If you think you’ve fallen in love with the American Akita dog even before you got a puppy for you, I only have one thing to say to you. Just wait until the puppy arrives – you’ll go even crazier about this breed. Their loyalty coupled with their cute and sometimes almost goofy appearance will most definitely lead to you loving this animal once you make it a member of your family. So, in case you’re trying to decide whether to get the American Akita as your new pet, I say go for it.
Of course, you won’t exactly go for it until you have learned everything you need to know about these particular dogs. This means that you will want to gather a lot of useful information about this breed, so that you can get a clearer idea about how to care for them, as well as what to expect health-wise and personality-wise. As every other responsible owner, you want to do your homework before bringing a new animal home and this useful source can help you out with that.
Source:akc.org
As briefly mentioned, your goal is to actually learn about their health, their personality, as well as your responsibilities when it comes to caring for this specific breed. Well, if that’s the info that you are looking for, then you have certainly come to the right place. Below you will find general information about the health of the American Akita, as well as its personality. On top of that, I’ll give you some tips on how to properly care for this animal.
So, it appears that the time has come for you to do some learning. This type of learning, though, will be fun and useful, because you both want and need to know as much as possible about this particular dog breed before bringing it home. Learning about it is the responsible thing to do, both when it comes to the animal and when it comes to you and your entire family, i.e. the people that the animal will be living with in the first place. Thus, let us start learning.
Health
Source:thehappypuppysite.com
The American Akita dog can live anywhere between 12 and 15 years, which is a pretty long lifespan if you think about it for a minute. Of course, as a responsible owner, you will have to make sure that the canine is cared for properly and that it isn’t suffering from certain health problems that it might be prone too. The American Akita is generally a pretty healthy dog, but we cannot deny the fact that it is genetically predisposed to certain diseases.
As you will see if you get your information about its health on Holistapet, this dog is susceptible to eye issues, as well as hip issues. Progressive deterioration of cells can lead to the destruction of photoreceptor cells in the eyes, which can eventually cause blindness in the animal. Hip deformity that occurs during growth is another issue that can affect these animals and it can cause a lot of pain, as well as mobility issues later in life.
This breed is also prone to developing problems with the gland that is located in their neck and that produces thyroxine, a hormone that actually controls metabolism. Now, this problem is really not that serious if treated on time, meaning that you should be observant. Some of the symptoms to be on the lookout for are hair loss, sluggishness, as well as flaky skin. In addition to everything mentioned above, Akitas are also prone to genetic kidney diseases that actually start affecting them while they are still puppies.
Personality
It goes without saying that you will need to learn about the personality of this breed before taking a puppy home, because you want to know exactly what to expect from it, especially since we are talking about a large dog here. Let me start by saying that American Akita dogs are extremely loyal to their families, as well as protective and sort of fearless, which makes them excellent watchdogs. They are not very trusting of strangers, meaning that you’ll be alerted the moment someone steps on your property.
This breed can be perfectly happy both outdoors and when living in an apartment. No matter where you decide to keep it, though, you will need to learn how to deal with its protective personality, especially if you have guests over frequently. As mentioned, they are not very fond of strangers and they need an owner that knows how to handle their temperament and make them obedient.
Care Tips
If you believe that you have what it takes to turn this dog into the perfect pet, then go for it and get the puppy. Of course, make sure to learn how to care for it properly, because you do want to keep the animal happy, as well as healthy. The first thing you need to know is that these animals require a lot of attention, meaning that you’ll need to spend a lot of time with them if you want to see them happy.
Apart from that, you should also ensure that this canine gets regularly checked up by a veterinarian, so as to keep an eye on its health. You could even get some tips from your vet on what to do with the aim of preventing some of the mentioned diseases to get developed. To sum up, the American Akita will need lots of love and regular veterinarian checkups.
