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AKITA TEMPERAMENT PLEASE NOTE: Copyright, 1995 by Sherry E. Wallis, All Rights Reserved. The copyright to this article belongs to Sherry E. Wallis, however, you may reprint it for non-commercial use provided you credit the author and Akita Dog, Newsletter of the Akita Club of America, with its original publication. You must notify the author that you are using it and in what publication it appears. Please send a request to sherry@sherob.com |
INHIBITIONAkitas are typically inhibited as opposed to excitable, a set of inherited characteristics that mark the dog's response to stress. His inhibited nature is responsible for the laid-back attitude that makes the Akita a pleasure to have in the house.In obedience, especially, this trait shows up. When Akitas don't know what to do, they just don't do anything. When a dog in the obedience ring stops working and stands with a blank or baffled expression on its face, many people attribute the dog's behavior to stubborness or stupidity. Far from it. I'm pretty sure these dogs don't know exactly what they should be doing. Once they become unsure, they quit until something happens to help them or they figure out something to do. Either way, their reaction is quite different from the confused Border Collie who may run around the ring trying everything he knows in case he hits the right thing, but that is the response of an excitable dog. It is obvious in puppies as they work through the PAT. They tend to get calmer and less responsive. Sometimes, inhibited puppies get so stressed out, they fall asleep. With excitable breeds, puppies end up running about the room, jumping on the tester, and sometimes, even barking and whining. When you start a new training exercise with your dog, whether it's heeling in obedience or stacking for conformation, your dog will demonstrate signs of inhibition. He may work slowly, show little animation, and/or seem very tired. He may yawn repeatedly, which is a sign of stress. In the worst cases, the very inhibited dog demonstrates a sort of waxy catatonia. We had one one a PAT that literally never moved she was so shut down. She grew up to be a wonderful, calm, non-adventurous companion. An excellent example of normal inhibited behavior is the puppy at its first match. You can position him easily and then he stays like a little statue without a lick of training. From one show to the next, it becomes more like the other puppies, moving about and demonstrating a puppy's typical short attention span. As the dog gains confidence through exposure, it is less stressed, so it is less inhibited. The more puppies are exposed to manageable stress, the less inhibited their response will be. So, don't get discouraged initially by your dog's response to new situations. He will become more active and enthusiastic when he gets used to them. If you make them more stressful by being disapproving of his hesitancy, you will only make worse. Just go on positively, and your dog's performance will improve. If you found this article useful and helpful - please consider making a donation to the Akita Club of America to help fund Canine Research and Akita Rescue.
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