akita trouble

[fluff83]

anybody got any idea, help, advice!!!!! was at my partners family home for d christmas period and my akita bit his uncle, it was a total unprovoked act . cant figure it out at all becoz he was familiar with uncle and was not neglected in any matter. my head telling me put him down before he does same again or worse but i love him to bits so so hard , this was second incident with him he is 5 yrs old. any advice welcomed thanks

[echoica]

Biting humans is a very serious offense for a dog. You should see a dog behaviorist ASAP for consultation and assessment. No one on this board would be able to get to the root of something this serious without actually meeting the dog.

Please do not euthanize. Try to find a home who is willing to work with the dog to resolve these issues instead if you are unwilling.

Good luck!!

[luckypenny]

Although it may seem to you that it was unprovoked, there's nothing to prove that your uncle didn't do something your dog found offensive.

Reaching over, physical manipulation, staring, bending over, being near a high value item, hugging, etc may all seem like perfectly natural human behaviors but not all dogs view it as "friendly." These are things that can be worked with with much success if you're committed to learning how and to helping your dog. In the meantime, manage all situations where your dog feels threatened.

Just last week, we had a family stay over for a few days. They all know that one of our dogs has "issues" and that it's very important to not physically attempt to hug or manipulate her in any way. Although he thought it was in friendly play, the dad of the family decided to fool around with her with her lips/jowls . She put up with it for all of 10 seconds before she let out a growl and snapped at his face. It was no accident however that she didn't make contact. We've trained her for times like this where we can't always be in control of other people's actions. She knows she's not allowed to use her teeth, thank dog!

There is no reason to euthanize your dog. If possible, have a professional behaviorist teach you how to help him. Find one that uses positive training/association techniques and no aversives whatsoever (there's a strong possibility this will make his behavior worse). Second, learn how to read your dog's body language. I bet he gave all sorts of warnings that were misunderstood or neglected before he bit. And last, manage your dog and attempt to manage/teach the people around him. In order to protect him, and others, either strictly supervise or keep him away from people that don't heed your warnings.

[happycats]

My MIL and BIL had Akita's. They are a beautiful, amazing breed, but proper socialization is so important.

That being said, my MIL adopted her Akita "Kita" when he was about 2 years old and had been chained in a yard for those 2 years. He was agressive, and bit often. So she had to make sure he wasn't ever around prople he didn't know, she loved him so much and there was no way she was going to put him dow so she was just extremely careful. Kita was sneaky, he would wag his tail and act all excited to see people, but that was just a trap to get you close enough so he could bite :sad:

My BIL's Akita "chase" was the total opposite, he was a happy loving sweet dog. but he did occasionaly give little "love nips" when he got to excited.

So I guess you have to find out what is triggering your dog, there is always a trigger. and find out if it's aggreassion, or to much excitement. as others suggested, contacting a dog behaviorist would be a good start.

[fluff83]

thank you all so so much for your advice and your own stories, i took him to our vet, he also gave me the same advice and refused to put him down ,he said what looks unprovoked to us humans will not mean unprovoked to dogs. since we got back home my akita is back to his fun loving self, I love him so much amd would be totally lost without him. I always thought i knew my akita so well after 5 years , but i guess i still have learning to do.His family and uncle not too happy that dog still alive but he my dog and my responsibility. thanks again so so much . happy new year .

[Etown_Chick]

fluff83
please consult a dog behaviorist though, as you said this is the second time your dog has done this. Dogs aren't always that easy for us humans to figure out.
If you can find out what provoked the bite, you might be able to step in and prevent another one.
Just my two cents.

[fluff83]

not sure what ye all mean by dog behaviourist, we took him to dog obedience classes before when we got him first he was brilliant by end of it is that who you mean??? she thought him how to walk on lead he was very tolerant and obedient def well worth the money . but he 5 years old now feel like he should be wising up and maturing but he not. I talked to my vet about neutering him thinking it wud calm him down a little but he said it would make him easier to handle but not stop him biting. he is so much more relaxed since we got back home .

[echoica]

by dog behaviorist...we just mean trainer but one that specializes in rehab for problem behaviors. you want somebody that come do a one on one consultation and evaluation...then devise a plan to help you resolve issues. it is not run of the mill obedience.

you say that overall your dog is pretty good just gets really excited. maybe he just hasn't learned proper bite inhibition. maybe this was not a case of aggression. just over excitement?? in either case you should still get a consultation to figure out your next steps in helping him to calm down. one step you can take now is to instruct everyone who interacts with him to be calm and not get the dog too excited (ie. rough house play, high pitched voices, jumping around etc)

[MyBirdIsEvil]

Originally Posted by fluff83

not sure what ye all mean by dog behaviourist, we took him to dog obedience classes before when we got him first he was brilliant by end of it is that who you mean??? she thought him how to walk on lead he was very tolerant and obedient def well worth the money . but he 5 years old now feel like he should be wising up and maturing but he not. I talked to my vet about neutering him thinking it wud calm him down a little but he said it would make him easier to handle but not stop him biting. he is so much more relaxed since we got back home .

