Animal Specialist, HELP!!!?

Question

I have 2 Male 9 Month old Akitas just the other day they got into a really bad fight, Dominance i guess. Niether of them are neutered, but the one his testicals are still up in his belly so i'm getting him fixed next week. Do you think this will stop their fighting? B/c the one that isn't getting neutered is the dominant one. Please any Advise will help, is there any one you have heard of with a similar situation???

It's not the dominant dog that is food aggressive it's the other one that is getting neutered that growls. Like he's trying to move up in the pack.
My husband refuses to get the dominant one fixed also, he wants to breed i don't think it's worth it!!!

Answer 1

If the Akitas are showing aggressiveness now while they are still pups, they both need to be neutered. after that the next step is getting a behaviourist that specializes in aggression. Dogs with these kind of temperament issues should NEVER be bred.

Answer 2

I work at an animal shelter, and the Akitas I have come across have always been dominant and aggressive. Like the german shepard breeder who answered before me said, though, a dog with that tempermant should NEVER be bred. It's genetics can be passed down to the pups and instead of having one aggressive dog you will have 12. Not good. What I would do is seperate the dogs when you feed them, and when you 2 aren't home ALWAYS keep them in a separate room. You need to get them both fixed. It won't solve the problem completely, but it'll help a bit, and also there are way too many homeless dogs in this world. You should definetly go see an animal behaviourist. Before you pay money tho make sure he/she has good references (check out vet references, etc.) to make sure he knows what he is talking about. Anyone can make up anything and you can lose a lot of money that way. also you and your husband need to know how to work with these dogs.
ALSO if you want you can call 1-800-248-SPAY for a low cost spay/neuter. It can save you a lot of money. i know at my shelter it'slike 60 bux for neutering, compared to like 200. good luck!

Answer 3

First off, please take some time to research your breed- there are many excellent resources available to you on the internet that can help you to understand why your dogs behave the way they do. You must understand that Akitas are notoriously dog aggressive, particularly with same-sex animals. The fact that they are siblings has no effect on that.

I'm not clear if you are leaving your dominant male intact because his testicles haven’t descended, or if you have no intentions of neutering him period. Breeding should not be a consideration unless your dog has a lengthy & successful show record. Intact dogs are not only more aggressive, they are also more difficult to handle and train. You have two young, male, aggressive breed dogs in your care- it is your responsibility to provide them with the best chance at a stable life that you can. Your best shot at providing a peaceful life for them & you is going to be having both of them neutered ASAP while pursuing a rigorous training program that establishes YOU as the dominant animal in the household. You should seek the assistance of a professional trainer. You can find a respectable trainer through you local ASPCA, Akita club, or Kennel club. Akitas should be socialized young & frequently to help quell their more aggressive tendencies- this is most easily accomplished by taking obedience classes early on. Consult with a trainer to see if your dogs are still suitable for a public class or if they might require a few one-on-one sessions to establish some framework of discipline before being exposed to other dogs.

Having the more submissive male neutered will not have the effect you desire on your other dogs behavior. Your dominant dog will continue to badger, pester, and outright attack your more submissive dog, possibly leading to serious injury. You should also be aware that a dog who believes he is pack leader will not stop at intimidating his canine companions. He WILL move on to testing you & any other humans in your household, and that can be a VERY dangerous scenario. Establishing yourself as head honcho in the house NOW, with proven, patient training methods, will make it much easier to manage your dogs’ behavior towards each other & you.

Please consult a trainer!

Answer 4

Two male Akitas the same age are almost always a going to be a BIG problem! If you want to keep them both, they should both be neutered. You can be seriously injured breaking up a fight between them. I had a friend whose 8 month old Akita male killed a full grown pit bull that attacked them in the street. I had another very experienced dog friend who was bitten by her own pointer breaking up a fight - she needed almost two hundred stitches to close the wound and 8 weeks in a cast for her broken arm to heal. She has about 60% use of that arm now.

Dog fighting is dominance, plain and simple. Some people (like Barbara Woodhouse) recommended muzzling the dogs and letting them fight it out. Putting two dogs that hate each other together like that is a TERRIBLE idea. It shows them that it's ok to fight, which is exactly what you DON'T want. What if one of them gets its muzzle off (which happens all the time) and tears the other one up?

