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my girlfriend and I got this adorable puppy and she is akita and aussie. I was wondering how this mix is with children because we found out my girlfriend is pregnant and if this mix won't be good with children we need to get rid of her before we get anymore attached to her. Any advice with this mix would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Hi, and welcome! Congratulations on the new pup, and the impending human pup as well. Good news. Because you got this as a puppy, you have every chance to make it a great dog with your child, and other children. Both breeds have excellent qualities to be a family dog, but the caveat is, they NEED training.
But because you got it as a puppy, and humans take 9 months to gestate before they are born, you have a lot of time to train the pup, and socialize it, and make it the great dog it can become. Make sure you start with a good puppy kindergarten, and once the pup has all its shots (you didn't say how old it is), be sure to continually work on socializing it. I am sure it is gorgeous, and it has lots of potential to be your child's best friend in the whole world.
Aussies are active, so make sure you have plans to get it plenty of exercise, even once it is grown. Keep it mentally challenged and remember - a tired pup is a well-behaved pup.
Akitas can tend to be very strong-willed, and like having a smart dog, it's a blessing and a curse at the same time. Be consistent and firm with the training, and you will do fine. Teach manners now while it is small, and you'll eliminate problems later!
I'll be honest, from your post my first thought was to just rehome the dog now while it's still a puppy. It's a lot easier to find a new home for a dog now instead of when it's 9 months old, big, and in the hyper puppy stage. Regardless of breed, it's a puppy, it's going to mouthy, playful, etc. can you handle that with a baby? As Karen said you have plenty of time to train the dog which will help, the dog should easily be potty trained by then (I'm assuming the dog will be in the house not an outdoor dog?). Have you had dogs/big dogs before?
I would say either breed can be great with children but neither breed is one that I would necessarily recommend to people wanting a dog good with children. Aussies are herding breeds which tend to nip/herd other animals/kids...not that they are trying to be mean but if you don't understand herding behavior it could cause a problem. They also have a LOT of energy and need mental stimulation, they need a "job" to keep them occupied.
I don't know as much about akitas but most that I've met tend to be dog aggressive (which does not at all equal human aggression but something to be aware of). They are protective of their families and strong willed/stubborn. If they are anything like my huskies in temperament and I think they are similar in this sense, they do things based on "what's in it for them" not "I want to please my owner."
If you take the time to train and socialize your pup it can be a great dog, ANY breed can be a great dog. I would definitely make sure you spay/neuter the puppy at around 5-6 months and start a puppy training class right away. Also remember to train yourselves ha ha....you are responsible for supervising interactions with the dog and the baby, you have to make sure the baby is not going to hurt or startle the dog which could react in a bite. Even the best dogs who loves kids could bite if a child was hurting it and of course a baby doesn't realise it's hurting the dog by pulling its fur, poking it in the eye, etc. When the child gets older you have to teach the child to understand how to be safe and gentle around a dog. That sounds like a beautiful dog, do you have any pics?
As mentioned, Akitas need lots of training, constantly, for life. A neighbor up the road had a beautiful Akita he got as a puppy. He took her to training classes, read up on the breed constantly, went online to Akita forums, and did lots of work with her. Result? A beautiful well socialized dog who loved humans, and tolerated dogs down to about 60 pounds (she was 120). Smaller dogs, he had to keep hold as she considered them prey.
She passed, and he took in a rescue Akita. This girl is big, even for an Akita, at 150 pounds! She was age 3 when he got her, and she had never had ANY training. He's worked with her for 2 years and the change is impressive. And yet, she is NOT human friendly, and not dog friendly. Calvin used to walk the neighborhood chatting with all of us. Now he walks down the middle of the street with his dog, and we have to "schedule" times to talk - I mean, we have to visit one another to chat.
Aussies are wonderful dogs, high energy, highly intelligent, and need a job to do. Herding trials, Agility, flyball, all are fun activities for both dog and human. My Agility instructor has 2 and they frequently (4 times a week) take long hikes through the woods.
So, even with no infant, do you have the time and commitment to make this work? To help this puppy grow to be the wonderful pet she was meant to be? To develop to her best ability? If you do, and you fit all the things in now, I suspect you will be able to continue with the routine when the baby arrives, and all will be well.