Well first of all, if you have a dog with aggression problems there is NO reason he should be unaltered. He shouldn't be bred if he has any behavioral issues, so why isn't he fixed? (and there's no reason for MOST dogs to not be fixed for that matter). This is a pro spay/neuter message board, so I don't think you're going to find anyone advocating that he not be fixed.
But, your vet is right, if he has biting problems getting him neutered is not automatically going to fix that. You still need a trainer to work with him. Getting him fixed, however, CAN help if hormonal issues are making his behavior worse.

By dog behaviorist people mean someone that can help you work on socializing your dog and assess his body language and behavior so YOU can learn how to work with him and how to handle him in certain situations. They can show you how to recognize body language that will warn you of a bite or tell you when he's uncomfortable and tell you how to avoid situations that will trigger this behavior, or train him to handle those type of situations without biting. Most rescue organizations can help you find someone that would fit your needs, because they are used to dealing with animals that have those type of issues.
Obedience training is a good START for your dog, but all it does is teach them how to respond to certain commands. You can have dogs that are awesome with obedience training but unbelievably aggressive or dangerous in certain situations.

[fluff83]

I am pro spay/neuter myself, i got my mums two dogs fixed and i totally agree he should have been fixed, but when we got him first he was 10mths old and very neglected so fixing him then was not an option, but training him and taking care of him was my main thing, this time last year he had five lumps which appeared on his face and neck, which turned out to be cancerous, so he went through surgery to get them removed, i felt he had been through enough after that , and deep down wanted to breed him, because i just know his temperment after 5 yrs and his pups wud be amazing. but now after his latest issue i bit confused, when i talked to my vet about getting him fixed he suggested if i wanted to breed him at all i should def put getting him fixed to the back of my mind and concentrate on the dog himself and never put him in a situation like he was again. but i appreciate where your coming from and thanks again for your advice .

[MyBirdIsEvil]

How do you know he would have amazing pups? Does he have CH next to his name? Has he been shown and determined objectively (by judges) to be a good representative of his breed? Has he been health tested, OFA and CERF certified good or better? Those are marks of a responsible and ethical breeder, not to mention a lot of other things. You already found out he's prone to cancer, so that should automatically be a red flag that he's not breed quality.
If he doesn't match these criteria, then that would make you a backyard breeder. Even if he DOES match all that criteria then breeding a dog that's known to have behavioral issues would be a horrible idea.
If you're pro spay neuter then getting him fixed would be the best thing to do. I'm not sure why your vet would even suggest breeding a dog that's had cancer and other health issues not to mention behavioral issues should be an option.

Sorry if all that seems harsh, but it's true. It's not fair to your dog to keep breeding him in the back of your mind and prevent him being neutered (which would be much better for his health anyway) because you think he'd make awesome puppies.

[Lil]

We had the same problem with one of my fathers dogs BUT the dog ( husky ) bit my father quiet a few times! He had brain cancer... it wasn't his fault at all but we had to let him go because after the biting came the pain!
Maybe u should let him get checked, i do hope its not cancer but better be safe before he ends up in bad bad pain!

Lil

[Frenchy]

Originally Posted by fluff83

and deep down wanted to breed him, because i just know his temperment after 5 yrs and his pups wud be amazing.

Please have him neutered. Breeding a dog with aggressive temperament and who had cancer , would not make awesome pups !

[Lil]

Hmmm my dogs are cute too and ppl asking me often if i want to have puppy's with Luna, im sure she would be a good mom and i love her personality but sorry breeding is not an option!

Before someone should breed he should

1. have all the medical tests done and be sure that the personality is good.
2. be experienced or at least have someone who will help out where books and the internet or vets don't give answers anymore
3. time.... time is a really really big thing! U have to be around, u have to socialize the puppy's, give them the first good steps to the new home!
4. can u deal with giving them away and be there for the ones who adopted the puppy's? Do u know enough about the breed u wanna breed????

There is so much a good breeder should know and do and if someone can't that person shouldn't even think about it!

