Big Paws Only Dog Forums

Good question!  This very question was conversation topic for me last week as a good friend added a third Portugese water dog to her family. Adding another pup to our family strikes fear in my heart. I fear disturbing the harmony of our lives ... how perfect it is right now with my human and 2-dog family. I fear not having the quality time to devote to my fur kids ... I fear having to split myself too many ways to make sure each puppy knows it is loved and I fear how our interaction dynamics may change. Now that the sappy fears are behind, here are the "serious" fears <big grin>: I fear even more globs and clumps of fur during the down-right hairy "blow-your-coat" days, more gouges in the wood floor (which is already looking pretty antiqued now), more poop-scoop duty detail measuring in the double-digit pounds, more ... no less space on my bed at night, more puppy spit during hearty face-to-face hug sessions, more pairs of devoted eyes to watch my every move and, while workmen are around, making sure no one will get me, more soft heads to rub when I'm feeling blue, more sets of ears to listen to my problems or bad singing (both of which no one else in their right mind would want to hear! ;-), more love than a human has any right to expect or deserve.  So, in a nutshell, if my house had the room, I'd welcome another ... no, I fear, several more dogs! ;-)

Thanks for the suggestion; that's just what I'm doing.  Of course, every time I give him the "uh-uh" sound, he looks at me as if he's saying "What?!  What's the matter with you??  I'm just minding my own business, licking myself for Pete's sake."  ;-)

Just wondering if anyone has dealt with allergy-induced obsessive licking?  Once getting the pup on his antihistimine treatment (injection and shampoo), how did you break the guy from his now-developed licking habit?
Thanks!  Teresa

If I may offer my late 2 cents ... We have both an akita and a shiba inu. IMHO, you should pair akitas with opposite gender, although I have heard of two females akitas being together (they were a mother/daughter pairing, which may have played a role in their getting along). Nevertheless, I would take a lot of care bringing an akita, even a puppy, into your household. Akitas' temperament leanings are toward dominant, high-prey drive, spirited ... if you select a dog with instincts strong in these traits, you may have problems down the road between the dogs (keep in mind, a petite shih tzu may look like prey to a big akita). I'm not saying they won't get along - they may be the best of friends. But you need to know how you should react when you see them fighting one day and the 100 lb. akita has your other little guy in a neck hold. My 30 lb male shiba reigns over our female akita - for now. But it's his "big dog" personality that has the akita fooled. Your best bet is to talk to lots of *reputable* breeders and contact a local akita club for advice.

I'll bite. 
We chose an Akita after doing a lot of serious consideration about bringing a large dog into our home. We already had a Shiba and we thought a larger dog was in order. We considered Bernese and an Elkhound. But a trip to a benched dog show in San Francisco changed our minds. There we saw a gorgeous Akita. His owner/handler had him on the floor to let passerbys get a good, up-close look at him. He was amazing: obedient, gentle, dignified, friendly but still reserved and huge ... just an awesome animal. We fell in love and six months later, we brought his daughter, our Joji, home. Like her father, she is gentle and obedient; she's also a big goofy girl who loves attention.
 
I've certainly heard my share of horror stories about Akitas, but I keep saying, had I known what wonderful animals and companions that Akitas can be, I would have gotten one a long time ago. I think with proper training and a consistent, fair and firm environment, the Akita is an incredible joy for a family.

Teresa

Does anyone have any sure-fire tips for the "blowing the coat" time of year? I've read that baths help (and it does for our shiba inu) as well as good, regular brushings. Any other tips? Special "wonder" brushes or grooming tools?
Thanks - Teresa