Many people dream of having a lovely Akita. The breed has high intelligence and also a strong mind of its own, so if you want the dog to truly obey your commands, training is necessary. Because Akitas can be stubborn and may lose interest in dull training quickly, it is wise to understand their personality in advance and work with a plan.
1. Build and deepen the relationship
If you want an Akita to become obedient, there must first be an emotional foundation between owner and dog. Without that bond, the dog has little reason to listen. So the first step in training is building a good relationship. If the bond is still weak, the owner should spend more time playing with the Akita and giving it small kindnesses to warm the relationship.
2. Establish owner authority
Once the owner and Akita have some emotional foundation, a better natured Akita will often care more about the owners wishes and may naturally show more willingness to obey. But if the dog is especially mischievous, a soft and overly gentle image will not be enough to make it behave. In that case, the owner needs to establish authority. When correcting the Akita, the attitude should be serious and the tone strict. If necessary, consequences should be used. Under that kind of clear structure, the Akita is more likely to become cooperative.
3. Train indirectly through daily life
One of the best ways to train an Akita is to build discipline naturally through repeated daily interaction. During ordinary games, owners can choose more obedience based or command based activities. This helps the Akita gradually get used to listening to the owner without feeling that it is being harshly controlled. On the other hand, if the owner tries to command the dog in a stiff or overly forceful way, the Akita may become rebellious and resist following instructions.
4. Teach first, then correct
When the Akita misbehaves, the owner should first make sure the dog understands that it has done something wrong and understands what the mistake actually was. Only then should punishment or correction follow. This helps the dog understand right and wrong more clearly, and when the Akita understands those distinctions, obedience usually becomes easier. It also reduces the chance that the dog will develop resentment toward correction.
5. Use treats as rewards
People often say that if you want the horse to run fast, you must give it grass. The same logic applies to training an Akita. Treat rewards can increase both enthusiasm and obedience. Once the owner has used some firmness, the dog should also experience the benefit of cooperation through the so called carrot in the hand. With rewards used properly, it becomes much easier to teach the Akita to behave intelligently and obediently.
Practical tip: Akitas are also known to shed quite a lot, something most experienced owners know well. In daily feeding, it is therefore helpful to choose a lighter low salt natural dog food containing nutrients such as EPA and DHA. This can help improve coat quality and reduce hair loss. Owners can also feed moderate amounts of carrot and cooked egg yolk to keep the coat softer and shinier.