Japan gives Akita dog to Russian skater Zagitova

Cute dog.

i would like to get one myself when I get a house. These dogs are huge and they need to be properly trained. I hope Abe passed that along to Zagitova. Putin should have no problems since he's the top dog.

I was surprised to hear that Akita dogs are banned in many places in North America, since they are considered aggressive and possibly dangerous. This puppy that was given to Alina Zagitova looks so cute, hard to believe they are considered dangerous.

MarkX--

Akita's were bred to hunt deer and bears. Not so hard to believe the breed has an aggressive temperament.

Akita dog is not aggressive. All the dogs in Japan were aggressive before since they did not treat dogs affectionately. When I was a child, I wondered why foreign dogs were so friendly to people. That was because they treated animals with love.

@MarkX

This puppy that was given to Alina Zagitova looks so cute, hard to believe they are considered dangerous.

This is why I say this puppy gift is a mistake.

A tiny girl like Zagitova won't be able to handle a fully grown Akita dog in a couple of years.

Akitas and other hunting breeds should be given a reassuring home environment that makes them feel as part of a group but not the leader of it. They should also be given frequent release of hunting instincts/prey drive.

Samit Basu

Today's Akita do not grow very big. The dog is not as frightening as German shepherds or Great Danes. Akita also do not bark very much. But Akita is weak to heat and humidity. So, Tokyo is not an appropriate place for Akita.

I am glad this is done with, I was kinda getting tired of this story.

These dogs are huge and they need to be properly trained.

All dogs need to be properly trained.

A tiny girl like Zagitova won't be able to handle a fully grown Akita dog in a couple of years.

You don't control a dog with brute strength.

Getting the dog isn't the end of the story: since she's a schoolgirl and an athlete, a lot of her time will be taken up elsewhere and no doubt she will need help with training and socialising the pup. Hopefully the Akita Dog Preservation Society will keep tabs on the pup and help Alina with the training, so that this doesn't turn into another 'Oh it was so cute as a pup, but now we have to keep him chained up outside/give him up to the shelter'.

A pup isn't only for Christmas. Or the Olympics.

The dog is not as frightening as German shepherds or Great Danes.

I've known German Shepherd that were scary, and German Shepherds that were great, child-friendly family pets (we had one when I was a teenager in the UK and he was lovely). A neighbour here in Japan has had a series of Great Danes, and each one has had a lovely, laid-back temperament.

'Big' does not mean 'scary' unless you know nothing about dogs.

I meet lots of dogs when I'm out walking my two, and the one I'm most wary of is a tiny pampered Chihuahua who looks like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth and who will do his best to take your finger off if you get anywhere near him. My Dobie is terrified of him.

I don’t like the idea of giving dogs as gifts even if the person shows a love of a particular breed. They look lovely but how much does she know about Akitas? Training methods? Diet? Energy levels? I kept Jack Russells in the past and they are adorable looking, smallish dogs but try treating one like a lapdog and you’ll have a hyperactive, destructive, and aggressive menace on your hands.

I hope she has the knowledge or swots up sharpish.

All dogs need to be properly trained.

No they don't.

Our family dog was never properly trained and never hurt a fly. A Shih Tzu is not going to be able to bite your babies head off but the bear hunting Akita breed can, and might try if not properly trained.

All dogs need to be properly trained.

No they don't.

Your dog didn’t bite but all dogs are capable of aggression - maybe you just got lucky. Even a lapdog can cause injury to a baby. A larger, more powerful breed can obviously inflict more damage, but it’s very careless and dangerous not to give all dogs proper training and discipline.

It’s also important to know how difficult particular breeds are to train. Certain dogs shouldn’t really be in the hands of inexperienced owners.

What a burden... She'll be faced with quarantine bills, and subsequent vet bills, and need to spend time looking after the dog rather than focusing upon her Sport.

Dogs don't belong in Cities, they're noisy dirty, and some breeds dangerous to Kids, they also carry viral diseases which for Kids can be life changing particularly wrt allergies.

