls at me. I'm not going to lie at first I use to slap him on his butt but i don't do that anymore.

3. Also, sometimes I feel he isn't completely comfortable with me. Sometimes if I walk by and he was naughty he makes sure to keep me in view.

4. I think he just needs to be fixed to take care of the aggression but I feel like there is more to it. When my roommates pet him sometimes he sits and allows it but growls at them. He use to attack as in bark and snarl at them when I wasn't home. I took him to petsmart training when i first got him and he passed with an extra award so i know he can be trained. I can't afford to take him to more training classes for aggression and more obedience training but I don't want to have to give him up. I use to take him to the park ever so often when he was about six months but after a fight begun by a doberman, he always fights when at the park so I've stopped taking him.

As to his temperament, he likes to meet other dogs but once off leash in an open area a fight is waiting to happen. He doesn't have a problem with Russell but doesn't allow other dogs to come in his food and water area. I have recently begun crate training him because I'm tired of him destroying all my pillows. Why does he do that? I tried getting a bone and stuff bears to persuade him that the pillow isn't as fun but he still does it no matter what toy he has available. He does this when I am not home only. He likes my cat but my cat doesn't like him, they don't live together though.

Help needed. Thanks

FXgirl:
I don't own an akita but I do know of someone who has owned many akitas over the years and was very adamant that akitas should never be let off leash at parks.  They just don't get along with most dogs.  Shoda is now in adolescence so you may not be able to have him off leash anymore but that doesn't mean he can't met dogs on walks as long as he is under control and comfortable.

Some of your problems may be because he is intact but most of your problems are still going to be there even after you neuter him. 

Your relationship with Shoda should be based on respect.  If you don't treat him with respect he most certainly isn't going to respect you.  Do you have a command for when he's blocking the door way and you'd like to pass?  "Excuse me" is what most people use(I say "look out", myself.)  The best way to get him out of your way whether he's blocking the hallway or laying in front of the fridge is to teach him commands than to physically remove him.  Does he have a command to get him to stand from a lying down position?  That one's always useful around here when someone is lying in front of the fridge.

Around here my dogs rarely get "disciplined".  I never understand what people mean when they use that word.  To me it means getting yelled at or hit or dragged into the crate for a time out.  If you can give more examples of specific problems maybe we can be of more help to suggest ideas.  For example: if my dog is barking in my face while I'm lying on the couch watching T.V. I either get up and walk away into another room and close the door behind me or I may give me the "quiet" command that he already knows and ask him to lie "down". 

If he's growling at you when you pet him then he's probably getting pet too much.  He's demanding to be petted.  Ignore him.  If you want to pet him call him over and ask him to sit before pet him.  I would cut down on the petting if you think you are doing it too much.  You can also use it as a reward for obeying a command.

As far as barking and snarling at your friends when you're not around that seems like a pretty normal guarding behaviour.  I don't think it's wise for your friends to be walking into your house without you there.  Someone could get hurt!

This age is sooooo tough but if you stick to it, keeping respect and manners in mind when teaching Shoda you WILL get through it.  I always have a tough time through adolescence until about 18-19 months when it just seems to click for the both of us.

einalem:
Wow, I never knew there was something as too much petting. He comes up to me to pet him quite often and when I do stop, he informs me tha he wants me to continue. At time I pet him some more or I tell him no more. He does have a command for him to move but if he doesn't want to move, at times, he will twitch when I say the command but not move. It is like when your trying to wake someone up but they don't want to, sometimes they snap you.

I feel like I'm depriving him of a part of life by not being able to let him off leash with other dogs. He is quite friendly with other dogs in the beginning. But it happens all the time that other dogs don't seem to like him, they always try to attack him, especially little dogs. It's like they can see he is dominant from afar and can't wait to test him. In all honesty out of 4/5 times other dogs start something with him. He loves to run and chase other dogs while in the park.

A problem we have is, when going for a walk he gets extremely excited. He starts to jump or prance like a deer. I make him sit before and while I'm putting on the leash but once its on he starts to do it again. I use a stern no or I walk away and continue what I was doing so he sees the over excitement will not get him a walk but he does it anyway.

Once I open the door, I make sure to be the first out the door but once I'm out he jet out always hurting my hand with the leash. I've tried just keeping the leash short at this point but it hurts just as bad and he still does it even though he doesn't get far.

I continue to use the same commands but he still does not have the obedience down to a T yet.

How do I show him respect without "disciplining" and not allowing him to walk all over me? I'm not going to lie, I've even tried reasoning verbally with him. I've asked why he does the things he do, but of course he never responds. :)

patrick:
There is a ton of info on the internet In particular you should read NILIF  Nothing in life is free.  In order to gain your dog's respect your commands need to be absolutely consistent and his refusal is not an option.  It can't be sometimes its OK and sometimes its not.  I have Pyrs and they don't always listen either BUT if I tell them to move they will move or I will physically move them.  Not in anger, never raising my voice.  I also absolutely NEVER let a dog show its teeth to me EVER.  The dog is not the leader of my household and he cannot challenge me. Nor can he challenge anyone in my household that is there by my invite. Guarding the house when I am not home is one thing but this behavior is not acceptable and can actually be dangerous. Consistency and routine help set the tone for what is expected for the dog and erases a lot of reasons for challenging. It sets boundaries so the dog knows what is expected of him.

One great deterrant is water- I have spray bottles which I use to enforce commands  But if they ever growled at me they probably would get a full bucket of water in the face! It only takes once to cure them forever!
Stop thinking of discipline as punishment - rather think of it as insisting your wishes be acknowledged.. For charging and dancing around when you leash him-stand perfectly still until he settles then walk- if he starts again immediately stand perfectly again until he settles or turn around and go in the opposite direction.  Done often enough he will stop but if you do it twice but then the third time let him charge off what you have taught him is that he doesn't have to listen.  Most dog behaviors are by what we have taught them- whether we realise it or not. If you allow a bad behavior to occur then you have actually taught them this bad behavior is OK.  Once they develop bad habits then it is much harder to overcome - key is to not accept bad behavior the first time.

Bubbalove:
OK, I do own an akita. He's a boy, he's nutered and he IS TOUGH. I have used this website for much needed advice.  Here is what I have learned... ;)
1)NILIF.  Period. No exceptions. No vacations. No breaks.
2)Specialized training. Find the money because you will regret each day that you don't train this dog. Mark my words.
3)On leash and backyard socialization (with dogs, people, kids, bikes, strangers, squirrels, etc)early and often. We have said "no" to dog parks. The breed is generally unreliable off-leash(and you will notice they have a bad rap at dog parks).
4)Educate yourself. I think I may have read every dog website that has any information on Akitas/large breeds that is out there. It's a lot of information to dig through, but educate yourself.
5)Find a good advisor. A specialized vet, a rescue, a good friend on this website...some thing so that when things come up (welcome to adolescence, things are GOING to come up)you will need some support. 
I am sorry if I seem harsh...but my sweet, sweet Kana-boy has put us through a lot (and we were previous owners of an Akita) and it has taken a lot of time and the above to get him to be a reliable and respectful dog.  We work at it every day and we can tell the days that we slack b/c his behavior suffers.
Take good care, hope all works out for you and the dogs in the house- once again, I am thankful that I found this website and the angels on it...
Kristen

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