Akita
Temperament
by Sherry E. WallisPage 1 of 5
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While everyone who breeds or buys dogs probably agrees she
wants dogs with "good" temperaments, exactly what that means is left to the
imagination more often than not. Each party assumes that he is talking about
the same thing. Unfortunately, huge discrepancies may lie between their
concepts of what constitutes good temperament.
For instance, many years ago, a group of us attended a
party given by the owner of a champion male. He was outside when we arrived
and remained there despite inquiries about him. Finally, a few of the guests
prevailed on our host and were taken out to see the dog.
Several told me that later that they wished they hadn't
been so insistent, Initially, the dog growled and snarled at them, quieting
down after a few minutes but remaining very alert and wary. One visitor
said, "One wrong move and you'd have been fair game!"
The owners later told me that they felt the dog's
temperament was very correct for the breed and were quite proud of what they
considered a properly protective nature. If he growled at a few judges in
the ring and couldn't be petted by spectators, that was okay with them. They
hadn't bought a poodle.
Is this good temperament? I don't think so, but it is
certainly an "eye-of-the-beholder" question. This discussion of temperament
was originally published in Akita Dog, the newsletter of the Akita
Club of America, and later in Akita World magazine. It contains what
I consider the essential components of good temperament for an Akita, why I
think they are important, how to tell if you have problems, and how to
strengthen weaknesses.
This material is garnered from my own experience,
education, and opinion, and I welcome input from you. Your suggestions,
comments, or (perish the thought!) criticisms should be
directed to me.
The priority of this list is rather loose. Some components
are equally important; others depend on an individual's preferences. For
instance, many people would rank protectiveness much higher than I have, but
almost everyone would agree on the first few. However, I know from
experiences like the one just related that even they are open to challenge.
To move through this article, you may select a topic from the following list
and return here to select another. If you would like to read it in its
entirety, just go to the bottom and click on the link to the next page.
RECIPE FOR GOOD TEMPERAMENT
BITE INHIBITION
First and foremost, every dog, not just an Akita, should
be bite-inhibited. He should be so reluctant to bite, that he does so only
under the direst of circumstances. Even then, he should bite only once, and
damage from the bite should be very minimal.
ACCEPT
AUTHORITY
Second, they should be accepting of authority, that is
they should be submissive. Between and within breeds, the degree of
submissiveness varies. The Akita's independent nature may well modify its
willingness to cooperate.
LIKE
CHILDREN
Third, an Akita should like children. Just as retrievers
like sticks and balls, this breed should have an affinity for children.
ACCEPT
STRANGERS
Fourth, dogs should be accepting of non-threatening
strangers, regardless of whether the stranger is friendly or neutral.
CONFIDENCE
Fifth, the dog should have enough confidence to be at
ease an unfamiliar setting.
TRAINABLE
Sixth, he should be trainable. He should be willing and
able to learn behaviors that he repeats reliably.
NOISE
STABLE
Seventh, he should stable around strange noises.
INDEPENDENT
Eighth, to some degree, Akitas should have an independent
nature.
INHIBITED
Ninth, Akitas should have an inhibited nature They should
not respond to stressful situations by becoming increasingly excited or
agitated.
PROTECTIVE
Tenth, faced with a threat, they should be protective of
their family.
ACCEPT
OTHER DOGS
Eleventh, they should be accepting of other dogs.
LOYALTY
Did I actually put loyalty last? I don't believe it
either because it is the essence of Akita character.
INHERITANCE OF BEHAVIOR
Research on all sorts of animals, including humans,
tells us that the basic composition of our temperament is inherited. It is
constructed of building blocks we receive from both parents. Although we
have elements in common with each, the material we receive is unique to us.
The exception to this, of course, is identical twins. Studies of twins
separated at birth have confirmed the inheritability of temperament, just as
studies of identical twins living together show the powerful influence of
environment on these elements.
