Lemme start with the story that made me fall head over heels for Akitas, even the stubborn ones. My bestie Lila has a 9 year old red Akita named Kumo, who’s basically her shadow 24/7. Last winter, Lila got stuck working a surprise 14 hour double shift at the hospital, and she texted her roommate to let Kumo out and feed him, no big deal, right? Well, Kumo figured out Lila wasn’t home at her usual time, pushed open the loose gate on the yard, and trotted 6 blocks down to her usual bus stop. He sat there in the snow for 3 whole hours, holding one of her fuzzy striped socks he’d stolen from the laundry basket that morning in his mouth, wouldn’t move for any of the neighbors who tried to bring him inside or give him treats. When Lila finally got off the bus at 10pm, covered in snow and exhausted, he ran right up to her, dropped the soggy sock in her hand, and wagged his tail like he’d just pulled off the best surprise ever. The vet later told us that’s super common for Akitas – per the AKC breed standard, they were originally bred to be loyal hunting and guard companions, so their attachment to their primary owner is next level, way stronger than a lot of other breeds.
Another thing most people don’t know about Akitas? They’re weirdly clean, almost cat-like, I swear. I had a client a few years back with a 7 year old white Akita named Mochi, who had the most dramatic little quirks. She refused to step on wet grass at all, would stand by the door staring at her owner for hours if it had rained, holding her potty until someone went outside and dried a 2 foot square patch of grass with a towel for her. She also hated having dirty paws, would stop mid-walk to lick them clean every 10 minutes, and would never climb on the couch if she had even a little bit of mud on her feet. I’ve groomed so many Akitas who will carefully step around the water puddles in the grooming tub, like they’re scared of getting their fur more wet than absolutely necessary. It’s such a funny contrast to all those big slobbery retrievers who will jump in every mud puddle they see, y’know?
Oh and don’t even get me started on the famous Akita stubborn streak. These dogs are crazy smart, don’t get me wrong, but they will only do what you ask if they decide it’s worth their time. Kumo knows every single basic command: sit, stay, shake, roll over, leave it, all that stuff. But if you don’t have his favorite freeze-dried salmon treats on you? He just stares at you like you’re speaking a foreign language, then turns around and flops down on the couch like he didn’t hear a word you said. Last summer, Lila tried to teach him to fetch for a whole month, right? She watched all the YouTube tutorials, got him a special rubber ball he loved, the whole nine yards. The first time he actually chased the ball, he picked it up, trotted right past Lila, dropped it in the kitchen trash can, and walked back to her like he’d just completed the task perfectly. We laughed so hard we cried, and Lila gave up on the fetch training after that. I’ve had so many Akita owners tell me the same thing: their dog knows exactly what they’re asking for, they just choose to ignore it unless there’s a good reward involved.
They also have this super cute little habit that all Akita owners know called the “Akita lean”. Unlike a lot of big dogs who jump up on you to say hi, Akitas will just walk right up to you, lean their entire 100+ pound body against your legs, and stay there like they’re melting into you. I found that out the hard way a few years back, when I was grooming a 110 pound brindle Akita named Bear. He was being such a good boy during his bath, so I stopped to give him a scratch behind the ears, and he decided to lean on me mid-scratch. I lost my balance, tripped, and fell right into the tub with him, soapy water splashing everywhere. He didn’t even care, just started licking my face like it was a fun new game we were playing. I had to go home in wet scrubs that day, but it was 100% worth it. A lot of people think Akitas are aggressive or standoffish, but that’s such a myth – with their people, they’re the softest, most affectionate dogs ever, they just show it in their own quiet way.
One of my favorite Akita stories ever is about Yuki, a 5 year old Akita who lives down the street from me, who’s a service dog for a 10 year old kid named Leo who has autism. Leo’s mom told me that Yuki can sense when Leo is about to have a meltdown 5 to 10 minutes before anyone else notices, even before Leo does. He’ll nudge Leo’s hand with his nose, lay his big fluffy head on his lap, and just stay there until Leo calms down. Last month, their house had a surprise fire drill while Leo was home alone with his babysitter. The smoke alarm went off, the babysitter was panicking trying to get Leo out, but Yuki ran straight to Leo’s bedroom first, grabbed his favorite dinosaur stuffed animal off the bed, and carried it all the way outside with them before he’d let anyone lead him away. Leo was so relieved to have his stuffed animal that he didn’t even get upset during the whole drill, which is a huge win for him. It’s stuff like that that makes me love this breed so much – they’re so in tune with their people’s feelings, they’ll do anything to keep them happy and safe.
If you’re thinking about getting an Akita yourself, lemme drop a few quick tips from my years of experience, yeah? First, socialize them super early, like starting at 8 weeks old. Per the Akita Club of America, they’re naturally wary of strangers and other dogs if they aren’t exposed to lots of different people, animals, and environments when they’re little, so early socialization is non-negotiable. Second, invest in a good undercoat rake, stat. Their double coat sheds like crazy twice a year, you’ll pull out enough fur to make a whole other Akita every week during shedding season, trust me. I made the mistake once of using a short-hair deshedding shampoo on an Akita client a few years back, his coat got all dry and frizzy for a whole week, his owner teased me about it for months, so stick to shampoos made for thick double coats, okay? And third, don’t get frustrated if they’re stubborn – it’s just part of their personality. You gotta meet them halfway, give them good rewards, and be patient, they’re worth every bit of extra effort.