Hi guys so I need help asap! So we have an female akita, 20 months old who we are sadly having to rehome. Arya is a wonderful amazing dog and despite our best efforts to defuse her anxiety and make her feel totally included in the process she is not adapting to life with our 5 month old son. She totally ignored him with we were trying to work with, but this have now developed into a few clear warnings from the dog and a attempted warning bite to the face, at this time the baby was sitting on his dad's knee and moved his arm up into the air, which the dog clearly took as a threat! So an online ad went up online for her, and a guy got in contact. They said they are prepared for multiple visits ECT but they want to meet tomorrow! My dog is very unpredictable with strangers and I have no idea how to go about making this introduction successful! I really want the first visit to go as well as possible so any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank You!
I am sorry that you are having to re-home your Akita. I know you have struggled with her nervousness in traffic. As you love her, have you tried consulting a behaviourist to get advice on managing her behaviour? I find that dogs accept new people more readily if they are not forced straight into eye contact with strangers. Does your Akita like treats? If so, make sure that you pass a pocketful to the prospective adopter before he meets the dog. Sit and chat about her, but without staring at Arya, and let the stranger casually pass her an occasional treat - hopefully she will begin to approach him. Alternatively, you could take her for a quiet walk with this person, and see how she, (and the prospective new owner), interact. Remember that he is on trial too! You can not change her character overnight - or you would have already done so - but it is also not fair to pretend that your dog does not have these behavioural problems. Be honest or your dog could end up being passed on again. I hope all goes well, but if not, you could consider rehoming your dog through a breed club rescue service. The Akita Rescue and Welfare Trust (UK), known as the ARW, is a national service which exists for this purpose. Read about them online.
I would not advise passing on a dog with problems through an ad, especially if they do not have in-depth knowledge of that breed. If you got her from a reputable breeder they should take her back, if not get in touch with an Akita rescue.