Lil

[fluff83]

We did not just pop into the nearest pet shop one day and decide to buy an akita, We both did years of research before we got him, plus went and met with a breeder. my akita is a strong and powerful dog with an amazing personality , when I got him first being neutered was first thing on my mind to avoid health issues later in his life, but after tracking down both his parents and talking to their owner my mind was changed, both his parents are champion dogs and thats what I wanted for my dog, He is registered with the Irish Kennel Club and holds a certfifcate for this. The issue that occured was completely out of character for him and my fault for putting him in that situation in the first place.And I will never put him in that situation again, everyone was telling me to eutanise but I know my dog. I appreciate everyones advice but I dont appreciate being called a back yard breeder considering I havent bred him, It was only a thought in my head. but after his surgery with cancerous lumps i didnt want to neuter him and put him through more surgery. When I discussed neutering with my vet, he said he would not see neutering him as the answer to his behaviour,it is in his nature and breed to be dominent and his uncle should have left him be especially after being wound up after chasing cat.

[bendyfoot]

Originally Posted by Frenchy

Please have him neutered. Breeding a dog with aggressive temperament and who had cancer , would not make awesome pups !

This x 10000000000

No concientious breeder would ever breed a dog with these traits, no matter how good looking, pedigreed or wonderful with the owner it might be. You may opt not to put him through another surgery, but breeding him would not be fair to his offspring: you'd be setting them up for failure.

Speaking of breeders, have you spoken to YOURS about these issues? What does he/she think about the behaviour?

[budgrrl]

Originally Posted by bendyfoot

This x 10000000000

No concientious breeder would ever breed a dog with these traits, no matter how good looking, pedigreed or wonderful with the owner it might be. You may opt not to put him through another surgery, but breeding him would not be fair to his offspring: you'd be setting them up for failure.

Speaking of breeders, have you spoken to YOURS about these issues? What does he/she think about the behaviour?

i couldnt agree more - breeding a dog with aggression issues, and cancer, is just setting the pups for failure. not to mention the numerous amounts that people can rescue off of sites like petfinder, there are numerous akita's in shelters that will likely have a hard time being adopted due to the biases placed upon this breed - bringing more into the animal planet with history of behavioural and disease issues just does not make sense
please reconsider this choice!

and not knowing the current health of your dog, a vet would be best consulted, but neutering a male dog is a very non-evasive surgery - and would do wonders for his temperment, as well as his overall health. seeing he has cancer in his history, one would think preventing testicular cancer and the like would be paramount??

just my humble

[fluff83]

Thanks again so so much for all your opinions and suggestions but when I signed onto this forum I wanted peoples opinions on what happened over christmas when he bit his uncle, but now everybody seems to be more caught up in talking me out of breeding my dog. The chances are very slim I ever will breed him it was just an option I always wanted to have, plenty plenty people hace approached me over the years offering me money to stud my dog and I have declined over and over, so I guess that doesnt make me selfish.
Yes I discussed my dogs behaviour with my breeder, he agrees with me it was completely out of character of my akita to bite. he asked me what happened before the incident. My dog was very wound up with adrenaline and his uncle pulling at his head did not help situation

[happycats]

This is a very pro spay/neuter board, and many here are in rescue cleaning up after so many who breed their pets, thinking that thier dogs pups will be the cutest, or the best, and everyone will want one but there just isn't enough good homes out there to take them all.

hundreds of thousands of dogs/cats get put to sleep every year, and so many are beautiful, obedient, even pure bred, the sad fact is, there is a cat/dog overpopulation problem, so people really need to stop breeding, and it has nothing to do with you dog it's breed or it's temperment.

(That's why people are hoping you won't breed your dog)

[Dog Dancer]

Your vet should be able to recommend you to a behaviorist if you are unable to locate one on your own. Some personal consults would benefit you and your boy greatly. I have an Akita X, who is 12 years old, and she adores people, but I know having her feet touched is an issue with her. ALL people that she greets are told "This is Shadow, please don't touch her feet." Mostly it's okay if people touch her feet, but not always, so it's just a situation we always avoid. So now, back to the issue you really hate, neutering. This will help to calm your dog (yes my girl is spayed), and since he has a history of cancer (or so it seems, but I should probably reread the posts) neutering him would certainly be beneficial to his overall health, which should be part of your concern if you truly love him. Good luck to you with your behavioral issue though, I truly hope for the sake of the dog that you do not just write it off as an unimportant incident.

[fluff83]

Thanks dog dancer, honestly i know myself this was most definitely not an unimportant incident, it is very serious and many many dogs are put to sleep every day. I will go back to my vet and discuss neutering again and possibly try get a number for a behaviourist. my dog is everything to me , he protects me when my other half is away and he is very loyal to me and my family. he is great with my younger sisters. Thanks again ro evryone for taking the time to post your opinions.