Transition
Assistance ...
Welcome
to the wonderful world of Akitas. Here are some suggestions
and reminders to help both you and your new Akita in the
transition from foster home to your home. It takes about
4-6 weeks for them to adjust and settle in. This can be
a very intense time for both dog and owner. In fact, it
can go beyond intense and be one of the most difficult
times of your life. BUT if you and the dog make it through
the first month, chances are things will go much more smoothly
from then on.
Look at this from
the dog’s point of view. He has
been in a shelter, running loose for days, or in home that
he has lost. He was feeling pretty confused and scared. Then
he was in put a foster home. He learned to trust and love
someone again, feeling pretty comfortable and safe, starting
to settle or already settled in. Now he is being uprooted
again, put in another home with new people he doesn’t
know, and feeling pretty unsettled. There is a new house,
family, and routine to learn and adjust to. For the first
few weeks, he is not going to be sure about anything, especially
whom he can trust. He needs time with his new family, free
from extra activity and lots of visitors. This time will
enable him to start to trust and bond with his new people.
Give him the time he needs initially and soon he will be
a happy and loving member of your family.
FAQ’S
WHAT WILL I NEED TO BUY TO PREPARE FOR MY AKITA?
You will need the following:
--- A metal water (7 qt) and food bowl (4 qt) (we recommend
metal because it is very durable and some Akitas have
plastic allergies.)
--- A 4-6 ft leash.
--- An appropriately sized training collar (ask what size
your dog wears)
--- A wire or vari-kennel crate, preferable a giant or
700.
--- The same brand dog food the Akita is currently being
fed. If you wish to change food, a 10-lb bag should suffice
for the changeover.
MY
AKITA ISN’T
EATING. WHAT CAN I DO?
It is not unusual for an Akita in new surroundings to lose
their appetite. Keep offering them food morning and evening.
Leave the food down for 20 minutes. If it is not eaten,
or partially eaten, pick it up and no food until the next
meal. Many dogs are used to being fed in the crate. If
this is the case, continue to do so, especially if there
are children in the family. Feeding in the crate gives
the dog a sense of security and freedom from household
distractions. It may take a few days, but they will come
around. It is a good idea to feed a bland diet of rice
and chicken or boiled hamburger the first few days, then
slowly change over to whatever food you will be using.(see
section on food for changeover information)
HOW DO I START AND STRENGTHEN A BOND?
Remember first of all, that you are stranger to this dog.
To accelerate the bonding experience, make being in your
presence a happy experience. If he comes over to see you,
pet and praise him, expressing pleasure in his company.
At the same time, recognize and respect when he wants to
be left alone. Another way to accelerate bonding is to
tie a leash or rope around your waist, the other end attached
to the dog. This is particularly effective if there are
several tasks to be done, and he was going to be crated
so they could get accomplished. In attaching the Akita
to you, the tasks are accomplished and he is supervised
and staying out of trouble. Taking him to obedience class
will also strengthen the bond as well as making him a better-behaved
dog.
WHAT ABOUT CRATING?
The new dog should be crated initially. It is especially
important if he is used to being crated at the foster home,
or is a young dog less than 2 years (they are well known
for chewing whatever is in reach). The crate should be
placed in a high traffic area, a place where the family
spends most of their time…family room, or kitchen.
This allows the dog to get to know the rhythm of the household
as well daily sights, sounds, and smells. If you plan to
let the Akita sleep in your room at night, try it the first
night. If this is successful, continue doing so. This can
be very reassuring and start the bonding process. Just
make sure the bedroom door is closed so he has no access
to the rest of the house, and everything remotely edible
is out of reach. The crate is not a jail and should not
be used for punishment. It is a great place for time out
if he is getting overstimulated or tired. Give him a treat
every time he goes into the crate and tell him what a good
dog he is. Give him a chew bone or another toy to occupy
him while he is being crated. Once your puppy hits the
2 year mark, or it is time for your rescue dog to start
being at large in the house, start leaving him out and
alone for short periods of time. Take a 15-minute walk.
