need help getting my chow chow puppy to listen to me.

haifinn · Post by **haifinn** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 4:08 am

Hello (:
i am a new chow chow owner; i did my research before getting the breed. i am a military wife and have TONS of time to take care of her. but this morning she made me really upset. she got loose from me and made me chase her all around base housing. i was using a strict tone of voice to get her to come to me. but nothing. she listens to my husband because he has a deeper voice; i think that is why she will obey him if he yells at her to come to him.. but i tried everything and she will not listen to me at all. i love this dog very much and i just feel like she doesn't like me ): i'm just needing some good advice from experienced chow chow owners. i know this breed is very stubborn and you have to train it out of them but i just would like to know the best tips. thank you so much for any information (:

mebo · Post by **mebo** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 10:19 am

Welcome to the world of chows! My Minnie will come when called when she wants to, not particularly when I want her to. Just continue to be consistent, and use her favorite treats when training her. Since she's a puppy, keep it to 15-20 minutes or so a day.

Tippsy'smom · Post by **Tippsy'smom** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 11:26 am

Haha! Welcome to the chows world! They have a mind of their own and selective hearing. Just because you yell at them to come back, doesn't mean they will. Too much for them to explore.

May late chow girl got loose numerous times in her lifetime. But after she had her fun, she would either come home or allow herself to be caught. There were a few times she actually escaped the yard when we weren't home (once from being too smart for her own good and another from our boxer busting them both out; she was also let out of our backyard by someone) and she was sitting on our driveway just giving us a look of "about time you got home to let me in".

Tippsy also forced her way past people coming and going through doors, managed to unclip her leash from her harness, and just plain slip her collar. They're cheeky kttle monkeys. But don't feel like she doesn't like you, it's just a part of the chows nature. I NEVER doubted Tippsy's love for me, she just liked to keep my life exciting.

Sirchow · Post by **Sirchow** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 12:44 pm

I would get a long or retractable leash and some very desirable treats (cheese is good) and keep that one treat for training times. Start with her on a short leash...three feet or four and give her a small peice of treat and then lengthen the leash a little and say "come" and let her smell the treat. When she comes make her sit and treat her. To make her sit put the treat just above her head and move it backwards and she will automatically sit and then treat her immediately as you say "sit". Keep your energy level low and talk in a gentle voice. Keep repeating this waiting between "come" till she has wandered off again and is interested in in something. Keep repeating and you can do it in the house as well. She must not be able to actually escape during this training but needs to end up some distance from you. With practice she will learn that coming to you means a reward and involves nothing like yelling or punishment which would make her reluctant to return to you next time. Always praise and reward for coming and sitting nicely for her treat.
Having said all that chows are chows and will always have minds of their own and a VERY high prey drive so most are not reliable off leash though one of mine is she has injured herself when she was as she has no idea what she is doing when she is chasing prey.
Good luck with your training

Victory · Post by **Victory** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 2:23 pm

First you can't "train the stuborn out of them" You learn to work with it. Remember they are smart, and you have to be smarter. you have to look at how she escaped this time, and prevent it from happening again. Also never chase a dog that is running from you, she's a puppy and this form of play, "catch-me-if-you-can" is very normal for puppies. Your husband most likely doesn't chase her, he stands his ground and orders her to return, no fun at all, but she obeys. Like Sirol said though you have to make coming to you more fun than running from you. Practice it on leash, long leads are good for this, let her go to the end of the lead, then call her to you, you might even try being very excited about her coming to you. When I was training Dreamdancer to this, I'd really make a big deal out of him coming to me, cause it was the best thing in the world, treats, hugs, kisses, pets all kinds of good things happened when he got to me. I must have looked quite the site out there to my neighbors, but you have to distract them from all the things out there that are SO very interesting.

But like Sirol also said, I never trust my chows off lead, they simply have horrible recall as a breed because they are too dang smart for their own good. That being said though, I think she likes you just fine, if someone or something scared her while she was running, I bet she'd turn tail and run straight back to you. Also have you thought of taking her to a puppy obeidence class, she's old enough now for a beginner class and that will reenforce the bond between the two of you, build your confidence, (chows are quick to pick up on a lack of confidence in a human and they WILL push it) and give her some mental stimulation, (they are a thinking breed and need this). You might want to try for her CGC and some aglity training, she looks like she's going to be one of the atheltic chows and they need the exercise.

