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CherokeeKid
 Posted:
Mon Jul 14, 2008 6:14 pm |
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Another one saved
Yesterday we got a message that an eight-month Akita was in a kill shelter. He is a beautiful Pinto. Already big, very tall and leggy.
As we are not able to take any more dogs in right now, we already have nine large dogs in three groups, some of them special need dogs, I spent some time yesterday and today coordinating who could help. We got very lucky to learn of some new contacts recently, as so many shelters and foster homes are full and overwhelmed.
But some wonderful people from Georgia, Louisiana, New Mexico and Texas made it possible to get this boy out of the kill shelter, to a vet to be updated on shots, heartworm tested, neutered and on the weekend, he will go to his new home!
Thought I share this story as it really, really made my day!
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| Siddalee
Posted:
Mon Jul 14, 2008 6:27 pm |
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That is wonderful, CK. It's so nice to hear there ae people who care about animals. 
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Ya-Ya!
Joined: 23 Mar 2006
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| tulsad
Posted:
Mon Jul 14, 2008 6:40 pm |
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Very happy to hear the news, CK! I know there a terrible problem with abandoned/abused Akitas - is this because this is another breed that people see and buy adorable puppies without doing research on what the adult dog will need?
I like part of the Westminster Kennel Club's breed description:
Highly intelligent with keen sense of humor, the Akita responds best to respectful commands and training techniques that rely on motivation rather than force.
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Sparkly Tree
Joined: 19 Aug 2006
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| SideTracked
Posted:
Mon Jul 14, 2008 6:42 pm |
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I wish I lived in a large house with lots of land so I could adopt the ones that are hard to place.  Thankfully there are people (like CK  ) who are willing to do what it takes to find them what they need.
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Joined: 24 Mar 2006
Posts: 1213
Location: Somewhere being sidetracked. . .
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| Schmerty
Posted:
Mon Jul 14, 2008 6:46 pm |
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Thank You for sharing that story & for all the good work you do!  
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Skipping along my own path.
Joined: 24 Mar 2006
Posts: 3335
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| tulsad
Posted:
Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:03 pm |
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| SideTracked wrote: | | I wish I lived in a large house with lots of land so I could adopt the ones that are hard to place. Thankfully there are people (like CK ) who are willing to do what it takes to find them what they need. |
Actually, SideTracked, one of the articles I read said that, although Akitas do best with a yard, they can do well even in an apartment - as long as they get a nice, long walk every day. Think your kitty would mind sharing her bowl?
I'm anxious for CK to come back - I'd like to know why so many of these dogs are abandoned; all but one of the sites I looked at had links to rescue groups.  They seem to be a lovely dog for a pet - intelligent, they like to laugh and tell a good joke  , easily trained if done in the logical and correct manner. And although they can be aloof when they meet strangers, they warm up to people quickly. I would think that would be a plus - they wouldn't jump on guests.
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Sparkly Tree
Joined: 19 Aug 2006
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| CherokeeKid
Posted:
Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:08 pm |
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Thank y'all!
Tulsad, I think the main problem is ~ with almost all dogs or cats ~ that many people get a pet for the wrong reason: to have a 'toy' for their kids to play with, to have 'protection' etc. Many people just get spontaniously a pet without thinking, how much responsibility it is, that it cost money (food, medical bills etc), that dogs and cats have NEEDS like excersise, companionship etc.
Many people get puppies because 'they look so cute' but when the dog gets a little older, they just stick them in the backyard. And the problems start as the dog is bored to death, starts digging, chewing on things (house, fence etc) or is able to get out. Many people don't bother to look for their dogs when they got out as they don't really care about them or don't want to pay the $20 fine to get them out of the shelter. It's very, very sad. We took very beautiful, young, sweet purebred dogs out of shelters for exactly the above reasons: they ended up with the wrong families who got a dog for the wrong reasons.
