STEERU BRUNELS PRIDE - BORN 12/12/97

Ookii is my first Akita, and getting him this far has certainly been a challenge. The Akita is a very headstrong and independent breed and needs firm but kind training and handling. The males in particular can be very dominant, they are large and very strong in mind as well as body, they can be extremely dog aggressive, they cannot be allowed off lead in the park etc, it is definitely not a breed for the inexperienced. So many Akitas end up in rescue because their owners were really not aware of what they were taking on, Akita breeders have a great responsibility in ensuring that the dogs they breed are placed in suitable homes. No amount of books and advice from other Akita owners prepared me for the past few years, but all the hard work has been worth it. I have now got a friendly dog who loves nothing better than cuddles and plenty of walks. Ookii has to take the credit for getting me hooked on the wonderful world of dog showing. Even though he was bought as a pet curiosity made me enter him for several shows resulting in him qualifying for Crufts 1999!
Unfortunately Ookii has suffered from various health problems and allergies, he seemed to react to ALL commercial foods, by the end of 1998 I was desperate to find him a food that did not make him ill, then I stumbled on the Raw Recruits list. I spent the next few months learning about species appropriate food and the effect that commercial diets can have on dogs. It seemed that I had found the answer, I could eliminate all the food that Ookii was allergic to and still provide him with optimal nutrition! So in March 1999 I gave Ookii his first chicken wing..... the rest, as they say, is history. No more vomiting, diarrhea, stinky breath, ear infections, blocked anal glands, skin lesions or hair loss. He now has so much energy and is like a puppy again. I do believe that I have saved Ookii from a life of steroids and misery with this diet. The raw meat, bones and veg diet, if done properly and with guidance, using the knowledge of people who have been feeding, breeding, and weaning puppies and dogs on this diet for years is, in my opinion, the best thing I have done for my dogs.

Ookii has been neutered and is settling down to a lazy life as a very well loved pet.