How to Train an Akita

How do I best train my Akita puppy? 

Do you have an Akita puppy, or are you looking to buy an Akita and feel like you need some guidance on training? 

Akita owners all over the world have struggled to train their puppies most effectively and efficiently, leading to lost time, money, and energy, whilst also increasing stress. 

We understand that this may be a concern of yours, as it was of ours. That’s why we’ve come up with sequential steps of how to best train your Akita puppy, as well as the common pitfalls to avoid. 

Letting your Akita know who’s boss – through commands and presence 

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Akitas are alpha dogs and look to dominate and lead from an early age, therefore requiring firm and disciplined communication to assert dominance over your dog. Establishing this obedience early on should be your priority, as this will mean for better and easier training along the way; saving both time and money. 

Teaching your dog the sit command is the first way to cement your position as the boss. You should tell your Akita to sit throughout the day in as many situations as possible. Before feeding you should command your Akita to sit, as they will become used to listening to and respecting your command. You should have them sit before they are walked, before they sleep, and shortly after waking. You should command them to sit if they are looking for attention. Anytime your Akita wants something, you should have them sit. 

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Make​sure to keep a commanding and assertive presence throughout the training process. You can achieve this by speaking in a lower tone of voice, using short commands and most importantly do not raise your voice. Raising your voice will not teach your Akita puppy what you want him or her to do, it simply leaves a negative emotional memory within the puppy. This will affect your dog’s emotional well-being, their future behavior and their relationship with you. 

Taming Aggression and Socializing 

Akitas are a Japanese breed that was used for hunting prey such as bears, as well as guarding Japanese royals. They are naturally aggressive and alert, especially when around animals and other dogs. They are small as puppies but can become very large dogs (up to 130lbs), so it’s important to train them to be friendly with dogs as well as people if you want to avoid future problems and injury claims. 

Now that your Akita is obedient to you, the best way to train and tame your Akita’s aggression is through socializing with other dogs, as well as with unfamiliar people. 

The most effective and efficient way would be to take your dog to a boot camp, as this would help your puppy familiarize themselves in a busy social situation. 

They would learn that other people aren’t so bad and learn to trust, feel comfortable and be friendly with many different dogs. The earlier you can take your Akita to a boot camp, the better trained they will be as they are more likely to build good habits at an earlier age. This will also save you money, as one great boot camp at an early age will be more impactful to your Akita than two or three boot camps would be at a later age. 

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Praising and reprimand system 

Your Akita knows who’s boss, and is friendly and comfortable with people and other dogs. You should now introduce a praise/reward and reprimand system, which trains your Akita to learn right from wrong, as well as reinforcing what they’ve already learned. Out on walks is a great place to use this system as there are many instances where your Akita can either be good or bad.

Verbally praise and give your Akita a treat for walking politely with you, or reprimand him if he’s pulling away. Reprimand verbally and with the use of the leash or a clicker, which you can use to guide your Akita. You can praise or reprimand your Akita in situations with other people and dogs, and see how well his training has gone so far, further reinforcing their learning. 

If they behave well, praise them and give them affection. Take treats with you on your walks, and feed your Akita if they have behaved well and deserve a reward. If they are barking and fighting with other dogs whilst on a walk, then you need to let them know that this is wrong. You could bring a muzzle and fit the muzzle if they need reprimanding. This will train your Akita not to misbehave as through repetition they will associate misbehaving with being muzzled. 

Training Reviewed 

When training your Akita, focus on one thing at a time. The training must be completed sequentially. You have commanded your Akita’s obedience, they are then ready to be trained to socialize with dogs and other owners, as well as learn all the additional skills that the boot camp will teach them. Lastly, through the repetition of the praise and reprimand system, your Akita will further understand what they’ve already learned, as well as learn right from wrong. 

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Akita training summary

Following these steps in a sequence is a short and effective actionable system we’ve designed and used many times with success in training an Akita to be a very well behaved and happy dog. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below and be sure to use the Youtube videos provided to help you better your training. 

References / Further reading:

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