what would you do.......?

[Tonielle]

As has been mentioned before (I think?) Akitas are fantastic and beautiful dogs but...

Not exactly the most recommended breed for a family with children, or for the first time owner.

They are brilliant, but must have an experienced owner.

It's not necessarily something bad that's happened in the past, could have just been the reaction of a high-strung dog who happens to have the ability to do a lot of damage (because of size and muscle/strength ratio)

I'm sure she's a fabulous girl, but I just wouldn't have her around children - as I said, for her safety as well as the kids.
She will lose her life if because of another tragic accident she mauls a child!



*sorry, edited to clarify:

I am not mentioning the complex character of the Akita because I think the owners are not able... More just to highlight the fact that they are known to be complex dogs and not for the inexperienced for a reason (or two LOL)

[KYS]

I partly agree,
not the best breed for a first time dog owner.

In the correct environment, an Akita with the
"proper" temperament
and being treated correctly with it's owners
can be a good "family" dog.
I would not recommend
any dog to be left unsupervised with children.
Dogs are still dogs and children sometimes do not
treat them correctly.
JMHO

[lizbud]

If this were my dog that I had raised & trained myself, I would
not get rid of the dog for one incident. It was a bad accident. Why
punish the dog for it? Peolple who have had their dogs for years
either know their dogs temperment or they don't.

[bckrazy]

wow... what a bad situation for the dog and the man! Was the Akita badly injured also? I would think she'd at least get a few broken bones from a full-grown man falling off a roof onto her. Have you thought of it this way - the poor pup probably broke her masters fall, he could've gotten badly broken legs, or a broken neck or back? so in that way he might be lucky!!

IMHO, its just dumb to compare a 200-lb MAN falling off a ROOF onto a dog with a 7 year-old accidentally falling on or stepping on the dog. His kids seem old enough to be taught how to act around dogs. My 3 year-old little brother is old enough to know not to poke, pull, step on or chase Gonzo... he has fallen on Gonzo when he was sleeping, and Gonzo growled out of being startled, but then he felt really bad about it. I can totally imagine if my Dad fell on Gonzo (even not falling off of a roof) it would hurt and shock him so much that he might bite my Dad. Anyway, just because a dog CAN do that kind of damage, it doesn't mean she WILL do it again. It seems like they really love their dog, and for him to completely forgive her after injuring him he must know that he really scared/hurt her and its out of her nature. I dont know if you should blame this totally on the breed, because I'm sure there are many sweet Golden Retrievers or Labs out there that would do the same if a 200-lb thing fell on them out of nowhere and they didnt realize it was their owner.

If you really do feel uncomfortable with his decision, you should recommend he see a good behaviorist about it. A behaviorist can evaluate the Akita's temperament and give them some good tips on how to prevent anymore bites.

[Dixieland Dancer]

I reluctantly post this as so much has been already said, some of which I fully agree with and some I question.

My opinion.... Akita's are known to be dog aggressive and many Akita owners will tell you it takes a special kind of owner to handle this dog. That being said.... I do not lump all dogs into one category. I make my judgements on individual merit. In this case, I'm not sure how the man falling off the roof would cause the Akita to react to severely bite the man (especially the dogs owner). Perhaps it was so startled it lost control. None of us will know since we were not there to witness this unfortunate incident.

Liz hit the nail on the head when she said the owners should know the temperament of their dog. If they don't then shame on them. If they have even the slightest inclination the dog is not safe around the children, the dog should be rehomed.

If the dog came from a reputable breeder, this would be an excellent source of information on the dogs relatives temperments. There are also many articles online about AKita's. If the breeder is of no help, contact someone from the National Akita club and they will be more than happy to help you. I'm sure they would be more than willing to offer help in this area. If nothing else, they can point you to Akita rescue if rehoming the dog does come into play.

[yorkster]

new update......

I found out that the dog was asleep when he was fallen upon.
Also that there had never been any kind of agression in tne past, so maybe that puts a little different spin on things.

[RobiLee]

I tend to agree with KYS and Dixieland's opinions. I'm not for sure what I would do to be honest with you. To me it certainly sound like more than just a frightened dog lashing out. Sounds like an attack to me. It sounds pretty vicious. I could see Katie or Tori reacting out of fear for a second but as soon as they recognized it was me I'm certain that would be the end of it. Like KYS, I just tripped over Katie in the dark hallway and I am pretty certain that I wound up kicking her pretty hard and stumbling over top of her and she only jumped up in fright and moved. I also want to add that akitas can make good family dogs, but like with ANY other dog I do not think childern should be left alone with them. I also think it takes a special kind of owner to handle akitas and I wish more people were aware of that.

[ParNone]

I think it's a natural reaction for Dogs to snap or bite, if they're in pain or startled like that. A reflex. Just as it would be for a human to push out with their hands to get something off of you that was hurting.

If my dog continued to attack though, especially at the neck, I'd be reevaluating my relationship with my dog. That, I don't think can be explained away as a reflex reaction.

I've fallen on and stepped on mine by accident. From their yelps, I'm sure it hurt, but none have ever bitten me. A mouth on me, to let me know I hurt them, was the furthest they've gone. And I of course apologized profusely and all was forgiven. I think they know when something's on purpose vs an accident.

I also don't think most people know their dog that well. How many of us have heard, "But he's always so friendly. He's never done anything like that before", right after he's attacked you or your dog?

Par...

[Pit Chick]

Originally posted by lv4dogs
Maybe the neck area is the only area that was near the dogs mouth? Since the man fell on him I would think that the dog just went for whatever was nearest?

jennifert9, I know you are right about wolves hunting behavior in packs but it makes me wonder about the behavior in dogs that are not in packs or domesticated dogs. Sadly but true & natural instinct I personally know/have known an awful LOT of dogs that will kill smaller animals, rabbits, woodchucks, racoons etc.. and every dog I have ever witnessed went for the throat, once experienced they held it there until it was suffocated or paralyzed.

I have to agree with you on this. Also, while dogs and wolves share a lot of behaviors, they don't share them all. I've had a few accidental fights at my house and the first thing they go for is the face or throat of the other dog. They know that those are vulnerable areas that will seriously hurt or bring down the other dog. A pack of wolves will bring down a large animal together and start eating while the animal is still alive because it's a race to get a belly full before there's nothing left. A dog that's fighting another dog, attacking a person either offensively or defensively is doing so out of instinct to protect itself. A dog that goes after a leg or arm leaves itself open to being kicked or punched or if it's another dog, bitten.

I also agree with BCkrazy about taking the dog to a behaviorist. This wasn't the dog's fault and really has nothing to do with breed, breeding, or training, it was an instinctual reaction to being fallen on while asleep. (I would have reacted the same way.) All dogs are different and will react differently to being disturbed while sleeping or in pain. I've accidentally stepped on tails and toes before and while some didn't even react, others jumped up with a loud yelp.