Anyone have a Chow Chow dog? Having problems with our chow mix rescue dog

[Sarah in FL]

To make a long story short, we have had this 1 yr old Chow-lab mix for about 2 months. He was a stray so we know nothing about his past life, although he was neutered so we know he did have a family at one time.

 

Anyway, we have been working very hard with him on establishing pack leadership and some basic obedience. He's come a long way in some areas, but in others, well, I'm not sure. For example, it is a constant job to watch him...keep him out of the pantry, off the counters and tables, off the toys, shoes, etc. He is also extremely obsessed with the toads and lizards we have in our yard- it's like he is in a trance and can't hear us at all when he sees one. Of course, he then wants to hunt them down, kill and eat them. Bleh!

 

So, now I'm doing a little research on Chow personalities and find that they are basically like cats in a dog suit. This dog is totally like that: very aloof, independent, stubborn. He doesn't like to play with the kids (outside, forget it, he's just into chasing lizards).

 

The thing is, we didn't get a cat because we want a DOG. One that comes up to you and wants to play. One that we could take with us to the park, or just on errands. One that after 2 months of consistent training wants to please you, at least some of the time. It feels like all work and very little fun. Am I horrible to want to get rid of him? In some ways, he is a good dog. Mostly very quiet, and docile. He doesn't bark a lot, or pee in the house, or run away. Is there any hope that he will start to see us as master, so we can just relax and enjoy him? Or will he be stubbornly independent for the next 12 years or so? At this point, I feel like the best we can hope for is managing and tolerating him.

[Tangerine]

We have a Chow mix rescue, but he does not at ALL fit a Chow personality. If we had known he was part Chow (they passed him off as part Newfie, but he grew into an obviously part chow dog) we never would have gotten him. I wouldn't want the dominance, or the way Chows only like their OWN people. I think dominance and obedience issues can be addressed, but I don't think you'll change a Chow temperament. It's just the way they are.

[Impish]

Chows are not a dog I'd want around my kids.

[Georgie]

Some of the things you have mentioned aren't necessarily chow, but a dog in general. The pantry, table, toys, shoes, lizards etc. That is the regular dog part. At one year he is still a baby and he will just need consistent training for that.

 

Have you tried training him to go on walks to the park? Chows are capable and highly intelligent. You just need to be watchful that other kids respect your dog and don't run up to grab at him or pet him if your dog doesn't like that from strangers.

 

As for the play part, maybe you just haven't found what he likes to do? We had one chow that would chase the ball drop it after he had it and wander off. Then we would get it, throw it and he would do the same thing. That was fun for him. Our other one did like to play fetch. It really depends on the dog.

 

With consistency your dog will see you as the one in charge. He is still young. I think it is around 3 that all dogs seem to calm down a bit and are easier to work with.

 

We have had two chows and they were lovely. We now have a 1 yr. chow/border collie mix. Chows are different then golden retrievers as far as personalities, but given the chance they can be loving family pets.

[Desert Rat]

I agree with Impish. I worked in a public dog kennel for 3 years. I didn't have problems with Pit bulls or Dobermans. Chows, Sharpeis, Rotts and Chihuahuas were are biggest problems. I don't judge a breed by the action of one but time after time, these breeds caused the most problems in our kennels. Chows particularly because they are so dang cute. FWIW, the only time I saw genuinely feral puppies they were a litter of chows. And the only time I was bit was by a chihuahua.

[Jennifer in MI]

Chows are not a dog I'd want around my kids.

 

:iagree:

 

My sister was bitten by a chow - she did nothing. This dog attacked her. Totally unprovoked.

[Georgie]

Chows are not a dog I'd want around my kids.

 

I'm sure you have your reasons, but the dog breed isn't usually the problem. It is usually the owners fault.

 

We have had chows since before our children were born. The dogs were wonderful with our children from baby on. They dogs were very gentle and loving with the kids when they were babies. The dogs and kids loved being around each other.

[Dirtroad]

Our chow (when I was a teen) was a one person dog. They are not really fun for kids. She was sweet & loving... but didn't like you to be hyper, quick moving or more than 1 person playing with her at one time.