Upon return, check for damage. If there is none, and no
signs of soiling, praise the dog. Let each stage last 5-7
days, and at the end of that time period, lengthen the
time he is left alone. Do this in small increments, about
5 minutes each time, and build up to the point where he
is trustworthy for long periods of time. If you buy the
Vari-Kennel type of crate, a 700 is the best size. The
wire crates are good, but not recommended because some
are very easy to escape from. The cost of a crate can range
from $150.00 - $300.00.
WHEN CAN EVERYONE MEET HIM?
As much as you want to show your new member of the household
to family and friends, it is better to not have much company
the first few weeks, allowing the Akita to get to know
you and his new surroundings and become comfortable with
them. For example, have one or two dog knowledgeable friends
over, but do not have a loud, large party. If there is
entertainment pre-planned, put his crate in a room that
can be closed off. At the beginning of the party, introduce
your Akita to your guests, and crate him before the party
gets into full swing. He will be safe from people who may
have had a little too much to drink, and they will be safe
from him. If you have friends with children or your children’s
friends want to come over, have them wait until your Akita
adjusts to his new home. The same holds true for taking
him everywhere to introduce him to friends and family.
Let him stay at home for the first few weeks until he gets
his bearings. Then you can take him out and about with
you. Too much stimulation with an insecure dog can set
up a bite situation. It is very important to let your Akita
move at his own pace, learning to trust and love you before
exposing him to various social situations.
WHAT
CAN I DO WHEN HE WON’T COME WHEN I CALL?
As a result of being new to you, and not yet having a bond,
the Akita doesn’t care if he pleases you or not.
He doesn’t know you. For example, the Akita is out
in the back yard, you call him in, and he ignores you and
you spend the next 45 minutes trying to get him inside.
A solution to this problem is to walk him on lead inside
or outside the yard, or put him on a flexi-lead or long
lead and go out with him until he has done his business.
One way to make him more responsive is to carry treats
with you while in the house. Periodically call him over
(Akita, come!) in a happy tone of voice and when he responds,
give him a treat and lots of praise. Over time, eliminate
the treats and continue the praise. This will later translate
to out of doors and your Akita will come to you more often
than not (but not always, they are Akitas after all!).
NEVER CALL YOUR DOG OVER TO PUNISH HIM. He will associate
coming to you with bad things and will not respond well
in the future. If he must be disciplined, go get him.
HOW DO I CORRECT OR DISCIPLINE HIM?
The Akita is in new surroundings and with new people. He
must learn to trust his new owners before he will take
corrections well. Build the trust by initially “bribing” him
to things. Use an irresistible lure…chicken, lunch
meat, whatever. Accentuate the positive moves, and correct
the negative. The Akita should be assertively corrected
when he does something wrong, but do not be extremely aggressive
in doing so. A good firm NO will usually do the trick.
There are ways to achieve your goals, which are a dog that
listens out of respect, not fear, and to effect a correction
without a confrontation. Watch the dog’s posture
and listen. Growls indicate escalation. A dog that feels
threatened will bite. Avoid this escalation by making use
of the leash. If the dog won’t go where the owner
wants, attach the leash to the collar, and lead him. Even
a dog with a little leash training will respond well to
this. If the dog has a rawhide and is guarding it and growling,
don’t get into a physical confrontation. Get a broom
and sweep the bone away from him to a place where he cannot
get to it. Put the leash on, and lead him into the crate.
Go pick up the bone, and buy him a different toy, one he
won’t feel so possessive about. Picking battles carefully
results in a win-win situation where neither dog nor owner
loses face.
MY DOG HAS BROKEN HIS HOUSE TRAINING!
Sometimes a dog that is perfectly housebroken in the foster
home has problems in his new home. Diarrhea in the first
few days of residence is not uncommon. If this occurs,
just give the Akita boiled rice with chicken or boiled
hamburger. Once his stools are back to normal slowly switch
back to normal dog food. (See section on food for instructions
on switching). With males, it may just be a matter of marking
territory, especially if there is or was another dog in
the house. If you catch him in the act, discipline him
immediately. If not, just clean up with a good odor and
stain removing solution (Nature’s Miracle, Simple
Solution) and keep close watch. DO NOT drag him over to
the soiled place and yell or rub his nose in it. This is
not effective and will only train the dog to fear your
homecoming. If he is soiling in the house while you are
away from home, or not in the room with him, use a crate
when you are not available to supervise. Revert to basic
housebreaking techniques as you would for a puppy. Take
your dog out immediately in the morning, standing watch
outside and praise him when he goes in the yard. Take him
out after meals and upon arriving home, making sure to
go out and watch, and once again praise him highly for
doing his business outside. It will take a while to learn
the dog’s signals indicating a need to go out, and
for him to adjust to a new schedule. Once both owner and
dog become more familiar with each other and adjust their
lifestyle accordingly, the problem should be resolved.
