New puppy in the plans HELP!

[Smokey the Bear]

Hi there everybody. Looking to purchase my first chow pup. My name is James and I live in the Frozen Tundra right by Lambeau field in Green Bay, Wisconsin!Viva la Cheeseheads!

Anyways, Chow Chows are hard to find in these parts. I have found a very attractive blue female about an hour away. I really wanted to experience the full puppy time, but she is already 12 weeks and will be 14 by the time my new house is ready.

I have my heart set on a Blue, originally wanted a male, but can only find females nearby. I hear stubbornness and dominance is less too. I have read all about socialization and NILF.

I am not concerned about showing someday nor breeding. I do however find the scrunched wrinkly face and big poofy furballs ones more attreactive.

The female I found has both parents with more of a family atmosphere with smooth faces, lil longer snout. Breeder told me that less health issues and eye problems with the smoother snout Chows.

I am cruising nextdaypets and puppyfind like 10 times a day.

I am a lil patient, move in new house on Nov 1st. Is loosing 6 weeks of puppyhood that big a deal or should i just pull the trigger on this beautiful AKC female. here is a link. price is right! copy and paste..

http://www.puppyfind.com/view_listing/? ... 5429cca3c3

Thanks and Go Pack!

[MissV]

hahah, i also wanted a biiiig pooooft squishy faced chow when i got my dog. Didnt work out that way. The price for one of those would have set me back $1500 (I live in South Africa, so i'm just equating the price back to dollars).
It was out of the budget for me so i settled on my smooth snout baby and i couldnt be happier. She is AMAZING! Dominant, defiant and naughty and on the other hand, fiercly loyal, SUPER protective, loving, not needy and always jealous of my cat!!! - i love her!
Believe me, i somehow think im better off with my baby than a super poofy one, because I have HUGE shedding problems already (my house is covered with doggie fluff) and i brush her every second day!!!! I think that having a poofier dog would actually just be problematic for me since all i wanted was a pet to chill with - and the heat here would have killed a poofier dog. My doggie will not be bred, nor will she ever be shown (shes a cross anyway!) so why would i need more poof?

It is personal preference, but i think the pup you found is super cute
If you love her already, go with it. I dont think the age should be a problem.

[Sirchow]

Just wanted to add that I know people who have waited years for a blue so if you have found one close by it seems like she was meant for you. A very short while later you will love your puppy so much that you wont care what she looks like she will have a corner of your heart (if not all of it anyway). In general I think there are less face issues with a more open face. I have one of each. Yes you will have missed a few puppy weeks but to be honest they are sweet at that age but it isn't till they grow up a bit their full character comes out and they really bond and respon to you.
One thing I would say is that these next few weeks are critical to her socialisation so if you decide to go ahead the breeder will need to commit to socialising her and making sure she has her shots and generally treating her as you would if you had her. Letting her meet as many people as possible, children, vacuum cleaner, TV and every other situation. If she is being kept out doors then she need to start being inside and house trained. Upside is you should get a fully housetrained puppy if they do it properly Good luck with your decision.

[Sarahloo]

Anyways, Chow Chows are hard to find in these parts. I have found a very attractive blue female about an hour away. I really wanted to experience the full puppy time, but she is already 12 weeks and will be 14 by the time my new house is ready.

I am a lil patient, move in new house on Nov 1st. Is loosing 6 weeks of puppyhood that big a deal or should i just pull the trigger on this beautiful AKC female.

Many responsible breeders wait till their puppies are 12 weeks old before they go to a new home. So you wouldn't have missed six, but two weeks of puppy time. That sounds acceptable to me.

I'm more worried about the low price. Looks fishy to me. A reputable breeder wouldn't sell a blue puppy for 400 dollars.

[Sirchow]

Hmmm I couldn't open the link but I would agree with Sarahloo. A good breeder would not be selling a puppy of any colour for that price because a good breeder cares more than anything where their puppies are going and that the new owners value them and want them enough to pay full price.

[Smokey the Bear]

Picked her up last night! She is quite friendly but very reserved. First puppy I've had that doesn't whine or cry first night and she isn't much for kisses or attention. She constantly keeps a foot distance between us. She is warming up and wagging her tail a lot and does cuddle I'm just used to puppys running playing and etc. She doesn't bark at all. Her father is horatio from a retired breeder named Valerie in missouri.

She is gorgeous like her ma and pa. Very stocky and has silver in her tail. She has AKC papers and is definitely going to be the look I like in a chow. Just her stature and stance looks like pics of chows in AKC shows.

Breeder only sells for so low because of lack of interest in pups. And this last litter was quite large. They didn't place pups quite as fast this time around and the breeder is quite wealthy so they lowered price to place quicker. It's also limited registration. As far as colors mom was a blue dad was black and they had 5 blues in the litter.

