Pacific Crest Trail

So we went hiking on the Pacific Crest trail today, did you know that this trail goes from Canada to Mexico? Well, we did not either. So after about 5 miles of trail we ran into a person coming the other way who quickly informed us that there was nothing to see and lots more trail ahead.....a thousand or so miles of trail! :) Don't get me wrong, if you get the chance it is a great trail, well maintained and lots of interesting things to look at, just be prepared for a long long walk :) I will post picture later!

More Pics!

Here are a few more pictures from my hike I hope you like them! We are going to Eagle Creek today wish me luck!

Hiking at Lacamas Lake

Not a bad day out! 6.5 mile hike to start the day around Lacamas lake. That is a fantastic place you if have never been I recommend you give it a try. Fairly easy hike, mostly flat nice trail and benches. Great view!

I got a new collar and leash today it is a prong collar, some people feel bad about them but they do not hurt if put on right just pinch a little and it is a whole lot better then me choking myself trying to pull after a squirrel! It was a great day overall here are some pictures! I look forward to seeing you out there!!

What is Happening to My Fur?

Well as a new puppy I am not prepared for what is happening to me right now! What is going on with my fur coat?
 If you are new to the Akita world, we "blow out" our coat twice a year, and when I say blow out, I mean huge tufts of fur everywhere :) but do not worry that is supposed to happen. There are several things you can do to help me out. One brush me out everyday! There are some great brushes out there, some cost a lot of money. I would say that my favorite shedding brush is one of the cheapest! It took me a few days to get used to the loop, but now I love it! When buying us Akita's brushes remember that just because it is expensive, that does not make it great. Simple can be better. Oh and I like to go to the groomer a few times during this period as well, not to say that your not doing a great job brushing me out...they just have more and better tools, besides you do not want my fur all over the place do you?
 Alright that is all I have for now, I need to go play! Have a great day and get out there and exercise your Akita!

Akita's at Play

Well it has been awhile since I have written. I have been growing and learning new things, today I worked on perfecting my ability to fetch. Now normally Akita's are not fond of this game, but with the right training and temperament we will play fetch for hours! The key is to make it seem like it is our idea then continually change the pattern of the exercise to keep us entertained. For example I love it when you throw the toys in different directions, make them hard to find, a little hide and seek behind your back before you throw is always fun too, and it will keep me focused on you, not just the game! :)  Alright that is all for now I am going back to play!

Akita's are Stubborn...but Worth it!

Akita's are an amazing dog! They are very smart, when they look your way you can tell they they are thinking, and you really want to know what about! Especially when you want them to do something that they may not be interested in :)
 Akita's will play all day at things they want to do, but try something they have no interest in and you will find you have a completely different dog. They become unresponsive and, well bored. Then you are stuck entertaining yourself. You may ask how do I fix this problem?
 Patience! That is the key to any Akita, you have to bring them around to your thinking. Many books will tell you to only train a dog for 15 minutes to 30 minutes at a time because of doggie ADD. That is so true with Akita's, when working on training, especially something they are not interested in doing such as...oh let say the "come" command, train for 15 minutes then play a bit. After a little play work on training again, this way you will keep them interested. Also save the treats they are really excited about for the commands they do not want to do. This will also keep them interested in the training you want to do and not what they want to do.

Good luck and happy training! If you have an Akita yo have a very special friend!

Hiking With Akita's

Hello! We are going on a hike today! My owner is taking me to Eagle Creek Trail by Bonniville Dam in Oregon, it is a beautiful trail wooded and easy on my paws :) We did get a new collar and leash today that I am excited to use, because I am 75 pounds now just a regular collar does not work well for me. A harness is good, but...I am a working class dog and a harness makes me think I have to pull and that as we know that can teach me some bad habits, it may also work against my training. I have been learning to heal and walk with my owner at his side and not pull him along out in front.
 It is important that I have the right equipment when hiking in the forest as there is a lot of distractions such as birds and chipmunks. I need to make sure my owner can keep me under control so I remain safe when that hunting instinct of mine kicks in! Ok that is all for now I will let you know more when we get back! Wish me luck :)

Hatchi....the Movie

Hello,
 My name is Annabell Ryoko Himes I am an American Akita. I currently live in Vancouver Washington I am 8 months old and 70 pounds.
 I just finished watching the movie Hatchi (Hatchiko) A Dogs Story. This is a true story about an Akita in Japan in the 20's named Hatchiko. In the story the Akita breed proves its loyalty, every day for 9 years after his owner failed to return home from work the Akita continued to meet the train hoping his owner and friend would return. Richard Gere plays the owner and he truly does credit to the story. It also features Jason Alexander, Joan Allen, and Erick Avari, all of whom do a wonderful job telling this story.
 After watching this movie with my owner I have to wonder how many people are going to go out and buy Akita Puppies because the movie highlights how beautiful and wonderful we Akita's are. I really hope that people do not rush and buy us tomorrow, I hope that families do their research! I will be the first to tell you how fantastic we Akita's are...but, just as if you had to describe yourself to another person, you would not say you are perfect or that you are a perfect match for everyone :) All dogs have different personalties, positive traits and negative just like people.
 Unfortunately I know that not everyone will do the proper research before running out and buying a dog! Let's face it, that is not very responsible. Remember a few years ago with the famous "South of the Border" restaurants and their mascot dog??? Everyone thought they were cute and had to have one. People did not research breed problems, common illnesses and what it takes to own a healthy puppy. Then the market became flooded, mass breeding created unhealthy dogs....you get the point right?
 So, what I am saying is this...we (Akita's) are an amazing dog: strong, beautiful, loyal and loving dogs. But we are also: stubborn, willful, may not be good with kids or other animals, like to do things our way, prone to allergies, thyroid problems, hip problems and yes we get really really big! So if you want an amazing animal to own and to love we are it! You better be prepared to exercise me EVERYDAY; when I say exercise I am talking about 2 or 3 hours at the dog park, or a 2 or 4 mile walk or run! Did I mention we get to be BIG! That means I need to be worked out everyday, if not I get bored...and when I get bored...I dig, chew on things you did not want me to, will not listen to you because I am bored and looking for some entertainment, basically I will find ways to make your life frustrating because you did not hold up your end of the deal. I get bored fast! Play with me! A tired dog is a happy dog, remember that.
 Take what I say to heart and if you can provide me the love, training, exercise and care that we need then, please take one of us home today. But....if you doubt that you can do any of this PLEASE look at a different breed as there are many great dogs out there! Make a list of what you want out of a companion, then do some research and find the breed that best suits you. Both of you will be happier for it!

