Akita love

Much has been said about the loyalty of Akitas, but they inspire a similar depth of feeling in their owners. Akitas have such a strong personality that it is impossible not to love them.

Each of the three Akitas I have owned had a variety of facial expressions that reflected their intelligence and heart. Each of them were special and remain dear to my heart, but especially my girl, Pepper.

Everyone who met her grew to love her, even many people who professed not to like dogs much! How could you not, when she looked at you like this?

Several years ago, I went on a business trip that allowed me to meet many of the folks I'd been working with remotely. Of all the people I met, the one person who stood out and remains my friend today is a fellow Akita owner. I recognized the Akita charm Andrea was wearing and we've been comparing Akita photos and stories ever since. Unfortunately that included consoling each other when our dogs passed, but it was nice to have someone who understood our loss. And I follow the progress of her newest Akita, Lily, on her blog.

I was reminded of how I connected with Andrea when I sold some books online yesterday. The buyer asked me when she could expect delivery so that she could watch for them, explaining that "I have Akita's that are 160 and 130lbs each and don't let anyone out of their car." Protective dogs! Maybe it's time to get another one. I keep thinking about it, but when I look I see dogs that look so much like Pepper it hurts.