[oceans]

l paid $450.00 for my chow and she is absolutely perfect. AKC registered and the best temperment ever. Over my lifetime I have owned 3 chows and she is by far the best with regards to temperment. I don't think you can necessarily say just because she is $400 that something is fishy. I would say take a trip down there and visit with her and see how she acts. Meaning, is she running away from you, is she hiding, scared, shy. Look at the parents. How do they act around you. When I purchased Matilda she was the only female in a liter of 6. When we went to visit with them all of the pups came running over to me and my husband trying to untie shoe laces, etc. Then they all went crazy running around tumbling on each other. The great thing was the mom and dad were right there in the same room and momma never even acted like she had an issue with us playing with her pups. Actually momma came up to us and was very welcoming with us petting her. So I definately think it is worth investigating. I think once you visit with her you will get your answer. You can tell alot by the parents. Good Luck

[Victory]

Picked her up last night! She is quite friendly but very reserved. First puppy I've had that doesn't whine or cry first night and she isn't much for kisses or attention. She constantly keeps a foot distance between us. She is warming up and wagging her tail a lot and does cuddle I'm just used to puppys running playing and etc. .

Sounds like a well adjusted Chow pup to me. Independence starts young and if they are properly socialized as pups, this is what you'll see...that foot distance tells you she knows where you are and is keeping track of you, (she just doesn't want you to know it) And what was there to whine or cry about on the first night? She now OWNs you and she knew it...its her domain, she doesn't need reassurance, no Queen does!

LOL, congrats....

[Auddymay]

I got my Chow from a breeder off Puppyfind too. I did not know any better...My Lily is a dark cream, also a coveted color. She is a great Chow. The problem with Puppyfind and similar sites is they are a clearing house for backyard breeders. The price you paid is about the average price for a Chow on Petfinders, actually.

When they say health certified and other claims, it only means they were litter checked for gross birth malformations (such as heart murmur) and given their first shots. The big ticket health issues our Chows suffer from such as hip dysplasia, are never checked within the puppy's bloodline. That means that within a year, these pups can show signs of herditary issues that are not apparent at 12 weeks. At this point, a large percentage of these dogs become a financial burden and are often abandoned or euthanized when their owners are faced with a $2,000 bill or larger. That is not to say a $1500 Chow pup cannot face these problems even with proper certification of health in the parents. The number of the cases of serious disease drops significantly when the parents have numbers and the breeder carefully pairs the mating Chows. And thus concludes my mini tutorial on shopping for Chows.

Since you got your Chowling already I wish you congratulations. What did you name her? Lily acted quite similar as your pup. They are independent and don't give love to everyone. Welcome to Aloofville. That behavior is the very best indicator of why socialization from the very beginning is so crucial. She will love you eventually, but for sure let as many other people interact as possible...and don't feel too insecure when your new puppy takes an instant shine to a total stranger. Trust me, it happens.

We look forward to photos!

[Smokey the Bear]

We are having a tough time deciding what to name her. Pretty sure its going to be either smokey, smokey bear or shadow. I'll get pics up soon

Thanks yall

[cherriemater]

Congratulations Smokey!!! Yes, please share what you named your pup ... or are you still trying to figure that out?? I remember our family dog went through about a dozen names before my brother finally named him Barney (waaaaaay before that purple stuffed dino). We're picking up our boys in Negaunee, MI (which is, what, four hours north of you, maybe?). Leo the blue and Max the cinnamon. They'll be eight weeks when we get them and I can't wait. I'm excited just reading what you've learned already and grateful for Victory's comment.

Last night while walking back and forth between the stove, sink and refrigerator I looked down at my feet and said, "In a couple weeks I'll have little boys following me around." I smiled so big and wide at the thought of it. I can totally understand your anxiousness and the reason you picked her up yesterday. I woulda if I coulda ... believe you, me!

Look forward to watching your lovey-dovey grow!

[TyChowgirl]

I definitely understand every side to this puppy thing. I wish I would have done more research into the breeder I got Tiberius from before I got him (though admitting that, I probably would not have brought him home or even went out to meet him)I paid 650 for Ty and he was one of the last puppies(that was at about 3 1/2 months for him). It was also really hard for me to find a breeder close (4 hours away! lol) that had puppies ready to buy because I had more time off during the summer so I felt that was a good time to work on obedience and socialization. She pretty much was a back yard breeder who breeds her chows for temperament and family pets. He's registered CKC and his papers go back about 3 generations. He's turned out ok so far, save the extra skittishness that he still has. I love him and I am glad I took him. Now he's hit about 9 months...and I am starting to see the need for NILF...He's repeating all of the little stuff he used to do when we first got him to test me. It's going to be a fun couple of months trying to re-train that out of him.
Congratulations though! She's a beauty and I'm sure everything will be fine with her. Talk about luck though. They say blues are rare, but when I looked at that picture every pup was blue except one! I can't wait to hear what name you picked out for her.

