Akita vs Bernese Mountain Dog

The AKC's own breed standard warns that Akitas 'may be intolerant of other dogs, particularly of the same sex' — that's not a rare temperament quirk, it's written into the official standard, and it's a major reason the breed is refused or surcharged by roughly 4 in 5 home-insurance breed-restriction lists.

More than half of Bernese Mountain Dogs die of cancer, and a published Swiss study found median survival of only around eight years, so you are taking on a short, often heartbreaking relationship with a dog the size of a small person.