Adoption?? Opinions please?

[deemsnyd]

Visited the local pound yesterday(not a no kill) thinking about adoption. Nothing in mind, just looking for a dog to stand out so to speak. They all need help, so I wasn't playing favorites. One stood out all right, a beautiful little female chow mix, 2 1/2 years old. Not sure what she is mixed with but she is smaller than a pure bred. Why did she stand out? Calm and quiet in the middle of all that barking and as soon as I walked over to her kennel she rubbed her head and neck against the door as hard as she could for me to pet her...tail wagging the whole time. When I would walk away to look at other dogs, she would quietly go to the back of her kennel and lay downn next to the dog in the next kennel. When I would return to her, she would get up and greet me the same way every time. She only barked one time and I swear it looked like she did it to tell the dog on the other side of her to "shut up" for a minute. I've never owned a chow or chow mix before and understand they can be a challenge. Nothing about her history is known, she came in as a stray. The pound said that the only thing they know about her is her approximate age and that she has "been sweet since she's been there." I have two 12 year old sons, and some dogs in the neighborhood that I would want her to socialize with. I guess my question is should I pay much attention to the bad reputations that chows can have? Also, am I being naive to think that maybe she can do well with kids and other dogs based on her behavior at the pound? I know no one has a crystal ball but any opinions/advice would be appreciated.

[gumbychow]

hello deemsnyd
there is no dog breed worse than another ...
Chow's reputation is a bit exaggerated or given for some ....
Yes he has a hard head ....
it can be aggressive ... but not sneaky ....
if he is aggressive he is a reason for this behavior and we can change ...
he does not like cats and other small animals (squirrel. ....)
it may be that you have a little problem with the other neighborhood dogs ... but you can change this behavior ...
he likes living in a house ...
it is clean of course ...
he has obeyed delay ...
it is sweet and spontaneous ...
do not bark ...
He is aloof and affectionate ... he loves his master and other family members ...
he is lazy ..... and active ....
He is also a good guard dog ...
there many other thing ... that it is discovered living with a chow ...

In summary a chow is what we see and also the opposite ....

If you want to save a dog and you want to invest
chow will make you happy and proud.

a +
Remember this:
The chow is not a dog is a chow
Chow that does not live with you but that you who live with him.

[deemsnyd]

Thanks for your response. I guess I just have to decide if I want to take a chance or not. You're right, behaviors can be changed if need be and based on what we saw at the pound, she is the only chow mix there and she was the only one that offered that instant affection. Kind of contrary to what a lot of people think about chows...still thinking about it...don't want to take this decision lightly.

[Dogdad]

Dogs can be different than they are at the pound. Most are scared out of their minds. I have always adopted frm rescues and from pounds. It sounds like she chose you. If you introduce them properly and make sure the existing dogs get attention, things should go well.

David

[deemsnyd]

@David,
I was thinking that maybe she chose me as well, which makes it all the more difficult not to go back and get her. If I do, what is the proper way to introduce her to the neighborhood dogs? A couple of them roam freely in the neighborhood and never cause any problems...would be nice if she could join them one day after she has become accustom to us and her surroundings.

[Boogie and Linda]

The shelter is no place to judge an animals character and unfortunately it is the only chance they will get. I have 2 rescue chows and have fostered other chows and chow mixes. None have behaved the same at the shelter as they do at home. Will your shelter allow you to take her out for a walk so you can get a better idea of how she behaves one on one? Or do they have a get acquainted area where you and your kids can spend some time with her? Most shelters have a return policy where if the animal doesn't fit your situation you can take them back within a certain amount of time although I wonder if anyone would have the heart to do that. Another alternative would be to see if your shelter allows fostering. You could do like a trial foster to adopt. That way if it works out you adopt her and if not you take care of her until another home is found so you will know she is safe. We did that when adding another chow permanently because I wanted to see how our first chow reacted to another while still saving lives of chows in the shelter.

