The American Akita is one of the main variants of the Japanese Akita inu breed. It stands out for being a very protective type of dog with its family and having a high resistance to cold.
Its character is somewhat independent and is usually territorial, so it requires intense education and socialization. Let’s see in depth what are its characteristics.
Index of contents
- 1 American Akita Appearance
- 2 Character and behavior of the American Akita
- 3 How to train an American Akita
- 4 What care does an American Akita need?
- 5 Breed history
American Akita Appearance
The American Akita is more imposing than the dog breed Akita inu: it is thicker and usually has greater height. To give us an idea, males are around 61-71 centimeters, weighing between 32 and 59 kilos.
The American Akita’s head is triangular in shape, with splitz-like triangular ears as well. His eyes are small and black, just like the truffle on his nose.
The double-layered hair he owns keeps him well insulated from the cold, so it can resist low temperatures well. Furthermore, this feature gives it a majestic appearance.
The American Akita can be of a great variety of colors, the most common being white, black, pinto and gray.
Character and behavior of the American Akita
Because it is a fairly territorial dog, the American Akita tends to patrol around the house or property on which it lives.
It is a dog with an independent character, which can become dominant with other dogs; especially if they are of the same sex. On the other hand, it is a very faithful breed with its family. One of the Akita’s priorities is to protect his family above all else.
This peculiarity makes him have a reserved attitude towards strangers. Therefore, it is important to socialize him since he is a puppy because, in an attitude that he considers violent or dangerous, he could have a bad reaction.
The normal thing is that the American Akita is a docile and calm dog within the family nucleus, in addition to have a lot of patience with the children. In general, it is a brave, protective and intelligent dog that falls in love with its spontaneity.
Of course, the ideal is that it be adopted by someone with experience in dog training, in order to educate him in the most appropriate way.
The American Akita enters the classification of PPP dogs in Spain and other countries, which means you need a potentially dangerous dog license, a liability insurance and must walk with a muzzle and a leash in public spaces.
How to train an American Akita
Being a very intelligent dog, the American Akita tends to learn all kinds of orders quickly. This will facilitate their training.
However, you should keep in mind that, being very reserved, will only fully trust the human who has adopted it.
It is a suitable breed for activities such as Agility or the Schutzhund; It is also often used as a rescue or companion dog, developing therapeutic exercises.
What care does an American Akita need?
The American Akita is usually a very clean dog that groomes itself regularly after playing or eating. Despite this, it is important to brush it daily and take care of its coat. You can bathe him every one to two months and trim his nails when necessary.
Being a very active dog It is important that he goes for a walk several times a day and that we take advantage of these outings to practice games and exercises with him.. This will release energy. An ideal toy for this breed are teethers, since the American Akita loves to play and nibble since he was little.
Also remember to take your regular check-ups with the vet and adhere to the recommended immunization schedule. The Akita is a breed resistant to cold weather, but on the other hand it is a dog prone to some genetic diseases. One of the most common is hip or knee dysplasia.
Other diseases that usually affect it are retinal atrophy and hypothyroidism, especially in older dogs. To prevent some health problems, in addition to hygiene, it is essential to take care of your diet and offer good quality feed.
Breed history
The American Akita derives from the Akita inu, a race that comes from the northernmost and mountainous regions of Japan.
The Akita was originally bred as a working dog and with good aptitudes for sports competitions.
In fact, the ancestors of modern American Akita were used to hunt bears, wild boars, and deer.