Exciting things are going to happen for me!

[Naamah D.]

My mom said that when my brother and I are living on our own she will get us each a pet as a housewarming gift!

 

I plan on getting an Akita. Since they are a big dog I am wondering if I should get my friend as a puppy. I am also moving out of state and being a single woman I was wondering if a male dog would be better than a female.

 

I need a dog who can be a guard dog without attacking people. I don't want him to end up being a danger to people.

 

Has anyone ever had a larger dog like an Akita? I'm a huge cat person, but I think dogs especially male dogs would be more possessive and protective of the owner. I'm so happy :D

[andaraen]

My parents have owned an Akita mix named Boo for a little over a decade now, so I thought I'd share some things I've noted that you might want to keep in mind. Some of it might not apply to you or your possible future dog, but I thought it might be helpful.

 

Boo sheds A LOT. Plus he has very dark-colored fur, which shows up very well on, well, everything he goes near. If you don't like grooming often or you don't want to fight the losing battle against shed fur, Akita might not be a good choice.

 

He is also quite big. He weighs in at just over 100 lbs and, when standing up on his hind legs, is almost as tall as my husband, who is 6'4". People would also get nervous around him when I'd take him on walks. A few people have pulled their kids away from him when I'd taken him to a nearby park. Make sure you train him/her very well or are at least strong enough to hold him/her back if something unexpected happens during a walk. (For example, if the dog sees a squirrel and decides to chase it, you need to have something you can do to avoid getting literally dragged along.) Also, we have to keep a close eye on him when around kids and smaller pets. He's not an aggressive dog, but he has a tendency to "forget his size" so to speak and try to play like they're an equally-sized dog.

 

In terms of mood, Boo tends to be laid-back, but can get overexcited if he hasn't been on a walk in a few days. I've only seen him act aggressive on a few occasions when my parents started watching my brother's dog while he was on vacation. He started urinating on some of the furniture in the house, but, since it didn't last very long, we chalked it up to jealousy/stress over a new dog in the house. I don't know how well he would work as a guard dog as my parents live in a quiet neighborhood, but his size is probably enough to deter all but the most determined intruders.

 

I don't know what your situation would be regarding vet visits, but taking Boo to the vet is a two-person job. He is terrified of cars so someone usually has to come along to keep him calm in the car on the way there. You may not have to deal with that, but you should factor in how you plan to get them to the vet because kennels/cages for large breed dogs tend to be expensive.

 

Regarding gender, I don't think it matters that much if you don't plan to go into championship shows or breeding. I've read that female dogs mature faster and, as a result, can be easier to train, but I'm not sure if that is true or not.

 

Anyways, good luck choosing a pet! I hope you can find one that suits you. :)

[Mouseykins]

Akita's are such beautiful dogs!

 

If you're looking for a dog that will be protective of you, it's not going to matter if the dog is male or female. As long as you have a good relationship with the dog it will be protective. Also it doesn't really matter on size of the dog either. Some people think that the larger the dog, the more intimidating, so not the case. I have a Jack-Russell Terrier who is about knee height and she's insanely protective. She may be small, but she has made people in our neighborhood believe that she is a bigger dog, just by the sound and volume of her bark. Guaranteed these people would be surprised to know that all that noise and aggressiveness is coming from a small dog.

 

Another thing for you to consider is the type of space you'll be living in. If you're going to be in an apartment, a smaller breed of dog might be a better choice. Not saying that having a large breed of dog in an apartment is a bad thing. Just thinking of space.

[Duma]

I had a friend in school that had a male Akita. He was very gentle and yet very protective. But like the people above me said: You need space and the dog will need grooming. My parents have had big dogs too, but for all dogs the most important thing is how good you train them and how you treat them. When having a puppy you need to be able to give him/her a lot of time. Form a bond and teach him what is right and wrong.

You'll need to be stronger than the dog, there will be a time (esp for male dogs) that they will try to "take over" be the alpha dog, be the boss. If you can't hold him/her back or correct him/her you might want to consider a smaller dog.

