American Akita Puppies for Canada: Champion Bloodlines, OFA Health Tested, Serving Ontario and Quebec From New Jersey
By Ron Durant, Apexx Akitas. Placing champion American Akitas with Canadian families from Sussex County, New Jersey since 2003.
Apexx Akitas champions with their AKC conformation show ribbons. 10 Champions and Grand Champions produced. Now serving families across Canada.
Apexx Akitas is an AKC-registered American Akita breeding program located in Sussex County, New Jersey, approximately six hours from Montreal and seven hours from Toronto. We have produced 10 AKC Champions and Grand Champions to date, with three more dogs currently finishing their titles. Every breeding dog in our program carries an AKC Championship or Grand Championship title and has passed all five OFA health clearances. We have placed American Akitas with Canadian families, including a documented Ontario placement, and we have experience with the straightforward process of bringing an American Akita puppy across the border into Canada. Our program includes a Westminster Kennel Club Best of Opposite Sex winner and a Best in Show winner at 4 months old. The level of championship breeding and comprehensive health testing we provide is exceptionally rare on either side of the border.
Why Canadian Families Choose an American Breeder
Championship Quality That Is Hard to Find in Canada
Canadian families searching for a championship-level American Akita breeder with full OFA health testing face a limited field. The number of Canadian breeders who actively show in conformation, maintain AKC or CKC Championship titles on every breeding dog, and complete full health clearances across hips, elbows, thyroid, eyes, and cardiac is extremely small. Many Canadian buyers discover Apexx Akitas after exhausting their domestic options and realizing that the level of documentation they want does not exist from breeders closer to home.
We regularly receive calls and inquiries from families in Quebec, Ontario, and across Canada. The conversation always starts the same way: they have done their research, they understand what health testing and titles mean, and they are willing to cross the border for a breeder who can prove every claim with public records. That is exactly the kind of buyer we want to work with.
Our program includes Grand Champion Asa, the foundation sire whose Grand Championship was earned competing against champions across the northeastern United States. Champion Esther, who earned Best of Opposite Sex at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the most prestigious conformation event in North America. Champion Torro and Champion Bengal, the sire and dam of our current litter. And Champion Ash, who won Best in Show at just 4 months old against 76 entered puppies. Every one of these dogs carries full OFA clearances. Every title and every clearance is publicly verifiable.
Ron Durant with Apexx Akitas puppies on the kennel property in Wantage, New Jersey. Canadian families are welcome to visit in person.
Ron Durant with Champion Ash and Katana at the Apexx Akitas kennel. Behind every title and health clearance is a breeder who loves these dogs.
Closer Than You Think
Drive Times From Major Canadian Cities
Our kennel is in Wantage, New Jersey, in the northwest corner of the state near the New York border. The drive from Quebec and Ontario crosses at standard border points and follows well-traveled interstate highways on the American side. Many Canadian families combine the pickup trip with a weekend in New York State or New Jersey.
Canadian families are welcome and encouraged to visit our kennel before making their decision. You will meet the parents of your puppy, see the environment they are raised in, and talk with me directly about the breed, the bloodlines, and what to expect. Several Canadian families have made the trip and told me afterward that seeing the dogs in person and visiting the kennel was the deciding factor. The drive is comparable to what many Canadian families already travel for vacation or family visits, and the return trip with your new puppy makes it worthwhile.
A Real Ontario Placement
What Canadian Families Say After They Bring Their Puppy Home
Jenn Gareau is one of our Ontario placements. Her male American Akita, Chunky, is the great grandson of Sheba, the foundation matriarch of our program who lived to 15 years and 8 months. Chunky carries four generations of documented longevity, structure, and temperament forward into Canada. Here is what Jenn wrote publicly about her experience with Apexx Akitas.
Chunky, the great grandson of Sheba, on a rock in Ontario, Canada. Four generations of documented Apexx Akitas bloodline, now living in the Gareau family home.
"Nothing but great things to say about our experience with Apexx Akitas. Our male is almost a year and a half old. His health, his stature, and his temperament are amazing! Apexx Akitas owner has also remained in contact well after the sale of his puppy. He truly cares for his gorgeous dogs."
Jenn Gareau, Ontario, Canada. Public Facebook review, July 2023.
Jenn Gareau with Chunky in Ontario after he was awarded a prize. Apexx Akitas bloodline succeeding at the highest level in Canada.
This is what "lifetime breeder support" actually means in practice. When Jenn purchased her puppy, our relationship did not end at the border crossing. It continues today. Her feedback about her dog's health, structure, and temperament at 18 months old is the kind of data point that confirms the breeding program is producing exactly what it is designed to produce.
Canadian families who choose Apexx Akitas are not the first to make that decision, and they will not be alone in the ongoing support they receive.
