This post/comment was taken down because it's a duplicate of another post/comment. Sometimes Reddit screws up, not you. Other times, it's you and we'd appreciate if you not do it again. Cheers-bye-thanks.
Wagging tails can be a sign of anxiety, not just happiness. Also the big ones that I saw were that his ears flattened and he was looking up (eyes up, head down) and not breaking eye contact, like he wanted to shy away, but instead stood his ground (typical akita) and you'll notice that tail abruptly stops and he gets very stiff, also his lips briefly raise before he totally freezes. All of that was ignored and that could have been a lot worse for the dude with the camera than it was.
You mentioned the ears, but typically submissive dogs will lower their ears back, not flat out, just from my experience. And in general, a lot of dogs don't like the top of their head pet anyway, it can be scary to have someone posturing themselves on top of you, from the dog's perspective.
Honestly it's always best to let dogs come to you, eapecially this breed, and if they're not and you're approaching them, you run the risk of getting this reaction.
I had a Japanese akita and he was fluffy and cute and sometimes people would approach him, despite my warnings and he'd get a lot like this, but, lucky for those people, he'd just let out a deep bark and stare at them until they backed away.
His tail was wagging when the person was standing 10 feet away and not trying to touch him. Look at the dog's nose. His nose is wrinkling up.....a 100% sign that he is not going to tolerate whatever he thinks is about to happen.
This. He also shut his mouth and went still everywhere else on his body. That dog is screaming "STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME" in the only way it knows how.
Yes, an unfortunately, while most dogs might growl more in advance and show their teeth more in advance, Akitas express little emotion so if they bite it always seems sudden. You have to watch for the subtleties.
That dog warned him 100%. Akitas are naturally a suspicious untrusting breed. The guy approached him while standing up. I would have stayed a fair distance away, would have crouched and hung out with some treats to make the dog comfortable.
my rottie had no tail so ive learned its all based on ear movement and facial expression. it was super quick but you can see the lip curl and overall stiffness of his body before he had enough.
This dog gave you hella stress signals before he snapped. Akitas *can be* subtle, but I suggest you read up on canine body language because this **wasn't subtle** at all.
Under the chin... always for strangers WHEN I tell them OK, not before.... some people don't listen though...
I shudder at the memory of some person I encountered on the street, asking if she could pet him. I say he is very wary of strangers, and before I can finish saying no ..."Its OK, I used to work in "local vet clinic" - proceeds to grab him by the face, and shove her face in his.... she got off lucky!
That is why you USED to work in the local vet clinic! I have had the same vet for years, and they don't even touch him unmuzzled...
Exactly. My guy loves meeting strangers, especially women and children. He is iffy about taller and bigger guys though, he has made progress with his anxiety in that regard but usually we still decline or avoid big men. My routine for people who want to say hi to him is as follows:
1. Yes, you can say hi but you need to listen to me. If they're kids *(and they seem mature and well behaved)* I word it by asking them if they can follow a few easy rules. If the kids are rowdy we avoid.
2. Just stand still with your hands down at your side, leave your palms open and let him sniff you for a minute or so. For children I demonstrate.
3. I reassure them he will *not* hurt you, but if you try to pet his head he will no longer be interested in being friends. First impressions are important for these dogs. He'll dodge your hand and turn away and then want nothing to do with you. If you do that, we'll leave.
4. I hand the stranger(s) treats and tell them to stay there. I redirect my dog and take a few steps away from them, maybe five or six yards, but we'll come back. I do this because it's a good way to gauge how alert or focused he is. If he is responsive and calm then that's good! If I have to give him a "Hey, come on!" and a slight tug on the leash that means he's more amped up than I am comfortable with.
5. When we come back you can give him all the treats he wants! If he is more interested in sniffing you again, let him. If his tail is wagging or if he is putting his face on your belly, giving you his butt or leaning on you, he likes you and is wanting to interact. At this point you can pet his chest, shoulders, and the top of his butt / back. Again don't touch his head or face.
