Ownership of an Akita should not be undertaken lightly. Sensible management is required from the outset and the right environment. It is advisable to visit a number of owners initially and heed the advice given from those with experience of the breed.

Some time may have passed since you first thought an Akita was for you. You have researched the breed, spoke to breeders and lastly visited a fully grown Akita in its own surroundings. You have finally come to the conclusion an Akita is definitely for you. After months of waiting for this large bundle of fur to arrive, the day has arrived!

Just the thought of this ball of fur arriving at your home and what to do with him/her first can be mind boggling. Just remember, what you do with your puppy from this day forward will mold it for the rest of its life. This is why I feel that so much knowledge needs to be given to new owners before this large breed enters your house.

All of us want our dogs to grow into friendly socialable dogs, who we can take out for walks and be proud of his behaviour. Much like a child really, if taught the right manners as a child all the way through their life, they will become well mannered adults. Psychology and understanding plays a huge role in owning an Akita. Lets move on…

When your new puppy arrives, he/she will need a few days to adjust to its new surroundings. Housebreaking can be started immediately if it hasn’t already with the breeder. Many books say how easy an Akita can be trained, but lest we forget how intelligent but also how stubborn an Akita can be. I have had experience with both easily trained Akitas, but also those who take that little bit more. So expect the worst and work your way up from there. Walking your Akita out to the garden to the same spot everyday with a reward in hand will make a good start to housebreaking. Never carry your new puppy outside to where you want him/her to eliminate, this can cause you as the owner to invest in some serious weight training equipment when a fully grown Akita decides he does not want to walk outside but rather be carried. Akitas are smart creatures, they learn quick, so always remember what you wouldn’t do with an adult Akita you do not want to be doing with a puppy. Treat your puppy with a small reward ie small piece of his dog food, cheese or fresh meat. He will soon realize and relate eliminating with a reward. Slowly taper off the rewards so that you are only rewarding every so often instead of everytime.

Lead Training, this can begin immediately, attaching a lead to his/her collar will introduce them to what the future brings. I highly recommend using a halti with an Akita to prevent pulling and allowing you a bit more freedom when it comes to your large breed. Using a halti as well as a 3 point collar and a double ended lead will allow you full control and to make sure if your Akita ever pulls out of his halti… you are still in control.

Having your puppy experience these important pieces of equipment at a young age will allow him/her to grow up with confidence knowing that this is all part of the process.

Once your puppy has finished his course of inoculations you will have the freedom to wander through parks, playgrounds and fields. Socializing your Akita is the key to a good relationship and a well behaved one. Even before your puppy is fully inoculated it is wise to allow your puppy to experience all sorts of situations. For example contacting your local vets about the next puppy party, this is where all sorts of puppies can get together and play amongst themselves in a supervised environment within your vet clinic.

Before your Akita is fully inoculated, allow people to visit and other fully inoculated dogs, who are friendly. We do not want to start on a bad foot and teach your new puppy to fight at such a young age. Obedience classes are a must for any new Akita owner. Whether it be Obedience and Ringcraft, let us not forget that we must teach our new puppies not only to be on there best behaviour in the ring, but also the basics of normal puppy behaviour in public.

Showing your new puppy that you are indeed master and he/she needs to look to you for guidance and support along their new learning curve. All of this is vital to the proper upbringing of an intelligent breed like an Akita. Make sure you have clear rules for your new puppy. You enter through a door first, him last. If he/she tries to push past stop him/her and go through first. When it comes to dinner time, you eat first he will eat next. Never feed your puppy from the table... just remember you will have a 50kg full grown Akita expecting the same when he is much bigger and has much more control over the rules than you would have liked. Reinforce your position of heirarchy, by doing this you will have an Akita who you respect who respects you in return. An Akita should never think he comes at the top of any family, a member of the family, yes but not god. Always remember top dogs will never share their position.

Always practice at home what you have learnt in class. Reinforce these commands at home on a daily basis and they will become second nature to your new puppy. Once your puppy has reached his teenage years of even more stubbornness he/she should know through and through that you were the top hat in the household. If you have proved this all the way along you should have no troubles with your soon to be adult Akita. Whom at this point should look up to you for all answers, commands and best of all friendship. If you follow a strict training regime whilst your puppy is young, you should not run into any behaviour hassle once he/she reaches a stage where they have a mind of its own.

I have written this article out of sheer personal experience in Akitas and I sincerley hope this helps you with the training of your new puppy.