612guy · Post by **612guy** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 3:18 pm

The only way safely to stop any dog from bolting when out is to use a training collar. That way if he decides to bolt you have a back up. Plus then they get use of being out of the fence area or off leash. I use my train collar only for the recall command because everything else can be done in the fence or on leash. Our boxer use to bolt too and that is why I bought it. I started to use it on Brutus after he did it once . Some might say it's cruel but dogs do get out and I haven't found a better way.

Victory · Post by **Victory** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 5:52 pm

612guy wrote:The only way safely to stop any dog from bolting when out is to use a training collar. That way if he decides to bolt you have a back up. Plus then they get use of being out of the fence area or off leash. I use my train collar only for the recall command because everything else can be done in the fence or on leash. Our boxer use to bolt too and that is why I bought it. I started to use it on Brutus after he did it once . Some might say it's cruel but dogs do get out and I haven't found a better way.

Are you talking about an electronic training collar? Those have been known to fail on a chow especially if used to often. Chows are stoic and very stuborn by nature and will just ignore the slight pain of the electric shock if they are really into what they are doing.
I know for certified fact that my two would find chasing the deer or turkeys outside right now WAY too much of a temptation to stop them from bolting...right now when we walk I keep them on a supper tight lead and constantly keep their attention on me. Chows with a real strong prey drive can be difficult to train no matter what.

Rio · Post by **Rio** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 12:25 am

Ok I have to ask ( our trainer asked us and I went doh! ) Does your Chow really know its name or does it just know voices? Get a bag of treats and call her name, then treat. When she walks away call her again and keep repeating. Increase the distance around the house and call then call some more. Always treat when she comes or when she acknowledges you.
We have 7 people in the house and everyone said Rios name differently, so we had treats and would call him randomly, if he went to the wrong person we would turn away and say Ahh-Ahh.
Oh and one other thing being a Chow they have selective hearing unless you have a pocketful of chicken!!!!!!

Ursa's daddy · Post by **Ursa's daddy** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 2:57 am

First you can't "train the stubborn out of them" You learn to work with it.

When I was training Dreamdancer to this, I'd really make a big deal out of him coming to me, cause it was the best thing in the world, treats, hugs, kisses, pets all kinds of good things happened when he got to me.

re-enforce the bond between the two of you, build your confidence, (chows are quick to pick up on a lack of confidence in a human and they WILL push it)

Victroy has summed it up rather well. I would not trust my two on recall. Malachi will sometimes get out. If no one notices, he will wander around the yard marking bushes, and return to sit by the door. If I notice, it becomes a game, and he tries to stay just out of reach. I can follow on the bicycle and get ahead of him, so he then heads for home. This works because we are out in the country with open fields rather than in the city.

Oh and one other thing being a Chow they have selective hearing unless you have a pocketful of chicken!!!!!!

HOW TRUE!

Judy Fox · Post by **Judy Fox** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 3:03 am

Hello and welcome to the site.
Firstly, please don't think that you chowling does not like you. She most probably loves you but by the beautiful picture you posted, she has the typical chow chow look which says, "I am IT!"
The thing is she does not think she is it, she knows she is.
Now then, on this site there are some chow chows who can be let off their leads and will go for a walk etc. with their people and there are other chow chows who, like mine just cannot be trusted.
We have had some hair-raising escapades with our two young girls Matilda and Maisie as indeed we did with our old girl Mabel and her litter sister Milly who is now in the Happy Hunting Ground.
I suggest, very much like what has already been said, you sort of start again. Teach her to sit and give a paw for her meal, for a treat and so on. Establish gently but firmly that you are the Mummy Peerson and she is the chowling - you say she does.

When we are out we have long 26 ft. leads for the girlies and in that way we can let them have a bit of independence but we cal haul them in if we need to. I have also taught our to sit and wait at the kerb whether it is necessary or not - this way, re-enforcing that I am actually in charge not them. $\:D/$
It is no good shouting or indeed slapping a chow. I won't work. They are very arrogant and aloof but you only have to look into their eyes to see the love for you there. So hang in there - she will settle down but you have to be as firm with her as she is trying to be with you. She will get away with what she can, the little baggage.

