Taz was turned into a shelter with his sister, who was later adopted.  He has a crooked front leg which. because of the curving on the outside, we thought may be chondrodysplasia, a hereditary condition that requires surgery.  However on a visit to the Orthopedic vet after x-rays were taken, it was discovered that Taz had been injured early in life, and the injury affected the outer bone in his leg, causing the crookedness.  It was treated by neither the breeder or the first owner.  His elbow looked great in the xrays and upon examintation, he had a full range of motion in most of his leg joints.  His wrist, where the injury occurred has somewhat limited motion, but it has not impeded him at all !!!  He is not in pain and he is functional.  The vet said any surgery at this time would be cosmetic and we do not feel that cosmetic is a good enough reason to subject a dog to surgery.  He may require surgery when he gets older; this depends on how well he continues to thrive.  He will probably develop arthritis in the wrist when he becomes a senior. Taz is a very intelligent, lively puppy.  He wants to interact with my other dogs, but has no manners, so we are making slow and easy introductions.  I have not yet exposed my kitties to him,but will do so shortly. He is good wtih the kids he has met, but because of his puppy clumsiness, would do best with children over 7.  So far, he has liked most of the people he met...except my one neighbor.  Who knows? He also will need a firm hand, so we are looking for a very experienced Akita owner.  contact Jodi Marcus 703-730-0844 or jodi@akitarescue.org