Akitas are known to be intelligent, but they are "dominant" dogs by nature and as such they really do need to trained by someone who is familiar with this sort of bossy dog. Their education has to be started as early as possible because Akitas need to know who is the alpha dog in a household. If they are allowed to show the more dominant side to their character, these dogs become unmanagable and unruly which can make life difficult for everyone in a household.
Akitas do not respond well to any sort of harsh training or correction, but they do respond well to positive reinforcement. However, they need to be handled very firmly and fairly for them to become obedient, well-rounded characters. It's essential for their training to be consistent and to continue throughout their lives which is another thing that should never be overlooked when living with an Akita.
