They grow up too fast?

[nnguyentang]

If you guys don't know yet, my baby chow(newly named Podo) and I are new, and we sure do still have questions. I've been reading up almost all the books I can find on chows but I find it way more helpful just by asking questions on this forum, if you guys don't mind answering and thank you for that. I see that chows come in all shapes, sizes, and colors and that many of your chows are different sizes as adults. What were the rates in which your puppies grew and if they are at their full growth spurt, how big are they now and how much do they weigh? I'm about 4'11"-5' so i'm a little bit on the shorter size, lord knows I've been the same size for 6 years, and most likely won't be growing anymore. I'm just afraid that one day when little Podo outgrows me, she will end up dominating me.I forgot the weight of her parents, but i know they were almost identical in size, and they probably stood up 4 inches above my knee, is it possible that she will grow to be bigger than them (considering she eats SO much right now)? Thanks in advance!

[bellachow]

Congratulations on the newest member of your family! all of my chows grew the most in the first 6 months and for the first few months kept doubling their weight. I have only seen the parents of the 2 I have now (others were rescue) and they are about the same size as their parents. Belle topped out at 42 pounds until I had her spayed then she gained about 4 more pounds and filled out (got wider). Chumley weighs about 68 pounds and is taller but not as wide as Belle. I have never measured their hieghts but here is a pic.

Belle and Chumley.jpg (43.2 KiB) Viewed 4275 times

Belle is about couch height & Chums a little taller. As far as dominating you, as long as you train him/her properly when they are young then you wont have problems when older. There is alot of really good information on this site for training.

[Auddymay]

Likely she will not be bigger. Read up in the training section, there are many archived threads that cover almost any question you might have. Or try the search engine with key words. In addition, we do not mind answering questions. By the way, my Lily had a 45 pound dam and a 70 pond sire. She was 33 pounds most of her life, and now weighs 35-37. I fretted all the time about my tiny. She now has a new foster brother that looks just like her, but weighs 75+ pounds. It is good you got a female, size wise.

[nnguyentang]

so it's true that the boys grow bigger than the girls? I'm excited for her to grow, but hope it won't be too fast. Your dogs are gorgeous!! Podo is a brownish reddish color right now, do you think her color will change a bit as she grows? And i notice that your babies' ears are all standing up... Podo's ears are floppy right now, will they eventually stand? I read in books that their ears tend to flop down while they're teething, but I saw that her siblings already have their ears up. Am i able to tell what kind of chow (rough or smooth coat) she is at this age? What kind of coats are your chows? @bellachow, your chows look alike, but their faces are so different, i LOVE their color!!

[Rory's Dad]

i agree that most of the growth will be done by 6 - 7 months. Chows continue to develop to about 2 years, but it will be joint structure, muscle development and stuff like jaw/bite that changes after that initial period. What you see for height and weight (assuming consisten diet and excercise) should pretty much be it. Oh, and i forgot the fur adjustment to adult coat, that will change.

I wouldnt worry so much about the size of the dog in comparison to you. A well trained Chow shouldnt 'size you up'. Its more about command and respect. Reward your dog for good behavior. Make sure that he/she understands you are the food source. If the Chow is aware that he only eats or gets treats because of you, you are on a good path.

[bellachow]

Thanks, I love sharing my babies. Belle & Chumley are rough coated chows & they tend to be fluffier from the get go. Their ears usually come up in their own time so I wouldnt worry too much. Belle & Chumley are related that is why they look kinda alike. Belle's older sister (from another litter) is Chumley's mom...but Chums looks like his dad in the face. There is a thread of chow chow pictures that I would recommend you look thru & you can see the variety of looks.

[chowpups]

Iam 4 ft 10 in. And considered by most( not me) to be a senior ! Teaching them while they are young and smaller is the key for me. No pulling on leash and no jumping up at people. Nikki was at her top weight 60lbs.

[nnguyentang]

Yeah, I'm working on training her and teaching her the basics. She's gotten the sitting down but biting and nipping is still an issue. She is 7 weeks now, and eats about 5 times a day. I can't wait for her to be at her full size, i can just imagine hugging a huge fur ball! You guys take such great pictures.... I struggle to take one with her sitting still. Even then, it still isn't a good picture.

[Ursa's daddy]

I have discovered the secret to pictures is having a large memory card, fresh batteries and just keep clicking. Hopefully one picture will be good enough to share