Stonecreek Akitas Puppy Care Tips

FEEDING - Your Puppy should have plenty of water at all times. You can choose to have free feeding or plan two or three feeding times a day. You WILL need to entice him/her to eat (NOT ONLY NOW BUT ALSO FOR THE NEXT 5 TO 7 MONTHS!).

Having dry kibble available is important, but for the main meals mixing WARM WATER with a quality food (to soften it) is a must! Also mixing any of the following will make it more desirable to the puppy: canned milk, an egg YOLK (if you use the white IT MUST BE COOKED!), a tablespoon or two of cottage cheese, yogurt, butter or oil, some canned dog food (like Pedigree), tuna fish, sardines, or any other "good" food or leftovers (do not feed too much leftovers, and do not feed your puppy at the table), the main idea is to make the food more enticing, yet still have the bulk of it plain puppy food!

It is EXTREMELY important to feed your puppy correctly as he is growing so rapidly. A biscuit is always a nice treat in the afternoon. If you are ever concerned that your puppy is not eating properly, please call us immediately!

This one point we can't stress enough... YOU MUST SEE TO IT THAT YOUR PUPPY STAYS IN HEAVY WEIGHT (but not grossly fat) ALL THE TIME. Once they lose the weight it is MUCH harder to get it back on, and they have a VERY HARD TIME trying to regain proportional head size! Again it is not genetic but environmental, which means you are NEGLECTING THIS DOG!

The only supplements we recommend are Iodine, Biotin, E, Cod Liver fish oil, C, Zinc, and maybe B-12 if needed. There can be many more but know the problems that go with over supplementing. Please call us for our opinion BEFORE you try!

HOUSEBRAKING - This can be accomplished by crating your puppy, especially at night. You will then need to take the puppy out approximately every two hours to go potty. It may take 10-15 minutes (could be less) for things to happen, but when it does, give your puppy all the praise you can muster at 2:00 A.M.

Akitas respond well to verbal praise! If you choose not to use a crate, give your puppy his own space in your home. He will not soil his sleeping or eating area. Body language will also tell you when nature calls - watch your puppy outside to see what he does just before relieving himself, he will do the same in the home. If your puppy does have accidents in the house, there are products sold at pet stores that are designed specifically to take care of stains and smells.

A product that we highly recommend is called Nature's Miracle. If you have trouble finding it, let us know, we can order it for you wholesale. DO NOT use products that contain ammonia, as it will retain the smell of urine and the puppy will return to that area again and again.

It takes patience and understanding, but before long, you'll have your puppy letting you know what he needs.

CRATES - We strongly believe in crating dogs, especially while you step out for any length of time. If done in a positive way, the crate will become like a den for your puppy; he will enjoy going into his crate. Akita puppies (and also grown Akitas) can be devils if left to run the house. Couches and blinds, among many other items have been known to be destroyed by bored or untrained Akitas.

Crating leaves you in control, not your dog. If you need to buy a crate, we suggest you get an extra large crate (500 series), as your puppy will need it when he is full-grown. Getting this large of a crate from the start will prevent more expense down the road. We can help you find a crate for reasonable price - just let us know.

We also suggest that you do not leave your puppy unattended in your yard. Akitas have been stolen from yards, also cars (many have then been sold for dog fighting). Akita puppies are so cute, that some people are not above stealing them and taking them home. Please watch your puppy carefully. Kennel or crate you dog when you are not at home.

EXERCISE - Your growing puppy is very fragile in the area of stress related injuries. Your puppy knows its limits and will play with great energy until he is exhausted, at which time he will stop. DO NOT take your puppy running until he is at least one year old. Even at this age, you will need to use caution and be very attentive to body language, because he will want to keep up with you, thus over exerting himself to keep up with your pace. This has been attributed to muscle and joint injuries, as the puppy is still growing at this stage.

Walking your puppy is very healthy. Start with short jaunts and still watch your puppy carefully for fatigue. Gradually lengthen your walks as your puppy matures. However, if you play with your dog daily in your yard, he will get the necessary exercise he needs to stay in shape. Just keep in mind that as long as there are growth plates in the front legs; your puppy should not get to lean and trim as stated above in the feeding section.

SOCIALIZATION - We strongly emphasize that you socialize your puppy throughout his whole life. This is a MUST! Even if you do not show your dog, fun matches and other activities with dogs is the perfect environment for your puppy to come in contact with people and other dogs. Please call us if you need information on such activities. Remember that the Akita has many traits, much like the wolf, (control the desire to be alpha), also animal aggression, these are a few behaviors not very well tolerated in today’s society.

We hope these suggestions will help you with your new family member. Through the years of raising Akitas, we have experienced a lot the hard way! If you are ever in need of advice or information, please do not hesitate to contact us, we are here to help. After all, they were and always will be our little babies. We love every one of them.