MEET DONNA

🐾 About Shawna — Your Lifetime Akita Support Contact

Hi, I’m Shawna, and I’ve been raised around Akitas my entire life. I’m a volunteer for Denver Akitas — I do all I can to help my amazing mother, Donna — I work closely alongside her to help match our puppies with the right homes and to support families long after they bring their puppy home.

I’m your go-to contact for any questions about care, training, or rehoming. Think of me as your lifetime Akita coach — here to guide you through everything from puppy stages to adult care. I have years of hands-on experience with the breed, and if you ever need extra help, I have access to a wide network of trusted trainers, veterinarians, and Akita enthusiasts who can assist.

In addition to helping with Denver Akitas placements, I also manage a large Akita rehoming group on Facebook with thousands of followers. This group has connected countless Akitas to loving homes, and it continues to grow thanks to dedicated owners and breed advocates.

I’m passionate about ensuring every Akita finds — and keeps — a forever home filled with understanding and love. If you have any questions at all, from training tips to health or behavior concerns, I’m always just a message away.

🐾 About Ruben — Caregiver & Trainer at Denver Akitas

Ruben provides dedicated, one-on-one care to every dog in our program. His calm presence and daily involvement ensure that each Akita receives the individualized attention they need — from whelping mothers and newborn litters to growing puppies learning their first commands.

Ruben personally oversees the dogs’ feeding, socialization, and early training routines, tailoring care to meet the unique needs of each animal. His hands-on work begins the moment a litter is born and continues until each puppy leaves for their new home.

Through Ruben’s patient training and consistency, our puppies learn important early skills such as sit, shake, potty training, and positive interaction with people and other animals. His attention to structure, manners, and early development plays a major role in shaping the steady, confident temperament our Akitas are known for.

The care and integration that Ruben provides are truly integral to the overall quality and success of Denver Akitas — and it shows in every happy, well-adjusted puppy that graduates from our home to yours.

🐾 About Carenity — Junior Caregiver & Puppy Companion

Carenity, daughter of Shawna, has been raised around Akitas since birth and has developed a special bond with every puppy that comes through our home. She’s known for her gentle nature and the way she brings comfort and playfulness to all of our dogs.

Carenity loves spending time with the puppies — teaching them new tricks, snuggling with them during naps, and helping them build trust and confidence from an early age. Her natural patience and affection make her a favorite among the litters.

Every day, Carenity helps with chores around the kennel: walking the dogs, cleaning pens, feeding, watering, and handing out treats. The dogs know her routine so well that they’ll remind her if she forgets their daily “cookie.” And on extra special days, if everyone’s been on their best behavior, they might even get a little ice cream treat from her.

Carenity’s love for the Akita breed shines through in everything she does — she’s learning the family legacy firsthand and already proving to be a natural caregiver and future expert.

🐾 Meet Naoki — Certified Service Dog, Puppy Mentor & Family Heart

Naoki is Shawna’s personal Akita and a beloved member of our family. At 7 years old, she’s not only a stunning example of the breed but also a registered, certified service dog who has traveled nearly everywhere with us.

There isn’t a place she hasn’t been — she loves the lake, rodeos, sale barns, trampoline parks, and even wrestling tournaments. She’s up for every adventure and enjoys her ice cream treats when she’s been especially good.

Naoki mastered her down-stay within her first 30 days of training and can hold it for 15 minutes in public, even when Shawna steps away. Her calm focus and perfect manners make her the ideal service companion, but her personality is what makes her unforgettable. She’ll “talk your leg off” with her sweet, expressive howls and never misses a chance to greet new friends.

Naoki has never met a stranger she didn’t love. Anyone who visits to meet the puppies is welcomed by her first — and if she doesn’t get to greet them, she’ll cry real tears until she does. When she met a baby for the first time, she instantly decided it was her baby, refusing to leave its side even for a moment.

We live a busy, often chaotic life surrounded by kids, teens, rodeos, and constant activity, and Naoki loves it all. She travels with us on the road, and if she can’t go inside somewhere, she’ll happily wait in the truck with the AC on, calm and patient as ever. If we’re away for a weekend and she stays home, she watches over everything faithfully — never anxious, just waiting for her people to return.

Although Naoki has never had a litter of her own, she’s helped raise every litter that’s passed through our home. Once the puppies reach eight weeks old, they move into her care — and she takes over like a natural. She teaches them how to behave, play gently, and socialize with people and other dogs.

Naoki is truly the mascot of our bloodline and our family. She represents everything we strive for in our Akitas — intelligence, loyalty, gentleness, and strength. Her influence is in every puppy we raise, and her presence is irreplaceable. We pray every day God gives us many more years with her.