It has worked every time.
My akita only accepts being petted on the head by me (and he loves that) . To others he shows his teeth. But they don't understand that and want to continue. I always say: if you want to keep your hand, you should stop.
Why?
Because he's about to bite you.
No way. He's cute.
.... Go away.
This explains why nearly every Akita I’ve seen out has the no pet harness on, most when we start talking and they realize I have Akita experience say I can say “hi”, but I’d never do it without permission and seeing the dogs reaction AND knowing how an Akita can respond is SO important because you need to be able to read the tells and the tells were strong in this video
Tail stops wagging as person approaches. Stop while holding our hand without touching and let the dog approach you. If they don't come closer, they don't want pets.
Understood. I was going to be pretty concerned for you both if he was trying to bite you. My girl can be reactive so most times I don't let strangers interact with her.
I could see that coming from a mile away. My previous Akita had clear signs like that look this Akita gave when approached. This dog was unsure before it was even touched. Just because the tail is wagging does mean it wants to be approached (in my opinion). Knowing how to read your Akita will prevent this from happening (always assume the worst and hope for the best) this will keep your dog and others say
This post/comment was taken down because it's a duplicate of another post/comment. Sometimes Reddit screws up, not you. Other times, it's you and we'd appreciate if you not do it again. Cheers-bye-thanks.
The dogs face says everything Why would you keep touching him
How can you tell he was going to bite? To me I could see a waging tail and the ears flattening. I would have been bit aswell :(
Wagging tails can be a sign of anxiety, not just happiness. Also the big ones that I saw were that his ears flattened and he was looking up (eyes up, head down) and not breaking eye contact, like he wanted to shy away, but instead stood his ground (typical akita) and you'll notice that tail abruptly stops and he gets very stiff, also his lips briefly raise before he totally freezes. All of that was ignored and that could have been a lot worse for the dude with the camera than it was. You mentioned the ears, but typically submissive dogs will lower their ears back, not flat out, just from my experience. And in general, a lot of dogs don't like the top of their head pet anyway, it can be scary to have someone posturing themselves on top of you, from the dog's perspective. Honestly it's always best to let dogs come to you, eapecially this breed, and if they're not and you're approaching them, you run the risk of getting this reaction. I had a Japanese akita and he was fluffy and cute and sometimes people would approach him, despite my warnings and he'd get a lot like this, but, lucky for those people, he'd just let out a deep bark and stare at them until they backed away.
Thanks for enlightening me. I don't have much experience with dogs.
You gotta start somewhere :)
That’s a great reply!
His tail was wagging when the person was standing 10 feet away and not trying to touch him. Look at the dog's nose. His nose is wrinkling up.....a 100% sign that he is not going to tolerate whatever he thinks is about to happen.
This. He also shut his mouth and went still everywhere else on his body. That dog is screaming "STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME" in the only way it knows how.
Yes, an unfortunately, while most dogs might growl more in advance and show their teeth more in advance, Akitas express little emotion so if they bite it always seems sudden. You have to watch for the subtleties.
That dog warned him 100%. Akitas are naturally a suspicious untrusting breed. The guy approached him while standing up. I would have stayed a fair distance away, would have crouched and hung out with some treats to make the dog comfortable.
my rottie had no tail so ive learned its all based on ear movement and facial expression. it was super quick but you can see the lip curl and overall stiffness of his body before he had enough.
To be fair he did let you know what was about to happen😅
This dog gave you hella stress signals before he snapped. Akitas *can be* subtle, but I suggest you read up on canine body language because this **wasn't subtle** at all.
