What does this statement even mean?? "Not known for their extreme aversion to biting"? Are you saying that they are known for biting? Not really. They can bite, all breeds can, but they are not "known for biting". They are big and when big dogs bite they can do more damage than a small dog generally. The issue is that if they are aggressive, they are usually serious about it.
The bottom line is that I can tell you from working in pet hospitals, owning a grooming shop and being a dog trainer for the past 25+ years is that you generally get a feeling for how the dog is and how they are going to be. Just in interacting with them, you feel like, I think this guy is comfortable and will be okay, or, you know what, I can't put my finger on it, but I am not going to push that dog. If there is any question it is reasonable to muzzle the animal. However, the correct way to approach the client is to explain that their dog is large and that they feel he or she is not comfortable and for everyone's safety would you mind if we used a muzzle, rather than yelling that "we'll need a muzzle because it's an Akita". It is up to us to advocate for our dogs. In the past month I have done two classes at vets office. One for clients and staff on relaxation and handling for dogs while at the vet and last week one for just the staff whose doctor wants to start using and advocating for positive reinforcement methods. Not all vets understand about behavior and there are things we can all do to make it better for our dogs and safer for the staff.
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