Are American Akitas easy to train?

American Akitas have moderate trainability. They are known for being loyal, dignified, courageous. They benefit from consistent, patient training methods.

Are American Akitas good with children?

American Akitas have moderate compatibility with children. As with any breed, supervision and proper introductions are recommended.

How much exercise does a American Akita need?

American Akitas have moderate energy levels. One to two hours a day, ideally as walks with sniffing time and short training. Not a fetch dog; a walking, watching, thinking dog.

How long do American Akitas live?

The average lifespan of a American Akita is 10-14 years with proper care, nutrition, and regular veterinary check-ups.

Utility group · Japan/United States

American Akita

Also called Akita, Great Japanese Dog.

What makes them remarkable

Helen Keller brought the first Akita to America in 1937, long before the American type became a separate breed.

Loyal
Dignified
Courageous
Alert
Independent

Get the app 1-to-1 training

AI-generated illustration

Size: Large
Weight: 32 to 59 kg70 to 130 lb
Lives: 10 to 14 years
Energy: Moderate
Trains: Moderate
Barks: Low

Training

Training an American Akita

Utility breeds. Many of these think before they obey. Earn compliance with reward and consistency; they do not do it for free.

Socialise early, and aim for neutral
Start here
The window is roughly 8 to 16 weeks. The goal is not a dog that loves everyone; it is a dog that is calm around strangers and does not react to dogs passing on the street. Miss the window and adolescence is where it shows.
Earn it, every time
An Akita thinks before he obeys. Make it worth his while and mean it every time: same rules, same words, real rewards. Pressure makes him shut down, not comply.
Manage other dogs
Many are dog-selective, especially with the same sex. Controlled introductions, space on walks, no dog parks. A lead and distance are a plan, not a failure.
Short sessions, daily
Five to fifteen minutes a day beats an hour at the weekend. Akitas bore quickly and remember everything, so finish while he still wants more.

The app turns this into five to fifteen minutes a day.

Add your American Akita and it builds the plan around their age, where they came from and what they already know, one step at a time.

Download on theApp Store

Free to start. iPhone. No card needed.

At home

Living with one

Breeds developed for a job that no longer exists or never fitted a group. Includes the spitz and primitive breeds.

Gets on with

ChildrenModerate
Other dogsLow
StrangersLow
CatsLow

Breed averages. Early socialisation and the individual dog matter more.

Exercise: One to two hours a day, ideally as walks with sniffing time and short training. Not a fetch dog; a walking, watching, thinking dog.
Grooming: Heavy shedding twice yearly. Weekly brushing, daily during shedding season.
Drool: Moderate
Coat: Double coat, Dense undercoatWhite, Brindle, Pinto, Red, Fawn
In a flat: Needs more space than a flat gives.

Health

Things to ask a breeder or vet about

Hip Dysplasia
Moderate
Joint condition affecting mobility
Bloat (GDV)
Severe
Life-threatening stomach condition
Hypothyroidism
Mild
Thyroid hormone deficiency

Where they come from

History

Descended from the hunting and guarding dogs of Odate in Akita Prefecture, northern Japan. Helen Keller was given the first Akita to reach America in 1937, and US servicemen brought more home after the Second World War. Bred in America from the heavier, darker lines, the type grew larger and broader than its Japanese cousin and was recognised as a separate breed, the American Akita, by the FCI in 1999. The Kennel Club registers it simply as the Akita, in the Utility group.

A calm Akita on a London train · A well-trained American Akita can lie flat on the floor of a busy train and ignore the carriage. That is what early, calm socialisation looks like; the Titan Method lessons show how it is done.