Maturity age?

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nnguyentang
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Maturity age?

Post by nnguyentang »

So if you guys didn't know, my baby girl chow is turning 3 months. She's improving on her biting and nipping, but man! Her energy is so crazy. We try to wear her down and take her on walks and I even tug on some ropes with her, but at night it's impossible to get her to sleep. My question is what age does a chow start to calm down and mature? I know it's different for different breeds. I'm not getting impatient with her, I'd just love to have a full night of sleep and have her sleep next to me. She just likes to pick on the other dogs and push their buttons and she likes to run away from me and bark. I want her to enjoy her puppy years, but I also want to enjoy her puppy years with her. ): One of my friends suggested a calming collar or something for nights, do those work? Any suggestions? In about another month, my vet wants to get her fixed, will that help?
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Re: Maturity age?

Post by Pirate & Pandora »

My chow is also just over 3 months old and seems to have recently gained so much extra energy that keeps her up late! What I have been doing to tire her out before bedtime is to roll a ball down a long hallway in my house and letting my chow run after it. Luckily my chow loves to play fetch but only if the ball is rolling. She will block the hallway and jump from side to side as I move the ball around before releasing it. It is adorable! I will play with her until she watches the ball zoom past her and stares before walking over toward it. I know she is tired since she is not running about acting crazy over the ball anymore. With my other dogs I was told that many dogs need a task to do before they will get tired, since Pandora is a chow finding a task for her was more difficult than other dogs. The task has to be both mentally and physically challenge so the dog is not restless. Maybe it would help you get your dog to sleep if before bedtime there was a task for your chow to preform?

I hope this helps. It usually works with my chowling. I am interested in what others suggest too!
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Re: Maturity age?

Post by Rio »

Not sure if this is helpful but with Rio around 9pm I take him in the garden and run him until he is truly tired, usually takes about 30-35 minutes. He then goes into his pen where my husband hides treats underneath toys and then has 2 ice-cubes then tell him to lie down and that it is bedtime. Rio sleeps downstairs in the living room, I do not allow any of my animals in the bedrooms, personal preference, Rio has been used to this routine since we got him and he now knows after his play in the garden it is find his treats,ice cubes then cool down time and then bedtime.
The routine has to be the same every night or he goes bananas!!! He has only ever woken us through the night twice and that was for toilet emergency!
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Tippsy'smom
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Re: Maturity age?

Post by Tippsy'smom »

Your chow is still a VERY young puppy! She'll have a LOT of energy for her first 2 years a least! But if you teach her a routine for every night, she'll know it's time to settle down and go to bed.

When I got Jasper, he was about 5-7 weeks old (way too young to be away from his momma, but my brother found him along in the middle of the street and couldn't just leave him there). I started him out young, teaching him a nightly routine. I'd take him in the yard and let him play until he was obviously tired, make sure he loftier, and I would take him in and tuck him into his kennel with his bed, blanket, and teddy bears. He'd always wake up a few times a night starting out but a quick trip outside to potty and he was ready to go back to bed in his kennel. After a few weeks, he was sleeping through the night. I tried to let him sleep in bed with me once but he pee'd in my bed, and I decided I'd stick to having him in his crate. To this day, three and a half years later, he still holds to his nightly ritual. And he still sleeps in a kennel. Crate training has been my best friend raising puppies.

And just so you know, it's not recommended to spay or neuter a puppy until at LEAST 6 months old, and it's better for their health and development to wait until 18 to 24 months old.
Last edited by Tippsy'smom on Tue Jul 17, 2012 8:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Maturity age?

Post by Victory »

Almost all breeds take at least a year to even start slowing down. Chows take longer, at least 2 years for the females and up to 3 for the males. This however doesn't mean they are untrainable until then. Like Tippy's Mom said, establish a routine and stick to it. When Dreamdancer was little, I'd take him out, we'd go for our long night walk so he was tired, I'd encourage him to play with Firesong on the walk. Then we went home, and I'd get ready for bed, I put him in his bed with a toy or two and then I'd say, "Time for sleep," Firesong already understood that so she'd lay at the foot of the bed in her spot, I'd turn out the light and we went to sleep. When he was really little he'd wake up to go potty and we'd do that really fast and then back to bed. If he started to run around and play, I'd put him in his bed and say, "Bedtime." By three months he was sleeping through the night, like Firesong.

And Jess is right, don't spay her at 4 months, it's too young for a female and could result in her being more aggressive, she needs that surge of estrogen to curb the other hormones in her. Wait at least until six months, or if you can, (if you can keep her away from males), until right after her first heat, or until she is a year old.
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nnguyentang
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Re: Maturity age?

Post by nnguyentang »

thanks guys. I didn't know that about spaying, how weird that the vet would suggest it then. I've tried setting routines for nights, like, I would let her play in the yard, then bring her in and let her play with her toys, then she crawls under my dresser or into her little kennel and sleep. But it only worked about 3 days until she stopped. She would whine and scratch the door, even after a potty break, then chew up her bed. I'd try to calm her with some water and let her on my bed, but nope, she chews at my hair then jumps down to whine some more. I really don't know what to do. I walk her every day, feed her well, water is always out, she has plenty of toys. I run around with her when I can, but it seems like at night, she won't have it. So lately, she's been having to sleep in her dog house, in the back yard. Wish it were easier to have her sleep with me.
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Re: Maturity age?

