Japanese Akita - Athletic lines?

jtaylor

Hi guys,

Maybe a weird question, but do you know of lines or breeders that breed particularly athletic Akitas? I feel like there is huge variability in the athleticism and coordination of the breed. I have seen some be great hiking, backpacking, and skiing partners, and others seem to be incapable of anything more than a brisk walk.

I love the look and size of Japanese Akita's, but I would definitely want a mountain companion.

Thanks!

PoetikDragon

I don't know of any "incapable of anything more than a brisk walk" from reputable US breeders and Japan imports. They're all pretty athletic, and lots of members in our two clubs to all kinds of great activities with their dogs. Fitness isn't an issue, though off-leash recall and dog reactiveness can be.

lindsayt

The angulation can be pretty iffy in Japanese Akitas though, so you would want to be careful to look for dogs being bred that aren't too straight in the rear and shoulders.

PoetikDragon

Structure is always important, but JA's as a breed have less angulation than, say, a Husky. That in no small part has to do with Huskies being designed for long distance running / endurance, while Akitas are designed more for climbing and scrabbling over rough terrain.

jtaylor

@PoetikDragon by incapable, I meant more along the lines of 'content' with a brisk walk. I have heard of and seen some JA that don't like to hike. Just wanted to suggest that there seemed to be a large spectrum. Do any of your puppies owners take them into the backcountry on long and/or steep hikes? Do they handle it well? Most days would be walks by the river/beach but at least once or twice a week we'd be doing something steep/challenging. Thanks!

lindsayt

Even Shibas and American Akitas have fantastic angulation compared to what I have observed in the JA in the area and show photos. They seem pretty content to be where their people are. It's not my breed, but I don't get the impression that they are dogs to insist on exercise.

PoetikDragon

I see less angulation on AA's but that's not the point. What is correct in the breed as described by the standard is different for each breed and depends on the purpose they were bred for. "Good" is relative to what is called for in the standard and what makes it easiest for the dog to do its job - not relative to other breeds.

@jtaylor I think content with a brisk walk is a good way to put it. Akitas don't *need* to burn off energy like a sled dog to avoid becoming bored/destructive. They're content to do whatever their people are doing. If their people are active, so are they. The rest of the time, they're couch potatoes.

My experience with pups I placed: All but one of the families I placed pups with do outdoor activities with their dogs, and they all love it. Hiking, swimming, paddle board, canoe, just to name a few. We've had a good laugh a few times when one of the boys would stop in the middle of a walk and refuse to go any further, but that was when it was just too stinkin' hot to move -- Chicago and Alabama in the middle of summer and humidity. When winter comes, they love to be outside and even refuse to come indoors sometimes, too busy frisking in the snow.

My experience with dogs I own: I've taken all of them hiking at various times, including a trip with all at the *same* time hiking hiking and fording the Sacramento river in September 2013. (Before we got Batora or Godzuki.) We climbed through lava tubes, and made climate changes from the glacier on Mt. Shasta down to the California scrub "forest" (desert) in the valley without any issue. Batora and Godzuki have gone on other hikes in the Angeles national forest, up to some water falls and down steep rock gorges with rivers running through them. Godzuki surprised me by choosing to jump into the river and swim across rather than let me show her the safer/dryer path. Angirasu in particular loves to hike, and I put a drag line on her and turn her loose when we're out in the middle of nowhere. She is great at picking her own path and checking in with me.

Bijo is the closest to as you describe - but she is 8 years old and more stubborn than anything else. Still, we do about 4/3 mile every day with her around the cul-de-sac and she is pulling and energetic the whole way. But hiking... I'm sure she would rather have snackies. (She *always* wants snackies. If she thinks that she'll get snackies, she'll hike wherever you want her to~)

I've taken all my dogs to the beach, they have varying levels of disinterest in the ocean. Not that they hate it or can't swim, just that they have no impulse to go in and aren't excited by it in any way. They do love to *run* like crazy across the sand to go after flocks of seagulls though.

Batora, Godzuki, and Angirasu are my real running dogs. They get zoomies around the yard on a daily basis, and I put two of them out together at a time to chase one another and burn off some of that energy. Batora has the most endurance; eventually the girls start cutting corners and taking shortcuts to catch him, while he is still doing full laps. Angirasu really likes to chase the hose water, so before we had water restrictions I would let her exercise by chasing the water around the yard back and forth. I even made a video of it at one point.

