Are Akitas Easy To Train?

Akitas are known for being stubborn and very strong. These dogs need to receive proper socialization and training. Are Akitas intelligent and easy to train?

Akitas have strong instincts and low obedience scores, which could make it challenging to train them. Akitas needs multiple repetitions to learn a command or a new skill. They respond slower when the trainer is far away, for example, outdoors. They need a consistent and patient trainer, as well as early socialization.

Understanding the history of the breed helps us appreciate some of the challenges that could come up in the training process.

POTENTIAL CHALLENGES WITH TRAINING AN AKITA

Akita Has Fair Working Intelligence

Working intelligence refers to the dog’s ability to acquire new commands and skills within a certain number of repetitions.

According to Stanley Coren, Akita as a breed scores lower than about 75% of other breeds for their working intelligence/obedience potential. That result puts Akitas at the top of the category of dogs with fair working intelligence or the very bottom of the average group.

Akitas can master a simple command with twenty – twenty-five repetitions.

Complex commands could take some time for them to respond to but they are expected to improve with practice.
Akitas might forget skills and commands over time, and regular repetition and practice help with retention
The dog might respond more reliably at home, in a familiar environment, but be more distractible outside and take longer to respond.

Akitas Have Strong Instincts

Akitas are spitz-type dogs albeit very large ones.

Spitz breeds in general are considered primitive dogs, meaning they are closer to wolves than many other breeds. They have strong instincts, are independent rather than clingy, and are resistant to changing behaviors.

Historically, Akitas helped with hunting large animals, such as bears and mountain lions. They had to hunt in packs to overcome large animals. All the traits that are assets for hunting dogs, such as the propensity to be vocal, chase, and even attack, are still natural for Akitas as a breed.

Some of these behaviors can be hard to unlearn, because of the breed’s high instinctive intelligence. In other words, Akitas are hard-wired for the behaviors they were bred for a long time ago.

Akitas Have A Strong Prey Drive

One of the instincts that are very strong in Akitas is their prey drive.

Even with sufficient training, an Akita could react promptly to movement, especially when the dog sees a small animal running.

Your Akita may need plenty of practice in a variety of settings. Some dogs are safe around small pets in their household but are still vigilant and reactive around other animals they encounter outside.

Akitas And Their Interactions With The Owner

These dogs’ loyalty has been sung in books and movies for a reason. Akitas are deeply devoted to their owner and family. They are dedicated protectors of the household, although it is common for an Akita to prefer one person in the family and listen only to that one person.

Despite being very loyal, Akitas may be less responsive to praise and neck rubs as tools to train specific behaviors. They are just more independent by nature and less attuned to communication with the owner than some more people-oriented breeds.

Another issue that is common for many breeds but characteristic of Akitas is that the dog might listen to one family member and not listen to others. This could be challenging especially if you rely on dog walkers or if your pet has to socialize a lot with strangers or unfamiliar dogs.

Consistent training and patience, especially from a young age, do usually produce good results but be prepared to be very methodical with your Akita.

Akitas And Children

If your Akita is raised in your family from puppyhood, the dog is likely to become a cuddly, loving family pet, gentle with the children in the household. That said, Akitas are reactive animals and your dog should not be with young kids without supervision, since kids do not always respect a pet’s space and do not read the pet’s cues.

The recommendation to supervise interactions between kids and dogs is not specific to Akitas. Akitas, however, are not easy to train, their habits are hard to change because they are instinctive.

Akitas can be great pets for older school-age children because these dogs are good hiking buddies and do well with outdoor activities in general. Akitas are not ideal pets for young kids due to these dogs’ reactivity, independence, and potential challenges with training.

Children should be taught to respect the dog’s space from an early age, regardless of the dog’s breed.

When it comes to children your Akita does not know well, keep your pup on a leash around them. Even well-trained Akitas can be very unpredictable and quick to react. As imposing as they are, the dog can frighten a child easily, so it is best to keep your pet close, for everyone’s safety.

