MY FIRST AND LAST BEAUTIFUL CHOW

[cebuana1]

PLEASE HELP!
WHEN CHOCOLATE, MY 5 YEAR OLD CHOW CHOW CAME TO OUR LIFE AS A PUPPY, I WAS THE PROUDEST OWNER/MOM. I KNEW I WAS GOING TO LOVE HIM AND SPOIL HIM JUST AS IF HE WAS MY SECOND CHILD. HE IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. MY HUSBAND ANDI PROVIDED HIM WITH WHAT WE THOUGHT EVERYTHING HE NEEDED - -TREATS, FOOD, TOYS, HUGS, KISSES AND ALL THE LOVE AND AFFECTION THAT WE WANT TO GIVE TO A CHILD. BECAUSE OF OUR LOVE FOR HIM, WE FAILED TO DISCIPLINE HIM AND BECAUSE OF OUR BUSY SCHEDULE AS A WORKING COUPLE, WE THOUGHT AS LONG AS HE IS FREE INSIDE OUR 4000 SQ FT HOME, HE SHOULD BE OKAY. CHOCOLATE OVERTIME HAS BECOME MORE POSSESSIVE. HE GROWLS AT PEOPLE PASSING BY. WHEN WE WALK HIM, HE GROWLS AT OTHER DOGS AND WANTS TO GO AFTER THEM. WHEN HE WAS 1 YEAR OLD, A FRIEND CAME OVER TO MEET HIM. BEFORE HE ARRIVED CHOCOLATE WAS PLAYING WITH KIDS AND WHEN I INTRODUCED OUR FRIEND TO CHOCOLATE, HE BIT HIS HAND. I WAS SHOCKED AND DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY. AT THAT TIME, I WAS MAKING EXCUSES FOR OUR DOG BECAUSE WHENEVER HE LOOKS AT ME, HE MELTS MY HEART AND I DON'T SEE ANYTHING THAT HE DOES IS WRONG OR BAD. OVER THE YEARS, CHOCOLATE HAS BEEN OUR PRIDE AND JOY. MY DAUGHTER LOVES HIM SO MUCH. HE GREETS US WHENEVER WE COME HOME FROM WORK AND MY DAUGHTER FROM SCHOOL. HE GIVES US KISSES AND HE LAYS NEXT TO US WHENEVER WE ARE WATCHING TV. HE LOVES TO WATCH TV AND HE LOVES TO PLAY AROUND THE HOUSE WITH US. HE IS VERY SMART BUT STUBBORN. WHEN HE NEEDS TO GO POTTY, HE TELLS US AND IF HE NEEDS TO GO AT NIGHT, HE WAKES US UP AND AS SOON AS WE OPEN THE BACK DOOR, HE DOES HIS THING AND COMES BACK IN THE HOUSE AND HE GOES BACK TO SLEEP. HE WAKES US UP IN THE MORNING AND GIVES US ALL KISSES. HE LIKES BELLY RUB AND MASSAGE. HE LOVES TO BE BATHED AND BRUSHED. HE DOESN'T LIKE TO GET DIRTY. CALL ME CRAZY BUT HE DOES SMELL LIKE A BABY.
HERE'S THE REASON WHY I'M HERE TALKING ABOUT MY PRECIOUS CHOCOLATE. WHEN MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER GAVE HIM A HUG JUST LIKE SHE ALWAYS DOES IN THE MORNING BEFORE GOING TO SCHOOL, HE SNAPPED AND BIT MY DAUGHTER ON THE NOSE. MY DAUGHTER RECEIVED FEW STITCHES BUT SHE'S FINE NOW. WHILE SHE WAS AT THE HOSPITAL SHE ASKED ME TO PLEASE NOT DO ANYTHING BAD TO CHOCOLATE. WHEN SHE CAME HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL, SHE WAS CHECKING TO MAKE SURE THAT CHOCOLATE WAS STILL IN THE HOUSE. MY FRIENDS AND FAMILIES SUGGESTED FOR HIM TO BE EUTHANIZED. MY DAUGHTER'S FRIEND SAYS SHE WON'T COME TO OUR HOUSE ANYMORE UNLESS OUR DOG IS GONE. THE PAIN AND THE HURT IN MY HEART WAS UNIMAGINABLE. MY HUSBAND AND I REALIZED THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN GOOD DOG OWNERS FOR CHOCOLATE AND I FEEL SO GUILTY THAT WE CAUSED HIM TO BE THIS WAY. I DON'T WNAT TO PUT HIM TO SLEEP AND I UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE NOT CAPABLE OF KEEPING HIM AND PROVIDING WHAT HE REALLY NEEDS...A PACK LEADER. SOMEBODY WHO IS FAMILIAR W/ THIS BREED'S TEMPERAMENT. I'VE BEEN CRYING FOR DAYS JUST THINKING ABOUT LOSING HIM BUT I FEEL THAT GIVING HIM TO A DOG OWNER WHO CAN FULFILL HIS NEEDS IS WHAT HE DESERVES. PLEASE HELP. YOU MAY EMAIL ME AT MARICARLOVESCHOCOLATE@YAHOO.COM. GOD BLESS YOU.

