Do Akitas Play Fetch? (All You Need to Know)

Are you wondering about which breed of dog to adopt so that you both can spend some playful and cheerful times together?

Then you should opt for Akitas as they’re the most energetic, enthusiastic, affectionate and loyal dogs. Besides unique looks, they also possess bold and strong personalities.

Do Akitas play fetch?

Akitas, notorious for their strength and power, often ignore playing fetch. A typical Akita would rather walk and chase small games to release their extra energy than playing fetch. However, you can train your Akita anytime to fetch as they are intelligent and quick learners.

Why don’t akitas fetch – Six reasons why Akitas don’t fetch

You may often find your Akita not interested in fetching a ball or playing fetch. Well, it can occur due to various reasons concerning your furry friend.

Inherited genes:

Well, fetching is one of the highest heritabilities; as Akitas don’t inherit fetching traits, they’re less likely to start bringing them automatically. If you find your Akita not interested in conveying, don’t blame him for being stubborn since fetching is linked with genes.

Purpose of breeding:

Akitas were initially bred for hunting; hence, they master attacking and getting high prey drive. But they were not bred for fetching like the Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds and Standard Poodles.

Underlying health issues:

Even after training your Akita to fetch, there might come a time when he feels disinterested to fetch.

In such a scenario, you have to be cautious cause there might be some health issues to be concerned about, like arthritis, pain, injury, hearing disability, poor vision etc. Consult with a vet as soon as possible.

Improper training methods:

If you’re training your baby Akita to fetch, you have to do it perfectly with positive reinforcements and offer them reward and praise. However, if you shout or punish them for picking up something harmful, they might lose interest in fetching for good.

Lack of space:

Akitas are outdoor dogs, and you can quickly train them to fetch items. But they require a substantial amount of space and will bring goods in a fenced area. Since open gardens with strangers and other dogs can piss off your pup, and he may develop territorial issues.

Confused about how fetching works:

Despite Akitas being intelligent dogs, they might sometimes fail to understand how fetching works. It could be your wrong training methods that discouraged your Akita to play fetch in the first place. Hence, guide him with accurate ‘take it’, ‘drop it’ and ‘retrieve it’ steps.

Do dogs naturally play fetch?

For ages, people kept believing it is natural for all dogs to play fetch with you. However, it is a mythical concept since some dogs don’t prefer to fetch while others love to. It is dependent on their inherited traits and how they were bred.

For instance, dog breeds such as the German Shepherds, Standard Poodles, Golden Retrievers, Border Collie, Belgian Malinois, German Shorthaired Pointer, and so on are excellent retrievers.

They were solely bred for this purpose. And from their puppyhood, they would develop a high fetching drive.

Playing fetch with your dog is a joint event for every dog owner. Hence, it is misinterpreted that all dogs naturally play fetch.

Whereas your pup inherits fetching traits from their ancestors. So don’t be surprised if you find your pup not willing to fetch. Instead, do some research about her features and personality.

However, it is not impossible for dogs to fetch who weren’t meant for fetching. Dogs are enthusiastic, social, human-lover animals; hence they might push their edges to gain your satisfaction. So be cautious about your furry friend’s traits for his well-being.

How do you teach a stubborn Akita dog to fetch?

You can teach your stubborn Akita dog to fetch in the following two ways-

Chasing and retrieving-

Guide him to chase:

Throw a playing toy or ball that your Akita is familiar with. Then encourage him to go after it. In this method, you also need to run alongside him, point at the toy and guide him.

Reward your Akita:

This is a very crucial part. You need to reward your stubborn Akita every time he chases after an item to keep him going. Your praises and rewards will act as a boost up for him.

Lure with a second toy:

If your pup is not bringing the toy for you, throw a second toy that is his favorite. He’ll indeed chase after it and get it back to you. Hold his collar when he comes back, then he’ll drop the item.

Walking with the leash on-

Prepare to head out:

Take lots of tasty treats with you while heading out with your furry friend. You can practice it during his walks, securing him with a long leash with your hand. Don’t forget to take your pup’s favorite toy.

Throw the toy:

Ensure he sees you throwing the toy and walk with him holding the leash as he chases after it. Don’t throw the toy too far. Point at the toy and encourage your pup to chase after it.

Call him back and reward him:

Call him back, hitting your legs or clapping your hands once he’s got the toy. Reel him in with the leash and watch him handing over the toy to you. Then reward him with lots of praises and attention. Thus he will feel motivated for the next time.

Do Akitas like to play?

Akitas, however, love to play a lot. These dogs are very active and energetic. Hence, playing helps to release their extra energy and also simulate body muscles. Playing with your Akita regularly acts as a healthy exercise means.

You should know Akitas are outdoor dogs, and they don’t like to be inside your apartment for the whole day. Staying inside will make your pooch irritated, and he’ll develop a bad temperament.

Furthermore, your pup may suffer from health issues from lack of exercise, which involves playing. So spend as much time as you can with your Akita playing with toys or anything that involves physical movements.

Thus, you can have quality time with your furry friend as well as ensuring his physical well-being.

What dogs like to play fetch?

List of dog breeds that like to play fetch-

Australian Shepherd:

Australian Shepherds require a lot of physical exercises to burn off their energy. Playing fetch helps to keep them calm and stay healthy both physically and mentally.

Border Collie:

These adorable and versatile breeds love to satisfy their parents; hence will try to learn and do anything and everything to please their owners.

Belgian Malinois:

Belgian Malinois, notorious as the smaller cousin of German Shepherds, need a lot of exercises to stay calm and healthy. Playing fetch acts as a fantastic exercise for this versatile breed.

Golden Retriever:

These hunting breeds are famous for their ability of rigorous retrieving for the hunters. Hence, playing fetch is an ideal exercise for them to burn off their energy and stay calm.

German Shorthaired Pointer:

These special sporting breeds have earned fame for being amazing retrievers equally acing on the ground, in water or air. Consequently, playing fetch acts as a perfect game for them since they get to run a lot justifying their athletic bodies.

Why are Akitas so mean?

Well, Akitas can get mean sometimes if not appropriately trained and show aggressive behaviors. But in most cases, they don’t become mean if not provoked. However, lack of socialization can also result in making your Akita mean.

Akitas also have a hunting nature and are very protective of their owners. So they will get mean when they feel a threat against their owner and will make a move hoping to save their owners.

Why are Akitas so stubborn?

Akitas are notorious for being so stubborn because of their strength, power and energy levels.

Your handsome Akita may get stubborn if he doesn’t get enough chances to release his energy. In addition to that, the presence of strangers and other dogs may also trigger your pooch.

Having a high play drive and energy level, your Akita needs constant exercise and playing opportunities to keep his calm. Otherwise, you will find your pup being stubborn and throwing tantrums at you.

Why are Akita dogs dangerous?

Akita dogs possess a scissor-like jaw that you cannot pry open yourself unless the dog decides to let it go, making Akita dogs somewhat dangerous.

A typical Akita dog weighs 60-65 kg (145 pounds) and has a height of 60-67 cm (26 inches); which makes his physique extremely powerful; consequently, it makes your Akita a potentially dangerous dog.

Even though there may be times when your Akita wouldn’t want to play fetch, you still have to make him do exercise for the sake of his mental and physical well-being.