American Akita Puppies in Delaware: Champion Bloodlines, OFA Health Tested, Three Hours From Your Door
By Ron Durant, Apexx Akitas. Serving Delaware families from Sussex County, New Jersey since 2003.
A father and daughter picking up their new Apexx Akitas puppy. This is what a well-planned placement looks like from a champion breeding program.
Apexx Akitas is an AKC-registered American Akita breeding program located in Sussex County, New Jersey, approximately three hours from Wilmington and northern New Castle County, Delaware. 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 over 150 American Akitas with families nationwide since 2003. Our program includes a Westminster Kennel Club Best of Opposite Sex winner and a Best in Show winner at 4 months old. Delaware families can visit our kennel, meet our dogs, and pick up their puppy the same day.
Why Delaware Families Choose Apexx Akitas
Championship Quality Just Up the Road
Apexx Akitas is one of the closest championship-level American Akita breeding programs to Delaware, located approximately three hours north via I-95. With 10 AKC Champions and Grand Champions produced since 2003, including a Westminster Kennel Club Best of Opposite Sex winner, Apexx Akitas offers Delaware families a level of verified breeding quality that is not available within the state.
Delaware punches above its weight in household income, particularly in northern New Castle County, where communities like Greenville, Centreville, Wilmington's Chateau Country, and the areas along Kennett Pike and Route 52 include some of the wealthiest zip codes in the mid-Atlantic. The families who contact us from these communities are senior banking executives, DuPont retirees, physicians, and attorneys. They are researchers, they verify claims, and they invest in quality over price. That is exactly the profile of buyer our program is built for.
Our program includes Grand Champion Asa, the foundation sire whose Grand Championship was earned competing against champions across the northeast. Champion Esther, who earned Best of Opposite Sex at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. 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 across hips, elbows, thyroid, eyes, and cardiac evaluations. Every title and every clearance is publicly verifiable.
Ron Durant with Apexx Akitas puppies on the kennel property in Wantage, New Jersey. Delaware 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.
Drive Times From Delaware to Apexx Akitas
A Direct Shot Up I-95
Our kennel is located in Wantage, New Jersey, in the northwest corner of the state. The drive from Delaware follows I-95 North through Pennsylvania and into New Jersey, then west on Route 78 or Route 206. Northern Delaware families have one of the most convenient drives of any state we serve.
Every family that purchases an Apexx Akitas puppy is welcome and encouraged to visit the 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. Northern Delaware families routinely make the trip on a Saturday morning and are back home for dinner. The drive is comfortable and the payoff is meeting your puppy in person before you commit.
What Makes Apexx Akitas Different
The Standard Delaware Buyers Should Demand
Delaware buyers are practical, well-researched, and expect documentation. Here is what you will find when you verify our claims.
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 for the buyer, 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 Delaware families.
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 Delaware
Why This Breed Fits the Delaware Lifestyle
The American Akita is a strong fit for Delaware homes with a securely fenced yard, consistent structure, and owners who understand the commitment a large, intelligent, independent breed requires. Delaware's mid-Atlantic climate, property configurations, and outdoor lifestyle align well with what this breed needs.
Delaware's four-season climate works well for the American Akita. The breed carries a dense double coat that provides natural insulation in winter. Delaware winters give the dog seasonal variation without the extreme conditions of far northern states. Summers can be hot and humid, particularly in southern Delaware, which requires standard precautions any responsible owner takes with a double-coated breed: air conditioning, fresh water, and avoiding extended outdoor activity during peak afternoon heat. With those basics in place, Delaware Akitas do well year-round.
Northern New Castle County offers property configurations that suit this breed well. The Chateau Country corridor around Greenville and Centreville, the estate properties along Kennett Pike, and the suburban lots throughout Hockessin and North Wilmington typically provide the yard space and fencing this breed requires. Central and southern Delaware, from Middletown through Dover to the Rehoboth area, offers larger lot sizes that give the breed even more room. 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.
Delaware's proximity to top veterinary care in Philadelphia and Wilmington gives Akita owners access to orthopedic specialists, cardiologists, and emergency services within reasonable distance. For a breed where health monitoring matters over a decade-long lifespan, that access is a genuine advantage.
Sadie at 10 years old, still guarding her toddler in the family garden. This is what a well-bred Apexx Akita becomes: a lifelong family guardian with a decade of loyalty in her still to give.
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
From First Contact to Bringing Your Puppy Home
Every placement begins with our application. I review every application personally and use it 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 between puppy and family matters more than the sale.
After reviewing your application, I will call you directly. This is a two-way conversation about your family, your goals, and whether an Apexx Akitas puppy is the right fit for your home. Delaware families tend to come to this conversation well-prepared. I appreciate that and match it with the same level of detail.
Delaware families are strongly encouraged to visit our kennel in Wantage, New Jersey. You will meet the parents of your puppy, see how our dogs are raised, and experience their temperament firsthand. For northern Delaware families, this is about a 2.5-hour drive. Many families make it a day trip and are home for dinner. Seeing the dogs in person tells you more about our program in 30 minutes than any website can.
When your puppy is ready for placement at 8 to 10 weeks, you will pick up in person. Your puppy goes home with AKC registration papers, a health certificate from our veterinarian, a feeding and care guide, and my direct phone number for lifetime support. The drive home to Delaware is comfortable and your puppy will be settling into your home before the end of the day.
A French couple picking up Mika, their new female American Akita, from Apexx Akitas. If families cross an ocean for our dogs, Delaware is just a short drive away.
Prepare Before You Commit
Resources for Delaware Buyers
Buying an American Akita is a serious commitment. I encourage every prospective buyer 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
Delaware 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. Northern Delaware families are approximately two and a half hours from our kennel. Visit us, meet our dogs, and see the difference that 20 years of commitment to this breed produces.
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