My experience with dogs in the club: We have a very active FB group for JACA and there are members posting photos and videos of their dogs out and about *doing stuff* every single day. Hiking, swimming, exploring, running alongside bicycles, riding in canoes and larger boats, going to dog parks, riding kiddy trains, wearing backpacks / carrying gear, etc etc. All the time someone is doing something new and fun with their JA, often a whole group of them get together! I've met up with other club members to go on group hikes as well. The activity level is really just dependent on the owner.

And that's really the key. A JA doesn't *need* as much exercise as some breeds, but they *want* to be with their people. If their people are in the house, they want to be in the house. If their people are out and about doing things, they want to go with and do those things too. When their people are gone, they lay around and do nothing. When their people come home, they get excited and energetic, full of zoomies.

ETA: I know JAs that are competitive in agility. I know about three times as many that do agility just for fun to have an activity to do together. I've taken an agility class with my first JA and she *loved it*. I couldn't keep Gojira off the catwalk or A-frame, it actually got us in trouble a few times. But agility saved her life once too; she got away from me on a mountain freeway overpass during a trip, in 20' deep snow I had problems walking in. When I called her and she saw me following after her, she went further ahead cause I was "with" her. So instead of calling her I gave our agility command "Let's Go!" and turned and hobbled in the opposite direction - instantly she was by my side. (Hobbled because I had lost my shoes in the snow and was barefoot at that point, and my feet were frozen and numb lol.)

PoetikDragon

My experience with dogs in Japan: The Japanese breeders take exercise and condition for show very seriously. Adult show dogs get 60 minutes or two 45 minutes exercise with an electric scooter or bicycle with one of their "dog boys" daily to keep the dog in condition.

On the advise of a judge and breeder I bought an electric scooter for my parents to work with Mosura to help condition her, since they're seniors and can't really move her that quickly or that long. But Mosura hated the sound of the motor. She went along with it for a couple days then decided she had enough.

Mosura is the girl who surprised us this summer by being *obsessed* with lure coursing. We're going to get a small lure coursing machine for my parents' back yard instead.

OtakuBenny

Hey @Poetikdragon in regards to off leash recall & dog reactiveness do you think that this is something that just requires a little bit of extra training compared to other breeds, or can it be something more problematic?

zandrame

@PoetikDragon, oh that reminds me - Oct 3&4 in Chino! Come out for $2 fun runs!

Not JAs, but quite a few AAs have been lure coursing lately (larger presence than the NKs). They are totally into it too! So yeah.. OP, talk to your breeders about what you are looking for.

PoetikDragon

@zandrame It's an AKC event, no go for JAs*.

But I know all those ladies, we're good friends. Makoto (BIG boy on the left in the last picture) is Gamera's "twin." They were born 12 hours apart -- Gamera is older. We get together every 6 months or so to take pictures of the two of them to showcase just how different the breeds are. And for their birthdays we rent a private doggy water park!

* Yes, its possible to register a JA as an (American) Akita in AKC. However, doing so is unethical in my opinion. First, it gives fuel to the "One Akita" crowd who will see it and use it as an admission that they are the same breed. Second, the only way to do so is by exploiting a loophole in the language of certain FCI export pedigrees; doing so is tantamount to paper hanging, since it is abusing the system to knowingly register a dog as a breed it is not. It is not even possible for my dogs to be registered AKC because I refused the papers that would allow it to happen -- to make sure no one ever gets one of my dogs' grandpups and uses it to breed papered tweenies.

PoetikDragon

@OtakuBenny as a rule they need more work. Some dogs can get better, but there is also an upper limit (specific to each dog) to what training and socialization can improve upon. There are never guarantees that with enough work you can "fix" everything.

zandrame

@PoetikDragon, no registration whatsoever is required for fun runs (in between the actual events).

jtaylor

@PoetikDragon Thank you so much for the extensive write-up, I appreciate it. You're a great ambassador for the breed. Lots to think about!

PoetikDragon

@zandrame Oh! Well, maybe we will do a fun run on the 3rd then! The 4th is the AKIHO picnic so I can't go. Plus I have someone coming to meet Batora and maybe decide to buy him on the same day. *fingers crossed*

EDIT: Derp. I'm a dork. Mosura is in season right now and we're trying to breed her. I totally forgot for a moment haha. Can't run her

Crispy

@PoetikDragon - I took Nami and just gave my NIPPO reg after telling them she was not AKC. They still gave her a ribbon, but it isn't tracked or added to her name or anything, but it is still fun for them.

Heidi

JAs are more ornamental, like a renaissance painting. They're easily the most laid back off all the NK. The mid size NK are true all terrain dogs. I'm sure a JA would be fine on your typical relaxing hike, though.