[chowhuskylass]

Its good that you have acknowledge that the dog has become a product of his environment,

Becoming a respected person in your dogs eyes is not really hard to do its about changing the way you treat him and look at him, its about routine and exercise and rules and boundaries and no longer making excuses..... all these are easy to put into place and follow but you must really want to do it and be successful and stick to it,

what you have is an chow as pack leader his aggression as such its his way of keeping his pack in check under his rule, dogs cannot give spoken instruction but they use body language growls and physical touch for the most insubordinate of his pack strong minded chows will not respect weak owners, there are many reason for this but no point in going into the whys just now.

pack leaders do not get hugged they choose when you can give them a hug or affection... you do not decide that for yourself such actions will be disciplined!!! that's how your chow see things, he has been told time after time by his human he is in charge.

If you really want it it can be fixed you have dedicated five years of spoiling this dog and making him what he is today, all be it you did not really know this was what your doing, and i know it was unintentional, but this is the end result of your work you reap what you sow, so to speak, and now he is broken and no longer that loving baby you had years ago he has to go as you can no longer spoil him any more......he now has to go as after 5 years you now no longer have the time or no longer want a dog that you love that bites your family and yourselves or anybody else for that matter.

If you love him like you say you do and this painful post that you have written is painful then use this pain to strive to fix his human created problem, all you have to do is change, not him, you, change and he will change.
Get professional behaviourist to show you how, its all hands off, you lead by example and the first few weeks are hard but if you love him with support from all of the family then change can happen, and you will get back that loving chow you had years ago. A little self belief, and things can and will get better.
It all boils down to what are you prepared to do.

[ChowBLove]

I don't have any solutions. I just want to tell you that my heart is breaking for you. It is the hardest thing to let go of an animal so dear to you. It is hard to know how to raise Chows when you first get one. They are the most adorable things and it is easy to spoil them. My 2 previous chows were very spoiled yet knew their place in my home. The last little pup I got had a very different personality. I was unable to be the pack leader for him and had to find him another home. If you choose to take the previous poster's advice and hire professional help that would be awesome but don't guilt yourself. You gave Chocolate what you thought was the best life. You and your family (which includes Chocolate) are in my prayers.

[cebuana1]

This is Chocolate.

Chocolate1.jpg (48.93 KiB) Viewed 67254 times

[cebuana1]

I appreciate your input...thank you so much. I am doing everything I can right now to handle the situation. He is a beautiful boy and he deserves better. I realized the other day that he really is trainable. I claimed the front door/entrance area which is his greatest possession. Since then he has not step on it and whenever he tries to go there, he pauses and turns around and stays on the area that I gave him. He looks at me as if he is waiting for the next instruction. I am giving him some training the best I know how. I have also contacted some training facilities but no luck yet at this point. We're in San Antonio, TX and I found "superdog" training online but I was disappointed after reading the reviews. I have called several places in San Antonio area and I hope that I will get a phone call soon. I will keep you posted. God bless.

