Nationwide Placement
American Akitas Placed Across the Country
Over the last twenty years, more than half of the dogs I have placed have gone to homes outside of New Jersey. That is not a marketing claim. It is a function of how this breed works and who looks for it.
The American Akita is not a casual purchase. The families who research this breed seriously, who understand what they are taking on, who are willing to wait for the right dog instead of buying the closest one, are scattered across the country. They find me because of what this program has produced over two decades. Not because I am the breeder closest to them.
This page is for those families. If you are reading it from California, Texas, Washington, Florida, or any state in between, what follows is exactly how I think about long-distance placement and what the process actually looks like.
Why Distance Matters Less Than People Think
The instinct when buying a serious dog is to find a breeder nearby. I understand that instinct. What I have learned over twenty years is that proximity is the wrong variable to optimize for.
The right variable is the breeder's program. The health testing they actually perform and can verify. The temperament histories of the dogs they breed. The way they evaluate buyers and the lifetime support they provide. None of those things change based on whether a buyer lives an hour away or three time zones away.
What does change is the logistics of getting the dog home. Logistics are solvable. Genetics, temperament, and breeder integrity are not.
Most of the families who place with Apexx Akitas from out of state have already spoken with breeders in their own region. They came to me because what they found locally did not meet the standard they were looking for. That is the conversation I have most often. Not "can you ship?" but "I have looked locally and I want something better."
How Out-of-State Placement Actually Works
Every long-distance placement is planned individually. There is no fleet, no shipping department, no assembly line. The method depends on the family, the puppy, the time of year, and what makes the most sense for the dog.
Some families fly to New Jersey and pick up in person. Some fly the puppy in-cabin with a flight nanny who handles the dog from my hands to theirs. Some prefer ground transport coordinated through a service I have used for years. Across twenty years of placements, I have used all three methods regularly and I will recommend the one that is right for the specific puppy and the specific family.
In-Person Pickup
Families who can travel to New Jersey often choose this. They meet me, they see where the puppy was raised, they meet the parents, and they take the dog home themselves. For first-time Akita owners especially, I encourage this when it is feasible. There is no substitute for the in-person handoff and the conversation that comes with it.
Flight Nanny Service
For families further away or with travel constraints, a flight nanny carries the puppy in-cabin on a direct or near-direct flight. This is not cargo. The puppy is with a trained handler at all times. I work with nannies I have used before and know personally. I will not put a dog on a plane with someone I have not vetted.
Ground Transport
For some routes and some times of year, ground transport is the right answer. I work with one specific service that handles dogs the way I would handle them myself. Climate-controlled, well-rested, regular check-ins, and a small number of dogs per trip. Not a logistics company moving cattle.
The right method is the one that gets the puppy to your home in the best possible condition. We will figure that out together once we know where you are and what is realistic.
A handoff in real time. This is what every placement looks like, regardless of where it is going.
How I Evaluate Out-of-State Buyers
Distance does not lower the standard. If anything, it raises it. When a family is buying a dog they cannot physically come visit before the placement, the entire relationship runs on what I see in the application and what we build over the phone or on video.
Every applicant goes through the same process. The application is long for a reason. I want to know about your home, your experience with large working breeds, your other dogs if you have them, your work schedule, your plans for training, and what specifically drew you to the American Akita. Out-of-state applicants get the same review as someone applying from Sussex County, New Jersey.
What I look for is not a perfect resume. I look for honesty about where you are, what you know, and what you are willing to learn. I have placed dogs with first-time large-breed owners who did the work and turned out to be excellent homes. I have also turned down experienced applicants when something about the placement did not feel right. The application is the start of a conversation, not a checkbox.
For families who cannot visit in person before placement, I do video calls. I show you the puppies on camera, I walk you through the parents, I answer questions in real time. By the time a puppy leaves here, the family has seen far more than a few photographs.
What Doesn't Change Across State Lines
Every dog I place, regardless of where it goes, comes with the same support structure I have built over twenty years.
That means complete OFA health testing on both parents, publicly verifiable at ofa.org. AKC registration. A signed contract that covers what I guarantee and what I expect from you. And lifetime breeder support, which is exactly what it sounds like. If a question comes up two years from now or seven years from now, you call me. If something goes wrong, we work through it. If you can no longer keep the dog for any reason, the dog comes back to me. That clause does not have a state restriction.
The geographic distance between us does not change the relationship. It just means we maintain it differently.
States Where Apexx Akitas Live
I have placed dogs in most of the country at this point. The states below are ones where I have placed multiple dogs and where there is enough of a pattern to write about the regional considerations specifically. If your state is not on this list, that is not a problem. It just means I have not written a dedicated page for it yet.
Frequently Asked Questions About Long-Distance Placement
Will you ship a puppy to anyone who pays?
No. Every applicant goes through the same review regardless of where they live. I have turned down out-of-state applicants and I have turned down applicants from across the river. The application process is real, and distance does not get you around it.
What if I cannot visit before the placement?
Most of my out-of-state families cannot. We do video calls instead. By the time a puppy leaves here, you have seen the dog from multiple angles, met the parents on camera, and had several real conversations with me. The lack of an in-person visit does not lower the bar, it just changes how we get there.
How is the puppy transported safely?
Three methods, depending on what makes sense for the specific placement. Families fly out and pick up in person, a flight nanny carries the puppy in-cabin, or a vetted ground transport service drives the puppy to you. I will not put a dog in airline cargo and I will not use a transport service I do not personally know.
What happens if something goes wrong after placement?
You call me. The contract is the same regardless of where you live. Lifetime breeder support, lifetime return policy. If a question comes up at any point in the dog's life, I am the person to call.
How long is the wait for a puppy?
It varies. I do not produce litters on a schedule, and I do not place dogs to fill slots. The answer depends on what is currently in development and what fits your application. The application is how that conversation starts.
Next Step
Ready to Start the Conversation
Every application is reviewed personally. If you are serious about an American Akita and you have done the research to know that this is the right breed for your family, the next step is the application. We can talk about logistics once I know who you are and what you are looking for.
Apply for a PuppyApexx Akitas · Ron Durant · Sussex County, New Jersey · (732) 850-5435