Akita...we think?

Yes that is an Akita. He would be called a "mismark" or "undermarked" dog by a breeder. His different eye colors are related to the missing pigment in general. Sometimes mismaks have such marking and incomplete nose or eyerim pigment. They are typically placed as pets. Typically you can breed  undermark to undermark and get white depending so this may be what the breeder was attempting. I have a couple of friends who have Akitas with very similar markings, one even almost totally white with both eyes blue.
 
Here is an Akita growth chart...
 
[linkhttp://www.novo-dia.com/]http://www.novo-dia.com/[/link] 
 
Click on GROWTH.
 
Most Akita males finish up around 100-115lbs...he is not overly tall for his age if indeed he is 6-10mo. But he is heavy...he could simply be overweight. He doesn't appear particularly gangly or puppyish in appearance to me so I'd put him at about a year or two old. Was the vet going by teeth? I was told after puppyhood and in between old age that is a hard way to age. Diet and genetics can play a role in tooth wear or tartar.....so...
 
But I can say that is an Akita with nothing else added, he is very cute...I hope you have researched the temperament because they can be a handful if you are not an experienced owner []

Here is a bitch (Maiya) that looks very similar in your area at the rescue there. You might spend some time at this site and email Rachel with questions...she is a GREAT person to know if you have an Akita. She is a VET to boot []
[linkhttp://hodakitas.org/index_available_dogs.html]http://hodakitas.org/index_available_dogs.html[/link]
 
 

Thanks a ton for responding! So he's definitely is all 'kita...great. [] I'd love him either way, but I'm glad to at least have it officially sorted out now. I live in Macon like my profile says, but we actually got him 2 hours away in Columbus. I have family there so we stayed the weekend for a visit and decided to look at the shelter since I've been planning on adding a third dog for a while. I'm a bully person, and that's what I was actually looking for at the shelter- american bulldogs, staffies, that kind of thing. I saw him and recognized him as an Akita, and knew immediately that I wanted him. I had read a little about akitas before, and knew that they were powerful, stubborn, potentially aggressive dogs. I don't have experience with akitas directly, but I have spent plenty of time with other large and powerful breeds, and knew what I would be up for with him. We went to the shelter on Saturday, and he didn't come up for adoption until Monday, so I took that time to mull things over and do some more in-depth research online. From everything I read, Akitas seemed like the perfect dog for me. I don't know why I had never considered one before.

The shelter would not even allow us to look at him or interact with him outside of his kennel. I adopted my american bulldog mix from this same shelter a couple of years ago, and they did the same thing then. This is a city run shelter, animal control, and they are seriously overworked, understaffed, and underfinanced. Most people adopt from the humane society instead and the people at animal control are surprised when they find out you want to adopt a dog, then rude and unhelpful and will sometimes actively discourage you from adopting a dog from them...I have no clue why. Anyway, I was not able to evaluate his temperament or anything else about him until after I got him in the car. Before that I had only been able to interact with him for a few minutes through the chain link of his kennel. It was the same when I got my bulldog there 4 years ago.

Anyway, I decided that regardless of his personality, he was coming home with me. He seemd friendly enough in his kennel, but I knew that really wasn't enough to go on. I knew he was a big, powerful dog and assumed the worst- that  some ignorant person would see him, take him home, throw him on a chain in their backyard and then have a big, "scary" guard dog to impress their friends with. Or, some equally ignorant or well meaning person would think he was pretty, get him, pamper him, set no boundaries and give him no leadership, undersocialize him...and he would turn into a spoiled, overly dominant, aggressive dog that would hurt someone and end up euthanized. Then I worried that no one would get him at all- he was at a kill shelter and the dogs there don't last long. I felt like I had bonded with him in my few minutes at the shelter and decided that he really needed to come home with me. I've dealt with powerful breeds before. I'm a big strong girl and am able to handle large dogs physically. [] I also understand the need for constant socialization, training, and consistancy with a breed like his. I have seen first hand dogs of similar breeds be ruined by well intentioned people who had no clue what they were doing and figured his best chance would be with me.