 

He had 2 chow cross dogs. They were tough and one was hot tempered - even snapped at people. Our Dad had to put him down for attacking his new calves - he wouldn't stop doing it. His sibling was fine. Not cuddly like our old full blooded blue chow was... but he was a good dog. I do not know what htey were mixed with.

 

They are better outside dogs. They also don' t need to be alone with kids if showing odd behaviors.

 

Our neighbors chow-cross has attacked our pot bellied pig... but doesn't bother the kids. I keep my eye on him though b/c he runs free. They are instructed to come closer to the house if the chow shows up.

 

Use caution. Beautiful dogs (our blue girl was wonderful)... but the chow-crosses have all been unpredictable & even dangerous. I have always been told that chows do better with one owner & aren't recommended for families with kids.... like Goldens or labs, etc.

Edited September 20, 2009 by Dirtroad

[Georgie]

They are better outside dogs. They also don' t need to be alone with kids if showing odd behaviors.

 

O.

 

What she stated is not odd behaviors. I understand you wanting to caution her but what she stated are typical for any dog. Ours were and are inside dogs and they do just fine.

[Impish]

I'm sure you have your reasons, but the dog breed isn't usually the problem. It is usually the owners fault.

 

We have had chows since before our children were born. The dogs were wonderful with our children from baby on. They dogs were very gentle and loving with the kids when they were babies. The dogs and kids loved being around each other.

I totally agree that most issues with dogs are their owners.

 

That being said, there are some breeds that by their standard are known not to be a great choice for children or families. Chows, by their own breed standard temperament, (at least ones I've read) are one of those breeds.

 

I looked into Chows when considering a dog for our family. Everything I read, folks I talked to, Chow owners themselves warned me away. With small kids in the house, we're not the family for a Chow.

[Laura Corin]

I don't know anything about chows, but our 'rescue' dog has taken nine months to really settle in. She was well-behaved from the beginning, but only started to really play with the children quite recently.

 

Best wishes

 

Laura

[elegantlion]

I would consider talking to your veterinarian about some of the aggressive tendencies of the breed. I worked for a vet for 5 years and Chows were one of the breeds we had issues with when they visited the office, being overally aggressive and hard to handle. Some of them were not like that and some animals just act differently in an office setting. My own dog, a lab, gets nippy in the doctor's office. But for me it is not a breed I would chose to own because of those tendencies.

 

This is a breed that does require you to be able to handle them for grooming etc and you need to feel confident in doing so.

 

If you opt to get rid of the dog check around for Chow rescues in your area so it could be given to appropriate family.

[LynnG in Arizona]

I have a good book called Puppy Preschool by John Ross and Barbara McKinney. I have found them to offer great, solid dog advice.

 

And they say that the #1 breed of dog to stay far, far away from is the chow - for reasons already discussed here. One of the authors tells a sad story about when he did a radio show in which he warned people off of the chow breed. A woman called in and said that he was over-generalizing, and that she had the sweetest chow in the world . . . affectionate, wouldn't hurt a fly, etc.

 

So he invited the woman and her dog to come into the studio and said that he would be happy to publicly renounce his bad opinion of chows. The woman and her dog came in, and within a few minutes the chow had bitten the host. :001_huh: No provocation - and he an expert dog trainer. Needless to say, he never took back his opinion.

 

I say this not to "pile on" but because I would honestly be concerned about the safety of your (and neighborhood) children.

 

Best wishes and I am sorry you are struggling with this.

[Retired]

We have a chow/golden retriever mix. She is the sweetest dog but will only obey my son. She is loyal only to him:D

 

I will call her and she will come right up to me wag her tale and run off.

 

He calls and she comes right to him and sits.

 

:angry: She makes me so mad!

[justamouse]

I have owned pit bulls and now own a Doberman, but one I would never get is a Chow. None of the Chows I have ever met were stable family dogs. All of them attacked unprovoked.

[Sarah in FL]

Thanks for all your replies. I never knew any of this about Chows! I am thankful that our dog doesn't seem to have the aggression that some true Chows have. For the most part, he is quite docile and good around new people and kids. We've trained him to walk on a leash without pulling (too much) which is a huge improvement. It's mainly his aloof, serious and stubborn traits that I am wondering if I can live with. And just facing the disappointment that he isn't the dog I really wanted.

