Why "Good with kids"?

Kitagrl

I'm curious as to why akitas are often said to be "good with kids", "love kids", and the history is "babysitting kids". Honestly I've owned three akitas...two in the past, and one now. The male in the past was fine with kids....mostly ambivalent. Didn't fawn over them, but liked them fine. I wouldn't say he "loved" them, but he did well with them, no problems. The female did not like young children, only teens and adults. We actually had a problem with her growling at my baby and being stiff around the kids so the dogs ended up outdoors quite a bit (my past dogs...my current one we did not make the same mistakes.) My current male has never really liked children (I have four boys and he has really had to get used to them, though we brought him home as an 8 week old puppy and always supervised him with the kids...but he always hated being picked up and hugged from the youngest of ages) and HATES the noise that kids make. If I have him on leash he will greet children politely and give a good impression of liking them...but if they at all try to pursue him or grab his neck, he becomes unhappy with it. And he cannot stand to hear any kids shrieking. I will say he has become very protective of my own boys (he can get annoyed with them, but nobody else better mess with them! haha) but I would not say that the breed should be considered as "loves children". Even on some reputable websites it says the the personality of the akita naturally should love children. Yeah, but the personality of an akita is often aloof and to himself and independent..... therefore, a dog who is to himself and independent usually would not favor kids hugging all over him or trying to do silly tricks with him or otherwise being a nuisance. And just because an akita may be polite and tolerant of a child does NOT mean he "loves children". Any thoughts?

Kitagrl

I wanted to add that I realize many akitas DO love children, but I'm talking about the breed standard as a whole.

shibamistress

I consider it a bit of breed hype that is really total bs. No dog is "good with kids" automatically; they have to learn how to interact with children, though some breeds, of course, are more tolerant in general than others (and frankly, I don't think Akitas are particular tolerant, though they tend to be somewhat protective of those in their family, so perhaps that's part of it).

I don't really know where this bit of breed hype came from either. I've actually seen people say that Akitas were originally used as babysitters in Japan, which is just ridiculous. (Saw that gem on Akita World, more than once). But I've seen it listed in the breed description over and over again, and also kind of wonder where this came from. I think it's borderline irresponsible to say something like that about an entire breed, because it is much more about individual dogs, but....

and also, Akitas are big, strong dogs, that could really hurt a child, even unintentionally, with irresponsible handlers....:(

Kitagrl

I think, to me, "loves children" in my mind translates into toddlers being able to drape themselves over the dog in a big hug or to take a nap on him, and they don't care. Maybe a golden retriever...some German Shepherds...we had an Elkhound like that as a kid. But I don't think akitas generally like people draped all over them. I know mine doesn't at ALL, as mine has ended up being quite a bit more on the aloof side than maybe some others. I would have thought those who are out there giving the breed standard should be more careful, as young families are going to be like, "Oh, akitas are good with children, let's get one" when in reality, it could be problems. I know our first experiences with akitas ended up somewhat sad since we got our first two BEFORE we had kids....and my female was so jealous and upset with the kids I couldn't trust her around them. So I would NEVER recommend anybody get an akita who plans on having babies later on, just because of our experience. As it is, I think our current akita is somewhat the same way, the only difference being that he was raised with them from puppyhood and so he was sort of forced to get more used to them while they were bigger than him rather than vice versa. Now I will say that he is probably the most aloof puppy that my particular breeder has ever bred (she thinks he's an oddball!) but still, from what I read online, he's pretty representative of the breed, I think. I've seen plenty of akitas who let their kids drape themselves all over them, but somehow, I never end up with that kind of akita. haha. And people need to understand that they may not, either.

PoetikDragon

I haven't really heard this before.

BearMom

@Kitagirl, my Bear is exactly the same. He avoids kids that are loud, hyper or unpredictable. Let's face it, that's most kids, ha ha! I am very careful when I let children approach him, only let the calm ones touch him and only one at a time. I think that the word "babysitter" used in the past was probably more like guarding.

Kuma123

My current Akitas tolerate and interact with children very well (ages 6 and up are what they have been exposed to regularly). My Kuma seems to like children and will go looking for them to play while Zabu is more reserved with kids but well mannered and tolerant. Akitas we have had in the past, permanent residents and fosters, have varied in levels of acceptance from not at all to very very tolerant. As a whole, I would have to say Akitas are accepting and tolerant of most children but that 'as a whole' is such a loose term. I think 'LOVES children' is used as a selling enhancer or the person really doesn't understand or read dogs well. In my mind I view it as compatible to an ad or descriptive that says 'Labrador: LOVES WATER!'. Just because it is a Lab doesn't mean it loves water although the average Lab does enjoy a swim.

timkim

I heard this story before too.
They are good with child. overall. but only to their family child. all of my akita loves my little girl(6months) and my newphew. 9 years old.
but doesn't like when random little kids touching them from nowhere.
They are very royal to their family so I think history came from there. not that akita is good with all little kids out there.

MapleTwinkie

I agree it depends on how they were brought up.
Saigo loves kids, this means he's interested in them whenever they're around. He lets them touch him on his tail and ears and once he laid down with a baby between his front paws.
As a puppy we exposed him to tons of kids and had them give him treats. I guess it worked, he associates kids with good things. I have absolutely no concerns with him around kids. I think JA and AA temperaments are different towards kids though.

jellyfish

Kids are weird.

They're at eye level, they're loud. They move funny, make weird noises. They don't act "normal" to what a dog normally sees from humans. They're different. It can be unsettling and sometimes rude.

Of course that is what socialization is for, and this could go into "how they were brought up" and "nature vs nuture", but by default, in my opinion, I have always seen the akita as a breed that is not friendly with children because they are aloof and suspicious, at least to children outside of their "family".

Titus

I find this odd. Akita behavior is described as: "Good only when raised with children from puppyhood. May not be good with visiting children."

I don't have an Akita but this still sounds weird to me being generally regarded as a one-person dog rather than a dog that loves everyone.

PoetikDragon

Akitas are not "one-person" dogs. They're "one-family" dogs.