Is it okay for a chow to live outdoors?

[Cam Atis]

I am about to buy a chow puppy schedule of release on Feb05'12 @ 2 months of age, she will be "my" dog after my companion Dal, Cookie died last year after sharing almost 13 years of full vibrant life with me, so I think this is appropriate time to get another dog with whom I will spend my time training her, who can also guard the house vicinity as well as Cookie does... however, as with all my dogs, I intend to make her stay outside of the house together with my Golden Lab mix Princess and my Mini Pin/Terrier Mix, the latter being a small dog but Blue is territorial and not the gregarious type. My Golden Lab is still playful as she is only a year old. SHe's adopted. This will actually be my first Chow and I intend to socialize her with her dog buddies and human pack, Me and family of three. BUt I dont want to expose her (the chow pup) to bullying tactics of Blue and Princess. Princess being playful and mouths Blue a lot, to Blue's chagrin. Blue doesnt want that kind of attention from a big dog. If only my Dal is still alive because she's such a good mom to all. I've read a lot about the Chow breed, and I like the described nature. Although I am a bit fearful of the "aggression" factor but I think I can tame it with tender loving care so she'll feel secure with us. Now I wanna know if, given their double coat, do Chows thrive outdoors? She'll have her own small apartment in the yard. Any inputs will be appreciated.

[Ursa's daddy]

I have two chows, Ursa, a 45# female, who likes to be in side, and spends much of her outdoor time on the deck or screened porch. On the other hand, Malachi, my 75# male likes to lie out in the grass, even if there is light rain. They both tend to be velcro dogs and like to stay attached to their humans. (Note that it is their humans and not our dogs). We keep them inside at night and both like to be beside the bed. Malachi would probably like being outside at night, but I think Ursa would rather be inside with us.
Chows are not aggressive dogs. They do require socialization, since they tend to be very personal dogs closely attached to their family (pack) and home (territory). You are going to get a dog with a lot lower energy level compared to your other dogs. Please read through the forum on training your chow. A chow may not be the dog of choice for many people, for a lot of members here, it is the only dog.

[cherriemater]

When I had my house done in Lansing, my neighbors had a red chow chow (Bear) who had an outdoor dog house and went indoors at night when it was below about 30 degree F. He always greeted me whenever I was in the year and never tried to bite me. He was the only dog in his fenced in yard and I don't remember any other dogs outdoor dogs in the neighborhood, which is probably why he was so friendly.

Our Kimba would have stayed outdoor all day if we would have let her. She loved it out there, except in rain. She would sit on the porch and would only come in when told, explicitly, to do so. She would stay outside even in a snowstorm. She just tucked her head into her hinds. She LOVED it!

I hope more chow chow folks will reply to you. I always feel sad for a dog who it not with people. They are such a comfort. But that is my opinion. Growing up as a child, our dog Barney was an outside dog but I spent all my non-school time outside with him. As an adult I could not have a dog because I lived in apartments and was moving just about every year. When I got married I was thrilled my hubby had two dogs. They were both indoor dogs and brought lots of love. Anyway, I digress. Though a chow chow is aloof they do NEED people, to a certain extent. They choose a person to "guard" and I wonder if you're going to have it outside will it truly be happy if it has no purpose. Anyway ... please do lots of research before you make this decision. It's a life decision that not only affects you but the loved-one you bring into your family and the other family members.

[Sirchow]

I am going to stick my neck out here as I cant understand having a pet and keeping it outside. Ok this is how I feel and others feel different but I just dont get why people have dogs and expect them to live outdoors. Maybe they get used to it but mine like to be with me. They know I will protect them if some thing scarey happens like fireworks or window cleaners. They love to cuddle...their choice. Bramble is squashed so close to my side on the settee it is hard to type right now. They play with us when they feel like it. They watch me cook and patiently for scraps of chopped veggies to land on the floor. The come and lean on my legs when I wash up and watch for me at the front door till I come home. I could never leave them outside any more than I would expect my kids to sleep outside and I would be terrified someone would steal them when I was at work. I dare say they could live outside and could survive all sorts of other things too but I love my dogs and I offered them a home...my home.

Sorry if that is not what you wanted to hear but I found myself unable to be objective about this subject.

