Of course, the Shepherds wouldn't let them in at all. They are less concerned with me and even less with my husband, probably because we are the dominant people. Maybe they figure we can look out for ourselves most of the time. I'm fairly confident that their attitude would change if they sensed we were frightened or suspicious ourselves. The Akita's basic temperament, shaped for different purposes, gives it a different approach to life.
Protectiveness is definitely there but takes a backseat to other facets of the dog's personality.
If our Akita's bark in the night, we know they have a good reason. They know people don't skulk around after dark. On the other hand, if Akitas were great protection dogs, they'd be working in police departments everywhere, and some of us would be in Schutzhund trials. I remember an interview with a policeman who trained his Akita for K-9 work. He said the dog was a good worker but not a breed he would select again for that particular job because the Akita was harder to train.