Akitas are more difficult than other breeds as MOST Akitas do NOT get along with other dogs! At the most, they might accept another dog. But the Akita will ALWAYS be the alpha dog and it will take weeks or months to introduce them to another dog. Akitas are very intelligent, very loyal, they have lots of dignity and they are very stubborn. Which is one of the reasons they are not suitable as 'working' dog as they get easily bored and might not do their task.
There are basically two types of Akitas:
One can still have the original treats as they were once bred in Japan as bear fighting dogs. They might still have some aggression and dominance. Therefore, we would be extremely careful placing an Akita in a home with children under 12. Usually, a no no!
The other one can be a more mellow Akita as some breeders try to focus on their temperament first. There are Akitas suitable for "Therapy dogs" which go through special training and after passing, they will be brought in to nursing homes, hospitals etc.
We encountered both types of Akitas during the past ten years. I could never evaluate a dog by just looking at it in a shelter. I need to be with a dog for at least four weeks.
We took difficult Akitas out of the shelter as well. When we are at the shelter, we could never just walk away without taking the dog. One looked a lot like our Kuma. But he growled and snapped at me. He was still grouchy as he was just neutered and coming out of anestesia. For two weeks I felt uneasy around him. But as I'm the main care taker of all the dogs, I worked with him. One smart man said once: "You have to be smarter as your dog!" LOL This Akita was very food motivated. Which was a huge advantage!
We had him almost a year and he mellowed down. And one day, a lady came along with was the perfect match: she was experienced with Akitas, loved him with all her heart but was also firm with him when needed. He became her best friend and ended up sleeping in her bed! She stayed in touch with us, sent pictures and a note to let us know how much this dog had changed her life! He became her best friend.
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Joined: 11 May 2006
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| CherokeeKid
Posted:
Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:19 pm |
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| SideTracked wrote: | | I wish I lived in a large house with lots of land so I could adopt the ones that are hard to place. Thankfully there are people (like CK ) who are willing to do what it takes to find them what they need. |
Thanks, SideTracked.
I hope your wish comes true one day.
We have a large house and share it will all the dogs. And we live on three acres which is separated in three areas: a large front yard, a large back yard and a large dog run. And all is fenced in with a 6' chain link fence with a pad lock on our gates to keep strangers out and to avoid that anyone opens the gate and let our dogs out as they are our babies.
My main advice would be: take only as many dogs as you are able to handle. Many dogs don't get along with each other right away. And some never will get along with certain others. That's the reason our yard AND our home is devided in three areas to keep the dogs apart which do not get along with each other.
Another aspect is money: it can be quite expensive. We have all our dogs on quality dog food, joint supplement, heartworm preventative (very, very important!). They all get their annual shots and sometimes, there might be a medical problem like our Kuma, he has cancer and is on some very expensive medication. All the dogs have dog beds, comforters, stuffed toys, natural bones (Petsmart). Sometimes our house looks like a day care center as toys are laying around everywhere! LOL
But in return, we get unconditional love, lots of laugher and its all worth it!
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Joined: 11 May 2006
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| tulsad
Posted:
Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:25 pm |
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Thank you for the great info, CK! The story about the woman and her hard-headed best friend is sweet. I could never have an Akita, or any strong-willed dog (like the German Shepherds I so love!) because I'm too soft-hearted and the dog wins. I have to have a dog that's little enough for me to pick up if all else fails.
That's very interesting that there are 2 distinct personality types in the breed; I'm far from knowledgable about dogs, but I've never heard of that in any other breed. Therapy dogs are the bomb! I had a neighbor who trained them. Her first two did beautifully - one was placed and the second went to a home as a pet because she wasn't quite right to work as a TD. Then the trainer took a different stance with her dogs - among other things, she started to KICK them when she wanted them to do something; she got very violent if they didn't react immediately. The group she was training dogs for kicked her out, thank god, and shortly after that she stopped "training."
