How do I stop my Japanese Akita from killing things?

Question

It killed a cat a few months ago. It tried to kill a little dog when the owner allowed it to wandre onto our land (fortunately the little dog survived - nearly £1000 later) and it has killed and eaten numerous hedgehogs.

Answer 1

This site will have some helpful insights and suggestions: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=2376&S=1&SourceID=47
I would certainly contact the breeder that you bought the dog from, if he/she is a reputable breeder, they will help with this problem.

This site offers training strategies: http://www.kingcounty.gov/safety/AnimalServices/pettips/dogtips/killinganimals.aspx

Never leave a dog unattended muzzled.

Answer 2

The Akita is a breed that naturally has a high prey drive. If it is not raised with other animals, or sometimes even if it is, it will still kill smaller animals. They were bred to be hunters, and this is a natural instinct for the breed. Also, they are very aggressive with other dogs, especially of the same sex. They need to be socialized with other dogs and animals as puppies. You did do your research before you brought an Akita home to live with you, right?
Once the dog has already displayed this behavior, it is very hard to get it to stop. Make sure the fence around your yard is secure, and keep him inside the fence at all times. Ideally you should not leave him outside unattended, but this isn’t always practical. Is there any way he can be inside the house either free or crated when you aren’t home?
Also, just because a dog kills animals doesn’t mean he will kill people. However, being an extremely protective breed, if he wasn’t properly socialized he may become aggressive around people. I’m not saying that Akitas are bad dogs, but they really do need a strong and experienced owner and are not the right choice for every home. Never EVER leave a child alone with a dog, no matter the breed.

Answer 3

Akitas were bred to be gaurd dogs. They are highly territorial and tend to go after anything that comes into thier space. The first thing to do is to control the area your animal lives in. If possible, a fence should be put up to keep random animals out. If that can't be done, you need to build a kennel/run for the dog when he is outside. Otherwise, the only time he should be outside is when he is on a leash and you are with him. Next, you need to talk to your vet about finding a trainer to work with this dog. His aggression towards other animals would make me worried about what he would do to a human that wandered too close, especially a child. It will take intensive training and a lot of work on your part to break the dog from his natural instincts and it may not work at all. And even if it does work, you will still need to be cautious about how you handle the dog around other people and animals. Good luck

Answer 4

You HAVE to keep this dog restrained at all times - i.e on a leash AND with a muzzle - and do NOT let it escape from your house/yard! The latter of these two is not difficult to achieve. If you can't control your dog when on a leash, you need to get some serious training done - you need to anyway actually. Call a behaviourist, get to training classes - this is extremely serious. You MUST be able to control any dog you own, especially one as large and powerful as an Akita.

This dog needs to be muzzled whenever your out with him. You've already seriously risked a law suit or ten.

Chalice

Answer 5

Basic Training of the Puppy - Read here https://tr.im/q7CMV

The new puppy is certainly one of the most adorable and cuddly creatures that has ever been created. It is the most natural thing in the world to shower it with love and affection. However, at the same time it is important to realize that if you want to have a well trained adult dog, you need to begin the training process right away. The dog, like its related ancestor, the wolf, is a pack animal. One of the features of a pack is that it has a single dominant leader. Your new puppy is going to want that leader to be you, but if you do not assume that role from the very beginning, the puppy’s instincts will push him to become the leader.

The most important thing to remember about training the puppy during its first six months of life is that it must see you as the leader of the family pack. The essential thing is gaining the trust and the respect of the puppy from the beginning. You will not do this by allowing the puppy to do whatever it wants to do whenever it wants to do it. On the other hand, a certain amount of patience is required. Most people err in their early training by going to extremes one way or the other. Although you need to begin the basic training process at once, you can not expect your dog to do too much at first. Basic obedience training is fine and should include simple commands like sit, stay, and come. Remember that trying to teach the dog advanced obedience techniques when it is a puppy is much like trying to teach a five year old child algebra.

It is also important to restrain from cruel or abusive treatment of the puppy. You can not beat obedience into your dog, and it certainly is not going to engender feeling of respect and trust. House breaking is an area where this usually becomes a problem because of the anger that is triggered when the puppy fails and creates a mess inside the home. Although this issue must be addressed without anger, it most be addressed. If you allow the puppy to eliminate inside the house, it will continue to do so as an adult dog. The same thing is true of other destructive or dangerous behavior such as chewing and biting. Do not expect the puppy to grow out of it. You are going to need to train the puppy out of it, but you should do so firmly but with a sense of play and fun using positive reinforcement and lots of love and praise for good behavior.

Answer 6

Fence in the dog, or put a muzzle on it, or have an electric correction collar (not sure what its actually called) and correct him every time he goes to try to attck or kill something...

Also, keep in mind that alot of dog breeds were bred to hunt animals, not sure about the Akita, but it might not be just your dog's problem.

Also, talk to the breeder of the dog, maybe they have had this problem before.
Good Luck!

*Barrel Racer*

Answer 7

As an Akita owner I'm surprised you didn't do your home work on the breed.
You need to keep your dog on a short leash."metaphorically speaking "
This requires way too much info for me to type, read the book thats out by "Barbara Andrews" it's "The world of the Akita".
And do get your act together before your dog gets put down.

Answer 8

I believe these dogs are a fierce breed anyway, there are 2 that I often meet up in the woods, they are always leashed and they go nuts if they see another dog. If I see them in the distance I go another way as I don't trust their owner to be able to hold or control them, and my dogs could not stand up to them if they got loose. I really don't understand why people get these fighting dogs. I would recommend a long hard course of obedience, and discipline as you could end up losing your dog if you don't get it under control PDQ.

Answer 9

This is bad. Once he has tasted fresh blood & has killed it is next to impossible to stop it. If it were a dog in the country & he got a taste of chicken, cat, rabbit or any other farm animal or pet the dog would be shot on the spot. No if, no ands, no buts.

Once the get the taste they are a dead dog.

I live in the outskirts of a fair sized city & that is how we handle a problem like that. We shoot dogs that are after our stock & we are with in the law.

Answer 10

You are in possession of a serial killer and if you don't do something fast it may kill or seriously injure a person, and THEN your butt and bank account will be screwed. I watch the court shows on t.v. and it's not something to let go. Either keep the dog chained at all outside times or have it put away. The child it mauls could be your own.

Answer 11

sorry mate but once they have killed you have an uphill battle to take the kill instinct away from them...

it has to be muzzled when it goes out...
and you need to go ask at a training school if they will have a look at it..

how will you feel if next time it is a young child htat your dog attacks? that is not a stupid question because as i said once dogs get this instinct stirred in them it gets stronger and stronger and they can just go for anything that moves/runs away from them, sort it out fast