Last weekend we went to Leenderbos which is near Eindhoven in the Netherlands. It was a cold, but sunny day and at days like this… hiking is just really nice.

Our Akita ‘Kensho’ doesn’t need much to be happy. He just needs to be with the people he loves, “the more the better” he seems to think. And don’t try to leave the group, since he’s counting all the time.

Just look at this happy face:

He’s great at posing for the camera. I taught him that. See this great face:

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Today I received these stunning Akita pictures. It’s Daigo (this is Kensho’s brother) and Rona, an Akita bitch.

Daigo (left, male Akita) and Rona (right, Akita bitch)

Rona loves agility!

Akita Agility with Rona

Does this dog have Akita blood running through her veins?

I received this question from Jody and agreed to post it on my blog to ask about YOUR thoughts! Please comment using the comment form below and tell us what you think. Thanks.

I have a wonderful dog that looks like part Akita, but is only 45 pounds, about 20 – 22 inches at the top of the shoulder.

I was wondering if anyone could tell me if she is indeed part Akita? She has so may mannerisms of an Akita along with the different vocals. Wonderful dog!

I got her from a friend who got her from his brother. They got her from a pound or somewhere in Virginia.

She usually has a deeper groove in her forehead which isn’t showing up in the photo’s here.

She really thought taking her pictures was a definite waste of her time, she wanted to play instead.

Jody

Caught on tape again… my Akita Kensho is washing our cat.

She doesn’t want him to stop!

Here’s the one I took before (this time, she wants him to stop… make up your mind kitty-cat ):

If it’s not an Akita, it’s just a dog

Someone going by the name of ‘scraderz20′ uploaded this movie to YouTube. To my surprise my own Akita dog Kensho appeared at 2 minutes and three seconds.

The starting frame… that’s him too.

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Sometimes I get the question where to find a reputable Japanese Akita breeder. Earlier I published a list of Akita kennels in the Netherlands. You can find others by doing a search in Google or start from this website.

Select about three breeders in your area and visit them – personally! Get to know them and have a look at their dogs. Don’t go buy an Akita in an impulse or choose this breed just because they look so cute.

Choose wisely.

Akita’s (just like any other dog for that matter) don’t release body heat as effectively as humans do. Dogs are therefore much more susceptible to hot temperatures.

My Akita dog Kensho likes to sunbathe but he has always access to shade and fresh water. He has a choice. Dogs in a car don’t have that choice! Every year countless dogs die after being locked inside cars while their owners shop or run other errands. On a summer day, a car can turn easily into an oven. This is because cars act as greenhouses, trapping the heat of the sun.

A dog locked inside a car is the cause of too many preventable tragic deaths. Dogs can withstand a body temperature of 107 to 108 degrees for only a short time before they experience brain and nerve damage, heart problems and finally death.

Don’t think you can leave your dog inside when a window is open, or when a fan is working… it’s not safe! See this table to lookup the inside temperature of a car compared to the outside temperature.

See below for a tragic article that was released today by United Press International:

ARNOLD, Mo., June 25 (UPI) — Seven high-priced show dogs, including a top Akita, died after being left by their handler in a hot van for more than five hours, police near St. Louis said.

A Siberian Husky survived but had kidney failure and might be euthanized, veterinarian Dr. Laura Ivan told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

“I’ve never seen such a horrific act in my lifetime,” Ivan said.

She called the deaths of the dogs — including three golden retrievers, a Dalmatian, a different Siberian Husky, a Malamute and the top-ranked Akita — a “horrible, tragic accident.”

Mary Wild, 24, a paid handler, was not charged in the deaths, although a sheriff’s department report will be turned over to the Jefferson County prosecutor, police said.

Wild told police she left the dogs in a cargo van in the driveway around 1 a.m. CDT Monday and went to bed after returning from a dog show in Iowa, police said.

She explained she put six electric fans in the van to keep the dogs cool. She said she also left a van door open and the van’s windows partly open, Capt. Ralph Brown of the sheriff’s office told the newspaper.

She told police she checked on the dogs around 4 a.m. and they appeared fine, Brown said.

But about 6:30 a.m., all eight dogs were in distress, Brown said. Five were breathing, but not responsive. The other three could raise their heads.

The National Weather Service said the outside temperature at 1 a.m. Monday was 83 degrees and 80 degrees at 6 a.m.

Investigators were trying to determine how hot the inside of the van could have gotten.

Wild did not return phone and e-mail messages from the Post-Dispatch requesting comment.

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Once or twice a day my Akita Kensho has his crazy 5 minutes and today.. finally… I had the camera within reach.

The routine is the same every morning: we go for a 30 – 45 minute walk, I pick up the newspaper en we return home. He plays with a fluffy toy or ball and starts to eat when I sit down for breakfast with the morning paper.

I uploaded the movie to YouTube and starting thinking about bloat in dogs and how in fact, this movie is a demonstration of correct chewing behavior not commonly seen in dogs. Perhaps you have read my article on Best Dog Food Guide about dog table manners and if not, you can find the link here to go and find out about the digestion differences between you and your canine companion.

Now onto Kensho’s demo: you play first, and only then.. you eat. When eating, chew your food carefully (don’t fall into that typical gorging behavior that give dogs a bad name as diner companions).

Why is this good behavior?

Play reduces stress and the risk of developing gastric torsion is reduced when your dog has no stress, doesn’t exercise after a meal and chews his food whilst eating slowly.

Find out about the acute health risk of gastric torsion, commonly referred to as bloat on Best Dog Food Guide.com

Other articles you may find interesting:

Dog table manners (about the differences between you and your dog)

Bad breath in dogs (dental care diet)