Can An Akita Be a Service Dog?

One of the best choices of animals for service tasks is a dog. However, it is important to note that some kinds of dogs are teachable, easy to learn, and proficient at tasks, which makes them excellent service dogs. 

Your most pressing answer to the question ‘Can an Akita be a service dog?’ could be correct. I am tempted to give you a direct answer, but I think it is most important to share details about the Akita breed, its characteristics, and its predominant behavior so you can clearly ascertain if an Akita can serve or not. Let’s dive right in!

Can an Akita be a Service dog?

Yes. An Akita can be a service dog. This is because a service dog is one that is trained to help individuals with diverse forms of disability, which could be physical, mental, sensory, intellectual, or psychiatric. 

The Japanese hunting breed, Akita, is easy to train; it has strength physically and can assist one in accomplishing tasks. Beyond its body buildup is an advantage to its handler in need of service. Akita is intelligent and shows deep affection towards its owner and family. 

Intruders may face the opposite, but they are exceptional watchdogs that learn quickly and perform tasks swiftly. These and more make them a great choice for service.

Types of Service Dog Roles

There are numerous types of services that dogs, including Akita, can render. Some of those roles include:

• Hearing service dogs use their sensitive auditory skills to provide help to individuals who have hearing impairments.
• Individuals suffering from mental disorders like anxiety crises, depression, and PTSD. Psychiatric service dogs provide emotional support, so they have their space, and on the other hand, their needs are met.
• Autism service dogs are equipped to support individuals suffering from autism. They also assist autistic adults and children in social settings. 
• Service dogs also play exceptional roles, including bringing medication to individuals suffering from panic attacks, seizures, etc. They can close the door to prevent theft and notify someone of another’s presence, thereby providing security and so on.

Akita can be trained to fit into any of these roles and more. Simply identify their strengths and train them to function in that direction. Alternatively, when getting an Akita to play a service role for you, inquire to know whether or not they can perform that function. 

What Traits Does an Akita Possess That Can Make it Serve as a Security Dog?

Although not friendly to strangers, Akita is gentle and loyal. It shows compassion towards people it is familiar with. When trained, Akita can assist individuals with disabilities in picking things up, opening doors, supporting them, and providing them with balance, as it is robust physically. It has the strength to retrieve things and provide a wide range of services. Individuals who are not mobile can also benefit from the physique of Akita. 

Akita provides friendship and emotional support. They are quite calm and sensitive to perceive their handler’s needs at any given time. This quality of theirs offers handy emotional support. Their body size gives them the added advantage of a sense of security, even though they do not bark often. This reduces certain forms of anxiety that individuals with disabilities may face.

Is Akita Best Suited as a Personal or Military Security Dog?

Akita can function as a personal dog. It can offer services as well. Wikipedia documented that Akita was employed during the Russo-Japanese War to get in touch with prisoners and sailors who were lost. It was considered a non-military dog during World War II. 

Can Akita Serve Other Purposes Apart From Being a Security Dog?

Yes, Akita can serve other purposes. Originally, it was trained to hunt, serve as a guard, and herd cattle. Other potentials embedded in it are being uncovered, including its ability to track big games. It possesses notable qualities that qualify it to be a police dog. Furthermore, Akitas are great service dogs. 

Does Akita Need Special Training to Become a Security Dog?

Akitas are trainable and intelligent. They will watch over their owners, family, and people they are familiar with in different capacities, especially when they are trained to. 

Akitas need special training in the aspects that they are made to function in. Dogster.com explains further that this breed is not lazy with tasks and performs its obligations with some training to make it more skilled.

Success Story of Akita as a Service Dog by a Reddit User

You shouldn’t pay attention to anyone who says that Akitas makes good service dogs. I’ve tried it and my Akita has served beyond my expectations. 

I trained my Akita to be a service dog. But before then, I noticed that it had been wired to perform exceptionally well, even as a service. So, it had just a few things to learn. He loves all people and dogs. He’s been in many loud, busy, new environments, and I haven’t had any issues. Some of it is temperament, and a lot of it is socialization and training.

Be consistent, and the dog should do wonders. Not all dogs can be service dogs, but it isn’t fair at all to say an Akita can’t be. There are many people who have had great success. Akitas are extremely receptive and pick up on things quite quickly.

Before You Go

If you want to get a service dog to aid someone around you or even yourself in performing a function, it’s a great decision to make. You can get an Akita if you have the opportunity to make a choice about which kind of dog you prefer. However, consider equipping your dog with the necessary role it needs to play via training in order to make the most of it.