[BeckiHutton]

I am going to stick my neck out here as I cant understand having a pet and keeping it outside. Ok this is how I feel and others feel different but I just dont get why people have dogs and expect them to live outdoors. Maybe they get used to it but mine like to be with me. They know I will protect them if some thing scarey happens like fireworks or window cleaners. They love to cuddle...their choice. Bramble is squashed so close to my side on the settee it is hard to type right now. They play with us when they feel like it. They watch me cook and patiently for scraps of chopped veggies to land on the floor. The come and lean on my legs when I wash up and watch for me at the front door till I come home. I could never leave them outside any more than I would expect my kids to sleep outside and I would be terrified someone would steal them when I was at work. I dare say they could live outside and could survive all sorts of other things too but I love my dogs and I offered them a home...my home.

Sorry if that is not what you wanted to hear but I found myself unable to be objective about this subject.

Well said, siriol! I couldn't agree more. At least give them the choice to be indoors. Lily does like to be outdoors, but she has the choice to come in if she feels like it.

[chowchowdaddy]

Very personal opinion here, but I would never have an outdoors dog. Chows crave attention and cannot bear to be parted from their chosen person. We have a neighborhood (walled and gated community) husky who roams all around during the day and evening, but even she is indoors at night because even with our security, we have experienced night-time predators such as coyotes. Again, just a personal opinion...

[Rory's Dad]

i too have to pipe in on this one...my chows have always been part of the family. we frequently see the term chowdren on here. although their fur makes them well suited for outdoor survival, i think its just that. do you want a pet or a lawn ornament? Sounds like you might consider an alarm system to guard the house. You are right to be fearful of a chow that is left to the yard. He will become aggressive to the other dogs and will not accept you as his master. Best to leave the pup to someone who wants a true companion. Being part of a pack of yard dogs will not suit any chow. If you have truly read about the breed, and understand what you have read, you would know that the dog requires personal attention, positive reinforcent in the form of reward, and frequent 'hands on' interaction to avoid a nightmare chow. Sorry for the rant, but this just really ticks me off. No dog should be isolated to an outdoor life, thats why they are called domesticated animals. What you are describing is called feral. I hope the breeder does a good job of screening.

[Ursa's daddy]

I see chowchowdaddy has experienced coyotes too. They are the reason we bring the cats in at night. When the weather is reasonable, we open the doors on the upstairs porch, and Malachi sometimes goes out there at night. Chows are people dogs. Malachi won't go upstairs until he sees that I am going up stairs to bed. He wants to be with me. As I said earlier, I have velcro dogs. They have adapted a lifestyle that is linked to the household activities. When the alarm goes off, that is Ursa's signal to head for the door and wait for someone to let her out. After breakfast, it is in and out all day. Always keeping an eye on what the humans are doing. After the final trip outside in the evening, Ursa goes upstairs to the bedroom to sleep by the bed. Oh, I do have a security system and locks, and with my two dogs there in the bedroom, I feel a lot more secure, because they will let me know if there is a problem.

[Cocoa]

I have to say that I don't agree with leaving any dog to live outside. I see dogs that are left outdoors as guard dogs and they look pretty miserable. Not everyone may agree with me but my chowdren have always been considered family members and I would no sooner leave theme to live outdoors than I would my children.

[Sarahloo]

Depends on how much time you spend outdoors with them. If you're outside all day long, then I don't see why not.

[Ursa's daddy]

My two spend much of the day outside, especially when the weather is cool. (Cool here is any day where we don't feel the need to open the windows) I spent a while today on the deck brushing first Ursa, then Malachi. Ursa headed out into the yard, and Malachi was on the deck when I left. They know how to speak up if they want inside. But they are family members, and they want to participate in family activities, so they are allowed inside, and they follow the inside rules (don't get on the furniture, don't sleep on the wool rug) I think if you have a chow, you just have to make them a part of your activities. I can't see leaving them out, and somehow they seem to communicate the message that they want to be with me.

[Tippsy'smom]

I am going to stick my neck out here as I cant understand having a pet and keeping it outside. Ok this is how I feel and others feel different but I just dont get why people have dogs and expect them to live outdoors. Maybe they get used to it but mine like to be with me. They know I will protect them if some thing scarey happens like fireworks or window cleaners. They love to cuddle...their choice. Bramble is squashed so close to my side on the settee it is hard to type right now. They play with us when they feel like it. They watch me cook and patiently for scraps of chopped veggies to land on the floor. The come and lean on my legs when I wash up and watch for me at the front door till I come home. I could never leave them outside any more than I would expect my kids to sleep outside and I would be terrified someone would steal them when I was at work. I dare say they could live outside and could survive all sorts of other things too but I love my dogs and I offered them a home...my home.