 

But Akita's are very beautiful! And if possible I would take a pup so you can train it yourself and be sure he/she will behave like you want him/her. :laughingsmiley:

[Rebecca~]

Another thing for you to consider is the type of space you'll be living in. If you're going to be in an apartment, a smaller breed of dog might be a better choice. Not saying that having a large breed of dog in an apartment is a bad thing. Just thinking of space.

This is a really important thing to consider. I don't know about the area you will be living in, but around where I am, it is REALLY rare to find a place to live that allows dogs at all, let alone big ones. Unless you are buying a house, you have to be aware of the limitations that will come with being in a shared building, or renting from someone else.

 

Also, having a big dog is a high maintenance pet. Well, any dog really, but especially big ones. They have to get their one-to-two walks a day (especially if you're going to be in an apartment or basement suite that doesn't have a backyard access), no matter how crappy you're feeling. You're going to be on your own, so you can't pass it off to anyone else.

 

I hate to be a damper on something you're obviously very excited about, but I'm speaking from my own experience. When I moved out I really wanted to get a pet within the first couple of months. I've always had dogs, so I wanted to get one. But as soon as I started working full time, I realised that I just didn't have the energy. My landlord wouldn't allow a big dog, which is what I kind of wanted. I was saving some money every month, but it was nice being able to put it in RRSPs or put it aside for travel (or a new computer, or...). I wasn't sure if I would be able to afford vet bills when they came up- especially all the ones that came with a young puppy that wasn't fixed or anything, or with an older adopted one that would have health issues. I did not have the energy to go for 2 half-hour (at least!) walks a day to keep it from tearing my place apart, and I didn't want to THINK about having to pay for any damage it would cause to the house, let alone my own furniture. And then there would be the training involved with a puppy- very time intensive!

 

Pets are a big commitment, especially when you don't have anyone to help you with the cost or the time involved.

[yasha]

It's great that your mom would get you a dog as a house warming gift, but regardless of the specie, they take dedication. Dogs are pack animals, and so your company is important to them as well so first and foremost, you need to have time. A big dog also takes a lot of space so if you're living in a small appartment kind of thing, I'm not sure if it'd be a good idea.

 

Personally, I believe getting a puppy would be better than a grown adult dog. With a puppy you can raise them yourself and you can be sure they don't have a bad past where they have been abused or mistreated or neglected. I'm not saying dogs with a past are always bad, but they can be a bit of a challenge to re-raise. On the other hand, if you haven't really been much around dogs yourself, it might be better to get an adult dog who already knows the rules of human society. It really depends on your skills and how confident you are with raising/training a dog. If you do get a puppy, keep in mind that their first few weeks/months can get quite expensive since they would have to get their shots and perhaps even get fixed and what not.

 

Like other people above me said, you'll have to walk the dog daily, especially if you don't have a yard. This means you have to walk him when it's nice out, but it also means you have to walk him or at the very least let him outside for his business on the worst and coldest days of the year. Since it's a big dog, they would also love to run and probably go for bigger walks than a small dog, so I would suggest ( if you aren't ) to be in shape as well. If the dog ends up listening good, you could perhaps take him/her to a dog park and let him run off leash, just make sure he/she listens to you off leash and isn't aggressive towards other dogs/humans. It's one thing to be protective over you, it's an other thing to be aggressive. I'm not sure how much experience you have with big dogs, or how strong you are, but if you have the dog on a leash and it would decide to suddenly run off, a trick to keep him/her from doing so would just lift him up so his front feet don't touch the ground, but don't do it for too long if it's with a collar, you don't want to choke him.

 

To make sure your dog doesn't get aggressive towards other dogs, or humans, I would make sure to socialize him/her from an early age. We started socializing our latest dog as soon as he got all his shots, and he's super friendly towards other animals and humans as long as we're there. Even without actually " training " them to do so, it's still in their nature to guard their territory, and obviously with a big dog, their size alone makes them intimidating to a lot of people.

 

Something else that's important in raising dogs, or any animal really, is consistency. Decide early on what the rules are going to be, and make sure to enforce them as soon as you get the dog. I know puppies are cute (if you decide to get a pup) and it's easy to let them get away with little things, but it's also the best time to start training them and making them listen.

 

So really, the most important things are to have a little bit of extra money so you can pay the vet bills, have time to spend time with your companion, and be consistent with him/her.