Akita
Temperament
by Sherry E. Wallis
Page 3 of 5
 
ACCEPT STRANGERS
If
an Aykita bites, its next most likely target after a child is a visitor to
the house. He may even be someone who has come to your home frequently. To
lessen this possibility, a valuable part of the dog's temperament is the
ability to accept the presence of a non-threatening stranger whether he is
neutral or friendly.
Ian Dunbar
makes a particularly cogent observation about Oriental breeds, especially
Japanese ones. He says the most stable dogs can be unreliable around
strangers because the culture in which they were bred far longer than they
have been here does not select for that trait.
When asked why,
he pointed out that privacy there is at a premium and most homes are small
by our standards. So, in Oriental countries little if any entertaining is
done at a person's home. Instead, social activities occur at communal
baths, restaurants, hotels, clubs, parks, etc. Only intimate friends and
family are invited home.
As a result,
dogs that do not like strangers may never be weeded out of the gene pool.
Further, in guard-type breeds, distrust may be encouraged, since any
stranger at the house would be a subject for alarm. Just as the herding
instinct may or may not be present in city dogs, Oriental dogs such as the
Akita may have a profound distrust and dislike of strangers that is never
identified because it is never tested.
Changing Temperament
With Akitas,
this tendency to be wary of strangers is something that needs to be selected
away from in breeding and trained away from throughout the dog's life.
Unfortunately, if you don't realize it exists, it's hard to do either. And,
yes, doing so will change the character of the breed from its original
state. I think it's ironic that those who quibble the most about attempts to
make the breed's temperament more socially acceptable see nothing wrong with
the drastic changes in structure and type accomplished over the last two
decades.
Acceptable Behavior
Please don't
think I'm advocating a temperament incompatible with the character of the
breed. We are not raising Poodles or Golden Retrievers, and if we wanted
that type of dog, we certainly wouldn't be in Akitas! However, when a
visitor comes to your house, gets in your car, come up to you when you're in
your yard, or is talking to you at a dog show, your Akita at least should be
neutral. He should show no sign of anxiety or hostility toward this person.
He should be tolerant of the stranger's presence.
Many Akitas
totally ignore strangers, and that is a perfectly acceptable response. If
the person is particularly "doggy-acceptable," you may find your dog making
a few overtures, especially if you're at a show and the stranger has ever
had liver in his pocket. This breed, though, likes to make the first move,
and you may find the friendliest dogs seem uncomfortable with someone who
forces attention on them. That is not a cause for hostility, however, and
your dog should accept this attention even if it is not with enthusiasm.
This reserved
demeanor is part of the breed's innate dignity. I'm still waiting for a few
of my bitches to develop this! At ten, Mikki remains a terrible clown who
will do absolutely anything for a cookie. You may find you have a few of
these, too, and their temperament is just as much an Akita's as her
cousin's. He gazes off into the distance when strangers pet him as if no one
is there. If they disappeared into a poof of smoke, he wouldn't notice or
care about their absence. He really only cares about his family and a few of
our friends, but he tolerates strangers.
Problem Areas
You may see
problems with your dogs or puppies you place depending on how they are
raised and trained. Certainly, the worst-case scenario is a dog that is left
outside all the time in a house with little social activity and that is
rarely taken anywhere else. These dogs can be time bombs. The best way to
avoid tragedies is to make sure you sell puppies only to homes where they
will be kept inside.
I also require contractually that puppies be taken to training classes . To
encourage this, I help buyers locate classes and provide information about
them and rebate $50 when they bring me a certificate that says they
graduated from a class. First this gives the owners some handle on the dog
when he is still at a size that is easy to work with. Secondly, the dog
gets exposure early on to strangers who are friendly and to other dogs. If
at all possible, I strongly recommend classes that use clicker training and
if they are not available, classes that use positive training methods
(usually food).
Stranger Children
Another
inclination that is not uncommon in Akitas is a distrust and even dislike of
non-family children. The most distressing thing about these dogs is that
frequently the are devoted family pets who adore their own children and will
tolerate anything from them. They may be tolerant or even friendly to adult
strangers, but visiting children are at risk.
Until he does
something overt, identifying these dogs may be difficult for inexperienced
owners since the beginning signs of hostility are often very subtle. Even
more unfortunate, because the dog is so good with his own children, the
owners tend to justify the first obvious signs of trouble by blaming the
child or extraneous circumstances.