When they first led him to my car, the shelter worker who was leading him was literally having to pull back with all of his weight on the leash to keep from being carried off of his feet. Ogre (the dog) was straining, coughing, yipping, drooling, and acting completly neurotic and hyper. He had zero leash manners. When we got to the car, he was horrified. He acted like he had never seen a car before in his life. He flattened himself to the ground, eyes wide, and wouldn't budge. The shelter worker then tried to coax him in with treats and a squeaky-cutesy-baby voice. I thanked him for his help, asked him to please stop encouraging his fearful behavior, and picked him up (all 96 pounds of him) and plopped him in the backseat. He drooled and shook and cowered the whole way home.

When I got him home, he continued acting hyper and neurotic. I put a leash on him, took him for a good long walk, and within 10 minutes had him walking PERFECTLY on lead. He went from leaping and jumping and yipping to walking calmly at a perfect heel. I was amazed.

 I then realized that he was ignoring absolutely everything I said. For a minute I worried that he was deaf, but no, he reacted to noises other than voices. I realized that he just didnt' respond or react at all to any kind of human voice. It took a few hours, but I finally, with the aid of treats, I got him to at least look in the direction of a person speaking. It honestly seemed like he had never been addressed directly by a human before. Once he realized that we were actually talking to HIM, he started paying attention and hanging onto every word. He was ecstatic. Within a day we had him responding perfectly to his name and "come."

He was also absolutely terrified of coming in the house at first. We had to carry him through the door. He was then scared of every single household object he saw. We ignored him, and within a day or so he was fine, but it was really as if he had never been inside a house before, and had never heard normal household noises. The best we can figure is that he must have been an outside dog that was either chained or kenneled his whole life with little human interraction. He doesn't seem like he's been physically abused, just ignored. He didn't understand very basic things that small puppies learn...such as the difference between an angry tone of voice, versus a happy tone of voice. At first, when we praised him, he had no clue what we were doing or what it meant, and it scared him. When we reprimanded him verbally, it didn't mean a thing. He learned in about 2 days and now responds immediately to "no" or a stern voice, and gets all wiggly when we praise him. Like I said...I really think he was just totally ignored. Hehad no clue how to interact with humans. He was like a tiny puppy in an adult's body.

But he is also EXTREMELY intelligent and trainable. He went from being hyper, destructive, and fearful to calm and confidant in a matter of days. He went from not responding to human voices to knowing and responding to praise, "no," come," "heel," "leave it," "sit," "down", and leash manners all in about 2 days. He's not a dumb or naturally hyper dog. I'm convinced he just hadn't been given a chance to be a good one. Someone probably thought he was cute, got him, and promptly stuck him in the yard and forgot about him. That's my best guess, anyway.

He also did very well being introduced to my 2 other dogs. I was worried, knowing that akitas could be dog aggressive, but they did fine. He wasn't overly submissive, but he wasn't overly dominant either. My chihuahua was a bit grumbly at first, but other than that they just sniffed noses and then became best buds. He's got a high prey drive, which I also expected. I have alot of rodents, some chickens, and a cat, but he doesn't bother the cages and he's doing well when it comes to being told to leave things alone. I'll probably never leave him alone with any of the smaller animals, but it doesn't seem like he'll be constantly after them either.

As for his age...the vet didn't really elaborate, just said that he still had a couple of puppy teeth, once of which was loose. I suppose the loose tooth could have been a broken adult tooth, but either way he worked it out a couple of days ago and it doesn't seem to be causing him any problems at all. It was a small front tooth, one of the top ones between his canines.

He seemed in good health, but had terrible breath, massive poops, and an awful doggy smell when I got him. It was obvious he was on some really low quality food. I switched him to Canidae and the smell is already gone. Once he's fully house trained I'm going to switch him to raw, which my chihuahua is already on (not my bulldog, since he has a chicken allergy in addition to few teeth and a slightly deformed jaw, so RMB's give him alot of trouble.) I didn't want to try raw right off the bat since he's already going through  so many changes already, and I also really didn't want to deal with diarrhea before he was reliably pooping outside.

