What is an Akita Pitbull Mix?

There are some consistently mixed breeds out there that have entered the hearts of dog owners worldwide, and the Akita Pitbull Mix is no exception.

Since the 1990s, this attractive mix has gradually gained in popularity. But what is an Akita Pitbull Mix?

When the Akita Pit is brought up properly, it’s a loving, family-friendly companion and is known to be easy to train.

What is the History of the Akita Pitbull Mix?

The Akita Pitbull Mix is a relatively new breed of dog. That notwithstanding, details of its origin remain a mystery.

However, there is plenty of information about the two parenting breeds that make this dog: the Akita and the Pitbull. It is believed that these two breeds were combined naturally, then eventually, purposefully.

Breeders that specialized in this mix began popping up in the 1990s in the United States. Since the dog’s popularity received an infusion as a designer breed, more and more breeders have cropped up, maintaining the mix ever since.

Here’s a little bit of information about the Pitbull and the Akita, so you can get a glimpse of what kind of characteristics might be involved with the mix.

Akita Inu

The Akitas were originally bred in Northern Japan and served as hunters after a wild game like elk, an occasional Yezo Bear, and Wild Boar. In the 1600s, this breed was used as a fighting dog (much like the Pitbull).

They are famous for being a companion to the samurai, and are extremely loyal to their owners, though stubborn.

Today, the Akita Inu is one of the most popular dog breeds in Asia and increasingly so worldwide.

Pitbull

The “Pitbull” is a descendant of Old English Bulldogs and Terriers. The big and muscular Old English Bulldog (bred to bait bears and bulls) were bred with the Black and Tan Terrier to be lighter, faster, and furious fighting dogs back in the 1800s.

In those days, dogfighting wasn’t only popular, but was completely legal and organized in Great Britain as well as the United States. Fortunately, that activity is now illegal and frowned upon.

But no matter how many years leave their fighting days behind the breed, they still have a dangerous reputation. Enthusiasts and owners of this breed have been successful over recent years softening the Pitbull’s damning reputation.

Akita Pitbull Mix Temperament

What we’re looking at is a mix of two powerful, intelligent, and strong-willed dogs in the Akita Pitbull. As is the case with most breeds that come with a heritage of dominance, they will, at their discretion, test their owners and push limits from time to time.

This action doesn’t mean that they’re aggressive toward their owners but tend to test the waters over what they can and can’t get away with. Firm obedience training is a must for Akita Pits from a young age.

Positive reinforcement is the training method of choice for this breed. If a more negative approach is used, it tends to have undesirable results. The Akita Pit will eventually wind up deciding not to listen to you in the least with negative type obedience training.

As owners of the breed will confess, any undesirable trait can be trained out of this mix successfully, resulting in a good-natured and even-tempered family dog. Overall, this goes for just about any breed out there.

Akita Pitbull Mix Size and Weight

Being a medium-sized dog with a tough build, the Akita Pit Mix can vary between 16” and 22” tall from floor to shoulder, depending on its parents. Both sides of the mix are considered to be athletic, and this is carried over into the Akita Pitbull.

They can weigh anywhere between 30-60 pounds and have a muscular, strong appearance. When kept in good shape, the breed is quick and very agile as well.

Their fur is short, thin, tucked up against the body, and slightly longer around the neck compared to the rest of its body. There is a wide array of different colors with this mix. Blue, black, red, and brown solid colors are out there, but fawn and brindle are the most common combinations.

Grooming Requirements

Because of the nature of their fur, there isn’t a whole lot to do in order to keep the coat clean. A weekly brushing will do the trick. A bath once in a while will be fine, depending on what mischief you let your dog run through. In many ways, these are low-maintenance dogs.

Quick Tip: With a younger dog, it could further the training process to spend time grooming it even if it isn’t necessary. It’s a great opportunity to get it used to being handled, learning to stay, sit, and even offer up paws when trimming its nails.

What are the Akita Pitbull Mix Health Issues?

Owner care and attention to the health of the dog will have an amazing impact on its longevity and overall quality of life. However, some hereditary concerns come with the mix, that breeders are keen to try their best to eliminate in the breeding process.

Elbow and hip dysplasia, (image source) a variety of different heart diseases, and progressive retinal atrophy are three of the most major hereditary concerns that come along with this breed. Lesser concerns are cataracts, elbow dysplasia, hypothyroidism, patellar luxation, and sebaceous adenitis.

A good healthy home, steady and nutritious diet, exercise, and routine visits to the vet can cancel out or catch early, many problems that can manifest in any dog. The Akita Pitbull Mix is no exception.

How Much exercises do Akita Pits Need Per Day?

Bear in mind that we’re talking about a dog with two hard workers for parents. Working dogs are active and need to get some good exercise in their daily routines. Not just running around, although that’s a great way to get them to expel some energy.

Work its strengths, let it use its senses to accomplish goals, complete tasks, and reap the rewards!

This form of activity is a sneaky way to condition and train your dog to do various things such as seek, fetch, jump, etc. In this manner, you are expelling energy, calming the dog down, satisfying its bred-in drives, and teaching it a thing or two.

The bond between you and the dog will also become strengthened through its play and exercise time.

Are Akita Pits Good with Kids?

When brought up properly, the Akita Pit will fall in love with every family member and is deemed to be good with children.

Due to its protective nature, it will enjoy spending time with all of the family, while at the same time keeping an eye out for any incoming trouble.

Early and constant socialization with people of all ages will ensure that the dog will grow to be the perfect family pet.

That being said, ignoring the importance of socialization can create a dog that will be overprotective and a problem with unsuspecting strangers.

Are Akita Pits Good with Other Pets?

Early and continuous interactions with other animals will help to let you know how the dog will be with other animals in the future. The problem is their innate prey drive.

Both parents were originally bred to go hunting, and that drive is present in their offspring. But as it turns out, the strength of that drive varies from dog to dog within the Akita Pitbull Mix. They’re not all as game aggressive as some might tend to be.

Because of this, most people who have multiple pet situations and did a good job training and conditioning their Akita Pit have not had any issues.

Early, solid, and even professional training should be taken advantage of as often as possible to work any aggressive or dominant behavior out of their system.

But even then, there aren’t any guarantees over how they’ll be with other dogs or cats. A good rule of thumb is not to have two of the same sex in one household as far as dogs are concerned. A slow, measured (and supervised) approach is necessary to introduce cats and dogs.

Does the Akita Pit Work Well as a Guard Dog?

In some ways, yes, and others no. Akita Pits can be very protective of their families. In that regard, yes, an intruder that decides to break in while everyone’s asleep would be in for a big surprise.

However, due to the training required to make it a great family dog, that “killer instinct” is often converted into a love for people. This training could make it less effective as a guard dog.

The threatening looks of the dog could possibly deter others from testing those waters, though.

Please make no mistake; you’d rather have that instinct trained out of their system. It will be more beneficial to you in the long run than thinking that it’s a good idea to keep just enough of that instinct to be a guard dog.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve never owned a dog before, this mix is probably not the one that you’d want to start with.

The Akita Pit Mix is very intelligent and easy to train. But just because they learn where to go potty and to sit or play dead doesn’t mean that the mailman is safe, or that friends stopping by won’t be viewed as a threat.

It takes some experience raising stubborn and dominant dogs to turn this breed into a friendly, loving, and safe marshmallow.

If you go in knowing that and choose to get an Akita Pit Mix as an inexperienced owner, you could always hire a professional to walk you through every step of the way.