Akita owners - Do you have any stories of how your Akita protected you or your home?

I have an eight month old Japanese Akita Dog. He is awesome and a great family pet and excellent companion. I am sure that He will also be a great protector of my home aswell. I would be interested in any stories of an Akita's guarding ability. At what age do you think my Akita will develop protective instincs? thanks

Our neutered male would go plowing w/my husband at night. He loved to go and some of the lots he plowed werent in the greatest of neighborhoods. One night he was having problems w/the salt spreader and let the dog out w/him to stretch his legs and play in the mounds of snow when he noticed a big colored man walking towards him w/his hand across his stomach inside of his coat. My husband yelled "can I help you?" and he didnt say a word just kept walking and then pulled a knife out. My husband yelled for the dog and came around the truck and instantly took his stance and starting growling and barking ....needless to say the guy decided to turn and get the heck out of there. My husband did phone the police but he was never found and we will never know what could of happened and thankgoodness that dog was w/him.

I had one that was in a police program.Training to be a police dog.He had a badge and everything.He went to police school during the day and was with me after and all night.But I was during him into too much of a family dog.He would protect me but no one else in the family but beside for school I spent the most time with him.He would sleep with me and push my husband out of bed at night on purpose and he was a big dog.He was about 1 1/2 years old than so I would start training him now.This was years ago.He became a police dog for a while and he was not that good at his job and he retired and went to live with another family on a farm quite happily.Good Luck!