Akita Dog Food

[Liquidice]

Hi everyone,

I have been reading about various dog foods and it seems like everyone has a different opinion on what is the best. This has left me confused as I am absolutely new to this, so I have some questions.

1. What are the top 3 generally accepted brands of dog food?
   
2. What is the best brand of dog food specifically for an Akita?
   
3. Do I need to alternate between wed and dry food and if so how often?
   
4. Do I need to alternate between different types of food (chicken, beef, etc) and if so how often?
   
5. Are there any home-made food recipe's that you can recommend?
   
6. Are there any other questions I should have asked specifically regarding an Akita diet?
   

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Edited December 5, 2016 by Liquidice

[Scottsmum]

Ekk.

Hi Liquidice,

You sure have asked a lot of complex questions there. I expect you'll get a lot of answers. My initial thoughts on your questions:

What are the top 3 generally accepted brands of dog food?

There isn't one, or three, or even ten "accepted" brands of food. You'll have a lot of people say the best food for your dog is one they do well on - and I'd stand by that to a certain degree. As a very general rule there are better brands and types / brands you want to avoid - any of the no-name brands (I mean no name or black and gold kinds) from the supermarket would be a safe bet to avoid.

This is a good, Aussie site to have a look at. http://www.petfoodreviews.com.au/

What is the best brand of dog food specifically for an Akita?

I'm not qualified to answer that - but I don't think they have any requirements which set them apart from any other big dog.

Do I need to alternate between wed and dry food and if so how often?

Nope. No real need to alternate. You might find feeding a dog that size only on canned food would be over the top expensive. Plus their poos would be huge and really gross. I personally wouldn't feed any canned.

Do I need to alternate between different types of food (chicken, beef, etc) and if so how often?

Well... That depends on what you're feeding. If you're feeding canned - No. No need to swap between a can of "beef" flavoured food and lamb and gravy. If you decided to feed a raw diet - then yes.

Are there any home-made food recipe's that you can recommend?

Again - depends on what kind of diet you want to feed. There is raw and home made. There are two basic kinds of raw - Prey model (basically whole animals or as close to "natural" as possible) and BARF (Bones and raw food or Biologically appropriate raw food) BARF tends to split into 2 more kinds - with vegies and without - lots and lots of reading there but the most basic "recipe" is a 80% muscle meat, 10% bone 10% organ

Another great resource for you here: http://www.balanced-canine.com/raw-feeding

Are there any other questions I should have asked specifically regarding an Akita diet?

Lots. Sounds like you've got lots of reading in front of you. A lot of this will depend on if you're just researching or if you have a dog at home already. If you have the dog - is it a new pup or is it an adult? Senior? If it's a pup - go back to your breeder and speak to them about feeding it (or ask if you're yet to collect it) Large breeds (and I'd consider an Akita a large breed) have specific growth needs - so hopefully you have them behind you to support you as your puppy grows. Take their advice to start with.

As I said, you'll get lots of answers here - so grab a cup of tea & settle in. Also - it's an unofficial rule on the board that you "must" share photos & welcome. :)

[persephone]

hi :)

OK.

First, find an excellent and ethical Akita breeder !!!

make sure you get a pup whose line has been well though out, and tested for any hereditary problems >

THEN - the breeder should be your first call for all things Akita :) They should help you with diet etc , as they are the 'experts'

Dog food is as individual as your dog.

One size does NOT fit all :)

Research the breed , and perhaps have a read here as well :)

LINK- lots of discussion about feeding puppy Akita

LINK- link dedicated to Akitas on D O L

[Liquidice]

Hi Scottsmum,

Thanks for the reply!

There isn't one, or three, or even ten "accepted" brands of food. You'll have a lot of people say the best food for your dog is one they do well on - and I'd stand by that to a certain degree. As a very general rule there are better brands and types / brands you want to avoid - any of the no-name brands (I mean no name or black and gold kinds) from the supermarket would be a safe bet to avoid.

This is a good, Aussie site to have a look at. http://www.petfoodreviews.com.au/

Awesome, thanks very much for the info. So, basically any "premium" brand dog food is *good*? Aside from the no-name stuff, are there any brands that are "premium" but actually are rubbish and not great for the dog?

Nope. No real need to alternate. You might find feeding a dog that size only on canned food would be over the top expensive. Plus their poos would be huge and really gross. I personally wouldn't feed any canned.

Is there a difference between canned and dry as far as what is good for the dog goes? For example, will not feeding the dog canned food be beneficial, or would it be better to throw in some canned food from time to time? Or, does it not really make a difference?

