Akita puppies

About the Akita

The Akita comes from the mountains of northern Japan, where they were worked on large game and later kept as a guard and a companion. This is a heavy boned spitz, 61 to 71 centimetres tall, with a broad head, small deep set eyes, prick ears and a thick tail carried over the back. Around their own family they are quiet, dignified and almost catlike in their cleanliness. Around strangers and other dogs they are watchful, and they rate one out of five for tolerance of other pets.

A brisk walk or jog once a day suits them, and they cope with a fairly small home if they get that. The double coat wants brushing at least once a week and blows out twice a year in clumps. The real work is social: wide, early socialisation and consistent handling, because an Akita that decides something is a threat is a great deal of dog to argue with. New owners often read the calm indoors as an easy temperament and let the training window pass.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Akita puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and they will need a job to do long before they need long walks. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Gastric dilatation volvulus, a surgical emergency the breed is particularly prone to, so owners should learn the signs
• Hip dysplasia, screened by hip evaluation of breeding stock
• Progressive retinal atrophy, an adult onset cause of blindness, picked up by an ophthalmologist evaluation
• Thyroid disorders, screened by a thyroid evaluation on breeding stock

Your Akita puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a Akita.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 31.8 to 59 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 48 inch (48 x 30 x 32 in, 122 x 76 x 81 cm) for an adult of up to 59 kg, the largest size in the chart, which tops out at 49.9 kg, so measure the dog before you buy; chew toys made for large breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Do slow feeder bowls work? Choosing one for a puppy that gulps
• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other large breeds

More on the Akita

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Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
• fci.be for country of origin
• Health notes from Akita breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/akita/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: TsutsuiKennel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.