Therefore, when
I sell puppies I tell buyers in written material and reinforce it verbally
that no children, especially toddlers, should ever be left unsupervised with
any dog. To do so is to bet with a child's life as the stake. Even the most
stable dogs can put two and two together and get five. What happens, I ask
them, when your son's best friend picks up a toy and bashes your son in the
head with it. Don't you think your dog will see this is an attack on his
child? What do you think he's going to do?
A dog that does
not like strange children might not need even this much provocation. My
first encounter with this is an excellent example. Since it happened, I've
heard the same song, different verse, more times than I can count which is
what leads me to believe this is an inherited component of temperament.
This family had
two dog-loving boys and an indoor-outdoor Akita they had had from puppyhood.
The mother was firm but non-assertive and had had dogs all her life. They
did not go to a training class. The dog was wonderful with her children.
When he was almost a year old, she called me and told me he was growling at
one of her younger son's friends. I asked her if he bothered any other
children, and she said, "No, only this boy. He is partially deaf and speaks
differently from the other children." Of course, it wasn't the dog!
I told her the
dog's behavior posed a significant risk to this child. I asked her to return
the dog to me, offering her a replacement from an upcoming litter. She
refused because they all loved the dog. He was crate-trained, and at my
urging, she agreed to keep the dog crated whenever visiting children were
over at the house. I made several follow-up calls about the dog, still
asking them to return him, getting a refusal and an assurance that the dog
was crated.
Well, children
just aren't always able to remember what is vitally important to adults. One
day, her son took his friend out in the back yard without telling the mother
and without putting up the dog. The visitor bent over to pick up a toy on
the patio. Unfortunately, it was next to the dog's food bowl. He attacked.
Hearing the screams, the mother rushed out and yelled at the dog, who
immediately let go.
Because the dog
attacked the back of the child's skull rather than his face and let go when
commanded, the physical damage required only stitches in the emergency room.
The scars are hidden by the child's hair. He is now terrified of all dogs.
The mother, who is not afraid of Akitas herself, becomes almost phobic when
children are around them. She told me she is sure the child would be dead if
she had not been right in the next room.
They still
refused to have the dog euthanized. Instead, they placed it with an
out-of-town friend. I talked to this man several times and finally agreed
that the dog had a chance with him. Despite my misgivings, the placement has
worked out well. At ten years of age, the dog is now nearing the end of his
life.
Dealing With Problems
I don't know
what I could have done differently once the dog was out of my hands. My
mistake was in selling a male to this family in the first place, and I no
longer sell them to people who have not had at least Northern dogs before
unless they come over and just bowl me over with family assertiveness. The
incident sent me to several seminars on aggression and to a number of books.
Now I would
insist that the dog go to a training class, and that the less-assertive
mother be the one to train him. Instead of relying on isolation to protect
visitors from the dog, which is doomed to failure in the most compulsive of
homes, I should have encouraged a course of desensitization and probably
some sort of behavior consultation with a trainer. Intervention with a young
dog that has not become so distressed that he attacks might have changed the
course of events.
Dogs have a
threshold of tolerance. Its height is determined first by their inherited
temperament, which differs among breeds and within a breed among its
individuals, and secondly by their degree of socialization to strangers in
and out of the home. Not only does the dog need to get out and see people,
people need to come to the dog's house and see him.
Of course, you
normally don't invite people over for your dog's benefit, but if you own an
Akita you should make a point of it. Your dog may be less than enthusiastic
about visitors. Don't worry unless he shows signs, even subtle ones, of
hostility. This may include: looking the visitor in the eye; sitting or
standing (worse) between the two of you; anxious looks at the visitor
accompanied by whines; and/or pacing.
I even have a
few that make monkey-like noises and blow through their lips like horses.
This is their equivalent to a growl and is a warning to me that they are
very suspicious and distrustful of the stranger. Of course, sometimes these
actions are justified, and I am not in any way suggesting that you should
not heed the warnings of a guard dog doing his job.
If the visitor
on the porch is pitching magazines and you've never laid eyes on him before,
you'd be smart to shut the door and keep your dog around. On the other hand,
if it's your next-door neighbor or a friend from work--someone you know,
someone who is safe in your judgment--your dog is out of line.