Well... That depends on what you're feeding. If you're feeding canned - No. No need to swap between a can of "beef" flavoured food and lamb and gravy. If you decided to feed a raw diet - then yes.

Awesome. Thanks.

Again - depends on what kind of diet you want to feed. There is raw and home made. There are two basic kinds of raw - Prey model (basically whole animals or as close to "natural" as possible) and BARF (Bones and raw food or Biologically appropriate raw food) BARF tends to split into 2 more kinds - with vegies and without - lots and lots of reading there but the most basic "recipe" is a 80% muscle meat, 10% bone 10% organ

Another great resource for you here: http://www.balanced-canine.com/raw-feeding

Excellent, I will be sure to have a read of that. I am interested in what is best for the dog, so any sort of feeding is fine by me, even if it means cooking for the dog, that's fine.

Lots. Sounds like you've got lots of reading in front of you. A lot of this will depend on if you're just researching or if you have a dog at home already. If you have the dog - is it a new pup or is it an adult? Senior? If it's a pup - go back to your breeder and speak to them about feeding it (or ask if you're yet to collect it) Large breeds (and I'd consider an Akita a large breed) have specific growth needs - so hopefully you have them behind you to support you as your puppy grows. Take their advice to start with.

As I said, you'll get lots of answers here - so grab a cup of tea & settle in. Also - it's an unofficial rule on the board that you "must" share photos & welcome. :)

Nope, no dog as of yet. I want to make sure I know a fair amount of information regarding the dog as possible before buying her. I figure the more I know, the more smooth things will go and the better the dog will be for it. Things like training, diet, etc are all things I would like to get a fairly decent grasp on. My wife's grandfather use to train working dogs, so my wife knows how to train, but I would also like to read about it. But at the moment the diet is the focus for me.

I don't yet have a dog so I will not be able to share a photo of it with you guys. However, since it is a "must" and I would hate to break a rule (being brand new and all), here is a photo of Joe Pesci. I hope this will suffice.

Thanks for the welcome :)

Edited December 5, 2016 by Liquidice

[Liquidice]

hi :)

OK.

First, find an excellent and ethical Akita breeder !!!

make sure you get a pup whose line has been well though out, and tested for any hereditary problems >

THEN - the breeder should be your first call for all things Akita :) They should help you with diet etc , as they are the 'experts'

Dog food is as individual as your dog.

One size does NOT fit all :)

Research the breed , and perhaps have a read here as well :)

LINK- lots of discussion about feeding puppy Akita

LINK- link dedicated to Akitas on D O L

Hi!

Great :) Thanks very much :)

[Scottsmum]

I don't yet have a dog so I will not be able to share a photo of it with you guys. However, since it is a "must" and I would hate to break a rule (being brand new and all), here is a photo of Joe Pesci. I hope this will suffice.

Thanks for the welcome :)

Ba ha ha - You're a keeper. Hope you hand around. That's awesome.

Good on you for doing your research. Have a look through the links Persphone posted & yes - your breeder will be your best mentor here.

Um - to answer one of your new questions - No - not just because it's premium doesn't give it an automatic tick of good. Just that you can fairly easily rule out some of the real crap - it gets harder as the price and marketing goes up to really understand if it is good or just a well polished turd.

Other than that - as I said - you'll get answers here - have a read through the nutrition threads, particularly the raw threads & Akita threads as Perse suggested. Poke around on facebook (warning - facebook pet groups are savage places if you don't already know that) & one of my face tricks - go into pet shops/supplys waht ever you want to call them and ask lots of questions. You don't have to purchase but it's always good to ask. I once went in - had the sales person read the packet to me & then said something like "and this is a picture of a heart - so its good for them" - that was the deciding factor to never purchase anything from that shop ever. ;)

[Liquidice]

Ba ha ha - You're a keeper. Hope you hand around. That's awesome.

Good on you for doing your research. Have a look through the links Persphone posted & yes - your breeder will be your best mentor here.

Um - to answer one of your new questions - No - not just because it's premium doesn't give it an automatic tick of good. Just that you can fairly easily rule out some of the real crap - it gets harder as the price and marketing goes up to really understand if it is good or just a well polished turd.

Other than that - as I said - you'll get answers here - have a read through the nutrition threads, particularly the raw threads & Akita threads as Perse suggested. Poke around on facebook (warning - facebook pet groups are savage places if you don't already know that) & one of my face tricks - go into pet shops/supplys waht ever you want to call them and ask lots of questions. You don't have to purchase but it's always good to ask. I once went in - had the sales person read the packet to me & then said something like "and this is a picture of a heart - so its good for them" - that was the deciding factor to never purchase anything from that shop ever. ;)

Thanks very much :) I tend to stay away from Facebook groups. A lot of people have a lot of opinions, and a lot of people are stupid. So you end up with a lot of stupid opinions... from stupid people. Forums always seem to have a much better community than Facebook groups.

