I read Ginny's son's post, and since I'm pretty clueless about Akita's, and think they are BEAUTIFUL dogs, I'd like to know more about the traits of the breed. We had actually considered getting one, but if they are prone to being aggressive, that is O-U-T!

By Cat on Tuesday, October 5, 2004 - 08:07 am:

Akita info

This is from the site we used to find a good family-friendly dog (ended up with a mini-schnauzer and he's wonderful!).

By Karen~moderator on Tuesday, October 5, 2004 - 08:46 am:

Yikes! Thanks Cat! They are beautiful animals, but I think they are NOT the dog for me!

By Cat on Tuesday, October 5, 2004 - 08:53 am:

That's what I was thinking, too, but didn't want to inject my opinion before you'd had a chance to look at some info. Here's a link to the home page of that site. You can fill out the breed selector link on the left and that will help you decide what dog might be good for you. Dog Breed Info We had a Siberian Husky/Wolf hybrid when we lived in Panama. They're great with kids, but I tell ya, that 1/4 wolf in her put a wild streak like you wouldn't believe! She was a VERY smart dog, but I used to say if a dog could be ADHD, she was! She lives with my brother and his family now (they've got a lot more room than we do--yard wise). Every now and then my brother threatens to pack her up and ship her to me. lol Hope you find something. Like I said, we're thrilled with out little mini-schnauzer. He's about 16lbs now (6mo) and he loves everyone. All the kids love him (daycare and all!).

By Karen~moderator on Tuesday, October 5, 2004 - 10:20 am:

My dog is either part husky/part chow, or part samoyed/part chow. She's beautiful, friendly, very affectionate and playful, but stubborn and loves to *roam*. She's never bitten anyone, but she IS territorial - if other dogs come to *her* house, she growls and woofs, but a lot of it is wanting to play. She WILL bark at anyone and any dog who happens to pass on the street in front of the house, but she's never attacked a person or a dog. She's 6 years old. The only time she needs to be left alone is when she's eating, and the only person I worry about around her then is Madison, but Madison knows not to try to pet Kali when she's eating. She's a 70 lb. dog, filled with personality, and IMO, her biggest downfall is she *likes to hunt* - meaning she likes to spend nights outside often, stalking whatever critters come into the yard.

She lets Madison lie on her and try to *ride* her, and doesn't bat an eye. She's been a wonderful pet for us.

However, I know she won't be around forever, and DH and I have decided when it's Kali's time to go to doggie heaven, we want to get TWO dogs, and we really fell in love with the Akitas. But we'll probably get a rescue dog or adopt one from the SPCA. And we like *big* dogs, meaning 50 lbs. or over. Thanks for the info! I think Akita's are so beautiful, and the only one I've had any contact with was very docile, however, I'm not going to commit to a dog that can be aggressive with kids, etc., especially with Madison around and me always wishing for more grandkids!

By Cat on Tuesday, October 5, 2004 - 11:29 am:

Karen, we like big dogs, too, but with 1/10th of an acre we really don't have room for them! We're looking at moving next summer (hopefully locally) to a bigger house with a bigger yard. We'd like at least 1/2 an acre. It's not so much having a small yard (hey, less maintaince) but we hate having our neighbors so close. It could be worse, though. Kali sounds like a great dog.

By Shellyg on Tuesday, October 5, 2004 - 12:03 pm:

Hi Karen. Akita's are wonderful, intelligent, family dogs. What they need is leadership, boundries, and lots of exercise and obedience. Not a dog I would recommend to just anyone. What are you looking for in a dog? Have you tried a rescue? www.petfinder.org
Most rescues can tell you exactly what you are getting in a dog. Some dogs are already trained. What a deal! Let me know if I can help.