After I started this series, I realized that I had
left loyalty off my list of temperament components.
This is a hallmark of Akita character, and the only
excuse I can offer for overlooking it is that it so
much an intrinsic part of Akita nature that we take
it for granted.
I don't think I've ever been around an Akita didn't
have it. Is it an inherited trait? Since some
breeds to not have a lot of personal loyalty
to any one person
or group, I suspect it is, and it is vital that we keep it in the breed.
I think their sense of loyalty makes Akitas accepting
of all the household inhabitants, including cats, kids,
other adults, and livestock. It allows them to form
firm friendships with other people--your friends, trainers,
handlers, neighbors--and to never forget them. Akitas
I raised and sold as puppies have greeted me enthusiastically
years later.
To some extent, their sense of loyalty is the fount
from which other traits arise. Without it, Akitas would
not be protective of their friends. Given their sense
of independence, the Akita's working ability probably
finds its roots in loyalty.
Can you
imagine an Akita that is not loyal to its family
and friends? I can't; it is such a pervasive
part of the breed that we just accept its
presence. Losing it would make a profoundly different
dog.