I hear you on the sales people. The other week I went into Harvey Norman (Narre Warren) to look for an induction cook top. The sales guy was trying to get me to buy a gas cook top. The man proceeded to tell me that a brass burner will produce a hotter flame than an aluminium one of the same design. He then went on to say that the aluminium burner would melt. That was like a Facebook reply but in the real world. Totally caught me off guard.

I have been reading a few threads on here, but nothing I can find is going into the needs for an Akita specifically. I'll keep looking around.

Thanks again.

[Lhok]

Hi there

What are the top 3 generally accepted brands of dog food?

Doesn't really matter what the generally accepted brands of dog food are, it's what your dog does best on.

What is the best brand of dog food specifically for an Akita?

Akitas can have skin and food allergies. Many in the Akita world tend to stick to a few brands. My guys were fed Earthborn Holistic grain free and did well on it. Other breeders use Proplan, Advance, Blackhawk etc. Best to ask what your breeder has been using for raising the pups and stick with that. Also many people in the Akita world tend to stick to grain free foods.

Do I need to alternate between wed and dry food and if so how often?

This is personal preference. I use to feed my guys wet food in the morning and their dry food of a night.

Do I need to alternate between different types of food (chicken, beef, etc) and if so how often?

You certainly can alternate between different types of food, just be mindful that Akitas have been known to be allergic to certain foods.

Are there any home-made food recipe's that you can recommend?

I gave my guys fruit and vegies as treats but apart from that I don't have much experience with it.

Are there any other questions I should have asked specifically regarding an Akita diet?

I'd be asking for a detailed sheet on feeding from the breeder when you pick up your pup.

As to the whole training thing, Akitas are wonderfully stubborn and independent creatures with a what's in it for me attitude. They are nothing like a working dog when it comes to training. Everything is on their time and they have a great sense of humour :D

--Lhok

Edited December 5, 2016 by Lhok

[Liquidice]

Hi there

What are the top 3 generally accepted brands of dog food?

Doesn't really matter what the generally accepted brands of dog food are, it's what your dog does best on.

What is the best brand of dog food specifically for an Akita?

Akitas can have skin and food allergies. Many in the Akita world tend to stick to a few brands. My guys were fed Earthborn Holistic grain free and did well on it. Other breeders use Proplan, Advance, Blackhawk etc. Best to ask what your breeder has been using for raising the pups and stick with that. Also many people in the Akita world tend to stick to grain free foods.

Do I need to alternate between wed and dry food and if so how often?

This is personal preference. I use to feed my guys wet food in the morning and their dry food of a night.

Do I need to alternate between different types of food (chicken, beef, etc) and if so how often?

You certainly can alternate between different types of food, just be mindful that Akitas have been known to be allergic to certain foods.

Are there any home-made food recipe's that you can recommend?

I gave my guys fruit and vegies as treats but apart from that I don't have much experience with it.

Are there any other questions I should have asked specifically regarding an Akita diet?

I'd be asking for a detailed sheet on feeding from the breeder when you pick up your pup.

As to the whole training thing, Akitas are wonderfully stubborn and independent creatures with a what's in it for me attitude. They are nothing like a working dog when it comes to training. Everything is on their time and they have a great sense of humour :D

--Lhok

Great info! Thank you very much for that. So, basically the breeder will be the person to get most of the info from as they will know best?

If that is the case, there is a breeder I am hoping to be able to make the purchase from. Are we allowed to ask for reviews on here for certain breeders? So far I have been impressed with the e-mail replies the breeder has given me, but community input can't hurt.

Thanks.

[Lhok]

Hi there

What are the top 3 generally accepted brands of dog food?

Doesn't really matter what the generally accepted brands of dog food are, it's what your dog does best on.

What is the best brand of dog food specifically for an Akita?

Akitas can have skin and food allergies. Many in the Akita world tend to stick to a few brands. My guys were fed Earthborn Holistic grain free and did well on it. Other breeders use Proplan, Advance, Blackhawk etc. Best to ask what your breeder has been using for raising the pups and stick with that. Also many people in the Akita world tend to stick to grain free foods.

Do I need to alternate between wed and dry food and if so how often?

This is personal preference. I use to feed my guys wet food in the morning and their dry food of a night.

Do I need to alternate between different types of food (chicken, beef, etc) and if so how often?

You certainly can alternate between different types of food, just be mindful that Akitas have been known to be allergic to certain foods.

