The Akita has a natural guarding instinct. It often sees the owners home and yard as its own territory, so when a stranger enters that area, the dog may respond aggressively. This in itself is a normal protective reaction. However, if that awareness becomes too strong and the dog will not allow even the owners relatives or friends to approach the house or yard, then correction becomes necessary.
The method of correction should combine reward and punishment, with reward as the main emphasis. Before a visitor appears, the owner and family members should avoid giving the Akita too much attention or affection. Once the visitor arrives, the owner should provide the dog with affection and food, and the visitor should behave in the same calm and friendly way toward the dog. At the beginning, when the stranger first appears, the owner should make the Akita sit quietly to the side. If the dog cannot stay calm, verbal correction and, in older training traditions, physical punishment were sometimes used so that the owners voice and gestures control the dogs behavior.
One important detail is that the visitor should offer only friendly interaction, such as gentle conversation or petting, and should not offer food. This helps preserve the dogs habit of refusing food from strangers. The owner also should not play fight or roughhouse with the visitor, because the Akita may misunderstand the scene as the owner being attacked and may rush in aggressively to defend.