So anyway, he's turning out to be a great dog. He just needed someone to actually spend a little bit of time with him and give him a chance. I know he's still young, and some akitas don't develop aggression problems until a couple of years of age, so we could still be in for some trouble. Right now I'm doing everything I can to prepare for that and prevent it, but if problems do come up, we'll work them out. I still think I really struck gold with him though- he's already 1000% better behaved than he was when I got him, and he's constantly getting better. Whoever lost him and let him get in that mental state in the first place doesn't know what they're missing out on. He's a gem. []

 Congrats on your new dog! He's a very handsome boy
Bless you for adopting him- it sounds like he's right where he belongs. []
 

Yay for your new dog! Our first dog, Ananda, was an akita mix (akita-GSD). At first he was a bit of a handful because of the akita's stubborn, rather self-posessed nature, but he figured it out pretty quick. NILF was really key with him, and once he got that down, he was just an incredible dog. My husband still to this day carries a torch for him. But before we got him, he was brought in to the pound not once, but twice, by two different owners, for being "wild". He wasn't wild at all, he just needed some boundaries. He was actually quite calm, wonderful with children, loyal to us and extremely self-confident.
 
If you're a knowledable bully person, I think you're quite prepared for an akita.

PLEASE....watch the Chi's grumbling. It really takes very little for an Akita to be insulted and when they are insulted they usually act on it. The fact that he is new is probably part of it, in another couple of weeks that could all change. Is the Chi a male? If so...neutered or no...please be very careful, even a correction of marginal (for an Akita) force could kill your Chi.
 
Prey drive also makes me worry for your Chi...Akitas are immensely strong and they tend to obey their instincts regardless of what you the human may think they know obedience wise. Never off leash...ever. I have seen them snap metal chokes and send prongs flying in every direction when they hit the end of the lead. I am not exaggerating. If you can, find someone near you, like the rescur org I posted to talk Akitas with. I also have a wonderful ALL AKITA board made up of novice, experienced owners, breeders, and exhibitors I will gladly share with you if you like?
 
One of the hardest thing about Akitas is that they are inscrutable. They are not like other dogs that tell you with body language what they are thinking. You have to develop that over time. Some Akitas only bring their whiskers forward before latching onto another dog...that's it, your whole warning. They get a "look" you will come to recognize when they've had enough...lol.
 
I am not trying to scare you really...but I know this breed very well. I've seen people go from "he's great at the dog park' to "I am am terrified of my dog" within months of sexual maturity, fixed or not. They are not a breed for someone who isn't truly dedicated to given them what they need, rules and lots of them...training and lots of it....and sometimes, solitude and lots of it []
 
On a health note...his rear is quite straight, and he is quite heavy, watch him closely as that makes him prone to ACL tears. He may also have "popping hocks" which is when the hock joint comes forward under stress. That can lead to arthritis. Other things to watch for are Thyroid issues, which usually come up from 2-5 years of age, various auto immune issues like VKH, SA, and Phemingus. Keep him groomed to avoid hot spots as they are also common. Avoid anything, treats or food containing soy or soy products as Akitas are very sensitive to that. Vaccines can sometimes trigger the above issues with Thyroid or auto immune to be aware and space them out...avoid huge combo vaccines.
 
On the good end he should bond very tightly with you...and make you feel VERY well protected when you are out and about. There is nothing quite like an Akita and they are worth every effort you make with them []

Wow, he is such a handsome boy! He looks like a big Teddy bear! I love the name, too--very fitting. []
 
It sounds like you are a really responsible, caring dog owner. It's so wonderful that you have rescued these dogs and given them a second chance at life. Good luck with the new guy.

Thanks again for the advice and comments, all. []

PLEASE....watch the Chi's grumbling. It really takes very little for an Akita to be insulted and when they are insulted they usually act on it. The fact that he is new is probably part of it, in another couple of weeks that could all change. Is the Chi a male? If so...neutered or no...please be very careful, even a correction of marginal (for an Akita) force could kill your Chi.
 
