 Barked: Wed Feb 15, '12 9:19am PST |
 | |  | | I have had 3 Akitas and currently have two. Mine are big sweeties as well although your pup sounds like he has some fear issues as well. My Mika is very passive,doesn't like rough play,and will bark but back up in the face of a threat. Part of this we now know came from lack of proper socialization as a very young puppy,we know this because we brought her home at just over 9 weeks and did our job in socializing her but when we got Kai,at 8 weeks he was from the start much bolder,more confident,and easy going as well as eager to explore and meet new people,they both came from similar lines and the only difference is the breeder who we got Mika from didn't socialize the pups with people outside the family and Mom and pups were mostly left on their own in a separate room. With Kai's breeder the puppies met new people within the first 24-36 hours,were raised with the family and all the normal noises and activity that go on in a typical home.That early,regular socialization made for much more curious,confident,relaxed and social puppies. None of mine ever barked much except on direct threat,hearing someone near the door or hearing the doorbell ring, When the meter reader comes to my door ,they have to come into the basement to read my gas meter, Mika will bark once and flee in terror,Kai although he will not approach will follow them to see what they are doing,then walk away once he knows they mean no harm. It sounds like your dog has been socialized well by you because you can take him places but there is a really good chance that he was so undersocialized as a young puppy that he has become excessively fearful. The reaction you are getting from the general public is just a typical reaction to owning an Akita because of both negative press about the breed and in many cases negative profiles or at least discouraging ones even from breed specific rescues,they tend to show the worst of the worst of what can happen to an Akita in the wrong hands. I have never had to use any type of physical correction on any of mine,once the bond was formed,they listened,although they both went through a period of not wanting to do as they were told exactly when I wanted them to between the ages of one and a half and three,the third one of mine is in that stage now and finally beginning to improve with reinforcement. You might consider consulting a behaviorist to help your boy overcome some of his fear because the constant stress of being afraid isn't good for him and I really don't know how to tell you,or help you correct it. Being sweet and gentle is fine and always a good thing with a breed capable of doing alot of damage if it chooses to bite,but being that fearful and constantly stressed by the fear,could lead him to bite someone out of fear as he matures. Please find someone to help you and him with this issue,it really isn't fair to allow him to be so afraid of so much. |  |  | |  |
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