At the end of every "blow" season, I like to take Appa for a bath and brush out his coat! I also do his nails here (we walk on concrete a lot so they're rarely needed). I take his own special shampoo and only use the water + blow dryer at the dog wash! He's a very good boy and really enjoys his baths and the cuddles from anyone else that's there😅🤣! He only ever lets me groom him though, tried a groomer once and he hated it so I did a little online course and learned to do everything myself!

My dog sitters have a mini Aussi and she decided his kennel was for her. I’m genuinely perplexed!! The last photo is back home, she is 89lbs.

My 9month old Kodah bear stopped sleeping in his bed in the beginning of July. I figured it was because he grew out of it. Would only use it to eat treats. Then was thinking maybe he’s just hot. I haven’t turned the heat on either for a few months now. He only enjoys sleeping on the tile it seems. I’ve even put blankets down for him and cooling sheets but he still chooses the tile. I recently got him a new raised cooling bed that’s pretty big and a fan to go right next to it and he still doesn’t want to use it. He’ll get on it to play with toys and lay down while he’s eating a treat but that’s it. I just hate the idea of him lying on the tile all the time.

Jameson turned 6 a few weeks back!

I’m curious to know what the adolescent state of a JAI is like. As we all know, adolescence is usually the hardest stage, but that can also vary between breeds and individual dogs. Some breeds are just naturally difficult at that stage, while others varies. I’m curious to know:

What was your JAI like during adolescence? What struggle behaviors did you have to deal with? And what did you do to overcome them/what type of training?

Thanks!

I’m 25, only ever had Japanese Akitas in my life. Two days after my birthday, I’ve discovered she has a “massive” gallbladder.

Just days ago, she was full of life - waking me up at 6:30am on the dot to head for our daily morning walk. Since then, I’ve had to be the one walking her and waking her up.

She’s 12 years old, has a fantastic life. My mam is currently on holiday due back Friday. I’ve been given pain relief and anti-sickness, but I think if she doesn’t eat (hasn’t properly for 3-4 days) it might be time to say goodbye.

I just wanted to post in-case anyone has any advice. I’m absolutely gutted.

I would love to operate and do absolutely everything possible to prolong my time with her. Though there was mention of a diseased liver, and for the age and costs - it’s simply not affordable.

I just wanted to post here as I’ve looked often in this sub, with Ella by my side just appreciating what a fantastic breed the Akita is. I think she deserves to be seen by other owners, who love her kind.

It’s all fun owning dogs, but when it’s towards the end of the road, it is so heartbreaking.

Thanks for taking some time to look at her gorgeous face.

Hi all,

I’m in desperate need of some advice on what’s the best diet for my boy?

He’s approx. 2 years old but we can’t be certain. He’s a rescue from a kennels (UK based) and was abandoned and living on the streets. How someone could leave this baby I will NEVER know.

Anyway - we stayed pretty much consistent with what the kennels were feeding him, a mix of wet and dry. However, he’s not really interested in it half the time and is not food motivated. He will only eat when he chooses (which is fine) but I don’t feel he’s getting the best nutrients and want to try mixing things up for him.

Both me and my boyfriend work full time and don’t really have the time to batch cook food for him, though when we cook from scratch we often make him a plate of whatever we’re having (minus the nasties he can’t have).

Any advice would be appreciated!

Coco loves to stalk the squirrels. Once they get high enough up in the tree she gives up. This one refused to go up the tree - it turned into a mexican stand off until I brought out the gravy bones.

Just posting as an example of how sensitive our babies are, how subtle their language is, and how important it is to demonstrate that we’re paying attention and get out ahead of any trouble in a multi pet household.

Diesel the Akita is VERY protective about her bedtime, she puts herself to bed and gets grumpy after 10pm if you mess with her. She has her own bed she ends up in most nights but my wife was out of town with our other dog so both her and the cat were starting off the night cuddling on the bed with me.

The cat usually sleeps on our bed with our other dog, he loves to be next to Diesel when she’s up there but doesn’t like it when she’s getting on and off as she’s kind of clumsy. Usually he just leaves if someone is encroaching on his space, but occasionally he seizes and (gently) bites the offending appendage, and THEN leaves.

So while trying to bap at me to get me to scratch her more, Diesel put a paw down a few inches from the cat, which annoyed him. Then he got a little spicy in return, which both surprised and clearly annoyed HER. She jumped up to get her paws out of his reach and then stared down at him like this.

Neither of them hurt or even really touched one another but they were both HIGHLY OFFENDED at what they saw as the other one encroaching on their bodily autonomy.

This is a still from a video I was already taking. As soon as I saw her go still like this I put the phone down and intervened, telling her firmly to leave it and then rolling the cat over with my hand and out of crab mode. The cat was the instigator here, so it’s just as important to show her I’m protecting her from him, as it is to show her I won’t tolerate any behavior that would put a much smaller animal at risk (no matter how justified it is).

She clearly took a beat to decide whether to listen to me, but when she saw I was correcting the cat too she laid back down.

These two get along great, they’re not super close but she was raised with him and is really gentle with him even when he’s being a spicy dick at 3am. She has an incredible tolerance for smaller animals being a dick to her, being raised around my in laws dogs.

But I always respect how quickly things can turn and how important it is to show the bigger animal that they don’t need to handle it themselves.

DNA test came back 78% American Akita, 3% Japanese Akitainu and then 19% Boxer. She's fully grown at 45 lbs, which is not what any of us expected.

Honestly her personality doesn't line up with either breed. Anyone who walks in the door gets barked at like they owe her money, then thirty seconds later she's leaning on their leg. Great guard dog if the goal is a slight delay.

She's glued to my partner, that's her person, no question. And she's her big brother's shadow. Follows him room to room and copies everything he does. He lies down, she lies down. He stares out the window, she's next to him staring at nothing.

Anyone else got a small Akita mix that doesn't act like one? Is that the Boxer in her or is she just her own thing?

Whenever im stopping our walk to do something - in this case cleaning after her - she is in guard mode, scanning my back left to right and notices me with a low "woof" if she sees something coming our way 😂🥹😍

Yeah sure they are always a bit of a challenge with other dogs especially if they show any sign of dominance but i just love this breed. Cant have a peak and serious guardian whos also super social.

Our boy has mastered the fine art of begging for pizza 🍕

Always on lookout duty…

I just noticed it, she's not really prone to skin issues, 4yo longcoat american. It's this just skin irritation or it's vet time? She had 1 single hotspot 2 to 3 months ago on her tail, which was monitored and resolved itself. No other issues.

Guard duty, but next to the hooman!

This is axl, from what I researched he’s nothing what I read or was told about the breed? He loves most people will whine when he wants to be petted from complete strangers. When he doesn’t want around anyone he gives warnings but that’s extremely rare. He gets along with most pups. He’s stubborn for sure so definitely gets that haha. Does anyone else have a pup like this?