In the pet world, people seem to brag about two things when it comes to their dog’s intelligence: How smart their dog is, or how loveably dumb their dog is. While there are certainly some endearing qualities for a goofball of a dog, I think we’d all prefer to have a smart one. Smart dogs are easier to communicate with and thus typically easier to train. Smart dogs are also less likely to get themselves into trouble, like running out into traffic if they get loose.

Check out the full article with the intelligence test here:
https://theakitalife.com/are-akitas-s...

So that begs the question, are Akitas smart? Akitas are considered to be a highly intelligent breed, but just like humans this will vary from one Akita to the next. One of the biggest indicators of how intelligent your dog is, is how easy it is to train them. I can tell you from personal experience, that our Akita, Haga, was learning how to come and sit at only 7 weeks of age, and he was house trained shortly thereafter.

How to Tell if Your Akita is Intelligent?
There are different types of intelligence for dogs just like there are for humans. Your Akita might have good problem solving skills, emotional intelligence, etc…

I find that our American Akita, Haga, isn’t easily tricked. For example, some dogs when you pretend to have a treat in your hand, will come running at the first promise of food, however your Akita will likely be skeptical of you if they didn’t see you grab the treat from the bag. If you’re curious if your Akita is smart or not, try suddenly pretending to see if you have a treat in your hand see if they react!

If you’re wondering if your Akita has emotional intelligence, try to take note of their behavior when you’re sad or upset. I remember a recent situation where I was having a rough couple of days, and during that time my Akita, Haga never left my side, and was extra cuddly.





American Akitas are also typically very good at identifying potential threats. While some people believe that Akitas don’t like strangers in general, it has been my experience that Akitas don’t like people that are untrustworthy. A great example of this is how our American Akita, Haga, reacts to the neighbors in the neighborhood while we’re out for a walk. There is a wonderful family down the street from us and Haga is always excited to see their kids and play with them, but on the other side of the town lives someone who isn’t exactly the most savory character, and our Akita always barks and shows his teeth when this person walks by. It’s because of this reason I always trust my dog’s instincts when around strangers.

It’s important to also keep in mind the proud history of Akitas, as they were originally bred as working dogs for hunting bear in the snowy mountains of Japan. According to the incredible book Dog Man: An Uncommon Life on a Faraway Mountain by Martha Sherrill (click here to get it on Amazon). The technique used by the hunters was to have their Akita encircle the bear and box it in so the hunter could then kill the bear. It’s clear Akitas must be quite smart to participate in such an event, given that their life and their owners life was on the line during bear hunts.

#Akita #dogtraining #americanakita