Please leave your comments and suggestions for me and other Akita Owners I would love to hear what everyone has to say!

Here are some great Akita links! Stop back by for more information as I will write tips and tricks here often :)  

http://www.akitaclub.org/
http://www.akitarescue.com/

What Does it Mean to be a Strong Pack Leader

So what does it mean to be a strong pack leader anyway? Before I owned a dog I would hear that term but had no idea what it meant. Now several dogs later I get it.
 To be a strong "pack leader" DOES NOT mean that you are forceful or angry with your animal. It means that you show that you are smarter and dominate over then dog, how do you do this you may ask? Well you start by training them and rewarding them. Let them know to come to you for food and for treats. Do not just place their food on the floor when it is time to eat, bring them over, let them see you have it "own it" run your hand throught the food (dry only :). Make them understand it is your food then give it to them. Sit or lay on the floor with your puppy and when they are relaxed and have settled from playing hold their front paw. All you have to do is just lay your hand on their front paws and if they move follow and replace your hand. Dogs do this in the wild to say....hey I own you.

 Tug of war: RESIST THE TEMPTATION! We all know how much fun it is to play tug of war with a puppy but don't do it until they are at least 6 to 7 months old. Tug of war is a game that they are using to try to dominate you! If they win they, in there mind they beat you thus they are smarter and more dominate, that is a very bad thing for puppies to learn. If you do get in the accidental tug of war and it happens make sure you stop the game right away and tell your puppy to drop it. Don't let it become a game. Most importantly....don't lose :) After 7 months when you start paying this fun and exciting game for both of you make sure YOU initiate the game and don't lose :)

 Akita training, more to come in the next blog on Akita training but I want to leave you with this today. Akita's DO NOT respond well to negative reinforcement. Do not yell at your Akita, as I said before Akita's are very smart and have one fantastic personality, but they respond like a human, if you start screaming at them ,they will shut down and stop listening...like you would if someone was screaming at you :) Oh and they will probably find a way to get even with you!

Annabell Ryoko Himes...Our Akita

This is our Akita Annabell, she is 4 months in this photo and already 40 pounds!~ She is an American Akita you can tell by the "black mask" Japanese Akita's have a white mask!

Hachiko The Movie

As an Akika owner I cannot tell you how happy I am to see a movie made about one of the most amazing dog breeds. (www.imdb.com/title/tt1028532/) however I am afraid it is going to be the taco bell dog all over again! Please please people, DO NOT RUN OUT and buy an Akita! This breed is not for everyone!

Now don't get me wrong, I am not here to rant and rave, I am here to educate. Akita's originate from Japan and have a long and proud history. They were brought to the states in the 30's in fact Hellen Keller was one of the first in America to own one. Akita's are docile, loyal, intelligent, strong, fearless, and loving. They are an amazing dog in every way. However....they do require a strong "pack leader" to bring out their potential. They are not a lab or collie which is to say they do not fall in line easily. The Akita is very very smart, at times too smart for their own good :) see above where I mentioned fearless. Akita's are a very powerful (literally strong) dog and they have a will of their own. If you are not a strong pack leader, the Akita will lead you!

THIS DOG BREED IS NOT FOR EVERYONE! Before you buy an Akita do your research!!! There are some great websites to gather information from (http://www.akc.org/breeds/akita/) and I will post here as often as possible. I am on my second Akita and personally I do not think there is a better dog out there. They have so many positive traits and they are so intelligent that it outweighs the negatives, and yes there are a few. Akita's are known for allergies, and thyroid problems and of course they can get the big dog curse of hip displasia. Properly taken care of dogs you can minimize problems of course.

SIZE: Hey there kids Akita's get big! A female will weigh between 95 to 105lbs with males reaching 125 to 130lbs of solid dog pulling muscle! :) My baby Akita Annabell....She is just 6 months and she is already 60lbs. Akita's in case you do not know can grow for up to 2 years! So she ought to get pretty big.
Let me throw something else out there... You do not want a 100 pound rock solid muscle dog if you are not able to be a strong pack leader!

PACK LEADER: you may ask why I keep brining this up. Well there is a difference between a dog owner and a pack leader. No offense to anyone, I am a fan of almost all dogs, but if you are a let's say a....Lab owner...that breed is pretty easy, very smart, loyal and properly exercised...simple. Akita's are not. Period. In Japan they are used as police dogs, guard dogs, and BEAR HUNTERS! They require constant work, training, and patience. To be a pack leader you must show dominance all the time, and prove to them that you are smarter and their leader, you need to earn their respect and give them a reason to follow you. By that I mean you must work on training all the time, be careful the games that you play, do not at anytime allow them to be dominant over you. Your reward for all this work is one of the most loving and loyal dogs you can ever own.

Ok Enough rambling for now! Check back and I will continue to update you about Akita's and my Akita Annabell! Feel free to ask any questions you may have, I may not be a dog expert, but after owning 2 Akita's I know more than a little bit about them!