Desensitization
Adults: A dog
that is obviously hostile should be leashed and put on a down stay next to
you. If he is so suspicious you cannot get him into a down, then put him in
a sit stay. If he breaks the stay, correct him and put him back in it.
Otherwise, ignore him and continue your conversation with your friend. Both
reinforce your own dominance, although the sit less so, and will eventually
show him your friend is no threat. Giving him no attention keeps you from
inadvertently reinforcing one of his hostile responses. Just like children,
dogs can and will do things for your attention even if the attention they
receive is negative.
Never try to reassure a fearful or distrustful dog by
petting him and telling him, "It's okay." First, it's not okay and secondly,
you're not allaying his anxiety, you're rewarding it and, thus, encouraging
it
My veterinarian
gave me a great piece of advice about dealing with anxious, fearful, or
angry dogs. Physiologically, the dog's activated state is maintained by the
release of adrenaline. Since the adrenals can produce only so much of it,
eventually, the dog's hyper-attentive state will wear off. The more agitated
the dog is, the more quickly this will happen; the calmer, the less so.
While you and
your visitor are talking, observe your dog's behavior. He will eventually
have to relax, which will be evident from his posture and demeanor. When you
see this, you can acknowledge his good behavior with some attention and a
treat, so long as he remains on the down or sit-stay. If he gets so bored he
goes to sleep-great, you've made a giant step forward!
Take all this
in small steps and realize you may have some set-backs. When your dog is
comfortable with visitors that sit and talk, have them stand up and walk
about. Reinforce the dog's down-stay and ignore any signs of suspicion or
wariness on the dog's part. Eventually, the visitors can give him treats for
good behavior. Perhaps you can teach him to shake hands for a treat to break
the ice. All sorts of techniques can defuse the dog's suspicions.
Children: If
your problem is with children, you will have to stand or sit with the dog
while your child and a visitor play quietly. Over time, the dog will become
more comfortable in the children's presence. Then, their play can become
more active. The trick here, as with adults, is to let the dog get control
of himself, learn that the situation is not dangerous, and develop
appropriate responses that get everyone's approval.
Desensitization
should be reinforced repeatedly and done with many different children. The
dog should still not be left alone with them, but if someone forgets, which
will inevitably happen, the children and the dog won't have to pay for the
oversight.
In summary: If
you have a dog that has a behavior problem, you not only have to correct the
problem, you have to give him a socially acceptable alternative to that
behavior. He doesn't like children, he has to learn to leave them alone; he
doesn't like visitors in the house; he has to learn to accept them.
You have to
learn how to recognize the initial indicators of problems and instead of
making excuses for them, you've got to move quickly to stop them. You have
to lead your dog on a path that makes him an acceptable companion and pet.
Breeders must
learn not to accept the owner's comments at face value. Ask specific
questions about the dog and his behavior so that you can identify any
problems that might be developing. You'll have to listen carefully to the
replies and be ready to offer constructive advice about handling problems
Breeding
When the dog in
question is a breeding prospect, you will have to evaluate the strength of
the problem and try to identify its source. In the above case, we looked at
the behavior of our dogs and decided the problem lay with a common ancestor.
Almost all the males and some of the bitches with her behind them had some
oddity of behavior, although it was by no means the same from dog to dog.
Two dogs, for
instance, disliked anything with wheels. No, they had not been run over as
puppies. In fact, they had only the one bitch in common in their pedigrees;
they just had the same phobia. Some males didn't like children; others
didn't like strange adults. We ultimately abandoned this line completely in
favor of ones that produced more stable temperament.
In fairness,
this action wasn't all that difficult since none of these dogs were big
winners, and in accordance with Murphy's law, the very best ones in terms of
conformation had some of the weirdest behaviors. Breeding is after all a
balancing act, so had we been unable or unwilling to sacrifice breeding
these dogs, we would have looked at lines very strong in temperament and
bred to something line- or inbred on it. Then, to continue, we would have
used only the dogs that showed improved temperaments.
CONFIDENCE
Some dogs are born
with confidence. They accept new surroundings, people, and situations with
aplomb and react, if not positively to change, at least without anxiety.
Unfortunately, bold and fearless do not describe most Akitas. As puppies,
they are very careful and quite cautious. Few I've seen are ever reckless.
