Is an Akita a good family dog?

The Akita or American Akita are fascinating dogs and I was wondering if the Akitas is a good family dog or if they are not so good for living with small children.

The Akita is not an ideal family dog, as they are very fixated on one person. It is said that the Akita is a one-man dog. However, a family dog should develop a deep relationship with all family members. Also, the Akita tends to be stubborn and have a mind of its own, which makes it more difficult to raise than many other breeds.

Are Akitas good with kids?

If the Akita is socialized with children from the beginning, he gets along well with them.
However, due to his strong protective instinct and tendency to dominate, he needs consistent but non-violent training.

Even though the Akita can be a great family dog, there are certainly breeds that are better suited for a family with children. Of course, there are always exceptions.

I too know a family that has an Akita and small children.

But after extensive research in forums and reading testimonials, I come to the conclusion that the Akita is not an ideal family dog for a family with children.

Are Akitas dangerous?

The Akita has a strong protective instinct towards his caregiver. So you have to show him from the beginning when he is allowed to react and when he should refrain from doing so.

Combined with the fact that an Akita tends to be rather stubborn and willful, in inexperienced hands this can lead to an Akita becoming dangerous because it has been trained incorrectly.

Akita and other dogs

The Akita is said to not get along with other dogs. Especially the males often do not tolerate other dogs near them.

In various forums I could read that her Akita is “always ready for a fight”. That may sound a bit exaggerated.
But I suspect that if another dog approaches them, they will at best react dismissively or want to attack the other dog directly and chase it away.

This, of course, does not make the Akita a good family dog.

It is not uncommon for families to consider getting a dog because they experience living with a dog at a friend’s house. They see how nice the children play with the dog in the garden, the joint trips to nature, etc..

It is simply beautiful. A dog can give you so much and make many situations simply more beautiful.

It’s relaxing to walk through the woods with your family and a great family dog, or to lie on the couch together in the evening.

But if you get an Akita now, there is a risk that you will see your friends much less often because your Akita will not get along with your friends’ Labrador.

If you are looking for a dog that will play with other dogs in a meadow and look forward to going out together, you should definitely not choose an Akita.

For example, my wife regularly goes for walks with her friend and her Labrador. The fact that the two dogs get along well, run together and play off-leash makes the meetings possible.

If the dogs did not get along, these meetings would not be possible at all or only without dogs.

Who should get an Akita?

The Akita is not for first time owners. They do not obey commands just like that, but only when it makes sense in their eyes.

So he is not submissive and easy to motivate and train with the classic methods.

The Akita wants to be treated sensibly. So he is not like a Golden Retriever, for example, who is overjoyed about everything. He needs patience.

He does not necessarily want to please you. So his will to please is not very strong. If the Akita does not want to do a command, he will not do it.

Bottom line, for experienced dog owners with time and patience, the Akita can be a great companion as it forms a strong bond with a human.

At about 1.5 hours, the Akita needs an average amount of exercise.

As a family dog, the Akita is rather unsuitable.

Conclusion: Is the Akita a family dog?

The Akita is not a classic family dogs. With proper training, they develops a deep bond with humans. The pronounced protective instinct must be directed into the right channels from the beginning. Coupled with the fact that training is not easy, this makes the Akita not a good family dog and at the same time a dog that does not belong in inexperienced hands.

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