Sorry if that is not what you wanted to hear but I found myself unable to be objective about this subject.

Well said, Siriol! I 100% agree with this.

When my parents got my first chow, Cinder, he started out as an indoor dog, but when he turned about 6 months old he began spending more and more time outside, and but 1 year he was an outdoor dog. His socialization was a daily walk through the neighborhood with my dad (I was 3 and my brother was 2). He was only leash trained; he knew no basic commands (sit, down, stay, come, etc./I don't even think my parents have ever trained a dog themselves... I've trained every dog we've had by myself since I was 7-8 years old). And he was pretty aggressive with many people who came near our backyard (my parents, my brother, and I were the only ones allowed in by him)...And he was even a little sketchy with us being in the backyard at times, which is why my dad ended up either penning or tying him up when my brother and/or I were out there, to make sure we didn't accidentally get hurt. He suffered a heat stroke due to my dad's stupidity in the middle of summer and died at just over 2 years old; in my mom's arms... Yes; he was played with, yes; he was walked, but he deserved so much more than to be a "lawn ornament", stuck in our backyard without human companionship. No dog deserves that life.

That's like when we moved in with my grandparents when my grandfather was fighting cancer, I was forced to have Tippsy live outside. And for the 2 years we lived there, I spend every waking moment of my time that I wasn't forced to be at school or working on homework, outside with Tippsy. The first 2 years of her life she'd been allowed to come in and out of the house as she pleased and she couldn't understand why all of a sudden she was outside even after I went inside. And then we moved into the current house and my dad said "no animals allowed in the house" but I slowly and surely got Tippsy further and further in the house for longer and longer periods of time, because she wanted to be with us. When she was left out she mopped and even whined. She was treated like the princess she was meant to be, and it makes me sick to know other dogs out there don't get that.

My current 2 mixes enjoy spending time outside, but mostly only if I'm out there. The only time I leave them outside is when I need them out of the way to do chores in the house. Other than that, I'm either in my room or in the basement with them, because my mom doesn't want them loose in the main part of the house with he little yappy rats. So I make sure I stay with them where they are allowed, because they crave that human attention and affection.

[kingalls]

When we are not home, our Chows are outside - usually snoozing in the yard or under the deck. When we are home, the sliding glass door is open and the come in or out as they please. At night they are indoors. They sleep downstairs - not in our bedroom because of our cats. If they need to do their "business" at night, they will let us know via a hrumph! and a pawing at the baby gate.

[Victory]

I am going to stick my neck out here as I cant understand having a pet and keeping it outside. Ok this is how I feel and others feel different but I just dont get why people have dogs and expect them to live outdoors. Maybe they get used to it but mine like to be with me. They know I will protect them if some thing scarey happens like fireworks or window cleaners. They love to cuddle...their choice. Bramble is squashed so close to my side on the settee it is hard to type right now. They play with us when they feel like it. They watch me cook and patiently for scraps of chopped veggies to land on the floor. The come and lean on my legs when I wash up and watch for me at the front door till I come home. I could never leave them outside any more than I would expect my kids to sleep outside and I would be terrified someone would steal them when I was at work. I dare say they could live outside and could survive all sorts of other things too but I love my dogs and I offered them a home...my home.

Sorry if that is not what you wanted to hear but I found myself unable to be objective about this subject.

I have to completely agree. On top of that is that chows get bored easily and they are expert escape artists. If your chow gets bored she/he will find a way to escape and go walk-about. Depending on where you live you should be aware that in some places, chows are often stolen for use as "bait" dogs by dog fighting people. I would never, ever leave my chow (or any other dog) outslide alone for more than 20-30 minutes. If I had to leave them out for some reason, (like waxing a floor or shampooing a carpet) I would do some of the work, then spend some time with them, then do some more work, and then spend time with them, and keep doing that until I could bring them back in.

Also be aware that chows don't "NEED" to bond with you a human. They also don't particularly care about "places". If she/he spends the majority of her time with another dog, she might decide that she's bonded to the dog, not to you. And then you might have a problem. People talk and write a lot about the "aggression" of a chow, but it's the independence that has to be worked with the most. There are documented stories of chows living on their own in the wild for 5-6 years or longer. They hunt, find water and shelter without training, purely on instinct. Almost all the chows and chow owners on this sight have chows as family members, the chows live in the house with their humans, and take part in daily family life, this encouraes the bond between human and chow.