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Sparkly Tree
Joined: 19 Aug 2006
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| CherokeeKid
Posted:
Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:44 pm |
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| tulsad wrote: |
Actually, SideTracked, one of the articles I read said that, although Akitas do best with a yard, they can do well even in an apartment - as long as they get a nice, long walk every day. Think your kitty would mind sharing her bowl?
I'm anxious for CK to come back - I'd like to know why so many of these dogs are abandoned; all but one of the sites I looked at had links to rescue groups. They seem to be a lovely dog for a pet - intelligent, they like to laugh and tell a good joke , easily trained if done in the logical and correct manner. And although they can be aloof when they meet strangers, they warm up to people quickly. I would think that would be a plus - they wouldn't jump on guests. |
Tulsad, Akitas do best in the home, they HATE being stuck in a yard, as they think they are people. Which is the case with almost all dogs. Dogs want to be with their family. Right now, I have the front door open as it cooled down, four of our five German Shepherds are with me in the living room, only one is out in the yard. They all got stuck in the house most of the day because of the heat. But usually, my dogs are where I am.
In my previous post I mentioned some to the reasons why dogs get abandaned. Another reason is: when people move, many just leave their pets behind! And get a new puppy when they are settled down. Or if the wife get pregnant and they don't want to have a big dog around. If the dog is well trained, had a bond with the family and the 'new family member' (baby) is properly introduced to the dog, there is NO reason to 'get rid' of the dog. But many people don't bother to read up.
Thankfully not all: We had once the most gorgeous German Shepherd. He looked like a wolf. He was the most difficult one for me to let go. But the risk to keep him was too great as several of my dogs hated him and he hated them! He was very strong, very fast and caught a large rabbit on our property which he turned inside out!  And brought it 'as a present' to our dog. When I did not pay constantly attention to him, he nipped me in my leg, leaving a bruise! Many times, I grabbed his face and kissed him. I loved him very, very much!
His name is Chance. And a family in Austin adopted him. I told them they have to bear with me if I call them daily to check on 'my big boy'. They understood. They took him twice a day for walks, took him to obedience class for bonding. The woman was first a little scared of him but Chance accepted her as 'his' closest family member. He was first supposed to sleep in their spare bedroom, moved soon into their master bedroom and it did not take long and he slept with them in bed! 
When the lady got pregnant, they did exactly the right things: to NOT change the dog's routine or to NOT neglect him but to introduce the baby to him. They sent pictures of the baby with Chance being close by. Later on, they decided to adopt a second German Shepherd and spend lots of time with their dogs.
Back to Akitas: they can be VERY protective over their family! If kids come over to play with the kids of the family, an Akita might get upset if the kids are 'fighting'. A thumb role for all dogs: NEVER leave children under the age of 12 unattended with any dog! When a friend of us came over and wanted to give me a hug, our Akita interferred, he gently jumped on that friend and pushed him away from me! LOL
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Joined: 11 May 2006
Posts: 6348
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| SideTracked
Posted:
Mon Jul 14, 2008 8:50 pm |
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Great information! Lots to chew on
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Joined: 24 Mar 2006
Posts: 1213
Location: Somewhere being sidetracked. . .
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| sarge
Posted:
Mon Jul 21, 2008 7:45 am |
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My son and his wife have a very large German Shepherd, brother to mine. He is 28 inches tall. Their baby is due any day now.
Both are nervous about how he is going to react when the baby comes home. Somehow, I can see him coming to live with me in the future.
He does not love me like he loves them but is pretty comfortable here.
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Joined: 24 Mar 2006
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Location: georgia
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| Torti
Posted:
Mon Jul 21, 2008 9:07 am |
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When my last baby came home from the hospital, the first thing I did on entering the house with baby in arms was to introduce baby to large (95 lb.) German Shepherd (female). No big fuss, I held baby and let dog sniff, even lick a foot, just let dog know that baby was here and part of the family, too. Dog promptly took over baby-sitting, coming to me if baby fussed. They became fast friends as baby grew. Never had a problem, but dog was part of family, not relegated to the yard. Dog and child played happily together. Of course, the trips to the kitchen for cookie and doggie biscuit helped.
