Hello! I posted a month or so ago about behavioral issues. I've recently seen a vet and spoke with two animal behavoirists, both of which were very convinced she's a dangerous dog. While I understand their concerns, my husband and I live with her every day and she is a cuddly little monster. She has no manners but was adopted by us at nearly 2 years old and was never taught that standing up and begging are poor form. I am setting up appointments with them just to hear what they say but I am honestly so frustrated. They seem to feel the dog aggression means she should be put down. I don't think the dog aggression is grounds to be euthanized, more that she needs to learn to manage her anger differently. Also, she does wonderfully now with my parents and siblings, who she sees often. I'm beginning to think she is just an Akita, very much a one family dog and tolerant of everyone else. She just needs to be taught tolerance of strangers as she only accepts them if either myself or my husband are at the door when she meets them. There are issues with child aggression, more anxiety based but that's the main reason we're taking her to a behavoirist. I guess I'm wondering, if we're willing to keep working with a loving, sweet dog but the veterinarians who haven't met her are writing her off, what would you do? She isn't easy but she doesn't pose a threat to us, she's just a really immature two year old Akita who was abandoned. I feel attached to her in a way I can't explain so I think I'm looking for an unbiased opinion. Or more accurately, what would you do here? Because the one thing I can't do is give up. Thank you!
What you are describing sounds like normal Akita traits but can be worked on. As I said on your previous thread. It is really important that you choose someone with a proven record of success with this particular breed (not just other dogs that are known for having similar traits). What you don’t want is Trainers ect: who throw up their hands and throw in the towel at the first sign of a problem, whose advice is often that Akitas have temperament problems and the best recourse is to put the dog to sleep.
Thank you, again. I was just so frustrated by all the feedback I've gotten as I was under the impression she was behaving like a normal Akita would given her circumstances. I am thinking we will need to get further outside of our area to find this, we drove an hour and a half for one trainer and she was ready to write Sakura off. I just don't get it, she is actually sweet and it seems reasonable she would be hesitant to become best friends with strangers.
Look out for are trainers that use brute force and submission techniques. Akita's don't respond very well to that type of training. They're smart and stubborn, if your akita is 2 years old then that trainer will be in danger if they try that approach. There is so much great literature out there on akita's even if you can't find an akita experienced trainer you can become one. Another thing that I've read that akita's like is clicker training, since they're smart and like to figure things out. The biggest thing I've noticed with my Akita(and the other Akita I used to live with) is consistency, no matter how much and how often he challenges my leadership he doesn't get what he wants until I get what I want. These vets sound like your typical person that says akita's are dangerous, because that's what they've been told. Establish yourself as the alpha, find out the things she likes/loves and reward good behavior. If you're consistent, as a family not just you, she'll be the best dog in the world.
I would personally tell those vets and two animal behaviorists where to shove their bad advice, no way I would put a dog down for that. At the very least you'll just have to have her on the leash always and a muzzle in a worst case scenario. My dogs are not aggressive at all and I still would not let them off leash outside or in someone else's house, so you won't be missing much at all. She'll just take a while to fully trust again with being a rescue, you did a great thing saving her, do not give up on her. The post above is rock solid advice.