Most of the issues we here about on this site are prblems of not understanding a chows nature. They are not golden's, or mini-pins, they are chows, independent, proud, loyal to the bone and they need to be part of a family...not left on their own for most of the time.

[Cam Atis]

Wow thanks for all the replies. I was resigned no one's gonna post on my concern since I'm just new here. I live in a tropical country and concerned about Chows given the temperature 60-65 deg fahrenheit. My yard is 450square meters and the fence is about 2 meters high made of concrete and amgular bars. No coyotes or predators (my only worry is some people here eat dog meat so I am very wary of my dogs getting lost. I also think my would be Chow will be happy to be with his dog buddies more than with us at night, they, frolicking around the property when they are not being trained. I also have my business adjacent to my home so sometimes i bring my dog with me in my office. So basically, I am home lunch dinner or in betweens. I used to think i could never replace a dog for a companion. The whole yard is their where they can roam freely and not be cramped in the 115sqm indoor space. It has not been my practice to sleep with my dogs inside my home. But aside from that, I am no more different than other dog lovers. My dogs whe they are pups , they sleep inside the house until they are 6months or 8 months, then. I let them stay outside which they enjoy. Cookie will occassionaly sneak in the house to check things out, then she'd go out after she stepped on the sofa and cruised the table etc.
Coz she likes outdoors more. Only one dog my mini pin would insist she be in my bed, but nope, she has to be at the foot of the bed. NOT IN THE BED. I train them that way. They are all loveable and not aggressive towards people. I dont like a lap dog who'd whine when they are lefT alone. I like a dog who can be alone and be confident I'll be there later. I do not kept them in dog house unless there are guests. They are free range but never ferral. I felt bad coz I never let my dogs run outside coz I worry they'll end up as meat.

[Cam Atis]

Wow thanks for all the replies. I was resigned no one's gonna post on my concern since I'm just new here. I live in a tropical country and concerned about Chows given the temperature 60-65 deg fahrenheit. My yard is 450square meters and the fence is about 2 meters high made of concrete and amgular bars. No coyotes or predators (my only worry is some people here eat dog meat so I am very wary of my dogs getting lost. I also think my would be Chow will be happy to be with his dog buddies more than with us at night, they, frolicking around the property when they are not being trained. I also have my business adjacent to my home so sometimes i bring my dog with me in my office. So basically, I am home lunch dinner or in betweens. I used to think i could never replace a dog for a companion. The whole yard is their where they can roam freely and not be cramped in the 115sqm indoor space. It has not been my practice to sleep with my dogs inside my home. But aside from that, I am no more different than other dog lovers. My dogs whe they are pups , they sleep inside the house until they are 6months or 8 months, then. I let them stay outside which they enjoy. Cookie will occassionaly sneak in the house to check things out, then she'd go out after she stepped on the sofa and cruised the table etc.
Coz she likes outdoors more. Only one dog my mini pin would insist she be in my bed, but nope, she has to be at the foot of the bed. NOT IN THE BED. I train them that way. They are all loveable and not aggressive towards people. I dont like a lap dog who'd whine when they are lefT alone. I like a dog who can be alone and be confident I'll be there later. I do not kept them in dog house unless there are guests. They are free range but never ferral. I felt bad coz I never let my dogs run outside coz I worry they'll end up as meat.

[Cam Atis]

I guess I will keep my chow pup close to us for most of the time if you say she can end up a tyrant if she is let alone with my othr dogs. I never would want an aggressive dOg. i am the one who screens the breeder if they are just puppy mills, I wont buy. i am concerned about the dogs temperament as well as the stock parents temper stability. I once saw a pitbull of my friend who whined and whined while he's not within sight. I felt proud Of my Cookie being confident while I am out of her sight. She just concentrated on other things and was an eager beaver when they saw us come to them.

[bellachow]

I have to come out on the side against any dog being predominantly outside because I have had several...but out of necessity. Long story short, we ended up with Leo, Lady & their children Noddingham & Jr (all chows) + Iggy (chow/sheperd rescue). Leo as alpha would not stand for Nod or Jr to be in the house so they had to stay outside. Iggy was tolerated in the house but only because he was much smaller & not deemed a threat. I racked up many a vet bill trying to integrate the pack. I tried to give all plenty of attention but I have to say that Leo & Iggy did receive the most simple because they were in the house.