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Joined: 23 Mar 2006
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| AC
Posted:
Mon Jul 21, 2008 9:13 am |
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| Torti wrote: | | When my last baby came home from the hospital, the first thing I did on entering the house with baby in arms was to introduce baby to large (95 lb.) German Shepherd (female). No big fuss, I held baby and let dog sniff, even lick a foot, just let dog know that baby was here and part of the family, too. Dog promptly took over baby-sitting, coming to me if baby fussed. They became fast friends as baby grew. Never had a problem, but dog was part of family, not relegated to the yard. Dog and child played happily together. Of course, the trips to the kitchen for cookie and doggie biscuit helped. |
Excellent, Torti....sounds like my household.
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Joined: 02 Apr 2006
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| SideTracked
Posted:
Mon Jul 21, 2008 1:40 pm |
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Sarge,
I've read that if you bring something that has the baby's scent home to the doggie before bringing the baby home, the dog will be more likely to accept the baby. Might be worth a try.
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Joined: 24 Mar 2006
Posts: 1213
Location: Somewhere being sidetracked. . .
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| sarge
Posted:
Mon Jul 21, 2008 2:31 pm |
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That is good advice and that is what they are saying about bringing the scent of the baby to him. Their dog stays outside all day while they work and he is eager to see them and to be played with at night. They leave him alone a whole lot while they go out to eat and do other things. He really demands their attention when they are home. My only concern is that he is so large and when the baby starts to crawl around he might unintentially hurt him.
I have told them that they must never leave the baby alone with the dog.
My dog is in the house all the time and is lots more relaxed than his brother.
We will be seeing very soon how it is all going to work out.
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Joined: 24 Mar 2006
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Location: georgia
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| CherokeeKid
Posted:
Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:45 pm |
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How to Introduce a Baby to Your Dog
By FaithAllen
When you bring your new baby home from the hospital, you will need to introduce your new baby to your other "baby"--your dog. Some new parents worry about the dog harming the baby, while other new parents are more concerned about the dog feeling displaced. With a little effort on your part, the baby can join the family without displacing the family dog. Here is how to introduce a baby to your dog.
Things You’ll Need:
Another adult to help
Patience
Watchful eye
Step1
Put your dog on a leash. Before you bring the baby into the house, ask your spouse or a friend to put your dog on a leash. Your dog might become very excited about the new arrival, and you do not want the dog jumping up on the baby. Having the dog on a leash enables you to restrain or remove the dog quickly, if needed.
Step2
Invite your dog to sniff the baby. Sit down in a chair while holding the baby. Use a soft tone in your voice as you invite the dog to meet the baby. Introduce the two of them, using both the baby's name and the dog's name. Have your spouse or friend watch the dog closely to make sure he is very gentle with the baby.
Step3
Allow your dog to sniff for a while. As long as the sniffing is not bothering the baby, allow the dog to sniff the baby for several minutes. Dogs say hello by sniffing. Also, you want the dog to become familiar with the baby's scent.
Step4
Praise your dog for being gentle. Give your dog lots of positive reinforcement for being gentle around the baby.
Step5
Pet your dog. After your dog has finished sniffing the baby, ask your spouse or friend to hold the baby while you give your dog lots of attention. Your dog needs to know that she has not been replaced by this little bundle.
Step6
Supervise future interactions between the baby and the dog. Even if your dog has always been very gentle, his behavior can be unpredictable as he adjusts to his newest family member.
Step7
Set aside time for your dog. Taking care of a new baby is time-consuming, and your dog is likely to miss the time that you used to spend together. Make time to give your dog some attention each day, and he will be much less likely to become jealous of the baby.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2276802_introduce-baby-dog.html
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Joined: 11 May 2006
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| CherokeeKid
Posted:
Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:49 pm |
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And another good link:
How to Introduce Your New Baby to Your Dog
Introducing your new baby to your dog is almost like bringing a baby home to a sibling ' if handled incorrectly, it can cause rivalry and hurt feelings. Take a few simple precautions, though, and your dog and your baby should eventually become the best of friends.
