I am looking to get an Akita puppy and was wondering how well they are with babies and young children?

Question

I will have a newborn in April and will be watching a 2yr old. Will be looking to get a puppy a few weeks after baby is born.

Answer 1

oh can i answer this one???? OK i have Akita pup now 6 months old, also have 6 year old daughter, they are the bestest of best friends. I have many friends also with smaller children and he loves them all, his favorite trip of the week though is when he comes to my daughters school with me to pick my daughter up, oh all of those kids......his absolute favorite.
In saying all of this though, I still er on the side of caution, Kato is now 35 kilo 15 kilo more in weight than my daughter. Whilst they get on so well, because of his size we ensure that all contact between the two are under supervision.
They can be an outstanding dog with children when brought up together.
edited to add!!
only you know what sort of time you will have to provide training to a dog, if you are certain that you are able to devote daily training to an Akita, thats a good start. An Akita is not a back yard dog, if you go ahead with getting one, this is a dog that must be an active member of your daily living and routine, if not you could be looking at potential problems with jealousy etc. As far as the food possesion thing goes that some have mentiond, we have not had a single problem. But we have continually used methods to hopefully prevent the risk of this occuring. From the day Kato arrived in our home, we would give him his bowl of food, then take it away, and then put it back with an extra burst of flavour (a little treat with the meal) we also constantly handled him whilst eating, patting his head and around his face. Doing this he now understands that if food is taken away, thats OK, he is not going to miss out, but more than likely end up with something better. we have also tought him now to only eat on command, he must sit and wait untill we say so before he is allowed to approach his food.

Answer 2

In my experience No. They tend to be on the more agressive side. so NO! however I do believe many dogs including breeds though to be vicious, can be socialized to accept children. but my inital thought is with a newborn and a 2 year old it will be hard to find the time. I think you would be better off getting a breed known to be tolerant of children.
from the website
Akitas are VERY food possessive. If you have other pets, you will want to be certain the Akita is given its own food bowl or treat well away from any other animals and that no other animal is allowed near the Akita until the food is gone. It's common sense to keep visiting children away from an Akita at dinnertime. Akitas not raised with children are not always tolerant of small children. The Akita should never be left alone with a child even if you are certain you have a dog that adores all children. A large dog can accidentally injure a child. Often, Akitas raised with children will tolerate their own children but may not accept the neighborhood kids. As a general rule it is wise not to leave an Akita or any large dog alone with children under 12 years of age.
from the website

Answer 3

My daughter has an Akita mix, 3/4 Akita, 1/4 shepard. He is wonderful with her kids! In fact, he gets upset when her baby cries and tries to console her. The baby is just past one, and she treats the dog like a toy, climbing on him and pulling his hair and ears. However, he is quite clumsy and has knocked her down more than once. He only snapped at her once, and that was because she bit his ear, and he didn't really hurt her, just scared her. Akita's were originally bred to look after sheep and lambs, so are bred to be gentle, caring animals.

Answer 4

Akitas are known for being both strong willed and temperamental. I would do a lot of research on the breed before making the decision to get one. They can be awesome dogs, but without the correct training can get very aggressive.

Answer 5

Akitas are VERY bad with children! Be very careful and never leave them unattanded together! My aunt had to get rid of her akita after it tried to attack her newborn. Be careful.

Answer 6

I would be doing a lot more serious research. This breed is a guard dog. Not a breed I would ever trust around very young children, particularly ones they don't know well, and never a toddler who might be liable to fall on the dog while learning to walk.

Answer 7

I would not get an Akita puppy with young children. they can get possesive and can turn on young kids.I would wait until the kids get older. you are ging to have your hands full

Answer 8

You should check the rules for dogs in your area, sometimes akitas are a prolem for insurance purposes.

Answer 9

They are extremely loyal to their family and those they know, but are wary and aloof of strangers. They are exceedingly protective of their family, their territory, and of their food. They are particularly aggressive toward other dogs and pets. They will get along with older, very well behaved children within their family unit, but will not tolerate children they don't know.