Are there any home-made food recipe's that you can recommend?

I gave my guys fruit and vegies as treats but apart from that I don't have much experience with it.

Are there any other questions I should have asked specifically regarding an Akita diet?

I'd be asking for a detailed sheet on feeding from the breeder when you pick up your pup.

As to the whole training thing, Akitas are wonderfully stubborn and independent creatures with a what's in it for me attitude. They are nothing like a working dog when it comes to training. Everything is on their time and they have a great sense of humour :D

--Lhok

Great info! Thank you very much for that. So, basically the breeder will be the person to get most of the info from as they will know best?

If that is the case, there is a breeder I am hoping to be able to make the purchase from. Are we allowed to ask for reviews on here for certain breeders? So far I have been impressed with the e-mail replies the breeder has given me, but community input can't hurt.

Thanks.

Sent a PM

--Lhok

[Liquidice]

Sent a PM

--Lhok

Thanks for that!

[Papillon Kisses]

.

Edited December 7, 2016 by Papillon Kisses

[minxy]

I second what Lhok said, particularly about the training stuff. They are incredibly intelligent but also very stubborn. If my boy doesn't want to do something, he'll plant his entire weight on the ground knowing I can't move him. :laugh: He also pretends not to hear me sometimes except I can see his ears spinning around in my direction, even though he'll have his back towards me.

My Akita was on Proplan dry food at his breeders and he has done really well on it, so I have never changed brands and he's 6 now.

I don't give wet food but he does get some food scraps from time to time (more so now as he has lost a bit of weight due to having Lupus). It's not necessary though and I'm careful about what I give him.

[Dogsfevr]

I would suggest sticking to the important stuff for research and leaving the diet questions to the breeder and keep in mind many breeders will feed different things.

What's best is what suits your dog .

Learning about the breed,training,health issues ,bloat and the cons of owning the breed should be a priority.

You can confuse yourself bigtime by trying to learn to much about things that your breeder will assist you with or aren't relivant to the breed.

The internet can be full of wrong info

Talk to breeders ,listen carefully and discuss the pros n cons and why you think this is a breed you should own

[Liquidice]

Thanks for all the input everyone. I'll ask the breeder what they feed their dogs and go from there when the time comes.

Thanks.

[Liquidice]

Hi everyone,

 

Okay, so I thought I would just reply to this thread instead of starting a new one. So, holy shit! An Akita is a stubborn dog. We have sorted 99% of her problems out and she is turning out to be a very great dog. Also, to answer my own question in case I ever forget, she is on ADVANCE brand food.

 

So I promised everyone photos, and I know it has been like nearly a year, but here they are!

 

 

 

Here she is a a new born puppy! She looks like a little polar bear or something. Very strange looking.

 

 

 

 

So she is growing up and looking more like a teddy polar bear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here she looks kind of like a dog. She is so cute she looks fake!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is her first day at our house. The dude who dropped her off (she was shipped from NSW to Melbourne) said he thinks there is a baby polar bear in the back of his truck. The first day she was very scared with everything and everyone. The next day she behaved as if she always lived with us.

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see, some time has passed since the previous photo. She is playing with out neighbours Boxer in the park behind our house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funny story - A couple of weeks ago we went to Lysterfield Park and the birds were coming to eat our food. There was one poor bird there who didn't have legs. He had stumps I guess. So he would always be sitting. Once a whole bunch of them sat down, my  4 year old daughter joked that they had all lost their legs.

 

 

 

 

 

Here she is destroying my wife’s fitness book. We turned our heads for a few moments and BOOM! Her manners are much better now after training.

 

 

 

 

 

This is our daughter giving her cuddles. Cuddles like this have since stopped to avoid cheeky behaviour from our dog. Now she pats the dog and both of them seem to be very happy together. We do however keep her muzzled when both of them are playing together.

 

 

 

Finally, a photo of Joe Pesci.

 

 

 

 

 

I'll be happy to answer any questions people have if they are thinking about getting an Akita as a pet. There is a lot of work involved, but she is shaping up to be the dog I always wanted.

 

Cheers!

[Lhok]

welcome back :D

What a cutie you have! I'm glad you have managed to work through the puppy naughtyness and everything is starting to settle just in time for the teenager phase to come through! 

--Lhok 

[Scottsmum]

They really are the most amazing puppies 

[Danois]

Advance is a very low quality food for the price...to grow a large breed well look at something like Canidae. 

[minxy]

She's gorgeous!! Yep, they are incredibly stubborn dogs. If my boy doesn't want to do something he'll plant his whole weight as firmly into the ground as possible knowing I can't do a damn thing about it