File:DOGS 101 - Akita ENG

Description
It is territorial about its property, and can be reserved with strangers.[citation needed] It is feline in its actions; it is not unusual for an Akita to clean its face after eating, to preen its kennel mate, and to be fastidious in the house.[34] They are known to be intolerant of other dogs of the same gender, as stated in the AKC breed standard.[3] Since it is a large, powerful dog, the Akita is not considered a breed for a first time dog owner.[citation needed] The breed has been targeted by some countries' breed-specific legislation as a dangerous dog.[35][36][37][38] The Akita is a large, strong, independent and dominant dog.[citation needed] A dog with the correct Akita temperament should be accepting of non-threatening strangers, yet protective of their family when faced with a threatening situation.[citation needed] They are usually docile, aloof and calm in new situations.[citation needed] As a breed they should be good with children; it is said that the breed has an affinity for children.[39] Not all Akitas, nor all dogs, will necessarily have the same temperament.[40] The Akita was never bred to live or work in groups like many hound and sporting breeds.[citation needed] Instead, they lived and worked alone or in pairs, a preference reflected today.[citation needed] Akitas tend to take a socially dominant role with other dogs, and thus caution must be used in situations when Akitas are likely to be around other dogs, especially unfamiliar ones.[citation needed] In particular, Akitas tend to be less tolerant of dogs of the same sex.[citation needed] For this reason, Akitas, unless highly socialized, are not generally well-suited for off-leash dog parks.[34] The Akita is intelligent, courageous, fearless, and careful.[citation needed] Sometimes spontaneous, it needs a confident, consistent handler, without which the dog will be very wilful and may become very aggressive to other dogs and animals.