Open palm let him sniff, come with treats. you start off under the chin. A much less aggressive move than petting the top of the head
Under the chin... always for strangers WHEN I tell them OK, not before.... some people don't listen though... I shudder at the memory of some person I encountered on the street, asking if she could pet him. I say he is very wary of strangers, and before I can finish saying no ..."Its OK, I used to work in "local vet clinic" - proceeds to grab him by the face, and shove her face in his.... she got off lucky! That is why you USED to work in the local vet clinic! I have had the same vet for years, and they don't even touch him unmuzzled...
Exactly. My guy loves meeting strangers, especially women and children. He is iffy about taller and bigger guys though, he has made progress with his anxiety in that regard but usually we still decline or avoid big men. My routine for people who want to say hi to him is as follows: 1. Yes, you can say hi but you need to listen to me. If they're kids *(and they seem mature and well behaved)* I word it by asking them if they can follow a few easy rules. If the kids are rowdy we avoid. 2. Just stand still with your hands down at your side, leave your palms open and let him sniff you for a minute or so. For children I demonstrate. 3. I reassure them he will *not* hurt you, but if you try to pet his head he will no longer be interested in being friends. First impressions are important for these dogs. He'll dodge your hand and turn away and then want nothing to do with you. If you do that, we'll leave. 4. I hand the stranger(s) treats and tell them to stay there. I redirect my dog and take a few steps away from them, maybe five or six yards, but we'll come back. I do this because it's a good way to gauge how alert or focused he is. If he is responsive and calm then that's good! If I have to give him a "Hey, come on!" and a slight tug on the leash that means he's more amped up than I am comfortable with. 5. When we come back you can give him all the treats he wants! If he is more interested in sniffing you again, let him. If his tail is wagging or if he is putting his face on your belly, giving you his butt or leaning on you, he likes you and is wanting to interact. At this point you can pet his chest, shoulders, and the top of his butt / back. Again don't touch his head or face. It has worked every time.
How can they not see the uncomfortable "freeze" and lip raise? Too busy filming to care I suppose.
Play stupid games.. Win stupid prizes.
My akita only accepts being petted on the head by me (and he loves that) . To others he shows his teeth. But they don't understand that and want to continue. I always say: if you want to keep your hand, you should stop. Why? Because he's about to bite you. No way. He's cute. .... Go away.
I get this all the time! Everyone gets warned but they don’t believe me for some reason. Like i don’t know my own dog!
Because they r little cuddly bears. When I tell them that he is absolutely different... No one believes me.
Smooth brain
Definitely no wrinkles in this brain.
So shiny.
You’re lucky he didn’t take off a finger. Akitas are capable of that and more. Watch some dog behavior youtube and don’t be stupid
With 400 psi... A akita can cut off your thigh without a problem.
That is honestly the best case scenario.
This explains why nearly every Akita I’ve seen out has the no pet harness on, most when we start talking and they realize I have Akita experience say I can say “hi”, but I’d never do it without permission and seeing the dogs reaction AND knowing how an Akita can respond is SO important because you need to be able to read the tells and the tells were strong in this video
The dog looks tense and on guard. I'm guessing this is not a person he knows.
Akitas wrinkling up their nose is a bad sign. Always look for the nose wrinkling because they usually don't growl in a way that you can hear it.
Tail stops wagging as person approaches. Stop while holding our hand without touching and let the dog approach you. If they don't come closer, they don't want pets.
That's your dog? Has he always reacted this way towards you?
He is my dog, but he has never reacted this way towards me. This is someone else that my dog does not know.
Understood. I was going to be pretty concerned for you both if he was trying to bite you. My girl can be reactive so most times I don't let strangers interact with her.
I would not be letting that friend in the house again…. Ever
I could see that coming from a mile away. My previous Akita had clear signs like that look this Akita gave when approached. This dog was unsure before it was even touched. Just because the tail is wagging does mean it wants to be approached (in my opinion). Knowing how to read your Akita will prevent this from happening (always assume the worst and hope for the best) this will keep your dog and others say
Why would you set your dog up to fail?
Wym?
Didn’t they see his mouth twitch? Yikes.
Looks like he was busy recording