Prey drive also makes me worry for your Chi...Akitas are immensely strong and they tend to obey their instincts regardless of what you the human may think they know obedience wise. Never off leash...ever. I have seen them snap metal chokes and send prongs flying in every direction when they hit the end of the lead. I am not exaggerating. If you can, find someone near you, like the rescur org I posted to talk Akitas with. I also have a wonderful ALL AKITA board made up of novice, experienced owners, breeders, and exhibitors I will gladly share with you if you like?

Oh believe me, I'm watching him very closely with my chi. Pepito (the chi) grumbled at him only once, when they first met. Now they get along fine. Ogre doesn't seem to have any inclinations to go after him at all. He seems to accept him as a dog/pack member rather than prey, despite his size. Either way, I have seen enough accidents happen to know not to assume nothing could go wrong. My chi has problems with seperation anxiety and is crated whenever I'm not in the room with him. Ogre has never/will never be allowed alone with Pepito, regardless of how much I trust him. Like you said, even a tiny correction aimed at him from Ogre could be fatal. It's not a risk I'll ever be willing to take. Any interraction between them is VERY heavily supervised, and kept to a minimum, especially until Ogre is very well trained.

Yes, all three of my dogs are male. My bulldog is neutered, and both Ogre and the chihuahua are scheduled to be neutered in a couple of weeks.

Honestly, Ogre seems like he may be the exception to the rule. Yes, I've only had him for 2 weeks, and I know very well that it could all change in an instant, but he really gets better on a daily basis. I'm home all day so we've been working together non-stop. We get up early, go on a nice jog,  and then do obedience  for at least an hour before breakfast. We do obedience again in the afternoon and have another jog in the evening before dinner. We have all day to practice general manners and that sort of thing. I'm pretty much spending me entire day working with him and he seems to retain every single thing he learns.

The first couple of days, he was VERY interested in my cat and my various caged animals. Then he lost interest. He hasn't even glanced at the cages in about a week, and he totally ignores my cat when he goes outside. Still, I understand that his instincts could get the better of him and I don't allow him off leash outside at any time.

He really seems to want nothing more than to please us. If we ask for his attention, he stops whatever he is doing, no matter how interesting, and is COMPLETELY focused on whatever I am asking him to do. I can have him sit in front of me and run through all of his commands with my cat sitting a foot away- whereas when I first brought him home, I had to lock the cat in the basement just to take him out to potty- he would go nuts trying to get to her if he could even smell her in the yard.

I am completely amazed by him. In two weeks he has gone from a fearful, hyper, neglected, attention starved dog to one who is totally calm, focused, and well mannered. Is he absolutely perfect? No. He's not 100% house trained yet, and he does have moments where he gets overwhelmed and needs to take a break and have a little time to himself (especially after going out in public) but he is getting better on a daily basis. Yes, I know it could all change, that akitas are powerful, willful dogs, but so far, things are going 100 x better than I expected. I was prepared for all kinds of hardship with him, and it really doesn't seem like there's going to be any.

But then, if for some reason he does suddenly develop alot of problems, we'll work it out. I firmly believe that once you have a pet, it's your responsibility to do what's best for that animal for the duration of its life. Whatever problems Ogre develops, if any, we will do whatever is necessary to solve them. Right now, I'm relying mainly on NILF to teach him manners, and lots of socialization with people and other dogs to build his confidance. So far it's working, but if something more is needed, we'll do it. I knew exactly what I was getting into with him and so far, have been pleasantly surprised- but regardless of whether he stays the perfect dog, or takes a turn for the worse, he will *never* see the inside of a shelter again. Whatever he does, we're in this for the long haul, and it'll all be worked out.

One of the hardest thing about Akitas is that they are inscrutable. They are not like other dogs that tell you with body language what they are thinking. You have to develop that over time. Some Akitas only bring their whiskers forward before latching onto another dog...that's it, your whole warning. They get a "look" you will come to recognize when they've had enough...lol

I know exactly what you mean! For a while I saw him as totally emotionless- then I started to understand his body language and expressions. It is amazing how subtle his facial expressions can be. Some of his moods are only discernable by the position of his ears. Or the position of his tail. Or the exact way he's holding his head. My husband thinks I'm nuts when I tell him how Ogre is feeling or what he's thinking about or interested in...he says it all looks the same to him. For a while, it did to me too. Now it comes naturally and I can read him pretty well.