[keeshabailey]

Dear cebuana,
I feel so bad for you and your family right now and especially Chocolate as he must be pretty confused as well. What about - The Dog Whisperer Caesar Millan??? How about calling him or the show or posting him a video about your situation?? thats what I would do.
Pls dont give up just yet. There has to be a way to keep your family together!!!!!!
T.

[kingalls]

Chocolate is a beautiful Chow. As was stated earlier, the first step to correcting the situation was understanding Chocolate is the product of his environment. It sounds like you are taking the next correct step in looking for a trainer. You can correct the situation and a good trainer can help. One thing I would like to suggest is that you have the vet check him out to make sure that he doesn't have some underlying physcial issue that made him snap at your daughter. Up until he snapped at your daughter it sounds like he was the perfect family dog and loves all of his family. That he would snap at her might be a symptom of him having pain that he's dealing with.

[cebuana1]

Thank you so much for all of your encouraging words. Although my friends and families still are pushing for Chocolate to be put down, I am trying very hard to find ways to find out what caused him to snap when my daughter pretty much grew up with him.

I just can't find it in my heart to take his life away. They make it sound like Chocolate is a monster and I know that he is not. When I told them that I am finding a dog behaviorist for Chocolate, I can feel that they look at me as an irresponsible parent for not getting rid of him immediately after he bit my daughter.

My husband, my daughter and I sat down and agreed to get Chocolate some obedience training since he never had one. I am very thankful that I found this website where I can talk to chow chow owners like you who are able to give me some options and ideas and who truly understand how it is to own a dog especially a chow--it's greatly appreciated.

Since the incident, I started giving him some rules and boundaries the best I know how. It is very difficult but I am very determined to help him become a happy and balanced dog.

I did email Cesar Milan but I doubt that he would respond due to the volume of emails he receive but I am still hopeful that one day he will respond.

What I am hoping for (if things don't work out in keeping Chocolate) is for him to be in a place where he can be with other chows and be happy. Thank you all for your input.

[chowhuskylass]

A good book or books to have are Jan fennels the dog listener and the practical dog listener, they can guide you to how to implement rules boundaries and manners completely hands off, very easy to understand and put into practice

http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Listener-Comm ... 782&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Dog-Lis ... 782&sr=8-3

also look on youtube for her episodes or tasters show you what she is all about

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_q ... tener&aq=0

if this is the very first time he has bitten or showed aggression that may have lead to a bite, then i suggest a full health check as well to rule out any eye or other problems that may have triggered a bite reaction.

[Victory]

First I want to say I agree that this is no Chocolate's fault and it is very good that you have recognized that you made the mistakes. Second tell the rest of your friends and family to back off, they also are part of the problem since they have allowed him to be the boss of them too. I never allow ANY dog to behave in a dominant manner with me, not even my friends dogs, I don't care if I'm a guest, I'm still a human and out rank them, (it sometimes ticks my friends off that I get better behavior than they do ) Second, I don't want you to feel bad that you are now implementing disclipine and teaching him his proper place in the pack, he will actually be happier for it. No dog really wants to be the pack alpha, it's a lot of responsiblity and work, it means he's "on" 24/7, never relaxes never just has fun. When you move firmly into the posistion of pack leadership he will relax and be far more secure, this is the irony of these situations, when they are boss they actually are insecure and nervous all the time, this will be far better for him.

Along with some of the things you've been told already, I also would point out NILF, (nothing in life is free) that means, affection, treats, means and even going out for potty, (an adult dog does not need to go out all hours of the night unless he's got a UTI or something like that) He's only doing it because he can get away with it. So you want to start simple, if you do give him treats then now he has to earn them, he has to sit to get them, tell him him to sit, if he does, give him the treat, if he doesn't repeat the command, DO NOT give up, repeat it again, after 4-5 times if he refuses to sit, put the treat away and walk away from him. He growls, or in any way acts aggressive or if he even just then follows you or paws at you, (an alpha behavior) take him into another room where he is by himself, walk out and shut the door, give him a good 10-15 minute time out, (that might sound long, but chows are smart they are also stubborn, 15 minutes is time for them to figure you mean business and for him to get the message that misbehavior means a lack of company, chows respond to timeouts the best.

