Tips to help find for a reputable Akita breeder and what to expect from the breeder.
When choosing a breeder you should bear in mind that this puppy will, ideally, be part of your family for a decade or more. Taking the time before you make your purchase to find a responsible and caring breeder is time well spent. The ideal breeder will take the time to ask you what the plans are for your new puppy, what other family members, including pets, live in the house, and generally take responsibility for placing the puppy in a loving home. Akita's are wonderful dogs, but they do have a variety of personality traits that can make it difficult for them to fit into your family. Bred as hunters, they are independent and many times do not coexist well with other family pets. This is simply how they were bred over the generations. These details may be more or less ingrained into a particular litter, and the breeder, who knows the personality traits of both the mother and father is in the best position to help you decide if an Akita is the right dog for you. The problem with this is that if the breeder is unscrupulous, or just looks at this as a way to make some extra money, you may not get the most honest answers. By finding an ethical breeder, you greatly increase your chances of finding a dog that will fit happily into your family for years to come.
Begin your search by contacting your local dog obedience club. Even if there are no Akita breeders as members, obedience competitors have usually been to a variety of shows in a variety of areas and have an established list of contacts. Like so many things in life, finding a good dog is all about networking.
While you wait for your leads with the local obedience club to pan out, hit the library (and the internet). Become familiar with the breed standard, by checking out the American Kennel Club's website, the Akita fancier's sites, as well as books and magazines on the breed. Use this time to familiarize yourself with what a well conformed, healthy Akita looks like. Pay attention to the description of the dog's temperament as well. It is important that you can discern between "aloof" which is a breed trait, and "fearful" which is definitely not. As an important side note, these personality issues are genetic issues. While proper socialization is incredibly important for your Akita puppy, buying a puppy whose parents are both healthy, confident and well socialized gives you the biggest chance of success with your dog.
Once you are familiar with all aspects of the Akita breed, and feel that you will be able to comfortable judge if you are looking at a good example of the breed, you are ready to go shopping. Hopefully your contacts will have paid off and you will have the names and phone numbers of some relatively local breeders to contact. If not you may have to get on the internet and search for breeders. While not the ideal way to purchase a puppy, if you do choose to go this route there are a few things that you can do to make sure your choice is a good one. Get references, and expect to supply them as well. A reputable breeder should be more than happy to provide you with a list of satisfied clients who have purchased from them before and are happy with their puppy. A reputable breeder will normally ask for references from you, because they care about their dogs and want to make sure they are going to a good home. This is particularly true of a big, sometimes willful dog like an Akita. While they can make excellent, loyal companions, they generally are not considered the best choice for novice dog owners.
Once you have found a breeder, either by word of mouth or over the internet, be prepared to wait a bit for a puppy. Most legitimate breeders only have a few litters per year and often have a waiting list they have to fill from before you get your puppy. Be patient, by taking the time to match up with a responsible breeder, you are setting yourself up for a beautiful, long lasting relationship with an incredible companion.