There is a lot of misconceptions about dogs, I am more terrified of chihuahuas than any other dog on the planet!

when I was little , an old couple across the street from my house owned an Akita that would bark and scare the crap out of anyone that walked by their house but whenever the owner came outside the dog was like a little puppy.

I later learned that the dog was just not accustomed to strangers and was just making sure no one tried to invade it’s territory.

Later on I had to have a tire on my car changed so I went to the neighborhood tire shop where the guy had a pit bull that was the size of a pony, she looked like she would eat anyone that trespassed there after business hours, so I almost peed on myself while she rub against me unexpectedly while I was talking to the guy changing my tire.

dogs are animals, but most dogs are better than some people as long as they are treated and trained the right way.

Back home a few years ago I was working on a building site and while I was kneeling down working on some materials a Rottweiler wandered onto the site, walked over to me... and leaned against me with her head on my shoulder. I have no idea where the dog came from but it didn't belong to the owners of the site. Such a friendly and loving animal. An uncle of mine also had a Rottweiler that was a ferocious beast when my father or other men went near it but was fine with women and children. All dogs are different and just because one example of a particular breed might be good or bad it doesn't mean all others of that breed are the same. Owner's input is huge.

All dogs are different and just because one example of a particular breed might be good or bad it doesn't mean all others of that breed are the same. Owner's input is huge.

True, but it’s also true to say certain breeds are much more inclined towards particular behaviours or have certain traits - these are often bred in. You are unlikely to meet too many intelligent English Bulldogs, passive Jack Russells, sedentary Border Collies or quiet Beagles.

need to spend time looking after the dog rather than focusing upon her Sport.

You say that as though it's a bad thing.

hey're noisy dirty, and some breeds dangerous to Kids, they also carry viral diseases which for Kids can be life changing particularly wrt allergies.

All breeds can be dangerous to kids if they're not properly supervised - never, ever, leave kids and dogs alone together.

As for the dirt - research has shown that *Exposure to dogs in infancy—especially around the time of birth—can actually influence children’s immune development and *reduce the likelihood of certain allergic diseases. So if you want your kids to be healthy, get 'em a dog. Quick.

https://www.pediatrics.wisc.edu/featured-stories/allergies

Our family dog was never properly trained and never hurt a fly

Then you were very lucky. But training isn't only about not biting. If your dog wasn't trained, you're very lucky he didn't use the carpet as a toilet: didn't dig pot-holes in the garden: didn't chew up the cushions and dining table legs: didn't end up in surgery after eating something toxic or pointed: didn't run into the road after a cat or a cyclist and cause a major traffic accident.

Totally agree Jimizo. There are some breeds that I wouldn't own for that very reason.

Looks like there might be some confusion for the term "properly trained".

So what does that mean to people posting here?

Looks like there might be some confusion for the term "properly trained". 

So what does that mean to people posting here?

To me it means 'trained to be an asset to the owner/family/society'.

If we're talking of a family dog, then a properly-trained dog provides companionship, affection and (possibly) some protection, without destroying the family home or the family's relations with its neighbours; knows how he is expected to act in given situations (when the doorbell rings, when friends/strangers come into the home, when outside on the lead/in the park/dog run, at the vet's/trimming parlour etc); is able to respond appropriately to a number of basic commands (sit, come, down, stay, stop, etc.).

A properly-trained dog is a joy to be around.

Well, I hate dogs, stems from being attacked by one when a young kid. I now see them for what they are, and when not working dogs, they're just a liability to the owner, and a neighborhood nuisance - particularly in Towns and Cities. Some people keep dangerous breeds of dogs perhaps to scare other people ? Should one of those dogs attack any Kids that I have an attachment to, those people will have something themselves to be very scared about.

mmwkdw - I'm sorry you had a bad experience that turned you against all dogs.

Ask yourself, if owners saw them as a liability, why would anyone own a dog? A well-trained dog is more of an asset than a liability, in many, many ways. I'm sorry you can't see that.

Some people keep dangerous breeds of dogs perhaps to scare other people ?