Other things to remember, you go out and in doors first, he follows. You answer doors, he waits in a sit stay until you tell him he can get up, you walk through all rooms without him being in the way, if he is in the way he needs to move, don't let him just lay there, he has to get up and move. Don't let him ever be above you in any way phyiscally, not in bed or on the couch. Also for a time you don't want to drop down to his level at all, always stay above him, this will 1) keep anyone else from getting bit in the face and 2) reinforce you as the leaders.

I hope all the things you're being told here will help. Here's a big no no, do not try to roll him, ever. Chows hate that even ones who are submissive will fight an alpha roll, also at his age and size if he fights it, someone will get hurt, could be you or him. Also it may be frustrating for a bit, the thing is to remain calm with him at all times, as you recognize none of this is his fault, he will be confused and he's not going to like it at first, but in the long run every one will be happier, especially Chocolate.

[Merlin]

I did email Cesar Milan but I doubt that he would respond due to the volume of emails he receive but I am still hopeful that one day he will respond.

Hello

I think it's great that you've recognized that you have a problem at home with your chow.
You need to become pro-active and get involved with a dog trainer.
WHile you will get advise on the internet, your BEST bet is to get in touch right now with a trainer who can work with you and your chow.

We take in so many chows that come from homes like yours. - many are not so lucky and get euthanized.
I can't stress enough the damage you are doing by not addressing this situation properly.

If you truly care about your dog, then Get involved with a trainer, then, yes, come back and let us all know how you are doing.

[cebuana1]

Hello everyone.

I just want to give you an update. I was able to find a dog behaviorist for Chocolate. We just finished our first session. We will have our next session this Saturday. I have been spending a lot of time in following the homework that the trainer left us to work on for the week. For the most part, Chocolate can follow the following commands: sit, down, stay, leave it. I walk him for 20 minutes at night and early morning. I give him his food only when he follows the down command and then I pick up the food tray 15 minutes after.
I was also able to put the muzzle on him last night to get him ready for the next session. Although I was able to only walk him for 5 minutes with it but I thought it's a good start.
I am feeling much better; my daughter's nose is healing nicely and Chocolate seems to be a bit more relaxed. I will keep you all posted. Thank you for all the support. You don't have any idea how I greatly appreciated them. God bless everyone.

Maricar

[lovechows55]

Dear Maricar,

I hope by now that you Chocolate and your family are continuing to make progress in your relationship with Chocolate. I also wanted to commend you on finding ways to help solve the problems you've had and to work together with the rest of your family so that all of you can stay together--which are important life lessons for your daughter. I'm so sorry that she was bitten by him but it sounds like maybe it will help all of you to have a much more satisfying life together for many years to come.

One of the most important things to do with a chow--as others have said--is to establish that you and your other family members are the boss. When I first brought my chow puppy home, when she was really little, I put her on her back and held her down for a couple minutes while looking into her eyes. It only took 2-3 times and she got it--I was alpha, she wasn't, and fortunately, she never challenged me when she got older. (This is pretty easy to do when a puppy is only 7 weeks old; don't try it with a grown dog unless you really know that dog). Once you establish yourself as the boss and Chocolate accepts it, chows will usually like having that relationship order.

In my experience, dogs bite when they are either afraid or proving a point to a subordinate (a litter mate, which is what Chocolate considered your daughter to be). A lot of people assume chows are just aggressive by nature but if they are raised with a lot of socialization, they usually are not aggressive unless provoked. After you've been working on the issues you're already addressing, the next thing you might want to consider is to start socializing Chocolate outside your home so that he doesn't become aggressive. All dogs need to have a variety of positive experiences with people and other animals so that when they see new people or have something different happen to them, they aren't scared by it. Taking him to dog training classes (with a chow-friendly trainer) and to dog parks are good ways of socializing him.