[Sirchow]

Congratulations on your new baby. Sounds like a happy outcome all round. Cant wait to see pics.

[Smokey the Bear]

SmokeyBear it is..... but please tell me she is not going to want to nip at every dog she meets... one lab who was barking at her alot and another that she was really playful with until he sniffed her butt too much.

I'm losing my optimism.

[Victory]

Now he's hit about 9 months...and I am starting to see the need for NILF...He's repeating all of the little stuff he used to do when we first got him to test me. It's going to be a fun couple of months trying to re-train that out of him.

LOL! He's a teenager...that is a problem stage and one where a lot of chows end up in shelters...just insist that he behaves and in 3-4 months he'll give up and be a good boy again.

[Victory]

Congratulations Smokey!!! Yes, please share what you named your pup ... or are you still trying to figure that out?? I remember our family dog went through about a dozen names before my brother finally named him Barney (waaaaaay before that purple stuffed dino). We're picking up our boys in Negaunee, MI (which is, what, four hours north of you, maybe?). Leo the blue and Max the cinnamon. They'll be eight weeks when we get them and I can't wait. I'm excited just reading what you've learned already and grateful for Victory's comment.

Last night while walking back and forth between the stove, sink and refrigerator I looked down at my feet and said, "In a couple weeks I'll have little boys following me around." I smiled so big and wide at the thought of it. I can totally understand your anxiousness and the reason you picked her up yesterday. I woulda if I coulda ... believe you, me!

Look forward to watching your lovey-dovey grow!

Your Leo and Max are so cute and it's so cool that you are posting pictures of them at such a young age.

[Smokey the Bear]

Darn Smokeybear is camera shy!

[cherriemater]

@Victory ... it's a blessing that our breeder sends them once in a while. But just you wait ... once they come home there will be plenty more!!!

[bellachow]

Darn Smokeybear is camera shy!

Its so funny that you should say that because I was just saying the same thing about Chumley. He does this cute little thing putting his paw on my laptop every night...that is until I am trying to get video of him doing it. lol

[Ursa's daddy]

SmokeyBear it is..... but please tell me she is not going to want to nip at every dog she meets... one lab who was barking at her alot and another that she was really playful with until he sniffed her butt too much.

I'm losing my optimism.

Now, having another dog sniff you a bit too long, can be somewhat insulting, so that is understandable, and the lab might have said something improper. All of that is what socialization is about. In Savannah, there were parks and places to go, so my dogs got to experience life in the city. Out in the country, they don't have as many opportunities, so I take them to Petsmart and also walk around the shopping center parking lot. Typically, I let them see other dogs in Petsmart, and I usually have my two either sit are lie down next to me. This puts me in maximum control of the situation, and the dogs can look to me for ques on how to act. I try to let them know that being relaxed is the way to be. This lets them imprint the experiences and learn proper behavior. You are going to have to do things like this with your dog, and it is something that will have to be repeated. My two are three and four years old, and I try to take them out once a month. This is to reinforce proper behavior. Your puppy has to learn how to act, and it is your job to teach this.

[Auddymay]

Chows can be very challenging. Do not get discouraged. Sign up for a puppy training class like they offer at Petsmart and similar. You will learn clicker training and the correct hand/verbal commands. By the end of your 8 or 10 weeks, you will be a confident Chow owner, and Smokey will have learned important commands that will serve her through her whole life.

[Sirchow]

SmokeyBear it is..... but please tell me she is not going to want to nip at every dog she meets... one lab who was barking at her alot and another that she was really playful with until he sniffed her butt too much.

I'm losing my optimism.

I think Ursas dad has it in one, for me chow behaviour is all about imprinting the behaviour you want and trying not to repeat situations that make behaviour you dont want. I know this sounds a bit airy fairy but an example of this is when a friend was having trouble bringing their chow indoors. If you chase the chow it imprints running away. If you offer a treat and walk away the chow imprints wanting to follow you. If you add in a trailing lead then the chow cant run away and the imprinting stops. Try to think of how you can prevent behaviour you dont want ever happening and make behaviour you do want what your pup wants too. Win win all round Repeat the good stuff till it becomes what they do. I take mine to Pets at Home regularly for the same reason just to let them remember how to behave (hopefully) I'm sure your SmikeyBear will learn in time what you allow and what you dont.

[Ursa's daddy]

Hey Cheesehead, a hello from Brett Favre country. Sirchow's comment above are good.

Try to think of how you can prevent behaviour you dont want ever happening and make behaviour you do want what your pup wants too. Win win all round Repeat the good stuff till it becomes what they do.

It is psychology 101, Pavlov, B. F. Skinner, etc. If you are into reading books, get a copy of Konrad Lorenz's "King Solomon's Ring". It is hilarious as well as educational. Of course, all the James Herriot's "All Creatures" series of books are also good.