Akitas > Akita Discussions

Akitas and off-leash dog parks?

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Elizabeth:
I have a 7 month old akita boy and have worked very hard to socialize him, thinking enough socialization would make him a little more predictable. He did fine until he hit 6 1/2 months and began to assert his dominance with other dogs by laying on top of them. We are trying to break him of this habit because he will be over 100 pounds as an adult.

Do you think it's possible for an akita to be able to handle an off-leash park as an adult?

Tulsas' Dad:
Of course!
A dog, regardless of breed, is only as good as its' Master.
You have to be diligent, understanding, forgiving, diligent, forgiving, etc., etc.
Your boy will someday meet a dog that doesn't want to be layed upon, that's when the lesson will be learned. It will up to you to determine what his reaction will be, and be prepared to deal with it.
There are various forms of agression and dominance.
Be prepared to handle your animals reaction to another animals reaction.
If they can walk away unscathed and unscarred, physically and emotionally, then you've done a good job.
If you walk away cursing the other dog, or its' Master, then you have to go back to school!
It's OK to tell the other dogs Master that he/she is F%#ed up, when your dog has done everything right.
Just make sure that you know your dog!
John

newflvr:
I agree.....but the reality is that you have a dog that was bred to be a fighter (fought bears in Japan) and if stressed, can revert to his breeding.  DO be careful.  I had an Akita for 13 years who was absolutely wonderful for the first five.   My 7 year old daughter went through training with him and she could walk on the bike path at the beach and he was PERFECT.  At around five years, he became incredibly territorial, and would attack meter readers, the UPS man, the wild animals who live here, cats who strayed in to our yard.  It was SO stressful.   We ended up having to keep him confined even though we live in area with no leash laws.  I agree that training is absolutely key but also understand that Akitas can be very difficult to handle!

Elizabeth:
One of my fears is that without the dogpark, he won't be able to get the socialization he needs, and honestly, he has become noticeably more dominant the past two weeks (puppy puberty is what I've been told by his obedience teacher). He is a doll with me and my family though, and of course we couldn't love him more if we tried.

Are there alternatives for dogs who are working on being good dogs, but haven't quite achieved the title ?

Elizabeth:
By the way, I love your photo! What a sweetie!

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