Similarities between the former are eerie in their
consistency. For instance, one set of twins separated at birth were phobic
about water but wanted to swim. Independently, they arrived at the same
solution to their fear; they backed into the water! Another pair lived in
neighboring towns and were both firemen. They both did woodworking in their
spare time and had built identical benches around trees in their back yards.
On the other hand, most of us have met identical twins
living together who work at differentiating themselves from each other.
Often, these pairs are like two sides of the same coin with complementary
personalities--one is extroverted, the other shy; one likes science, the
other arts; one is bold, the other cautious.
Inheritance gives each of us a set of building blocks that
represent our basic nature. Our experiences, interactions with others, and
environment determine how those blocks are arranged. With almost the same
components, one structure may have a good foundation and great stability,
while another is likely to topple into disarray.
The foundation of a dog's temperament is laid early and
will influence his behavior throughout his life. The structure is dynamic
and reacts to outside influences so long as the animal is alive. We can
reinforce strengths and shore up weaknesses in the dog's nature. We must be
careful not to undermine strengths and encourage problems.
BITE INHIBITION
Bite inhibition is a concept that, as a dog owner, you
know about, but you'll probably pay it little attention unless and until
your dog bites. Most dogs are inhibited from biting. That's what makes them
desirable companions.
A few people seem not to mind living with an animal that
might inflict serious injury on them. They buy lions, tigers, wolves, and
dogs that are likely to bite, often and hard. They probably also like bungee
jumping and parachuting. While these all have a large element of risk to the
individual who likes living on the edge, only the first presents a hazard to
others.
Inherited Component
Bite inhibition begins before birth, since it is partly
inherited. Unless you are a telepath, you have really no way of knowing how
quickly a dog might reach its flash point. It may have a good reason for
biting, but, again, unless you're telepathic, you'll also never know when
and why it is triggered to bite.
When a bite occurs, the family's first impulse is to find
a good reason for their dog's behavior. Most people love their dogs deeply
and feel hurt, guilty, defensive, and protective when it transgresses. "He
was protecting his owner, was abused by the former owner, was startled. . ."
The list of reasons is only limited by the owners' imaginations.
You will seldom be in a position to judge the accuracy of
their reasoning, and if you like the dog, your regard may shade your
opinion, too. Because the willingness of the dog to bite a person has a
genetic component, the safest option in breeding is to select dogs that have
never done so.
Simply stated: Don't use any dog for breeding if it has bitten a human.
Learning Not to Bite
While the height of the threshold at which a dog will bite
may be initially determined by inheritance, it can certainly be raised or
lowered by training. Puppies begin learning it from each other and from
their mother.
Learning the Limits:
When puppies play with each other, they engage in biting behavior.
The strength with which they bite is tempered by the response of their
playmates. The hurt puppy protests with a loud, high-pitched scream, and the
offending puppy lets go.
Likewise, nursing puppies can bite their mother once their
teeth come in. Mom reacts by moving away from the puppy, pushing it away,
or, in extreme cases, by growling at the biter. She may also intervene in
the puppies' play should one puppy prove too aggressive to his siblings.
In these ways, puppies learn to set limits on the force they exert when
biting.
Time To Grow Up:
Social interactions are very important for the developing puppy not just for
bite inhibition but for learning proper doggy manners. The lessons they
learn here will remain with them all their lives which is why leaving the
litter together past the traditional six weeks is vital.
At six weeks, puppies are just beginning to play with each
other, with toys, and with their mother and other dogs. Taking them away too
early can deprive them of valuable lessons in life.
What Does
This Mean To You As the Breeder ? You and the rest of
your household should jump right in with the rest of the puppies, teaching
them that humans are very delicate beings. You will be bitten because that's
how puppies test their world. As soon as a puppy mouths you, even if he does
not bite hard, you should mimic his littermates and give a high-pitched
yell. The puppy should immediately let go and will probably lick a couple of
times. Give him a warm "thank you," and wait for the next time. If he
doesn't let go scream higher and louder.