Akitas generally look before they leap.
I think of this
breed as being born forty and then getting older. Except when hunting or
fighting where they become relentless and totally focused on their task,
they are rarely risk-takers. They seem stodgy and resistant to change, a
tendency that can cement itself in the older dog. Anything that tells them
their caution is justified reinforces the reaction. Consequently,
unsocialized, unexposed dogs frequently are anxious when put in unfamiliar
circumstances. The dog's anxiety level is proportionate to the number of
strange things in the environment and their magnitude. In the worst case,
the dog may have a panic attack.
Building
confidence is very important to those of use who are showing and should be
important to pet owners as well. A self-assured dog can go to the
veterinarian, stay at the boarding kennel, accompany the family on a campout
and even pack some of their equipment, go to dog shows, and compete in
obedience trials. His poise in the face of new situations is based in part
on inherited traits and in part on the ability to handle stress.
Managing Stress
Puppies
encounter stress and learn to deal with it from the moment they are born. To
enhance this ability, puppies must encounter manageable stress and must deal
with it on their own. From the outset, you should pick up each puppy and
handle it. At first, this will be when you weigh them after birth. In
addition to putting them on the scale, you should hold the puppy, stroke it,
and talk to it. They cannot hear you, but they can feel the vibrations from
your speech. Individual handling should increase in amount and duration as
the puppy grows. Walk about the house with it. Different rooms have
different smells, temperatures, and sounds.
This should
continue when the puppies' eyes and ears are open. Individually, each can be
put on the floor and allowed to walk about and explore outside the litter
box and without the security of mom and siblings. You will have to monitor
the puppy's reactions. He can easily get into trouble. He can be mildly
fearful but should be able to allay those fears in a short time. Any
stressful situation he encounters should be mild enough for him to overcome.
In so doing,
the dog is learning not only to handle the particular situation he
encounters, he is learning to learn. That is, he is developing a set of
mental tools that allow him to evaluate and react suitably to new
situations. The more successful he is at this, the more confident he will
become.
To help this
process along, the puppy needs to gain experience. He must be taken out into
a world larger than his whelping box. As he grows, this world should expand
from the back yard to the front, then to the neighborhood, then to training
classes, shows, and other areas where large numbers of dogs and/or people
gather. Here, he will learn to take cues from you and other humans and dogs.
The world is
full of many things frightening to youngsters who lack the experience to
evaluate whether something strange presents a real threat. To determine
whether fear and perhaps flight are justified, the youngster will look to
his mother, his siblings, and to you.
Discouraging Fear Responses
So, what do you
do when the dog gets into trouble? It can happen anywhere. I've had puppies
and young dogs go bananas over a mailbox or garbage sack. One of the worst
panic attacks I've ever had was when one of my Shepherds encountered a
bronze statue in a neighbor's front yard. She walked up and sniffed it, then
freaked out.
Back to my
veterinarian's advice, abject terror can only last for so long. An animal
has only so much adrenaline, and as the supply decreases, the panic does
too. Until this happens, reason is not the animal's strong point, but once
adrenaline is depleted, the animal calms considerably. Your best course is
to do nothing until the dog's flight response begins to shut down. You can
talk to the dog, but make sure you are not sympathetic. The tone to strike
is as if someone has told you a mildly amusing joke. If someone else is with
you, you can both talk in a normal tone until the dog calms down.
Throughout,
keep the dog as close to the problem as possible. In severe panic attacks,
you may have to back off, then reproach. Tell the dog in a no-nonsense
voice, "This is nothing to be afraid of. Look," then touch the object
yourself or walk up to it. Let the dog see you're not afraid. Eventually,
the dog will approach it. Then you can praise him and tell him he's very
brave. As young dogs and puppies deal successfully with fears, they will
become generally less fearful. Each time they conquer a problem, they gain
confidence in their abilities and in you.
Obedience Training
Very few Akitas
are actually "spooky." Instead, they are cautious and careful. When these
characteristics are coupled with a lack of confidence, the dog can become
very unhappy when he is in a strange situation. For these dogs, obedience
training is a godsend. Confident dogs can reach into their bag of tricks and
find a way to deal with the unusual. The structure provided by obedience
training gives the less confident dog a prescribed method for handing
stressful situations. As he does so, his confidence in his abilities
increases, and he becomes less anxious.
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