Please remember that a dog does not soil the house to be “spiteful”.
Generally it is a result of anxiety. They are stressed
in a new environment, or because you have left them. As
with many people, when some dogs become anxious, it results
in bowel and bladder problems. Crating will help solve
most of these symptoms. While there are some dogs who cannot
be crated because it just increases their anxiety, many
regard the crate as a safe haven, and it gives them some
continuity, especially if they were crated in their foster
home. The very anxious dogs that do not crate well sometimes
do better when confined to a room with newspapers to eliminate
on. Other dogs will soil when they are crated or put in
a room, and are fine when allowed freedom of the house.
If you have a dog that cannot be crated, left confined
in a room, or who is destructive when left loose in the
house, an outdoor kennel or VERY SECURELY fenced yard may
be the answer. The foster home should know enough about
your dog to advise which method would work best. An alternative
for an extremely anxious dog is to consult your veterinarian
or an animal behaviorist about using short-term drug therapy
to calm him down enough to implement behavior modification
to alter his anxiety reactions.
HOW CAN I ESTABLISH A GOOD RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MY CHILDREN
AND THE AKITA?
Talk with your children prior to the dog’s arrival
about what is expected of them and how they should behave
around the Akita. There are some important rules regarding
children and dogs:
---The
dog should not be disturbed in any way when he is eating,
sleeping, drinking or chewing on a bone.
--- If they are playing and he walks away, the children must
understand playtime is over and they must leave him alone.
--- If the dog is crate trained, and at some point retires
to his crate, once again, they are not to follow, but to
find something else to do. The crate is his private area
and should not be invaded y children.
--- Remind children to never approach and touch a dog from
behind. Just like people, he will be startled, and will swing
around. An Akita swinging around is enough to knock any child
down. In the worst case, he may respond with a growl or snap
or both.
--- At no time should a child take or attempt to take a bone
or toy (even one of their own) away from the dog. They should
get adult assistance.
Help them understand that initially, the Akita may be a
little nervous and for them not to overwhelm him with attention.
Let him come to the children and when he does, they may pet
him in an agreed upon manner. They should not run or yell,
and no rambunctious play around the dog. As eager as they
are to show off their new arrival, friends should not be
allowed to come over and play for at least 3-4 weeks. However,
they may come earlier just to meet the dog. Instruct them
in proper introduction etiquette:
---
Let the dog sniff their outstretched hand and then gently
scratch
under the chin or the chest.
--- Have them try not to scratch his head immediately, for
as their hand goes up, his nose will follow.
--- Remind them not to stand with their hands hovering in
the air above the dog, for that is a sure invitation for
him
jump up, possibly startling the child or at worst, knocking
the child over.
--- Make sure they do not put their faces up to his, or try
to kiss and hug him.
Once they have
met him, they can go elsewhere to play. It cannot be emphasized
enough to NEVER LEAVE children, especially
very young ones alone, unattended, with the Akita. Children
do things that may aggravate the dog and he will respond
accordingly…with a growl and snap.
Remember that
while the Akita may be wonderful with your children, he
may not be so wonderful with strange children.
Akitas have been known to interpret strange child who plays
rough with their child as a threat, and will respond in a
manner to protect “their” children. Akitas were
once bred for hunting, so children running around may present
an irresistible temptation to chase them. An adult or young
adult Akita can knock over a child very easily while running
after them, even if no harm is intended. If other children
are visiting or even if it is just the household children,
when the horseplay gets intense or they are playing games
with lots of running, make sure the Akita is crated or confined
in another area.
WHAT TYPE OF FOOD SHOULD I FEED AND HOW OFTEN?