And, you did the right thing by helping your dog and your family. I'm so glad you didn't end his life or re-home him. If it comes to it and you can't make it work, you can work with your local chow rescue group to find another chow owner who can adopt him but chows are very loyal and really love their first families. If you can work it out, he will love you forever. Your friends have no right to be criticizing you for ending your dog's life. Would they kill one of their family because of an emotional problem? It's your family, not theirs, and you are absolutely right to be doing what you are doing.

We're all praying for you,

Barbara

[Merlin]

Good for your for staying involved with helping your chow get through this.
Kudoes


MM

[cebuana1]

Thank you all so much for such encouraging words. The dog behaviorist will be here tomorrow to work with Chocolate. This is only our second session but I have seen a lot of improvements. I just want to let you know that I am taking all of your input seriously. I am trying to apply your suggestions in every way possible. I admit that it's not easy but I can see how it's slowly paying off. I will keep you all posted how things are after tomorrow's session. God bless.

Maricar

[gebower]

I'm so sorry about this, but I know it can happen. I haven't had this experience with my Chows. My first Chow, Chevy, was an unneutered male that was a sweetheart all the way. Never bit anyone, it wasn't in his nature. The only thing he ever did was "correct" my female Gordon Setter when she tried to steal the snack I was giving him. The only incident. My two Chows I have now, a male neutered, acts just like Chevy. He's a teddy bear all the way. But, Zeena, who is spayed, can be a nipper sometimes. I have to watch her. But, she doesn't do an all out attack thank God. The difference I've found between nipping and biting is that a nip leaves no damage and a bite, you may have to go to the doctor. Neither should be tolerated ever. The worst punishment for Zeena is putting her in a small room to think about what she did and I do this EVEN If SHE JUST GROWLS at company. She HATES it. My wife calls it, "Puppy Prison". About three times in the room and she settles down really quick. She's an awesome watch dog, but she can take it too far sometimes and that's where I step in quickly. To not punish them is to say, It's okay and it's not okay, ever, unless it is to defend us in grave danger, the only exception I can think of.

Gene

[Merlin]

But, Zeena, who is spayed, can be a nipper sometimes. I have to watch her. But, she doesn't do an all out attack thank God. The difference I've found between nipping and biting is that a nip leaves no damage and a bite, you may have to go to the doctor.

It really doesn't matter how you want to 'coin' it, nipping is a sign of aggression that should never be marginalized. It's a behaviour that will ultimately escalate somewhere down the road, just so you know.

Cheers
MM

[lovechows55]

Absolutely true. With all dogs--but especially our chows--you need to be very careful about any aggressive behavior and stop it as soon as it occurs (unless there is a need for it, such as an intruder in your home or someone about to attack you). You really shouldn't even put up with them growling at you because that's their warning. If chows respect you as their leader (and by extension, the rest of your family is considered their leader), then chows shouldn't be doing any of this. Chows can have great temperaments and be absolute delights to have in your family but because they are a genetically aggressive breed, it's up to us to be proactive about their training and socialization. And, you really can't let a chow get away with anything. They are very smart and they will take advantage of you if you let them so you need to draw the line quickly and not put up with anything. Also, never, ever hit a chow because that can really adversely affect them. They are very emotional beings and easily hurt. Hitting a chow can really mess them up and is likely behind the stories we've heard about chows turning on their owners, etc. Putting them on doggie time out is a much better strategy.

BTW, I was very blessed with Chelsea. During her entire 15 1/2 years, she was the sweetest pup ever. She did growl at three people--as she stood her ground between them and me--and she was protecting me all three times. All three were very short growls and she stopped as soon as I corrected her. But, she was right about all three people (all turned out to be very bad people after I got to know them; she knew it instantly. Chows have extremely good radar so if they do growl at a stranger, it is good to pay attention to it as you're correcting the behavior. They are often right.)

[nean007]

Denny, my Great Pyr mix, is a barker and when he hears other dogs barking even if he's inside the house, he will start growling. If he doesn't stop after the first warning, I yell, "Upstairs!" That's time out and up he goes. I keep a fan on in that room to drown out the noise. I think it helps him a little bit. Time out really is a great idea with dogs because they are super social and would rather hang out with the family than be isolated.