[NCMom]

Just curious, how do you know he is a chow lab mix? I ask because the black tongue thing is NOT a sign that they are chow, it's actually quite common in labs. That being said, although I do not like chows at all (and sadly never met anyone who did rescue who did), I think these behaviors are pretty normal, especially for a rescue.

 

Just so you know where I'm coming from, I do not subscribe to the dominance explains everything camp, lol. I would not roll the dog, etc. What I would do is try some of Shirley Chong's mind games Mind games .

 

Just be careful with the food games. I always do these first, no children until the dog is proofed pretty well. These have worked wonders for rescues we have had. I would do games and training - a lot of it, all as positive as you can be. Most rescues don't need any more negatives in their lives, imho. I would find a good trainer too, to help you get going.

 

When everything good comes from the people, things look different to the dog. (this would include lizards, too...ICK!;))

 

hth,

Georgia

[skirch]

I am not a fan of Chows as every one I met was aggressive. that said, I am on my 3rd chow/lab mix. You just never know with a mixed breed which traits are going to come through.

 

The first one was The. Best. Dog. Ever. He was a beast of a dog with a huge head and people were intimidated by him. However, he was the sweetest, most lovable, affectionate, gentle, docile, well behaved kid-loving dog I've ever known. He would snuggle up with my nephew to keep him warm when we'd take him camping up in the mountains.:001_wub:

We loved him so much that when we saw some adorable chow/lab puppies being given away we got another. She was also very sweet and affectionate. To me. She didn't like most other people and hated children. We had to get rid of her when my daughter became mobile because she would follow her around growling and would sometimes lunge at her face.

 

Last spring we got another chow/lab puppy. She's not as calm as our first (but we got him when he was a year, so he may have been a super-hyper pup as well) but is very friendly and loves people, especially kids.

 

Good luck!

[NicoleA]

We have two Chow Chows and two Shar Peis and three cats.

 

We also have a five-year-old son and a two-year-old son.

 

I would not own other breeds of dogs (mostly because I prefer a dog that isn't too active or affectionate) but I don't think these two breeds are for everyone. You need to be a strong leader, for Chow Chows especially, because they are pretty stubborn animals.

 

I don't think people should leave young children alone with dogs, any dogs. When my sons were very young and learning to walk, one of the Chow Chows would always sit right next to them so that if they fell, they would fall on him and not the ground. Another would always stand by the door or the gate in the yard (depending on where we are) just in case the child felt like leaving.

 

So, everything I read about Chow Chows (that they're horrible with kids, that they attack cats, that they'll eat anyone that comes near you, etc.) has not been true in our case. Yes, they are protective of their people. They are most certainly not for everyone. But they are most definitely for us.

 

Feel free to PM me if you have specific breed questions; my husband has owned Chow Chows and Chow mixes for almost twenty years.

[CalicoKat]

My sister has a chow resuce dog. It is a pure bred. I remember them having a really rough time with the dog initially -- first couple years. They even bought doggie insurance because this dog had a tendency to get hurt bad trying to get places it shouldn't, eating things it shouldn't. I remember her calling me utterly dispaired because her dog had diarreahed violently all over the back of her station wagon because it got sick eating something unknown.

 

Fast forward -- it's the best family dog I've ever met. They have pictures of their then 2 yo dd sitting on the dog's back, while it was lying down, eating her popsicle. I watched as that dog guarded the babie's crib when she brought home each newborn. Her dog reminds me of Nana in Peter Pan's story. Never once has that dog attacked, bit or even acted aggressive towards anyone.

 

But people do tend to cross to the other side of the street when they're out walking her. :D

 

Yes the breed is not known to be family friendly. But I wouldn't say that it can't happen.