One of the biggest regrets in my life...that I wasnt able to give Noddingham & Jr all the love and attention they truly deserved. You may not like it but I think you should concentrate on the 2 you have.

[Cam Atis]

I think I am a bit unnerved by Bellachow's experiece. I've been re-reading all the posts here trying to understand a chow's nature coming from all owners. Frankly, I am having 2nd thoughts primarily on a chow's territorial nature!I think I understand her saying she racked up a lot on vet's bill means wounds resulting from encounters between Leo (Alpha) and his offsprings Jr. (viewed as challengers) I DON'T want to literally ignore other dogs in favor of one just because if I let them all in, they'd quarrel (based on Bellachow's). The most of my dogs did is to push over or squeeze themselves in front of me when I am petting/stroking one of them, they'd eventually get their turn. They'd pretty much see me 5x a day as I am almost always around. What I will do is to let my new chow pup live with us inside the house while she's still young. But eventually, I expect her to learn to mingle and blend in and not be a jealous dog or anxious. If most of you here would say she'd be an attention seeker blocking all other dogs (and possibly my kids)just to be with me , then, a chow is not for me indeed. I thought this beautiful breed is aloof, dignified, and self-confident and is not too much interested in being gawked over or treated like a baby because of its independent nature. Ithought she'd be happy to be walking around having her own schedule. I also like the low energy requirement. Coz with my first Dal, I had the surprise of my life coz I got to exercise her 20 minutes 3 to 4x a day during her first 5 years. Whew!

[bellachow]

I am sorry, I didnt mean my post to sound that harsh. They had a 1/2 acre (about 2,023 sq meter) fenced in backyard to roam so they werent tied up or confined to a small run. They did fine outside and as my sister said 'were treated better than most human kids'. As selfish as it sounds, I would do it all over again. Even though I wish I had been able to bring Nod & Jr into the house, they brought something special to my life that I will forever cherish.

Yes, MOST chows are aloof, dignified, self-confident, dont like being gawked over, are happy having thier own schedule and are low energy. But like Cherrimater said they 'need' people. All chows bond with their family and want to be near that family. When I come in from work, Belle & Chum greet/love on me for about 15 minuntes then go lay down near where I sit until they decide they want to go out for a while. While they do not constantly seek our attention they are always somewhere close to me or my husband. Average temperature is important, chows have a higher body temperature on average so do not tolerate higher outside temps very well. In Kentucky, USA we get a wide range (from 20's to 90s) but when its 75 - 80 degrees farenheit the chows stay plastered over the air conditioning vents

If you still want to bring in the puppy: first & foremost, you need to talk with the breeder and find out the personality of the puppy you chose and the personalities of her parents. I would think that you would want the most laid back, easy going puppy of the litter so she/he will blend into the pack you already have. For example, Belle's mom is a nervous dog not accepting of strangers & Belle inherited this trait. No matter how much I have socialized her, she still is wary of anyone new until she gets used to them. Belle's alpha tendancies were also noticable when she was a puppy. Chumley parents were easy going & he has always had a laid back personality. Leo & company were not from breeders so I didnt hav the option of checking out their parents. So Belle (alpha/nervous) and Chumley (passive/friendly) fit perfect together. If I had gotten another alpha female I would have had war.

If a breeder doesnt want to talk about the personalities of his/her chows then I suggest you look elsewhere. Any person who cares for their chows loves to talk about them and is proud of them flaws & all. I do not recommend keeping the puppy completely seperated from the others. The puppy needs to find his/her place in the pack. Also keeping the others out & the puppy in will give the puppy the idea that the house is hers creating a territorial situaton later on. But keeping her in at night,etc while she is little so that the others dont accidently hurt her is a good idea.

I still believe that dogs should be primarily live in the house. But Chows are special. You dont know how special they are until you have one so I would hate to think that I caused someone not to have that wonderful experience. I can prouldly say that I have been owned by 9 beautiful chows so far in this lifetime with many more to come.

