Biting is a natural part of Akita’s life, especially when they are young and still teething. However, it is essential to train them out of the habit as soon as possible so they don’t grow up and treat biting as a form of play with their sharp teeth.
How To Stop Akita From Biting? There are three methods for training your Akita to stop biting: refusing to give them a treat until they stop biting, saying “ouch” when they bite you in a firm but not angry voice, and refusing to play with them if they start biting.
Keep in mind that chewing for teething puppies can help relieve the pain, so giving them a toy for chewing is a good middle ground. Keep reading to learn step-by-step how to use these methods and other tactics for calming your Akita, so they don’t get overexcited and start biting.
How To Stop Akita From Biting?
You must discover why your Akita is biting. For puppies, biting is usually a sign of teething, and solving the problem can be as simple as getting a toy that helps relieve their pain to chew on. For adult Akitas, it can be because they want to play and are overexcited.
What you will need
Before you can start training with the methods below, you will need to get:
- Treats to use as rewards.
- Chew toys or bones which they are allowed to bite.
- A quiet space as training is easier when there are no distractions.
Also, remember that training your Akita not to bite goes against their nature, so come to the training with patience. Some dogs learn faster than others, so you need to be willing to be understanding and calm.
The Praising Method
Giving your dog a treat only when they no longer bite is an excellent way of reinforcing the behavior you want. Remember never to punish them for “bad” behavior but to redirect unwanted behavior instead.
- Grab some of your Akita’s favorite treats and call them to you.
- Let them sniff the treats in your fist but don’t let them get any.
- Let them do whatever they need to get the treats, including nibbling at your hand, but keep the treats from them.
- When your Akita gives up and walks away, praise them and then let them have the treats.
Repeat this process until they figure out that they only get the reward when they don’t bite. It may take some time, but they will learn eventually.
The “Ouch” Method
Your dog isn’t trying to hurt you when they bite. Most likely, Akitas are trying to play with you, so reacting in a way that shows them their bites hurt can teach them not to do it anymore.
- Start the training by playing with your Akita. They need to be in a playful mood that usually instigates biting.
- Keep playing until your Akita starts to nip or bite you.
- Once they do, say “ouch” in a firm voice. It’s important not to raise your voice or get angry. You are only showing your dog that they have hurt you and not punishing them.
- Redirect their attention to a chew toy or bone that they are allowed to bite.
Showing your Akita that biting you hurts but biting a chew toy or bone will show them that you are the Alpha while also helping them learn the boundaries of biting. Eventually, they will only bite and chew on their toys.
The Ignoring Method
This method is more general than the ones outlined above, but it’s one that you can use in any circumstance. It’s the simple method of refusing to play or interact with your Akita after they bite you.
- When your dog bites, you either yelp or say “no” in a firm but not angry voice.
- Turn away from them to let them know you don’t want to play anymore.
- Wait for them to calm down and then you can give them a treat and return to playing.
If you find that your Akita is not calming down, then you can put them behind a baby gate or in another room from you so they can’t see you and wait for them to calm down. The separation is a strong signal that you don’t want to play anymore.
Do Akitas bite their owners?
Generally, Akitas are very loyal dogs, so they are unlikely to bite their owners unless overexcited or provoked. It is also possible that they will bite if they don’t have the proper training yet, either because the Akita is young or because they didn’t get the training beforehand.
If they are a puppy, they may bite their owner only because they are teething and need to chew on something to relieve the pain, much as a human baby would. Giving them chew toys or teething rings can help redirect their chewing and teach them the boundaries of what they are allowed to bite.
How do you control an Akita?
Akitas are loyal and intelligent dogs which means they bond well with their owners but can be a bit stubborn when training. If you want to teach your Akita to listen to you, you need to start small and work your way to more complex commands.
Start with something basic like “sit” and “down,” which you can use to practice other tricks later on. You should also take your Akita out for regular walks to give them the exercise they need and practice basic obedience commands and how to behave while on a leash.
The key to controlling your Akita is to remain calm but firm. Let your dog know that you are in charge and never give them the treat to distract them from unwanted behavior. Treats only reinforce desired behavior, such as not pulling on the leash and not biting while playing.
Why is my Akita becoming aggressive?
If your Akita is aggressive towards you as their owner either by growling, biting, or ignoring commands, it is because you haven’t proven you are the Alpha of the family. Most people encourage their Akitas to take over the “pack” or family without realizing it as they treat them as equals instead of asserting that they have to listen to their owners.
Akitas were originally guarding dogs for royalty and nobility, which makes them fearful and faithful protectors. They are also fiercely loyal, making them quick to aggression when around new people or other dogs.
If you own another dog or multiple people in your household, it might take some time for your Akita to adjust. Making sure that your Akita is appropriately socialized is critical, so you will want to introduce them to other dogs and people at an early age in a neutral place that is not their home as Akitas are territorial.
How to overcome aggression to other dogs and people
Akitas may try to charge other dogs and people when they first see them, automatically putting them into a defensive and intimidated mood. You will want to train your Akita to calmly approach other dogs and people by keeping them on a leash.
Having them on the leash means you can prevent them from charging forward and encourage them to calm down before approaching new dogs and people. You can start with a short lead to better control them from running at the dog or person and slowly add more length to the lead as they get the hang of approaching calming.
Eventually, you will be able to take them off the lead altogether, and they will be able to interact with others calmly.
Final Thoughts
Akitas are very loyal dogs that are unlikely to bite their owners unless they are playing or provoked. With the proper training, your Akita will stop biting as long as you are patient and willing to put in the time to train them correctly.
Akitas are guard dogs by nature, and they can quickly feel provoked by new people and dogs coming into their territory or coming towards their owners. They are more likely to bite when pressed, so you will need to make sure they are correctly socialized while they are young if you want to help prevent biting in general.