Very young puppies will continue to bite, but the bites
should get progressively softer until they disappear altogether. Extend your
indications of discomfort to bites on your clothing as well. If you walk
among the puppies in a long night-gown, scream when they bite the edges.
This technique is highly effective and will work with
young dogs even more quickly than it does with puppies. All children should
be taught to deal with nipping puppies and young dogs this way since they
rarely have the social standing to correct the dog by indicating their
disapproval.
Soft Mouths
Many Akitas have soft mouths, probably from crosses to
native dogs that were retrievers. Their bites may be more like nuzzles and
may never cause you pain. As adults, soft-mouthed dogs may have the same
toys for years. They may never cause problems to your furniture or shoes.
Don't be fooled, though. They can still inflict serious damage on people or
other dogs, because when they want to bite hard, they can.
Because their bites don't hurt much, soft-mouthed dogs in
a mixed litter will be the least likely to truly learn bite inhibition.
When you are working with a litter, therefore, it's very important to teach
all the puppies not to bite, even the ones that hardly touch you.
Otherwise, the dogs when they do bite are likely to bite as hard as they can
because they never learned to temper their bites.
Hard-mouthed dogs have a slightly different jaw structure,
so few Akitas have the same bite strength as a German Shepherd or Rottweiler.
If your face is being bitten, however, this distinction will be of little
concern to you. All bites hurt.
Is Bite Inhibition Important?
The owner of the dog may be faced with huge legal fees and
damage awards to the victim. Most of these suits are covered by homeowners
insurance. However, the unfortunate owner may find himself out of a policy
and unable to secure a new insurer so long as the dog is present.
The impact of a dog bite extends far beyond its effect on
the people involved, which can be devastating by itself. Very few people
actually die as a result of dog bites, but the physical damage can be
horribly disfiguring. Medical treatment can range from simple cleaning to
multiple surgeries. Even worse, the bond between dogs and humans is based in
part on trust, and part of that is eroded once you are bitten. If the victim
is a bystander and not a dog owner, he is likely to be lost forever to any
relationship with dogs and may become hostile to them. Hostility coupled
with activism can sound the death knell of a breed. Does this sound extreme
to you? If so, you need to learn more about the animal rights activists and
their effect on animal welfare.
Strengthening Bite Inhibition
You can strengthen bite inhibition throughout the dog's
life. Not letting him bite you or your clothing is the first and most
important step in doing this. If you currently roughhouse by offering your
arm as a target, switch to a lambs wool or rawhide toy, a towel, or a ball.
Throw it or drag it for him and then let him play with it. You can pick it
up (few Akitas will actually bring it back, so don't be disappointed when
your dog proves to be a "getter" but not a "returner") and throw or drag it
along the ground. Any time the dog tries to play-bite at you, switch him
over immediately to one of these toys.
If your dog has a firmly entrenched habit, yelping may not
work. As an alternative, you may firmly take your dog's muzzle off your arm
or clothes if he puts his mouth on you. Hold his mouth shut, but don't try
to hurt him, and with a very low, growly voice, firmly tell him, "No."
Don't strike the dog or shake him. You may also be battling a dominance
problem, which is covered in another section of this discussion. Trading
aggression for aggression may get you into an escalating spiral that can
cause the very problem you're trying to avoid!
Insist that your children and any visitors not play chase,
allowing the dog to pursue them. If dogs could talk, they'd probably call
this game "Chase the Prey." Given the right set of stimuli--the right
movements, the right sounds, the right smells--this can become pursuit in
deadly earnest.
When you send your charges on to new home, you don't need
to scare your buyers to death, but you should make them aware of appropriate
behaviors. Give them couple of books. One should be Turid Rugas's, On
Talking With Dogs: Calming Signals, and the other one like
Alphabetizing Your Dog or Carol Benjamin's Mother Knows Best. Ask
that they read these before they pick up their puppy. The expense is
negligible when you consider the tragedies it can prevent.
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