On a health note...his rear is quite straight, and he is quite heavy, watch him closely as that makes him prone to ACL tears. He may also have "popping hocks" which is when the hock joint comes forward under stress. That can lead to arthritis. Other things to watch for are Thyroid issues, which usually come up from 2-5 years of age, various auto immune issues like VKH, SA, and Phemingus. Keep him groomed to avoid hot spots as they are also common. Avoid anything, treats or food containing soy or soy products as Akitas are very sensitive to that. Vaccines can sometimes trigger the above issues with Thyroid or auto immune to be aware and space them out...avoid huge combo vaccines.

Thanks for the info. I wish I had known about the vaccines beforehand. He was vaccinated just after we got him and didn't have any negative reactions, but I'll watch him for any symptoms of thyroid problems. I'll start researching all of the various things you listed so I can know what to look for, and I'll be sure to have his hips/joints checked regularly so hopefully we can catch any problems early. Just because it makes me feel better, I've been giving him Missing Link Joint Support to hopefully keep things in good shape.

And yes, I would LOVE it if you'd send me a link to the Akita board. Having a place to go to talk akitas would be wonderful. []

[linkhttp://www.akitaforum.com]http://www.akitaforum.com[/link]
 
You will need to join Network54...which is free...to post anything. Mention Gina with the Beagles sent you!
 
Also do be prepared for scolding that you have same sex dogs in the home...most seasoned Akita folks would never dream of trying it, and most rescues and breeders WILL NOT do it...but Micheala there has I think 6 Akitas living together? She can help you out with that.
 
Just mention that you know it's a risk and you have a plan for IF things go wrong someday (which you do right? total separation is possible?)...and they should quiet down lol. Akita people can be rough around the edges but they are 100% COMMITED to their dogs and defending them from bad press and bad ownership. Think of it from that perspective and you will do fine []

Thank you for the link. Yep, if for some reason they need to be seperated, it's totally possible. We have a guest bedroom that rarely gets used that could easily be turned into a room specifically for Ogre, and if that somehow didn't work out we also have a really big finished basement. We're planning on buying a small farm in a couple of years, so we'll have even more room and options then. Thanks for the heads up  though, I'll  be sure to make it clear to everyone there  that seperation is possible if need be. []

Just wanted to chime in and say that I adored the 5th picture! Total "WT* are you looking at!" teenager pic.

I think you actually got a small polar bear with an odd birthmark!  [][][][]

Seriously  I think he's all Akita, just mis marked a little.

I just wanted to chime in and say that ALL of your boys are handsome!  WE want MORE pictures, please!

Just seeing this and had to comment on the photos. What a handsome fellow. Love a couple of those photos. I think they are maybe the 5th and 6th. The markings look like he has a hat on.
Must add, when I first read this I was pretty nervous when I saw that it was an akita and realized you had other dogs. I thought to myself, I surely do hope this person knows what they are doing. After reading your responses, it really does sound like you do know what you are doing and I feel much better. I thank Gina for all of the great info she has given you too. I do hope that you continue as you have said and be very, very aware with your other two dogs, especially the little chi, as all it would take would be one bite. I have a dog not near the size of your akita...a catahoula and she is also one that will not give much warning if a dog gets too close.  I've been very, very careful and have not had any many problems but I know never to let my guard down. I've had her for 8 years now. I did have a couple of fights in the house with her and actually our neutered male dog. She was protecting a bag of bird seed []. He just happend to be running past it, but was too close for her happiness. Who would have thought?... a bag of bird seed. She is a scrounge hound though. The other fight they just got a bit too close to one another with nowhere to go. They were running between a couch and some other furniture and both tried to go at the same time. That was all it took. Then she snapped at one of the cats when I was petting her and the cat came over and rubbed underneath to try and get some attention. Just thought I'd give you a couple of ideas at how easy things can happen. Fortunately with my situations there were no injuries either time, but you have a much bigger animal and with probably a much stronger attitude.....although my girls is pretty strong. I think she's mellowed over the years though, but I still don't let my guard down.