Yes they do, and when that happens it's the morons who think a big dog gives them street cred who are the liability and a neighbourhood nuisance. If they didn't have the 'dangerous' dog they'd be finding some other way to demonstrate their own lack of stature.

One of my dogs is what many people deem a 'dangerous' breed. There is about as much aggression in him as there is in a chocolate-iced cupcake.

Some of the most docile and tolerant dogs are the most “feared” breeds. Great Danes, mastiffs, German Shepherds, Tosas, Pitbulls, Dobermans, have been some of the most intelligent breeds I’ve met.

On the other hand, dachshunds and shitzus account for the highest ratio of attacks. But it goes against the sensational nature of the media, so goes underreported.

Great for her.  My 2 dogs were stolen from me in Japan. They are my 2 brothers, George and Jagger, 11 and 8 and I am organizing a march to get them back. I tried everything else. They are my family, I miss them, my wife misses them every day and they are waiting for me.

It is horrible to have your family stolen from you, in this way, for no reason.

We ask for everyone's help to join us in the March in July, to bring them back to their home and family.

thank you all

Divert attention

I always thought properly trained meant trained by a professional for some period of time.

'Dog diplomacy'? Very special.

I always thought properly trained meant trained by a professional

That would be professionally trained. Not necessarily properly. My friend's dog was sent off to be professionally trained and came back knowing no more than we'd already taught her before she went.

So your dog was properly trained, not professionally trained?

So your dog was properly trained, not professionally trained

But doesn't that presuppose that an average family knows how to "properly" train their dog?

IMO, I don't think that's the case and most families/normal dog owners just wing it.

Is their a difference between trained and properly trained? Of course most will teach their dog to go outside if they need to go, but many do not go as far as to train their dog on how to great guests into the house.

This is my point, the difference between trained and properly trained.

So I think that some dogs don't need proper training, but just the basics.

Political motivated! To have PM Abe bringing the dog to Russia himself is a proof a political motivated campaign. This campaign is all about gaining Zagitova's sympathy for the returnance of the 4 Kuril Islands to Japan from Russia.

The Japanese Government is playing a cynical game, all about gaining the Russian population's sympathy. Why have PM Abe bring the dog in the first place? Shouldn't the mayor from Akita-prefecture have the great honour of handing Zagitova her new dog?

most families/normal dog owners just wing it

And we see the results in dog bites and 'uncontrollable' dogs being shoved outside or handed in to the shelters.

If you bring a dog into your family, it deserves a lot more than 'winging it'.

many do not go as far as to train their dog on how to great guests into the house.

Then they're missing out and creating problems where there need be none. Your guests don't need Fido jumping up on them when they come in the door, or slobbering all over their knees when they sit down. Or pawing their panty hose begging for biscuits when you're trying to have a cup of tea and a chat.

some dogs don't need proper training, but just the basics

But proper training is just the basics.

Get into really good training and you can have a dog that fetches your slippers and newspaper, finds the TV remote, puts his own toys away at bedtime, closes the door behind him when he comes into a room and understands virtually everything you say to him. As well as dancing with you, or playing skittles with the kids.

Are you upset about something?

If you bring a dog into your family, it deserves a lot more than 'winging it'.

I agree for the most part. But you would agree that a lot of families do just wing it right? And some of those dog are OK.

Get into really good training and you can have a dog that fetches your slippers and newspaper, finds the TV remote, puts his own toys away at bedtime, closes the door behind him when he comes into a room and understands virtually everything you say to him. As well as dancing with you, or playing skittles with the kids.

Or getting a cold beer from the cooler.

A few years ago I had made an offer to a home owner who had left his dog outside while he was away, and during a typhoon as well. I got the dog some water which it desperately needed and dropped some beef jerky down to him twice a day. Very friendly dog when I brought him water (nose was dry), never barked at strangers, flea bitten and left outside 24/7. It was the angriest I have ever been in my 15 years here. I even thought of stealing it. He wouldn't sell. I haven't seen the dog in over a year so it must have died.

both are cute.

Surely, Ms Zagitova would rather have a cat?

i suggest a Japanese Bob Tail-hours of fun.....