haifinn · Post by **haifinn** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 7:20 am

thank you so much everyone for the amazing advice. i will try everything you guys said, and it is quite a relief to know she is acting like a normal chow chow puppy. lol. i love her so much, and i absolutely LOVE this dog breed. she is the smartest dog i have ever owned, it took me literally 2 days to potty train her. she just has a little stubborn side to her. but i now know that ALL chow chows have that side to them. thanks again everyone, and i look forward to seeing more information on this website, it is very helpful! (:

612guy · Post by **612guy** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 10:23 am

Victory wrote: Are you talking about an electronic training collar? Those have been known to fail on a chow especially if used to often. Chows are stoic and very stuborn by nature and will just ignore the slight pain of the electric shock if they are really into what they are doing.
I know for certified fact that my two would find chasing the deer or turkeys outside right now WAY too much of a temptation to stop them from bolting...right now when we walk I keep them on a supper tight lead and constantly keep their attention on me. Chows with a real strong prey drive can be difficult to train no matter what.

If you get the collars for hunting dogs at Cabela's they will stop any dog chasing anything if properly fitted. Yes, chows have a higher thrust hold for pain but those collar are made for them. The only thing is getting the longer contacts so they touch skin . I know this for a fact.

Judy Fox · Post by **Judy Fox** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 11:40 am

With respect , haifinn, I do not like the idea of the collars.
The Chow Chow is just such a beautiful creature and they do not need their spirit broken. You will with most of the good advice given to you work out how to deal with her.
The important thing is you might never be able to let your little chowling off the lead. People will tell you with training that you can.
Just let me tell you our experience. My husband Fred and I have always lived with dogs since we were small children and one of the first things we got when we got married nearly 50 yrs ago was a puppy and we have had many dogs since.
We consider ourselves as - not expeerts - but certainly knowledgeable with dogs and we thought when we got our first Chow Chows Milly and Mabel 12 yrs ago that we could do it. Our attitude was we have trained some beautiful dogs over the years so we can do it. This feeling we had was strong. Fred had served in The Royal Military Police and had a War Dog called Tex. So we did think we could do it.

However, as Milly and Mabel got to be about 8 months old we still had not cracked it so we took them to Delamere Forest which is about a 40 min. drive from us. We went on a weekday when we knew there would be very few people there. We got them out of the car and started on a walk. Then we let them off their leads and it was fine for about 10 mins. Then they started to ignore us when we called them and then they started to go faster - so did we - so did they and so on until we were both running as fast as we could after them. We had tried the walking in the opposite direction, the sitting down and ignoring them the coaxing them but all to no avail. Eventually we saw the traffic on the road running through the forest started to get nearer and nearer and we were scared!
Anyway, one went in one direction and the other in another. Thank God we eventually got them thanks to some squirrels up some trees.

That is the last time Milly and Mabel ever, ever went off their leads. We bought them 26 ft. pony lunge reins and they were happy as can be and we still use those same reins with Matilda and Maisie now.
Matilda is a baggage - she is an absolute beautiful, arrogant, determined little madame and she very soon worked out how to open the front garden gate so now, after several escapes, we have to have a padlock on the gate when they are out in the front!
They know when they are beaten and treat the whole situation with good nature.
I know how you feel when you say you love your little chowling so much. We do ours.

So again I say - teach your little bagage that you are the Mummy Person and she is the Chow Chow and you say she does - and as you say over The Pond - Period!

$\:D/$

Judy Fox · Post by **Judy Fox** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 11:46 am

By the way, you have not told us what your little chowling's name is!

Ursa's daddy · Post by **Ursa's daddy** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 6:33 pm

If you will do a search of the forum, you will find that the general opinion is that chows are not very dependable off lead. They are also a bit independent and will chose who they will obey. My wife cannot believe that I can take them in public without having act up. They don't pull when I walk them, they don't bolt when someone approaches with a squeaky shopping cart. They know I am in charge of the situation and I will deal with the problems. She is nervous and they know it, so they take the lead, which is not what you want.
No one has mentioned the importance of socializing your chow. This is going to be a lifetime task. It really isn't a hard task if you have the opportunity to take your chow with you as much as possible. She will learn from you about how to deal with the world. The more effort you put into training and socializing your dog, the better she will be.

haifinn · Post by **haifinn** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 5:48 am

i would never use the collar on my chow chow. i personally think that the collar idea is cruel. but that is my opinion on it; so i will not do that to my puppy. but all the other information was helpful. i'm just going to keep working with her, and treat her when she comes to me when i call her name.. she is improving a lot. and i already taught her sit (:

& her name is charlee bear. (:

Judy Fox · Post by **Judy Fox** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 6:55 am

What a lovely name.