[Me & Tess]

Go back and get her! She was really trying to make a bond. When Tess came into our lives, we had no idea what she went thru. She fell in love with all of us. I really believe she chose us. She made direct & constant eye contact with me from across the street - she was chained up and I stood looking thru the screen door. Matt, our son could do no wrong with her, he was 12 at the time. He taught her how to shake and hi-five - could wrap her in a blanket and she loved him. It's a decision you have to make, I know. (My first sentence was a gut feeling.) Chows have their ways about them. If the shelter is closed you could read up on the breed. Take some time - but maybe she is meant to be yours. Tonight we miss our Tess, we used to walk on New Years Eve - Tess leading the way - a fluffy black tail waving, such a vision in the white of the snow.

[deemsnyd]

@ Boogie & Linda,

Yeah, I have been worried about her behavior at the pound not being indicative of how she really is, but like you said, it's the only chance she'll have. I'll ask the shelter all the questions you suggested and see how much they will let us get to know her first, but I'm pretty sure it's just a small town animal control shelter that euthanizes them after a few weeks....I don't think they have adoption programs or anything like that--at best, they would just let me take her in another room to get aquainted a little bit before we took her. Of course if it really couldn't work out, we could take her back, but I don't think I could do that because I know she wouldn't get another chance. On the bright side, if it didn't work out, I would take her to the local Humane society so she wouldn't be killed.

@ Me & Tess,

I really think she was trying to make a connection as well, but who knows how all the other stimulants that my life would expose her to would be okay with her? She may fit in perfectly or it could be a disaster or anywhere in between. Bottom line: I have to stop whining about it and make a decision. I took some pics of her through her cage I may see if I can figure out how to get them on here.

Thanks to both of you

[Victory]

It really sounds like this an extremely well adjusted chow girl Most chows DON'T interact with people in high stress situations like shelters, which is why they are killed so quickly.
The fact that she was calm and accepting, came to you and then walked away when you did to await your return says this girl is very well adjusted. And unless your life is really bizzare there is nothing you could have in your life that would freak her out.

Introduce her to the neighborhood dogs, slowly and quietly, take her walks where they walk and play and let her sniff where they have been and gone potty. Let her sniff noses with them while on leash, (both her and the other dog) and then continue your walk. the trick with a chow is to do things slowly, and patiently, let her finish bonding with you, then worry about other dogs and things. Some chows never "play" with other dogs, they just look and then go about their own business, some love to play and will run to other dogs to play, dragging you along for the ride.

There are instructions on the site about how to post a picture, if you post it we can probably tell you what she might be mixed with. There have also been a couple of occasions on the site lately where what look to be full bred chows have been adobted as chow mixes by shelters. This is because they are sweet mannered and affectionate and the shelter workers don't believe full chows are sweet and affectionate. (they should come and see my two at the moment, I can hardly walk around without them following me everywhere )

All dogs tend to act differently in a shelter, but normally it is their worst behavior that is seen, not their best. Take a chance bring her home, give her a chance and you could have the best friend you've ever had.

[deemsnyd]

Victory--that makes sense to me...if the pound didn't seem to be causing much stress, she should be able to handle coming home with us. Even though she is probably is stressed, she seemed to handle it well. She's not eligible for adoption until Jan. 4, so we've got a few more days to get ready/think about it. You can't see her that well through the fence door she was behind but I may post pics later...would love to get your take on what she may be crossed with. Thanks

[CoraP.]

Oh, wow...she sounds like a sweetheart. Your children being 12 years old is a good age to have a dog. They aren't so little that they will be an annoyance to her and they are old enough to help in her care. I think I would take the chence! I'd love to see pictures, too!

[deemsnyd]

Here she is...not sure if she can be seen well enough to know what she has in her. The pound had her listed as a chow mix, but who knows? I think I can tell she has some chow, just not sure how much and what else she may be mixed with. She seems very sweet, what do you all think about her body language, assuming you can even tell that from photos?

[Sarahloo]

She looks lovely!
German Sheperd maybe?

[deemsnyd]

That's what I was thinking, maybe german shepherd, but she is so small...she may have several different things mixed in there.

[Judy Fox]

Yes, she looks very sweet and it does like there is German Shepherd in there.

Chows do come in different sizes as you will see by the pictures on the site. My two first chows, Milly died over 12 months ago and her litter sister Mabel who is still with us are on the smaller size. 17.5 inches at the shoulder and about 40 lbs. or so whereas our two younger chows Matilda and Maisie who are 15 months old are quite noticably bigger and heavier. She might just be a smaller girly.

