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We are on our 2nd Akita.

What are their temperament? Can they be trusted around children?

You did have an unusual dog pack experience,

Neither the dispatcher nor the sheriff's deputy could stop laughing. There's a little bit more to it. You're right, the dog was a pet. It had a collar and ID on it. While we waited for animal control, the deputy was calling in a bunch of charges, ownership of a dangerous animal, blah blah blah, stuff like that. Last I heard, when the owner came to claim the dog, he had a nice sit down with the sheriff's department. :-)

Coon and possum usually don’t stick around an adult Akita

I don't have a problem with possum.. it's the coon's I want dead or run off. If an Akita can do that I might have to look into getting one. Bunch of coons can wreck a corn field let me tell ya... and boy do they love melons.

Raised from puppyhood w/kids and they are good to excellent. Used as babysitters in Japan, historically.

Our guy comes from a breeder in Mindoro, WI. She also runs a private email group for her owners & owners-to-be and there are a lot of families w/kids, plus this genetic line seems really tractable and good-tempered. Her website:
http://kitabears.homestead.com/
You can see her dogs over 2 generations. She has one stud and 3 females and does 3 litters a year. You need a reservation. Males, right now, are in short supply, with more reservations for them than puppies available.

I would say visit various breeders and study up on the breed. They are very independent-minded and take a firm hand and time to train. Not for everyone. You really have to stay one step ahead. I advocate a puppy just because then, you aren’t dealing with someone’s mistakes or trying to replace a bonded leader. This is like having a baby, though and means broken sleep for at least 2-3 months.

You want to see some of the dogs at the middle & ends of their lives, too. Some lines have hip & knee problems, some have skin probs and auto immune issues.

They have an innate high prey drive, so it is important they be socialized with the family, kids, other pets from weaning onward. They must recognize everyone in the family as alpha to them. On the whole, though, they are very loving dogs and want to please. Bright, too.