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 HOW NOT TO BUY AN AKITA PUPPY!!!
I had a telephone call from a Lady who asked if I would train
her 14 week old Akita puppy (I teach canine behaviour &
obedience). The Lady lived locally so I jumped at the chance
to handle this puppy, having admired the breed from the ring
side for many years.
When I arrived at the house I was told that this elderly Lady
had purchased Kiaya from a local puppy superstore (that has
now been closed down), she had told the assistant that she was
looking for a puppy that would be a good companion for her,
that would stay small, be easy to handle & would not moult as
she suffered from asthma. So they sold this Lady an Akita
puppy! The cost of which was £600, in 1994 this was a lot of
money for a pet Akita puppy.
I had not seen kiaya at this point as she was being kept in
the kitchen. I explained that this was a large, powerful,
dominant breed of dog that blows its coat twice a year. She
was horrified! That was nothing like what she had asked for.
At this point she let Kiaya into the room, she was in a
terrible state. She was so thin that you could see all of her
ribs through her coat. Kiaya was very docile, nothing like the
Rottweiler pups I had bred, all happy & waggy bums. She also
had horrible diarrhoea, that stunk! In total shock I said that
Kiaya was far to ill to train & that I would return later that
day with some books I had on the breed. I also gave her the
phone number of a local Akita breeder, who could give some
advice & show her what her puppy would mature into.
Three days later the Lady contacted me, she had been to visit
the local breeder & had seen her adult dogs including an Akita
in full blow. Needless to say, she no longer wanted the puppy.
She had contacted the puppy superstore & was told that they
would not refund her money. She apologized for not being able
to keep the puppy & planned to have her put to sleep as she
could not afford the vet bills to get her well.
All I could think of was that little face, looking at me from
behind a chair & like a fool I offered to buy Kiaya from her.
The only money I had at the time was £375 I had saved to take
the Boys on holiday, she accepted this on the condition that
if the puppy died she would not refund the money. So Kiaya
came home with me.
When I brought her home, it was not just the puppy that came
with us, the illness came too. Although she was kept away from
the Rotts, I soon had a kennel of very sick dogs! After a very
large vet bill & a lot of medication, they all returned to
good health. Kiaya by this time was so thin & weak all she
could eat was pureed puppy food & pilchards, spoon fed every
hour. After several months, with lots of T.L.C Kiaya
recovered. She was trained in obedience & was lightly shown,
she was the best companion dog anyone could wish to own. She
lived here at Travistock with her best friend Gizzy
(Travistock Aramis), until she passed away of old age.
Please let Kiayas story be a warning to anyone looking for an
Akita puppy. Although her story turned out well in the end, it
could have been very different..... With a dead puppy, a lot
of expense & a lot of heart ache. Only buy a puppy from a
reputable breeder.
Kiayas story is told here, in the hope that no other puppy
should have to suffer the terrible start in life that she
had.& is dedicated to her memory, by all who had the pleasure
of loving & being loved by her.
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