[Merlin]

BTW, I was very blessed with Chelsea. During her entire 15 1/2 years, she was the sweetest pup ever.

We have to reckon, that some humans have what it takes to immediately and definitely relate to chows with all the terms and definitions that they find acceptable in a relationship, so chow ownership becomes a very easy task, and the chow remains "the sweetest", thing ever.

On the other hand, we have to also reckon that they are many individuals who have chows, who shouldn't. In certain cases, no amount of schooling, or training will help their situation because they are simply inappropriate people to have this breed of dog.

[Auddymay]

In all fairness, there are some Chows that have better dispositions than others, and you will see posts here from people that have had no problems from raising Chows for decades, and then suddenly find they have one that is not quite as sweet. That is not to say there are certainly some people that should not have Chows. But that does not mean that a Chow that isn't perfectly behaved is being raised by an incompetent.

[Merlin]

Of course there are chows with varying temperaments, including very poorly bred ones, who reason of genetics alone will always have temperament issues.
No one will disagree with that, but they are far and few inbetween.

that does not mean that a Chow that isn't perfectly behaved is being raised by an incompetent.

It's not about being incompetent. It's about individuals being able to immediately and clearly recognizing problem areas and having the skills to correct them.
If one doesn't have the skills, then one should seek out to get them. I've rarely seen "bad chow" stories from incompetents, but I sure have seen plenty from people with attitudes of not wanting to deal with the problem.

[lovechows55]

I think chows are wonderful but also can be difficult to raise so it can be challenging to have one. I mean, face it. lots of people have dogs and don't really take the time to train and socialize them so it's not just chows that this happens with but we get blamed more because of chows' reputations. (See Throwdown in the Park discussion, to name one example).

They are super sensitive so you need to be very careful with how you discipline but yet you need to be very strict and set boundaries or they will really take charge. And, with their size and strength, this can become a life-threatening problem (especially if you have children). It's a tough balancing act and frankly, I was very blessed with having a good natured chow and with having good instincts that I inherited from my mom (who bred and showed dogs before I was born).

Now, my husband, who we both met when Chelsea was 6 years old, was another story. She had him wrapped around her paws and as soon as he was on the other side of the leash, she'd take off racing (she knew better with me but he didn't stop her). I'd call out "Don't let her do that to you," as they'd race down the walkway. She got away with tons of stuff with him. And then she'd look at me with this little chow smile that clearly showed she knew exactly what she was doing. Fortunately, she was sweet and never tried to hurt him but man, it drove me nuts that he wouldn't assert himself with her to draw that line because another chow could have really been a threat. Chows know who they can push to the line and who they can't and they will push their boundaries if you let them.

But, working with a trainer can do wonders, too. When chows are acting out, it's often because of us so if we learn to be consistent and to do what we need to do, then issues can be resolved. The problem is that people wait too long to get help and then the chow's and the owner's behaviors are much harder to unlearn.

[Auddymay]

It's not about being incompetent. It's about individuals being able to immediately and clearly recognizing problem areas and having the skills to correct them.
If one doesn't have the skills, then one should seek out to get them. I've rarely seen "bad chow" stories from incompetents, but I sure have seen plenty from people with attitudes of not wanting to deal with the problem.

I'm not sure what your definition of 'incompetent' is, but mine would be individuals not being able to immediately and clearly recognize problem areas and have the skills to correct them.

Having said that, we here have varying degrees of competency. We also have different ideas of what we expect of our Chows. I have seen people that are completely incompetent own Chows, and end up rehoming them when they cannot have a trustworthy pet. lovechow55 is correct, Chows see how far they can push things and do so. Woe be to those not able to correct them. BUT- not being able to correct a Chow into the submission of it's owner does not mean there is a failure in Chow or man. If a person wanted an obedient dog, maybe a Golden would be the better choice.

[ADKH]

No need to get rid of the dog or have him euthanized the first poster was right on the money. Hire someone to teach you how to handle the dog and he will change. As the first poster pointed out YOU need to be the pac leader not the dog. This is an easy fix...Good Luck.