Let’s talk about why ARMAC does not recommend the following: 

                    •   Letting your Akita meet or interact with other dogs while
                        walking; 
                    •   Akitas in dog parks: 
                    •   Letting an Akita outside even when older kids are playing;
                    •   Leaving any child alone in a room with an Akita even for a
                        few seconds

First and foremost, if you are a new Akita owner, you probably are not yet familiar with your dog’s body language and will not be able to determine when the meet and greet is about to become a meet and bite.  And in dog parks, play can become fight in a matter of seconds and breaking up dog fights is nothing anyone wants to have to do.  Second, if your Akita is under 3 years of age, he may be okay with other dogs now, but may not be once he reaches maturity.  Third, in any encounter with other dogs or uninformed people, whether your dog was the aggressor or not, expect the Akita to be blamed.  

Read "dangerous dog" laws in Maryland, DC and Virginia...

Maryland

District of Columbia

Virginia

As you can see, it does not require much for a dog to be declared dangerous in all three jurisdictions.   Akitas already have a reputation for being aggressive and is one of several breeds banned in many localities across the country.  

As Akita owners we have to be very aware of our surroundings; of people who want to rush up and hug our dog, who let their dogs off leash or let them run at large, who have their dogs on leash and say “Oh, he’s friendly! They can meet”.  We have to discourage behavior in the people and dogs that we meet that could result in your dog feeling as if they have to defend themselves.  If you have a dog in the neighborhood who is "at large" quite often or who is aggressive toward you, even if it is a small dog nipping at your heels, call animal control and do so every time it happens.   If there is an incident later involving the small dog or the "at-large" dog, there will be reports on file documenting their owner’s irresponsibility and may take the onus off your dog as being the aggressor. 

YOU have to control interactions between your dogs and other animals or people.  So if your dog does not play well with others and another dog is approaching on leash, cross the street or step off the sidewalk with your body between the dogs, and let the other dog pass.  If your dog is not crazy about meeting strangers on your walk and someone wants to pet your dog, who is looking stressed or uncomfortable around this person, just say no.  If your dog is not used to being around children or is uncomfortable with them and kids come running up, tell them your dog is not used to children and to please stay back.  At the same time, you should be working on training and behavior modification to have your dog feel less stressed in these situations. At home, don’t let strangers bend over your dog.  To a dog, that is a very threatening position. Your dog can come up to the visitor and be petted if he is so inclined, can sniff the visitor and walk away or just ignore the visitor. If he chooses one of the two latter options, make sure the visitor does not follow and try to "make friends".  If you or your kids are having a large party, let your dog meet people and then crate them or put them in a room where they will be away from the crowd, especially if alcohol is involved.  If your older child has friends over, keep the Akita with you.  Some Akitas do not tolerate other children roughhousing with “their” child.  Never leave any young child alone with your dog, not even for a second. This also means keeping your eyes on the child and the dog constantly while you are with them. If you cannot do this, put the dog in a crate or in another room. It is better to be proactive to avoid a problem than to have to react to a bad situation. 

If, as Akita owners, we don’t follow these basic rules and ensure that our Akitas are not put in situations stressful to them as well as using training to desensitize them to these stressful situations,  there is a possibility that someday we won’t be able to own Akitas. If you don’t think it can happen to the Akita breed, ask the owners of any of the following 75 breeds that are banned in various localities across the United States...

Breeds banned in various states:

1.AIREDALE TERRIER
2.AKBASH
3.AKITA
4.ALAPAHA BLUE BLOOD BULLDOG
5,ALASKAN MALAMUTE
6.ALSATIAN SHEPHERD
7.AMERICAN BULLDOG
8.AMERICAN HUSKY
9.AMERICAN PIT BULL TERRIER
10.AMERICAN STAFFORDSHIRE TERRIER
11.AMERICAN WOLFDOG
12.ANATOLIAN SHEPHERD
13.ARIKARA DOG
14.AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOG
15.AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD
16.BELGIAN MALINOIS
17.BELGIAN SHEEPDOG
18.BELGIAN TURVUREN
19.BLUE HEELER
20.BOERBUL
21.BORZOI
22.BOSTON TERRIER
23.BOUVIER DES FLANDRES
24.BOXER
25.BULLDOG
26.BULL TERRIER
27.BULL MASTIFF
28.CANE CORSO
29.CATAHOULA LEOPARD DOG
30.CAUCASIAN SHEPHERD
31.CHINESE SHAR PEI
32.CHOW-CHOW
33.COLORADO DOG
34.DOBERMAN PINSCHER
35.DOGO DE ARGENTINO
36.DOGUE DE BORDEAUX
37.ENGLISH MASTIFFS
38.ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIEL
39.ESKIMO DOG
40.ESTRELA MOUNTAIN DOG
41.FILA BRASILIERO
42.FOX TERRIER
43.FRENCH BULLDOG
44.GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG
45.GOLDEN RETRIEVER
46.GREENLAND HUSKY
47.GREAT DANE
48.GREAT PYRANEES
49.ITALIAN MASTIFF
50.KANGAL DOG
51.KEESHOND
52.KOMONDOR
53.KOTEZEBUE HUSKY
54.KUVAZ
55.LABRADOR RETRIEVER
56.LEONBERGER
57.MASTIFF
58.NEOPOLITAN MASTIFF
59.NEWFOUNDLAND
60.OTTERHOUND
61.PRESA DE CANARIO
62.PRESA DE MALLORQUIN
63.PUG
64.ROTTWEILER
65.SAARLOOS WOLFHOND
66.SAINT BERNARD
67.SAMOYED
68.SCOTTISH DEERHOUND
69.SIBERIAN HUSKY
70.SPANISH MASTIFF
71.STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER
72.TIMBER SHEPHERD
73.TOSA INU
74.TUNDRA SHEPHERD
75.WOLF SPITZ