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In this video I simulate a home intruder to test my two American Akitas' responses.
I've had so many questions about the American Akita and their guarding instincts. It's important to note that getting a particular breed of dog does not guarantee the dog will perform according to breed standards. Dogs, like people, are individuals. A breed will give you an increased likelihood of certain characteristics, but it is not guaranteed by breed alone.
The Akita is a large breed that was used as a working dog in the guarding capacity for many generations in Japan The Akita was originally used to hunt large game before being used as a guardian. Later, the breed was crossbred with other breeds to develop their fighting skills for the sport of dogfighting. Despite the mixing of blood over the years, the protective instincts are still very common with this breed of dog.
In the video I will test out the response of my male and female Akita. Kinjo is my 4 year old male, and Yuki is my 5 year old female.
Before I even tested this out, I fully expected Kinjo to perform in his role as a guardian. I've seen him act in the past around strangers and people acting unusual, and he is very much in tune with what is going on around him. However, even I was surprised by how intense he became when confronting the intruder. I was expecting a lot of barking - which he does - and maybe a little growling. Instead, he did less barking than I expected and a whole lot more growling. He wasn't just alerting me to an intruder, he was confronting it.
Yuki, on the other hand, did what I expected of her as well. Yuki is much more trusting of humans and likes them a lot more. She was curious, but when Kinjo turned up his intensity he even put her off and caused her to be uneasy around his energy.
Yuki overprotects when there are other dogs around, and her prey drive is much higher than Kinjo's. If a dog had approached the house, it would be her on that dog first. Kinjo would be more curious at first (depending on that dog's energy/state of mind) before he would turn it up to 10. Yuki doesn't even typically wait. If a dog enters our yard she's on it quickly and is asserting herself over it.
In conclusion I learned that my instincts around my dogs was correct. Kinjo acted aggressively as I expected - maybe even more intensely than I predicted - and Yuki was more curious and wary.
The great thing about a guard dog is that 99 of 100 intruders will not risk a house protected by such a dog. Not only does the noise of the dog alert the homeowners to an unwanted guest, giving them time to call 911 and arm themselves, but they also create a dangerous obstacle for an intruder to deal with. An intruder is looking for an easy target, and a confident guard dog doing their job makes your home a difficult target.
How did the Akita do? Well, Kinjo performed wonderfully. Yuki left a lot to be desired. I will not say that Yuki would run and hide if we were being attacked, as she MAY act then, however I am not as confident with her as I am Kinjo. Kinjo does the American Akita breed justice in terms of their reputation as a natural guardian. He is not trained at all in guarding, this is purely his natural instincts at work.