Say it to her lots of times as I read somewhere a long time ago that once they know their name and you say it to them, it warms their souls. If we say our girls names, they twitch their tails and Maisie wags heres. They love being spoken to. Ursa's daddy is right - we have not mentioned socialising your chowling. It is most important to take to all sorts of places where she will come across people. Chows can be very aloof but if you start with her now to get used to other people talking to her she will grow up more sociable. Encourage people, especially children who want to stroke her to hold their hands out to her palm up and not to touch her until she has sniffed them then notd to go to stroke the top of her head. Chow Chows do not have peripheral vision and must never be approached by strangers from behind. So if somebody is visiting your house, make sure she knows they are there and can see them. Grandually she will get used to it all and will be fine.

Rio · Post by **Rio** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 9:08 am

I can only add to this with what we have discovered with Rio (only in the last 2 weeks) his trainer asked us to use a clicker, we thought yeah right Chow vs Clicker, this should be a hoot!!! To our surprise Rio now knows if the clicker 'clicks' he gets rewarded. He will 98% of the time stop what he is doing and come right to us, sometimes at high speed and slide into a sit position waiting for his treat!
He took to it very easily, we just sat with the clicker with Rio sat in front of us and every time we clicked he got a treat. He didn't have to do anything for it, we just had to condition him that 'click' means treat, and to get a treat he has to be at least within arms-reach.
Good Luck and I am sure you will come to an understanding with your baby.

Cam Atis · Post by **Cam Atis** » Mon Jul 09, 2012 4:55 am

Oh how I wanted to get my hands on a clicker. Just one clicker! Sadly it is not available in my place and shop assistants will give me strange looks if I ask if they got one.

. i just have to make do with my voice intonation. Haven't got time to train Cassie lately.

As for Charlee Bear, all advises are said already. You must understand a chow's attitude in life which I think you already did. Also, prepare yourself for uncalled for or unpleasant scenarios. So reading a lot and then the harder part: distilling what you need and what is applicable is a MUST.

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 2:41 pm

When we first got Teddie she was leery of us because we were her fourth owners in two months (long story). She didn't want anything to do with us and it almost broke Roberta's heart. I started training immediately. Every day for twenty minutes we'd do the run down. Sit, down, stay and here. I put her on a twenty foot lead and let her wander away, or I'd walk away from her. When I got to the end of the lead I'd say "Here." and pull her to me. Than she'd get a salmon treat. The first five times I had to drag her across the yard. Then she'd come reluctantly but at least she'd walk. By the end of the first week she came when called. When she had learned sit and stay I started having her sit then I'd walk across the yard and call her to me, still on the lead. In two months I had her off the lead and sitting in the yard and I'd call her and she'd come over.

Translation to outside the yard . . . she slipped out the gate one day while I was working in the front yard. She thought she was sneaking away when I spotted her from the corner of my eye. I took a step towards her and she shied. I said "Here." and she stood there. I said "Teddie, sit!" and she sat down. "Down! Stay!" She lay down and I walked over and grabbed her collar and brought her back inside the yard.

I run her through the commands a couple of times a week. If she balks at any of them she goes on the leash and we do some more concentrated work. I think she rebels at times just to get me to do the training because she enjoys the discipline. We've been working on heal off the leash but it works about 50/50 right now. She refuses to "shake" because she doesn't see the point. And that, I believe, is the real key. Teddie understands what the commands are for so she goes along with it.

We take trips to Montana twice a year and I can't have a dog that won't obey me. Twice on trips she or Arleigh has gotten loose and making them sit while I come to them seems to work best.

Anyway, this is what we do.

teddybear2 · Post by **teddybear2** » Tue Jul 31, 2012 7:04 am

get a collar , a leach and have her follow you where ever you go. The problem is chows are are 1 owner dog. And if you do not take charge now she will be your husbands dog only. she needs to learn to respect you since you are the primary care giver. take her for walk have her sit at each street crossing . this will help show here you are the alpha dog. You should be the one feeding her and giving her water. it is a simple as you dont bite the hand that feeds you. dogs get this. Never chase a dog they think its a game. I have 2 chow chows both males and have trained them since they have been 4 months old. its a lot of work but the dogs you get out of it is amazing worth every penny.

signed teddybear

ChowChow.org

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