[Beebalm]

Years ago, I worked for a vet. A local breeder brought in chows regularly for artificial insemination. They were the most unpredictable breed I personally ever saw...more so than cockers, pits, shepherds, or any other. We hated to see them coming. I vowed to never own one of them. Chows were popular during that time, and I heard many owners praising their dogs as good family pets. However, I personally could never trust one alone with my (or anyone else's) child. BTW, I own a German Shepherd that I put extensive work and time into, and I still didn't trust him completely for years with my kids. He's completely docile, has never even growled at anyone, and is the most loving pet I've ever had. Even so, I'm always conscious when friends are over to monitor things. You NEVER KNOW what's in the dog's mind or how it may react to an unknown situation/stress. I found that I couldn't read a chow and how they would respond from one minute to the next. That's why I'll never own one. Too stressful.

[staceyobu]

I'd find a good dog school if you can and take some obedience classes. I took my rescue beagle to a place that taught serious agility. They really helped me figure out how to train him. It also took about six months for our dog to settle in and some of his nervous behaviors to go away. He used to be afraid to go outside to pee by himself. Drove me crazy.

[TravelingChris]

I have had many adopted dogs, most of whom I was able to keep till their deaths and one is still with us. None of them were aloof from the family and I think that is a danger sign with a breed or half breed known for unprovoked attacks. Many of our dogs weren't as playful as my kids wanted mainly because they were older or didn't know how to play well. THey would go after a ball and run around with it. Or some weren't interested at all. My current one likes to play a bit and does co-operate but he is suffering from congestive heart failure so we don't want him playing too much.

 

 

For people who want family friendly dogs, sticking with good breed rescues is a much safer proposition. Both times we got a dog from breed rescue, it was a success. One we had to re-home when we were moving overseas since she had come a long way in her separation anxiety and we felt the long move, the kenneling when we arrived, and the trauma of the flight would erase all the improvement she had made. The other is the dog I have now. We had him for two years before he developed the CHF so it was nothing the breed rescue people could have predicted. He is exactly what we wanted- barks at doorbells but hardly at all otherwise ( I have slight hearing deficit and need the bark at the doorbell), gets along with my cat and my kids, friendly, doesn't need much activity, and small enough for me to handle.

[Tutor]

We had a chow/ german shepherd mix growing up. We found her on our front porch one morning with a chain embedded in her neck... apparently a neighbor had moved away and left her tied up in the backyard and she had eventually worked her way free. There were other signs of abuse as well... for instance, my dad and grandfather couldn't carry the newspaper around rolled up because she would cower into a corner and if approached when in this state might snap. She was also scared to death of loud noises and would hide behind the sofa a shake during thunderstorms (if she couldn't get to the shower to hide in) and shake so badly it felt like we had a magic fingers sofa. :001_smile: She also could not tolerate other female dogs... male dogs, fine; females, no way.

 

That said, she was a wonderful pet. I was 6 and my sister was 3 when we found her. She let us crawl all over her, use her as a pillow, was protective of us without being violent to others (she'd put herself between us and a stranger and growl until we told her it was okay, then she'd just curl up at our feet). She would play fetch sometimes and loved to run, but prefered being inside curled up at someone's feet and having her belly rubbed. I don't recall my parents doing anything but informal training with her. (And they unfolded the newspaper when they were carrying it.)

 

I would not hesitate getting another chow mix - except for the high level of grooming they require... and boy do they shed, but I wouldn't be concerned with them as a breed for temperment issues. Although breeding plays into temperment, I think that treatment, training, and expectation of behavior play at least as influential roles.

 

That said, if this dog is a bad fit for your famliy, you should get rid of him. It would be better for your family and for the dog. Because the dog has lived with you for awhile, you can make that decision based on this dog's temperment rather than an opinion on the average temperment of the contributing breeds.

Edited September 21, 2009 by Tutor

[Amandamc0017]

I had a Chow Australian Shepherd mix. We found her as a stray and raised her since she was a puppy. She was an incredible and sweet dog. I think she had the nature of the Australian Shepherd, but the vet was sure that she was part Chow. I thought that this thread seemed extremely anti chow and I would like for you to be optimistic about your dog. Ours lived to be 14 year old and we felt very blessed to have her. It took a few years for her to grow up and not act like a puppy, but she did and was a great, loyal dog with no problems. Good luck. She also liked our cat.