[TyChowgirl]

I'm hoping that when the right time comes along I can find the opposite of Ty, hopefully in female form to help him and balance him out the same way Bella. Tiberius is the same way as Belle, though the socializing has helped him not panic or become defensive at first approach. I have noticed that a lot of people on the forum that have more than one chow seem to have found that balance within the two or few that they have that makes it work. I was thinking of putting in a deposit at Valhalla in the near future with my "requirements" if you will or the description of what I want in my next chow since they seem to do that and when the right one comes along then I can get her. TN is so far from me though, I was hoping to find another breeder or a good rescue somewhere closer (even though I know they ship, I'd rather drive to wherever and meet parents or what not before bringing them straight home) I do want to start out with a puppy again to model the good things in Ty and be brought up around the family cats. Plus I think he'd take to a female better if it started out puppy. Cam, I'm sure you'll figure it out. Chows are not Dals, even if both are stubborn lol. Different approach to different breeds, but all worth it.

[Ursa's daddy]

So Belle (alpha/nervous) and Chumley (passive/friendly) fit perfect together.

Belle sounds like Ursa, and Chumley sounds like Malachi. My two have also made a good pair. Chows are different from other dogs, and I am really not sure exactly how to describe it. If you do get a chow, you will see the difference.

[Victory]

Not only is the heat a problem for chows but the humidity is also a major concern. At 70 degrees or so fahrenhite with 70% or higher humidity a chow can suffer heat exhaustion very quickly. They just aren't built for those conditions. Tonight when we went for our walk it was 9 degrees fahrenhite and I had a hard time convincing my two to come in, the love the colder temps and do well in them, there is also almost no humidity at those temps.

Ursa's dad, I think the best way to describe chows is to say that they are really three animals in one; 1- they are loyal and want to be part of the family like a dog, 2-they are curious but wary, independent, proud and aloof like a cat, 3-they are strong, stuborn, intelligent and sensitive like a bear. They also share some of the shyness, and pack instincts of a wolf. They are a little bit of all those animals, and you will notice that two of those animals are domesticated and two are not. Chows are hard to explain to people in only a few words...you are right about that.

[MissV]

Well, I cant leave my chowlie out during the day in Summer here in South Africa... we've hit temps of 100 degrees F (38oC) in the past week. I've been loving it, but my plush kitty and pup have not! I hose them down in the morning to ensure they stay cool throughout the day :> I cant say that they like me very much for doing that, but they sure do strut around more when they keep cool! Gotta love them pets!
p.s i have aircon, but they seem to prefer sitting in front of this big studio fan that i have. Wierd creatures

[Cam Atis]

Well, I am really grateful to all of you guys esp to Ms Bellachow MissV and Ty for sharing all these. At least I am not so afraid anymore in getting a chowpup. She'd be my dog. Will socialise her so she'll know she has to be nice to everyone I know dogs and all. Ms Bellachow, the breeder have assured me my pup is not on the lowest rung (nervous) nor on top of their litter, the dam is good as well as the sire, temperament wise (good thing he didnt get annoyed by all my questions) The breeder is not the first one i have encountered. I chose him coz he can talk about his chow's nature unlike with another who answers in "uhmm yeah I think so" way, and "I'll ask my cousin she's out of town - no I can't give you her phone number. Yes, She owns the dam". I'm Really happy to know MissV is in S.Africa coz my temperature range is a bit lower than hers. Im kinda concerned about the chow's thick double coat and i dont wanna suffer the heartache of my dog die of heatstroke. If chows can be in africa, they'd be fine here as well. I can provide a fan, i also have airconditioning. I'll bring my pup wherever I am if im on my office or home or to school to fetch my daughter while she is still the imprintable pup that she is. You'll be hearing from me when We get her. I used to breed Dals. Both are stubborn? I'll always remember Cookie being hard headed. She'll pretend she didnt hear me or would come to me but would swerve and run around. She loved to scare people who are knocking at our gate (made of interlinked wire) and would run at full speed and bang the gates (she'd turn back walk a few paces then do it all ove again for twice more) Poor fellows had their heart in their throat coz my gate are see through. But my Dal was just joking. I'm sure my would be chow will not be like her at all given the low energy and independent spirit, but guess the stubborness of a chow will forever amuse me and remind me that once I had my Cookie. I wont breed Dals anymore coz I lost Cookie she died a natural death - old age. All her offsprings such as Hera, Duke, Bubbles as well as those i placed to other homes died earlier than her. Sorry for my reminiscing. Hope you all chows would forgive me. I would soon join you all in loving a chow breed.