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Breed guide · Dogs
He answers me in grumbles. I've stopped pretending I don't understand.
Last updated 12 October 2026
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What they brought with them.
Tap a card to see what is going on.
At home
In the same room as you, quietly, without asking for much.
What's going onAkitas were bred to work alone, far from the hunter. They may never follow you from room to room, and they love you just the same.
At home
Stiff and watchful the moment another dog comes into view.
What's going onThey were bred bigger for dog fighting, and many Akitas struggle to share space with other dogs, especially of the same sex. Skip the dog park and give other dogs a wide berth on walks.
At home
They watch a guest for a long time before they relax.
What's going onThat is normal for an Akita. Ask guests to ignore them, and let them decide when to come closer.
At home
Stretched out on the coolest tiles in the flat, coat and all.
What's going onTheir double coat was made for mountain snow. Walk before sunrise and after dark all summer, and brush them out when they drop their undercoat. Never shave the coat to cool them.
At home
Dinner done, and they are ready to play.
What's going onBloat, a twisted stomach, is a real risk for Akitas from about six months, and it stays high into middle age. Smaller meals, and no exercise after them.
At home
A little crust on the nose, or an eye that looks red and sore.
What's going onPemphigus (an autoimmune skin disease) can show in Akitas from puppyhood. For crusts on the nose or ears, or a sore red eye, contact your vet rather than reaching for a home cream.
The bit nobody tells you.
Their ground
Built for: Deep snow in the mountains of northern Japan.
In Dubai: A flat in 45-degree heat.
Their company
Built for: Hunting alone, far from anyone.
In Dubai: Other dogs on every walk.
Their space
Built for: Keeping their own counsel.
In Dubai: Strangers in the lift.
The stand-offs on the lead, the stiffness with guests and the long quiet days mostly come from that gap.
You cannot give them a mountain. You can give them space and cool hours, and the ten things below are how.
Your plan is built around their breed: the health risks for an Akita at every age, and the care that goes with each one.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Ten things that make their life better.
Akitas do not bark much, so when they bark at the door, they mean it.
Every age, most of all 6 months to 2 years
Why
Akitas do not bark much, so when they bark at the door, they mean it.
What to do
Long before any visitor, teach them that a mat a few metres from the door pays: a treat every time. When the bell goes, thank them once and send them there. While they are learning, have deliveries left outside. If they have lunged or snapped at anyone, contact your vet instead.
They judge strangers, and other dogs, by the ones they met calmly as a puppy.
Every age, most of all under 2 years
Why
They judge strangers, and other dogs, by the ones they met calmly as a puppy.
What to do
In their first months, let them watch people and calm, known dogs from a distance they are happy at, with a treat for each. Carry them, or use clean ground, until their vaccinations are finished. Even a well-socialised Akita may not want other dogs as an adult, and that is normal for them.
A lift or a corridor with another dog in it is the hardest place for them.
Every age, most of all 6 months to 2 years
Why
A lift or a corridor with another dog in it is the hardest place for them.
What to do
Wait for an empty lift, step aside in corridors, and never let them meet a dog nose to nose on the lead. Walk at quiet times and cross the road early. If they have fought another dog, contact your vet.
They were bred to think for themselves, and a bored Akita decides what to do on their own.
Every age, most of all 6 months to 2 years
Why
They were bred to think for themselves, and a bored Akita decides what to do on their own.
What to do
Short sessions, because they tire of repetition fast. Scent games and part of their dinner hidden around the flat suit them better than drills. Stop while they still want more.
Their coat was made for snow, and bloat, Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV, a twisted stomach), is a risk from about six months.
Every age, meals most of all from 6 months
Why
Their coat was made for snow, and bloat, Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV, a twisted stomach), is a risk from about six months.
What to do
From May to September, walk before sunrise and after dark, and test the pavement with the back of your hand for five seconds. Feed two or three smaller meals a day, with no exercise after them. A swollen belly and retching with nothing coming up is an emergency: contact your vet now. Ask your vet about gastropexy (an operation that tacks the stomach in place) as a young adult.
A basket muzzle they are used to keeps a stressful moment calm, at the vet or anywhere else.
Every age, easiest under 2 years
Why
A basket muzzle they are used to keeps a stressful moment calm, at the vet or anywhere else.
What to do
Teach it young and slowly, one treat and one second at a time. Akitas dislike being pushed, so let them put their nose in. Never put it on for the first time in a hurry.
Their skin, eyes and teeth will be looked at every year, and they do not enjoy being handled by strangers.
