Trainig of American Akita Training

I own an American Akita, named Skye. Skye is 1 year and 2 months old. She was my brothers dog originally, but he wasn't giving the time and attention that she needed. She is untrained, the most she will do is sit but that is ONLY if there is something in it for her (treats). She doesn't walk well on her leash at all. On two occasions she has pulled so hard & gone into a sprint where I was holding the leash and being dragged along. The first time, I had to let go as it was down a stony hill and I almost fell.. I'm so thankful it was in the middle of nowhere, heaven forbid anything like that happened where she could have been in danger after getting off. The second, I was approaching home and she saw a cat, then of course started dragging me along to run after it across a road. We was on a street, so I didn't let her go but it could have been very dangerous if there were any oncoming cars.

I know how important it is to begin training an Akita when you very first get them as a puppy, unfortunately that wasn't possible for me in the given situation, but I'm wondering is it going to be impossible to train her at her current age? Also, where do I begin? I have bought a muzzle type thing that goes across her nose so I have more control over her when walking, and that seems to be going ok (so far so good). But when it comes to other things, where is best to begin?

Personally I would put a double D ring harness on her or head halti/gentle leader why your lead training her, the double D ring harness will help you control the walks as soon as she starts to pull you gently but firmly pull the lead on the chest D ring towards you this will bring her front slowly round to you stopping her from pulling you over.
The head halti/gentle leader is like a horses head harness, again used correctly will give you total control of her, as you gently pull the lead towards you, her back end will turn outwards so she is facing you.
I would also seek out a top graded professional dog trainer who has experience with dogs of this breed

Double D ring harness




Double D ring harness



head halti


gentle leader

I've no experience of Akitas I'm afraid but I think Tina and Azz's suggestions will help.

Does Skye have any serious behaviour problems like dog or human aggression, or is it just that she's a bit of a hooligan with no manners?!

Well done you for taking her on, and im sure you’ll eventually reap the rewards, though very intelligent Akita’s do tend have a mind of their own ,they are easy to train but with mine I soon learned they didn’t do well on repetition over and over and can very quickly get bored,. so best to make training sessions short and fun, throughout the day. use either titbit or toy, whatever motivates her most.

Im not a fan of head-collars or harnesses, but for a short term solution are fine, make sure you get a head collar that wont roll up to her eyes,. the Dogmatic, or Canny Collar seem to have good reviews, might also be worth trying a good fitting backpack with some weight in, not only does it give them a job to do but should tire her out more easily.

There are several methods to stop pulling, but I found that when being pulled that to stop walking call dog to my side or turn other way worked best for me, it can take ‘ages to get through a walk, but it does eventually sink in, but you have to be consistent.

As for chasing cats, my two lived happily with our cat but would still give chase outside if given the chance, something I learned to live with and i became very vigilant at looking out for the unexpected.

I would go back to basics and deal with her as if you were training a puppy. Use treats to and a lot of praise to teach her how to sit, lie, and stay. Practice several times a day but keep the sessions short so that she doesn't lose interest. One of the first things I teach my dogs is "wait" which means stop and stand still until I tell them to "walk". It's probably the most useful command they know because you can use it for so many situations like when you want to blow your nose when you're out on a walk. All the above can be taught in the garden.

I've no experience of Akita but my Peigirl, because of her poor eyesight would bolt at the slightest sound when we went on walks and even in the garden there were times when she was uncontrollable. It was only when she was 9 months old that I found a good trainer who suggested we went back to basics which gave my girl and me confidence in other. She's now 13 months old and is a delight to take for walk.

Treats,treats,treats, although not the same breed but similar, my husky is so stubborn.she will only recall if I've got something she wants!ie treats! And rewarded for doing the commands I want her to do. She's not bad on the lead though she does pull,she knows what 'wait' means by the roadside. Take back to basics on own Rosie And let us know how you get on !

Really excellent replies up above! We have a rescue Akita Inu who suffered bad training (as in, trained to wrestle, hard, with people), abuse and unfortunate neglect and as a result had some pretty bad habits. It is absolutely not too late for you. You will need patience, but you will be rewarded in spades.

With training, Akitas don't tend to be terribly fond of doing tricks, especially the same pointless stuff repeated again and again. They do tend to be very focused on you and on being with you-- even if it doesn't look like they are; they're subtle like that-- so if you keep it clear that you're having fun, they're much more likely to engage. Puppy classes, if you can find one that will take an adult dog, are really fun. Taji absolutely loved puppy classes. Do vet your classes though: a good class will let you observe before you commit. If you are not comfortable, don't sign up, no matter how much they tell you they will turn your dog into an angel overnight (frankly, if they tell you this, they're quite full of it). A good class that does fun games can help you focus on nifty games that your own dog likes.

For pulling, I have tried nearly everything, and the Halti wins hands down (but possibly because I have never had a Dogmatic; they were too hard to get for me, but a friend had one and it looked pretty solid and comfortable). They're good not just for pullers, but also for jumpers, and they don't pinch or choke. For an American Akita, you really need to be able to go into the shop to get a good fit-- a too tight or too loose Halti is a bad Halti (too tight, it mashes the face; too loose, it rides up into the eyes)-- or go for the Gentle Leader, which is adjustable around the snoot, but I find it is not as durable as the Halti owing to the plastic clip on the snoot loop. You'll need to replace it about twice a year and you'll always need a spare on hand if you rely on it. The Halti is gentle and nice, but only if used correctly. This is not difficult, but be sure to follow the instructions that come in the package, and there are videos on YouTube.

I have had (still have; I won't give it away, I don't like it that much) a Canny Collar, and I would not recommend it. It is fiddly, minimally adjustable (standard buckle collar), has multiple breakable and trailing bits, and it chokes. An interesting idea badly implemented. The Halti does the exact same thing much better, without choking or unnecessary bits all over the place, and is, literally, a snap to put on.

All the best to you and beautiful Skye!

I use the head halti but he now has worked out how to get it off

I've not got a harness as yet but can see myself getting one in the future,my husky has already broken one extended lead!they just want to run...or get into mischief!lol x