Whatever, it is worth seeing if you can take your family along to see her and see how she is with them.

If she has chosen you, you will get a wonderful friend.

Good Luck.

[Sarahloo]

If you are seriously looking for a dog for you and your family, you should adopt her! She seems like the ideal "first" dog. I doubt she would give you any trouble at all! She looks like the kind of dog that could accompany you anywhere & that would be more like a close friend than a dog. Great, now I want her! I do not really see her running around with the neighborhood pack when she could also stay home with her family! But then again I do not know her at all!

Wow, I can't spell German Shepherd! I should be kicked out of Germany!

[Sarahloo]

Her ears are probably just drooping because she's sad. As many have said before me, shelter life is especially hard on dogs like the Chow.

[Me & Tess]

I thought German Sheppard too. I showed Mike the pictures and he thought she looked sad - hard on a Chow to be in a shelter. I was thinking to about the ears, they show emotion with thier ears & eyes - body language. I think she is beautiful!

[Victory]

Seeing that first picture, I automatically thought of Dog Dad's Max and Maxine. I believe she's a golden/chow/shepard/and maybe corgi mix. She's very pretty. And her expression and behaviors seem to reflect a very sweet and calm nature. She has what are called "soft" eyes, meaning she shows a very non-aggresive/non-assertive expression in her eyes, this is a major part of her personality and won't change when she leaves the shelter.

As a comparison, take a look at my two in my signature, they both have somewhat "harder" eyes, they have assertive personalities and we have squabbles over things, (I win) but my two have to be introduced to things proberly, I have to watch their body language carefully around other dogs and we've had to work through things with people. I don't think you will have these issues with that pretty girl. But that is often the best things about mixes, you get all the "good" parts of each breed and none of the bad things.

[CoraP.]

To me, she just looks like a sweet girl who very much wants a home. I see German Shephard, and I'm not sure what else. She is very pretty and I feel that she won't give you any problems. Just love.

[deemsnyd]

Thanks for all the input. We've definitely decided that we are going to meet her as a family as soon as the pound opens back up on Tuesday. Of course ALL 3 kids want her even though they haven't met her yet and have pledged their undying commitment to help with her care...lol We'll see...one of my sons has talked endlessly about wanting to take her to "doggy school", my older daughter has claimed her to sleep with..if this poor dog knew what everyone already had in store for her, she might run the other way. Lol...oh well, I'll let you all know how the "meet and greet" goes and hopefully we'll have 3 happy kids and a happy little girl. Thanks again for the info. on mixes..I can see all those possibilities.

[chowpups]

what a sweet looking girl..I had a chow/shepherd I got from a shelter as a pup and she was such a good mix Shes the older dog in the picture. This one looks alittle like the shepherd markings but I agree the ears look like something else.

nikki baby and oneill.jpg (60.76 KiB) Viewed 22674 times

[CoraP.]

Good luck...and please keep us posted. I can't wait to hear how the meet and greet goes!

[nelliegirl]

I too rescued my chow, Nellie and I firmly believe she chose me. Every time I walked past her cage she would scratch at the door. The volunteeer pointed this out to me and I watched as other people walked past and she just layed down. I walked past one last time deciding if I wanted a bigger dog ( I was looking for a small dog as I live in an apartment) and she did it again. I decided then and there she was mine. I did take her out in the courtyard they have, she just kept looking at me with those eyes and I knew I could not let her go back in that cage.

There was a period of adjustment when I got her home. She was afraid of alot of things (mostly noises) and had seperation anxiety the first couple of weeks. I just slowly exposed her to things she was afraid of. Let her get used to you at her own pace, do not try and push her. I did not have any experience with chows before Nellie so we both learned as we went. She is happy, calm, loving, fiercely loyal and stubborn (just a little). I am sooo glad I brought Nellie into to my life.

Good Luck with your meet and greet!! I hope you do bring her home she really looks like a lovely lady.

[gumbychow]

hello deemsnyd
the new problem you just created
is the following:
You will not be able to live without a chow!
Congratulations to you
and
much happiness and love for the little chow
a +