Akita

Akitas don't require fancy grooming. It's good to brush the double coat weekly to keep it clean and remove dead hair.

During spring and fall shedding seasons, daily brushing will help to keep excess hair under control. In addition, trim his nails as needed, brush his teeth, and keep the ears clean to prevent infections.

This is a smart, strong dog that will appreciatemental and physical exertion every day. In fact, daily exercise should help keep him or her to be well-mannered.

• moderate (30 - 50 minutes) to long (60+ minutes) walks

• hiking

• running/jogging- Akitas are excellent running partners

• weight pulling sports

• sled pulling

• weight pulling

• skijoring

• dog scootering or carting

• games that involve mental challenge:Hide and Seek

• training sessions

Akitas have a tendency to suffer from bloat/gastric torsion and as such it's not a good idea to feed them one big meal a day. It's far better to split the amount you feed a dog into two meals and feed them once in the morning and then again in the evening.

Puppies need to be fed a good quality, well-balanced diet and the breeder would have given you their feeding schedule when you picked the puppy up from them. It's essential to keep to a feeding routine when you first get a puppy or you may find they suffer a serious tummy upset. You can change their diet, but this needs to be done gradually over a period of time and if a puppy gets an upset tummy to put them back on their original diet. You should then discuss things with the vet before attempting to change their food again.

Older dogs need to be fed a good quality, well-balanced diet that meets all their nutritional needs. Although Akitas are not known to be fussy eaters, it would be a mistake to put them on a lower quality dog food because it would not contain the right levels of minerals, vitamins and other nutrients a dog needs to remain healthy.

The average life span of the Akita is 10 to 12 years. Akitas can experiencebloat, a sudden, life-threatening condition where the stomach can twist without veterinary intervention.

Bloat is a medical emergency, and Akita owners should learn to recognize the signs. Prospective owners should be sure to work with a reputable breeder who tests his or her breeding stock for health concerns such as eye and thyroid disorders, and hip dysplasia, a malformation of the hip joints that can cause pain and arthritis.

Recommended Health Tests:

• Hip Evaluation

• Ophthalmologist Evaluation

• Thyroid Evaluation

A large breed, the Akita needs a strong owner/trainer since it has a strong will and tends to be stubborn. At the first sign of weakness, this dog will assume an alpha attitude over subordinate owners.

An intelligent dog, it doesn't take long for this breed to pick up on training, which can prove to have positive and negative repercussions. Your Akita will become bored easily, so provide enough mental and physical stimulation.

Akitas work best on a daily routine, so it learns what is expected. As a puppy, start with basic commands, and work your way up to more complex lessons as your dog approaches the age of four to six months.

Akitas are Japan's entry in the ancient canine clan of spitz-type dogs bred around the world on the globe's northern latitudes. The breed as we know it was developed in the early 17th century in the Akita prefecture of northern Japan.

In addition to its instinctive hunting skills, the Akita was bred specifically to be a pit-fighting dog, used to fight other dogs in specially staged competitions during the 17th, 18th and even 19th centuries. As dog-fighting became unpopular - and in places, unlawful - the Akita found a number of other ways to use its talents.

The breed continues to be used to hunt wild boar, deer, and other large game. It also is a trusted guard dog, police dog and competitive show dog. Finally, the Akita has become valued as a loyal companion. Through generations of selective breeding, today's Akita has a superior size and a fearless spirit. He can be somewhat obstinate and requires firm but kind leadership from his owner.

The Akitainu Hozankai Society of Japan was founded in 1927 to preserve the purity of the Akita breed. In July of 1931, the Japanese government designated the Akita as one of its country's national treasures. Akitas were instrumental in World War II, and the breed rose markedly in popularity after the war, when returning American servicemen brought Akitas home to their families.