Step1If you need to change house rules, change them before the baby arrives. Otherwise, your dog may associate the baby's arrival with her sudden banishment from the couch.
Step2Consider a series of obedience classes before the baby arrives, especially if your dog doesn't know the basic commands: sit, come, stay.
Step3Have your dog thoroughly checked out by a veterinarian before your baby comes home. This will give you time to deal with parasites or other problems that could pose a family health risk.
Step4Let your dog get used to the sights, smells and sounds of a baby in advance. Let her sniff baby blankets and lotions, and get her used to the sounds of rattles and other baby toys.
Step5Before bringing your baby home from the hospital, send home a blanket or gown that the baby has been wrapped in. This will get your dog used to the baby's scent.
Step6Let Dad or someone else carry the baby inside at the first homecoming, so that Mom is free to greet the dog with open arms. That way the dog will be less jealous of her attentions to the baby.
Step7Praise your dog when you're near the baby so she will think of the child as a positive influence on her life'she gets praised more when the baby is around.
Step8Reassure your dog, each time your baby cries, that this is a normal sound, and train her not to bark when she hears it. Use positive reinforcement as much as possible'a treat or a hug for doing the right thing.
Step9Spend one-on-one time with your dog while the baby is napping, or during walk time (your baby can ride along in a sling or front-pack).
Step10Be patient'it may take some time before your dog is really comfortable around your baby.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4579_introduce-new-baby.html
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Joined: 11 May 2006
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| sarge
Posted:
Tue Jul 22, 2008 8:53 am |
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CK, I had another GSD when my daughter had her twins. He had a personality more like a Lab in that he loved all people. He was not a typical GSD instinctively protecting his property and family. However, I kept him on a leash around the babies when they were in the house til they were about 3. He was marvelous with them and adored them all his life.
The dogs we have now are protectors of their property barriers. Rascal, my son's and d-i-l's dog is high strung and nervous. He has not been socialized a whole lot. He loves all the family but seems to be fearful of strangers. That is why my concern.
He has been to obedience school but never taken out that much. They took him to Pet Smart a couple of times but he was terrified.
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Joined: 24 Mar 2006
Posts: 5171
Location: georgia
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| CherokeeKid
Posted:
Tue Jul 22, 2008 2:48 pm |
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| sarge wrote: | CK, I had another GSD when my daughter had her twins. He had a personality more like a Lab in that he loved all people. He was not a typical GSD instinctively protecting his property and family. However, I kept him on a leash around the babies when they were in the house til they were about 3. He was marvelous with them and adored them all his life.
The dogs we have now are protectors of their property barriers. Rascal, my son's and d-i-l's dog is high strung and nervous. He has not been socialized a whole lot. He loves all the family but seems to be fearful of strangers. That is why my concern.
He has been to obedience school but never taken out that much. They took him to Pet Smart a couple of times but he was terrified. |
That's the problem that many times people don't work with their dogs and when a baby is on the way, they "remember" shortly before baby is born that there could be a problem.
They should have worked with their dog a long time ago. Excersise can do wonders! Just taking the dog for daily walks will do a LOT! It will calm him down and balance his temperament. They can even take the dog AND the baby out for long walks.
The two articles I posted give some excellent advice.
But if they are not willing to do anything and probably less when the baby is born, I can see that you end up with their dog. I know you will give him a great home, I just find it always so unfair for the dog that many people are just so careless when it comes to their pets.
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| sarge
Posted:
Wed Jul 23, 2008 8:01 am |
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I agree and have always told them that they need to get him out more and leave him less.
2 busy people with careers and love the dog but not a whole lot of time for him.
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Joined: 24 Mar 2006
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Location: georgia
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