While
everyone who breeds or buys dogs probably agrees they
want dogs with "good" temperaments,
exactly what that means is left to the imagination more
often than not. Each party assumes that he is talking
about the same thing. Unfortunately, huge discrepancies
may lie
between their concepts of what constitutes good temperament.
For
instance, many years ago, a group of us attended a party
given by the owner of a champion male. He was
outside
when we arrived and remained there despite inquiries
about him. Finally, a few of the guests prevailed on
our host
and were taken out to see the dog.
Several
told me that later that they wished they hadn't been
so insistent,
Initially, the dog growled and snarled
at them, quieting down after a few minutes, but remaining
very alert and wary. One visitor said, "One wrong
move, and you'd have been fair game!"
The
owners later told me that they felt the dog's temperament
was
very correct for the breed and were quite proud
of what they considered a properly protective nature.
If
he growled at a few judges in the ring and couldn't
be petted
by spectators, that was okay with them. They hadn't
bought a poodle.
Is
this good temperament? I don't think so,
but it is certainly an "eye-of-the-beholder" question.
This disussion of temperament was originally published
in Akita Dog, the newsletter of the Akita Club of America,
and later in Akita World magazine. It contains what I
consider essential components of good temperament for
an Akita,
why I think they are important, how to tell if you have
problems and how to strengthen weaknesses.
This
material is garnered from my own experience, education,
and opinion,
and I welcome input from you. Your suggestions,
comments, or (perish the thought!) criticisms
should be directed to me by e-mail.
The
priority of this list
is rather loose. Some components
are equally important; others depend on an
individual's preferences. For instance, many people
would rank protectiveness
much higher than I have, but almost everyone
would agree on the first few. However, I know from
experiences like
the one I just related that even they are
open to challenge.
RECIPE
FOR GOOD TEMPERAMENT
First and foremost, every dog, not just
an Akita, should be bite inhibited. He
should
be so reluctant
to bite,
that he does so only under the direst
of circumstances. Even then, he should
bite
only once, and damage
from the bite should be very minimal.
Second, an Akita should be accepting
of authority, that is he should be
submissive. Between
and within breeds, the degree of submissiveness
varies.
The
Akita's independent nature may well
modify
its willingness to cooperate.
Third,
an Akita should like children.
Just as retrievers like sticks and balls,
this
breed should have
an affinity for children.
Fourth,
an Akita should be accepting
of non-threatening strangers,
regardless of whether
the
stranger is friendly
or neutral.
Fifth,
an Akita should have enough confidence to be at ease
an unfamiliar
setting.
Sixth,
an Akita should be trainable.
He should be willing and able to learn behaviors
that
he repeats
reliably.
Seventh,
an Akita should stable
around strange
noises.
Eighth,
to some degree, an Akita should have an independent nature.
Ninth,
an Akita should
have an inhibited nature.
He should not respond
to stressful situations by
becoming increasingly
excited or agitated.
Tenth,
faced with a threat, an Akita should be protective of
their family.
Eleventh,
an Akita should
be accepting
of other dogs.