First, keep them both on leashes held by different people even when they're in the house, so you can correct the aggressor without getting bit. You are not providing clear, firm leadership if they think they have to fight for position in the pack. Do some obedience training with each dog separately for at least 15 minutes every day - HEEL, SIT, STAY, DOWN, COME. Make sure they are getting plenty of strenuous exercise every day, at least a thirty minute run. Keep one on each side of you - don't let them get face to face. Use sturdy leashes and chain or nylon choke collars. Do NOT use a pinch collar to correct aggression! Pinch collars will cause aggression problems to worsen and injure the dogs if you need to forcibly restrain them.

If they're in bed or on the couch with you, you're giving them the impression that they are your equals. Get their butts on the floor - you need to be the boss. Keep them in separate crates in separate rooms at night and feed them separately. Remove any toys that they are possessive over.

During the day, keep them together as much as possible (on leashes). (The more you separate them, the more they will fight when they get back together.) Don't let them get face-to-face or stare at each other. If one dog even gives the other a dirty look, CORRECT him! Don't wait until a full blown fight breaks out. Make them do long down stays next to each other. Take turns handing each a treat one at a time as you say his name. Make them sit and stay before you feed them or pet them. If one dog starts something, make him lie down and stay while you pet the other.

If you don't want to do the work, give one away and get some peace back in your home.

You may need a professional trainer to help you with this, but let me warn you. Many of the people charging big bucks as "trainers" are not very good and may have no more experience than you do. Ask you local vet for a recommendation. Make sure you check out references from their satisfied customers. Check with the BBB for complaints. And DON'T send yor dog away to be trained. It's a waste of money - you can't build a relationship with a dog that doesn't live with you.

I'd also suggest reading some really good books on training. Try not to do it randomly - there are a lot of bad books out there also! These are some of my favorites:
Don't Shoot the Dog - Pryor
Training Your Dog: The Step by Step Method - Volhard
What All Good Dogs Should Know - Volhard
Good Owners, Great Dogs - Brian Kilcommins
Dog Problems - Benjamin
Cesar's Way - Cesar Millan

Also, watch the Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel. Cesar Millan is the best trainer I've ever seen on tv.

Answer 5

Well, I see that everyone has mentioned that Akitas are "known" for being aggressive when actually, every year, there are more cocker spaniel bites than Akitas, Rottweilers, and pitts combined. Hmmmm.....food for thought.

Please reconsider getting both dogs neutered. Only prime examples of the breed should mate and help produce litters of puppies.

Find a reputable, positive-reinforcement trainer in your area. (Your vet should be able to recommend one). Make sure it is a class that you and the dogs attend, not just the dogs. The first step to a well behaved dog is a properly trained human!

Hope this helps.

Answer 6

You need to do some training also. Once fights have started, they usually continue.
Get them both neutered also. Then get some obedience training. Akitas are know for that type of behavior. Maybe 2 males are not a great idea.

Answer 7

Akitas can be very dominating, sometimes aggressive dogs. You need to get them both neutered ASAP and find a trainer, locally, who can help you deal with aggression issues. Obviously this is a very serious matter and you need to work at this with everything you have if you want a safe, peaceful household.

Good luck!

Answer 8

Akita's are a naturally dominant breed with aggressive tendencies. Getting them both neutered may help the problem but it is certainly not going to be a magic fix. You need to get professional training for both dogs, as well as yourself and your husband. You need to learn how to handle them and to assert yourself as the leader of the pack. Until you get their aggressive behavior under control you need to feed them in separate rooms to insure that you don't have another dog fight. Be extra careful in picking a trainer, you want someone who is going to gently train them. Not someone who is going to put a pinch collar on them and call it done.

Answer 9

NO this will not stop the fighting.
Akitas are one of the breeds that you should NEVER keep two dogs of the same sex in the same house.
They are a dominant breed and they will fight sometimes until one kills the other one.
You need to be placing one of those males into a new home.
If you want two dogs get a female and fix her.
It is not fair for you to keep two dogs one of which is going to kill the other in the same house. This is a very stressful situation for those poor dogs. They are just doing what comes naturally to them.

Answer 10

akitas can be dominant. You should throw in a little training and a lot of love and things will turn up. One more thing, though you may have an urge to, don't get in the middle of a fight. You can get seriously injured.

Have fun!!!!!!