Every age, start as a puppy
Why
Their skin, eyes and teeth will be looked at every year, and they do not enjoy being handled by strangers.
What to do
A few minutes, a few times a week: lift a lip, brush a tooth, look at their eyes and ear flaps, and reward each one. Stop before they stiffen.
New guarding, and new trouble with other dogs, often show between one and three years.
6 months to 3 years
Why
New guarding, and new trouble with other dogs, often show between one and three years.
What to do
Reward calm, every time. A flat collar or a harness, never tools that hurt or frighten them, and never punish a growl. If new guarding or a fight with another dog appears, contact your vet early.
Hip Dysplasia (HD, a poorly fitting hip joint) is their first health risk from puppy to prime adult, and severe arthritis can follow as a senior.
Every age, most of all while growing and from 7 years
Why
Hip Dysplasia (HD, a poorly fitting hip joint) is their first health risk from puppy to prime adult, and severe arthritis can follow as a senior.
What to do
Rugs where they turn on marble, a ramp for the car, few stairs while they grow, and a lean body. Have their hips evaluated before they turn two.
You see their nose, skin and teeth every day, so you are the first to spot a change.
Every age
Why
You see their nose, skin and teeth every day, so you are the first to spot a change.
What to do
Once a week, run your hands over them and look at their nose, eyes and ear flaps. Weigh them monthly, and brush their teeth every day. While they drop their undercoat, brush the coat out daily.
Three of these are in your plan. The rest you can do at home.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Their health, at every age.
How old are they?
Their age
the first six months
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
6 months to 2 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
2 to 4 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
4 to 7 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
7 to 10 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
10 years and over
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Breed predispositions indicate an increased risk rather than certainty of disease. What is right for them always comes from their own history and an evaluation.
Before they come home.
American or Japanese
The Akita most people know is the American type: bigger and heavier, with a broad, bear-like head. The Japanese Akita Inu is the original from Japan, lighter and more fox-like. Kennel clubs now treat them as two breeds, and in the UAE you may meet either.
Colours
Akitas come in everything from pure white to brindle, and pinto: white with big patches of colour. Many wear a dark mask on the face. The Japanese Akita Inu comes in red fawn, sesame, brindle and white.
The first six months
Their full vaccination course, microchip and Dubai Municipality registration come first. Carry them to meet the world until it is finished. Start the toothbrush, the muzzle and gentle handling now, while treats are easy. If a puppy has two teeth in the same spot, contact your vet.
Puppy health, 0 to 6 months
Getting the home ready
Put a mat a few metres from the front door before they arrive, and rugs or runners where they will turn on marble. Plan a cool room for the summer, and a ramp for the car.
Ten things that make their life better
Before you commit
Ask the breeder whether both parents' hips have been scored, and about any skin or eye trouble in the family. Hip Dysplasia and Pemphigus (an autoimmune skin disease) can both show from puppyhood in Akitas.
Before the clinics open
AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199. No payment now.
For a new puppy: First 30 days with a new puppy · Puppy vaccinations in the UAE · Heatstroke in dogs
When it is not behaviour.
He'll keep grumbling at you. If he goes quiet at dinner, call your vet.
Before they were yours.
Before the 1860s
The Matagi hunters of northern Japan kept dogs that tracked bear and boar and held them at bay in deep snow, often far ahead of the hunter.
What they still carryIndependence. An Akita decides for themselves, because their ancestors had to.
Later
Around the town of Odate, the dogs were bred bigger for dog fighting.
What they still carryPart of why many Akitas find other dogs hard today.
1931 to 1935
In 1931 Japan declared the Akita a natural monument. In 1935 Hachiko died: the Akita who had waited at a Tokyo station for years after their owner's death.
What they still carryLoyalty to one family, and a dog who waits.
1972
After the Second World War, American servicemen brought Akitas home, and the American Kennel Club recognised the breed in 1972.
What they still carryThe heavier American Akita, beside the lighter Japanese original.
Today
A family dog and a guard dog, with a coat made for snow, in a flat in 45-degree heat.
What they still carryA love they show in their own way, from across the room.
The ones you type at midnight.
If the Akita suits you, so might these.
German Shepherd DogThe same kind of dog: a big, loyal guardian, a little lighter, with more need for daily work and training.
RottweilerAnother large guardian breed, just as devoted at home, in a short coat that needs far less brushing.
Chow ChowThe same reserved, quiet temperament with strangers, in a smaller spitz with a lion-like mane.
Alaskan MalamuteA similar size and the same thick double coat, so the same air-conditioned summers, with a sled dog's strong pack instinct.