Jenn Gareau, Ontario
Bringing Your Puppy Into Canada
The Process Is Simpler Than You Think
Importing a puppy from the United States into Canada is a straightforward process that Canadian families complete successfully on a regular basis. Here is what is required.
I have worked with Canadian families through this process before and I will walk you through every step. By the time you arrive at our kennel for pickup, all paperwork will be prepared, organized, and ready for the border crossing. You will not be figuring this out on your own.
What Makes Apexx Akitas Worth Crossing the Border For
The Standard Canadian Buyers Should Demand
For a complete look at our health testing standards, read OFA Health Testing for American Akitas: What Every Buyer Must Know. For our show record and what titles actually mean, read The American Akita in Dog Shows: What Titles Mean and Why Buyers Should Care.
Apexx Akitas puppies from champion, OFA health tested parents. Available to families in Quebec, Ontario, and across Canada.
Apexx Akitas puppies on the kennel property in Wantage, New Jersey. This is the environment where every puppy is raised before placement.
The American Akita in Canada
A Breed Built for Canadian Winters
The American Akita is one of the best breed choices for Canadian living. The breed was developed for cold, harsh conditions, and Canadian winters are exactly the environment this dog was built to thrive in. No other large guardian breed handles cold weather as naturally as the American Akita.
The breed carries a dense double coat that provides exceptional insulation. Quebec winters, Ontario winters, and the cold conditions across much of Canada are not a challenge for this breed. They are an advantage. Your Akita will be at its most energetic, most comfortable, and most impressive during the months that test every other breed. The breed's love of snow is not incidental. It is a core trait that makes the American Akita one of the most natural fits for the Canadian climate of any large breed available.
Ron Durant with four American Akitas playing in the snow on the Apexx Akitas property. This breed was built for exactly this. Canadian winters are ideal.
Canadian property sizes, particularly outside of downtown Toronto and Montreal, provide the kind of space this breed requires. A securely fenced yard is not optional for an American Akita. The breed's independent nature means that even a well-trained dog should not be trusted off-leash in an unfenced area. Canadian suburban and rural properties are well suited to this requirement, and many Canadian families have the kind of space that makes Akita ownership not just possible but ideal.
If you are wondering whether the American Akita is the right breed for your family, read Is an American Akita Right for You? before contacting us.
How It Works for Canadian Families
From First Contact to Crossing the Border With Your Puppy
Every placement begins with our application. I review every application personally. Canadian families go through the same process as American families. I want to understand your household, your experience with dogs, your living situation, and what you are looking for in an American Akita. Not every applicant is approved. The right match matters more than the sale, regardless of which country you live in.
After reviewing your application, I will call you directly. We will discuss your family, your goals, and any Canada-specific questions you have about the breed, the border process, or the logistics of picking up your puppy. I have worked with Canadian families before and I understand the questions you will have.
Canadian families are welcome and encouraged to visit our kennel in Wantage, New Jersey before committing. For Montreal families, this is about a 5.5-hour drive. For Toronto families, about 6.5 hours. Many Canadian families combine the visit with a weekend trip. You will meet the parents of your puppy, see how our dogs are raised, and experience their temperament firsthand.
Before your puppy is ready for pickup, I will ensure all documentation required for the Canadian border is prepared. Health certificate, vaccination records, and AKC registration papers will be organized and ready. You will not be scrambling at the border. Everything will be in order before you arrive.
You will pick up your puppy in person at our kennel. Your puppy goes home with all documentation, a feeding and care guide, and my direct phone number for lifetime support. The border crossing for a healthy puppy with proper documentation is routine. No quarantine, no holding period. You and your puppy drive home together.
The moment says it all. A new owner's reaction when she meets her Apexx Akitas puppy for the first time.
Prepare Before You Commit
Resources for Canadian Buyers
Buying an American Akita is a serious commitment. I encourage every prospective buyer, Canadian or American, to read through our resource library before contacting us. These guides are written from over 20 years of hands-on experience and they will give you a clear, honest picture of what owning this breed actually requires.
Is an American Akita Right for You? Start here. Six owner profiles, honest challenges, and what makes this breed worth every bit of it.
How to Train an American Akita Training this breed is different from training any other dog. What works, what fails, and why.
First 30 Days With an American Akita Puppy Everything you need for your puppy's first month at home.
How to Find a Reputable American Akita Breeder The complete checklist, whether you choose us or someone else.
The American Akita in Dog Shows What AKC titles mean and why they matter when choosing a breeder.
View All American Akita Resources
Canadian Families: Start Your Application
Every Apexx Akitas puppy comes from AKC Champion or Grand Champion parents with full OFA health clearances. We have produced 10 AKC Champions including a Westminster winner. We regularly work with Canadian families and will handle all border documentation for you. The breed was built for your climate. The quality is worth the drive.
APPLY FOR A PUPPY