Akitas And Other Animals

Your Akita could view cats, squirrels, and even small dogs as prey. Their hunting instinct is strong, so this trait could be hard to unlearn.

If you have a grown-up Akita at home, introducing a cat or another smaller animal to your household could be a challenge. If your Akita is raised with a cat or another dog from a young age, the animals might be able to live side by side peacefully.

Bringing another dog into your home could be difficult, too. Even a well-trained Akita could still feel too defensive to accept a new furry friend.

Be Consistent And Patient When Training Your Akita

If your Akita is stubborn and does not learn quickly, it can be tempting to raise your voice or pull on the leash with impatience. However, any impulsive unmethodical response from the owner could inadvertently perpetuate the dog’s behavior.

Consistency and patience are essential when training your Akita. The expectations should be clear, and the response should be the same every time, especially in the beginning.

When your dog is only learning a new skill, provide a reward every time your pup does what you expect and discourage when the dog behaves otherwise. The reward does not have to be a treat, it could be verbal praise -anything to which your dog is responsive.

Negative responses, such as yelling or jerking the leash, will confuse scare, or excite your dog. Whatever reaction they produce, an impulsive response from you as the owner is never conducive to the dog’s learning.

Your Akita needs to know that you are predictable in your responses. That reduces any anxiety and uncertainty your pet might have.

Establish Dominance

Akitas are dominant dogs and may display aggression or lick and jump to express their dominance over you. They maintain their pack mentality inherited from their hunting past.

Establishing dominance over your pet is good practice if you intend to do some obedience training, especially with a dog with such peculiar training needs. If your dog listens to you, it just means that your pet sees you as the head of her pack – the leader.

Your dog accepts you as the leader if the following are true:

One of the most telling ones is being able to take away food when your dog is eating. With some dogs, it is best to start when the dog is still young. You don’t need to take away your dog’s food often, of course, and you could even give it back soon after taking it. It is just important to be able to do so without eliciting any aggression on your Akita’s part. If your dog is sensitive in this situation and shows any defensiveness around her food, do not keep trying. Your Akita may not be ready for this test.

Another way to test if your Akita accepts you as the leader is by making your pup move from her favorite spot. No need to be bossy – just ask your Akita to excuse you for a moment and thank her, if that makes you feel better! And again, you should not do that often, just once in a while to know that your pup is obedient.

Basic Commands

Whatever tricky situation you and your Akita may find yourselves in, it is important to be able to communicate with your dog and to know that your pet will listen.

The four essential commands every dog needs to know: sit, stay, leave it and come.

Here are some tips that may be helpful to you when teaching commands to your Akita:

Reward your dog when she obeys and either ignore her or firmly but calmly verbally discourage undesirable behavior.
You should not physically make your dog do anything. For example, if you are trying to teach her to sit, do not try to get her to sit down by pushing her. That will be too confusing and cause some anxiety.

Be creative. Use a playful approach that works with your Akita. Show her some treats and wait for her to sit down if that’s the skill you are practicing, then praise her with a treat.
If your dog is distracted and is not listening, avoid saying the command over and over again. Repetition will not be productive if the dog does not understand or is not listening. She could even become desensitized to the command. Try to repeat the training session when your pup looks more receptive.
When your Akita has mastered the command, try practicing from a distance. Some dogs do not act the same when their owner is at a distance, so it is good to practice, in case your Akita needs to respond to your commands outside or in a crowded environment.

Teaching commands is the core of any training. If the dog does not know how to behave in a new situation, giving commands will provide her with structure and will reduce any anxiety.

Puppy Classes

Akita puppies greatly benefit from puppy classes. These dogs grow up to be mighty and heavy and even as puppies they can underestimate their power while playing.

Socialization and the feedback from other dogs they get during puppy classes will help Akita dogs grow up to be more balanced and aware/in control of their power.