My girlfriend and I are raising an American Akita named Yuki. Akitas are a dog breed that when fully mature can weigh over 100 pounds. Even though she is only about eight months old, she is already huge: 64 pounds to be exact! This breed of dog is also known to be extremely stubborn, but loyal and loving, as seen in the movie “Hachi,” which is based on a true story. Anyone who sees her probably thinks she is already fully grown. Unfortunately, or fortunately for us, she still has room to grow. 

I barely notice her growth because I am around her so much, but looking at pictures of her when my girlfriend first adopted her over the summer, there is a big difference. 

It has taken me a while to warm up to Yuki because as I mentioned above, my girlfriend got her over the summer while I was in Japan, so I was not able to start building a relationship with her until she was already over five months old. A lot of her puppy-like tendencies are always very exaggerated and seem worse than they are because of her size. When my little cockapoo, Matti, was a puppy, she would do all the same things, but because she was small it did not seem as bad. So because Yuki can create havoc anywhere she goes, it is way more noticeable.

She is a very sweet dog, and is very loving for the most part, but for some reason she loves some people while she will shy away from others. Maybe it is because she is a puppy or because she is really good at getting a sense of a person based on smell. 

As I am writing this, she actually had an accident right in front of me… or about six feet to the right of the couch I am sitting on. The immense frustration that flows through me everytime she has one of these accidents can only rival that of a sports fan yelling at referees. Somehow I have to find a calming state and make sure she knows that she cannot do that sort of thing. But alas, she does it again anyways. And again. And again.

While that does frustrate me beyond belief, I love this little-big pup and all of her quirks. She does a little low-pitched grunt sometimes. I do not know what it means, but I like to think she is saying, “Where have you been?” Sometimes I forget she is still so young, but I know she will make a great companion for years to come.

Photo by:  Faith Summerville