Feed a high quality food with no soy protein in it. The first
listed ingredient should be whatever meat is listed on
the front of the bag. Feed your dog twice daily. Have plenty
of fresh water available. Fruits and vegetables as well
as some table scraps are okay to add to his food.(If you
have an obese dog, forego the table scraps.) If you are
changing the Akita to a different food, make the changeover
gradually. Buy a 20-lb. bag of the food he is currently
being fed. The first week , feed the food he has been eating.
The second week use a ¾ mix of his current food
and ¼ mix of his new food. The third week use ½ his
current food and ½ his new food. The fourth week
use ¼ current food and ¾ new food. The fifth
week completes the changeover with 100% new food. If you
follow this formula you will lessen the chances of diarrhea
and stomach upset.
WHAT ABOUT BLOAT?
Bloat is a life threatening condition. There are two steps:
1) the stomach fills with gas, water or food and swells;
2) the stomach flips over (torsion), cutting off the blood
supply and starting necrosis (tissue death). IF YOUR DOG
IS NOT TAKEN TO THE VET IMMEDIATELY, HE WILL DIE. IT IS
BETTER TO MAKE MANY FALSE RUNS THAN TO MISS IT THE ONE
TIME IT MATTERS. KNOW THE SYMPTOMS. THIS KNOWLEDGE COULD
SAVE YOUR DOG’S LIFE.
---
Extreme agitation
--- Inability to sit or lay down comfortably
--- Trying to vomit, but nothing coming up, except saliva
--- Swelling between the rib cage and the hips. It could
start in the lower rib cage.
--- Once the swelling is visible, time is limited. This is
an emergency!
--- Sometimes in the early stages, no swelling is visible.
If you think your dog is in the early stages, INSIST the
vet
x-ray to make sure.
--- If your dog bloats and is deflated by means other than
surgery, INSIST the stomach be tacked as soon as possible
to prevent
future torsion. Many times a dog that has bloated once will
do so again.
There is nothing proven to prevent bloat, but these suggestions
may help:
--- Feed twice daily, instead of once.
--- Elevate food and water bowls
--- Do not feed gas-producing foods (gas causing beans, cabbage,
onions, etc.)
--- Do not let your dog exercise strenuously one hour prior
to eating. A good rule of thumb: if he is panting from exertion
or heat, do not feed until he stops panting.
--- Do not let your dog exercise strenuously one-two hours
after eating.
--- If your dog has been out in the heat, or exercising strenuously,
doesn’t let him gulp quantities of water. Give him
ice cubes barely covered with water instead.
--- Don’t let him roll on his back after eating or
drinking.
--- If he is being fed a dog food that swells in water, wet
the food and let it absorb all the water before feeding.
DOES THE AKITA RESCUE TAG GET RETURNED?
No. The tag remains on the dog’s collar for the rest
of his life, along with a personal I.D. tag engraved with
the owner’s information, the microchip tag, a rabies
tag, and a dog license. If you lose the Rescue tag, please
call us to send you another. It is your backup and may be
your pet’s only ticket home. All rescue dogs are micro-chipped
also. During your Akita’s annual visit for shots, have
the vet scan the microchip area to assure the chip is in
place. The microchip is usually placed on the back between
the two shoulder blades.
WHAT TYPE OF COLLAR SHOULD I USE?
A rolled leather or nylon collar would be the first choices.
Either one causes less hair breakage than flat collars.
Flat collars are acceptable also. Training collars (choke
chains) are used only when training or walking the dog.
THEY SHOULD NOT BE LEFT ON THE DOG ALL THE TIME.
Hopefully this information sheet has answered many questions.
PLEASE CALL US with any further questions. It is better to
call twenty times daily, no matter how trivial the question,
than to not ask for help and let a small problem become a
big one that necessitates the return of the Akita.
Please remember when your dog came into rescue he may have
been starved, abused physically, mentally or emotionally,
or just had a bad time. The foster parent(s) have invested
a lot of time, and emotion into making or helping your dog
become what he is today. PLEASE stay in touch with the foster
parent. They will love hearing from you and how your Akita
is doing. Pictures are very nice, even if only at Christmas.
Copyright Jodi Marcus November 1999
This Document is the sole property of Jodi Marcus and Akita
Rescue, Mid-Atlantic Coast, Inc. Permission is granted to
reproduce and distribute this document with proper accreditation
to the author.