Post by Rio »

I had read somewhere that camomile tea is good for calming down dogs and humans. Maybe she is just going through a phase.
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Re: Maturity age?

Post by chowpups »

okay this is a long shot but has your dog been properly dewormed. Worms can cause a dog to whine and they don't seem settled .. I am sure he had his puppy worming but sometimes it doesn't always get rid of them on the first try. Just a thought if you are still having problems. It happened to my neighbors pup and at 3 months she had to take her to the vet to be dewormed again and it finally settled her somewhat.
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nnguyentang
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Re: Maturity age?

Post by nnguyentang »

I did take her for deworming a month ago, she was a bit calming then. Maybe I'm reading too much into it and it's just her puppy nature? She's just so stubborn to listen to anyone, if i put her in time out, she'll escape somehow or chew through whatever is around her. Want to think about classes, but I'm scared she'll rebel against that too. I've looking up different things on other breeds, but I'm scared to apply it to my chow, she's already so smart and stubborn. Though I love her, I wish it were a lot easier to love her (if that makes sense). Today we are going to try to let her hang out in the house all day.
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Tippsy'smom
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Re: Maturity age?

Post by Tippsy'smom »

Chows are stubborn. It's their nature. Take her to classes, it'll be good for both of you.

And when I did/do timeout with my dogs I stick them in the bathroom (making sure there's nothing they can destroy first) and close the door. Shoot, there was one time, when Dixie was little, I stuck her in the tub for time out. Worked for me. There were a couple times when Jazz was a puppy that I put him on our back deck (before my dad tore it down and built a bigger one) and left him. Time out should only last about 5 minutes.

Just think of her stubbornness as a challenge (which it is) and figure out the best way to overcome it. You need to convince them that whatever you're asking them to do is their idea.
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Re: Maturity age?

Post by Pirate & Pandora »

Does your dog get one of her meals at night? If so maybe you could put it closer to bedtime after exercising. Dogs get tired after they eat so its worth a shot...
nnguyentang
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Re: Maturity age?

Post by nnguyentang »

Haha I feed her 5 times a day, not in big portions, but I do try to feed her at night too. She refuses to eat before bed but she loves ice. I think I will try the bathroom time out.. I got her a little kennel cage but she chewed that up in the 2nd time out I put her on. I want to buy her a crate, to crate train her. But does it still work when she's older? I plan on rearranging my room and giving her some space with a crate to separate her section. And when I do bring her in the house, I want to put her somewhere so I won't have to constantly follow her and watch her every move. She refuses to sleep in her cage now ): so she's outside until I can train her to know how to be in the room without chewing my face off (I have 3 scars about 3 inches long on my arms and legs, and a scar under my eye from her).
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Re: Maturity age?

Post by Rory's Dad »

That doesnt sound so good. There's no way she should be leaving any sort of marks on you. If she refuses any behavior, you need to reinforce what she needs to do. Not sure how she can refuse to sleep in her cage, i am guessing that she whines or barks, and you let her out. That just reinforces bad behavior. Not sure if you are saying she primarily stays outside or not. You need to establish boundaries. If i am confused, i figure she is too.
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Re: Maturity age?

Post by nnguyentang »

Well, as of right now, she is sleeping outside. I do let her sleep with me occasionally, but she ends up chewing my ear or hair or step on my face. I don't let her out when she whines though.. I leave her in for a good 5 minutes after bad behavior. I'm sure she didn't mean to leave the marks, maybe she got too excited. I'm not sure. But the time outs worked the first few days, but now when she's in time out, she waits patiently, then jumps at me as soon as I let her out biting my ankles. ): then when I put her back in, she does it again, then after the 3rd time, she runs and chews someone else, then we have to put her outside. She recently got shots, so we're starting to take her out for socializing, do you think that is the issue?
-Nat and Violet
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Re: Maturity age?

Post by wokman »

The terrible two's maybe? New teeth growing in? Five meals per day, maybe you have given her to much and are now a lower member of the pack; the submissive one. Her biting might be a way of reinforcing her dominance over you.
I hope you do not have any predator animals in your area, night is when they forage for food; protect her.
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Re: Maturity age?

Post by MissV »

wow! its been forever since i've been on the forums :>

I read your post and I do sympathise with you~
You must remember, your chowlie is VERY young - and settling down will come with time. I urge you to not let her get away with biting or hurting you. Give her time outs in her crate if she is naughty or defies you all the time. Chows cannot learn that hurting people is ok... beacuse if something severe happens down the line, you wont want to face the aweful fact that you have to put your dog down. Some defiance must be expected... we are dealing with chows here after all - but mouthing / biting must start to stop. Your chowlie is teething, so ensure some good chew toys are around, and if he starts to chew on you, give a firm NO and put a chewie in his mouth instead :>
Never underestimate the intelligence of these dogs. They're flippen' smart. They know exactly what they're doing.
Also watch out for over dominance - and do not let you dog rank itself higher than you... it will love you, but it wont respect your authority.
I strongly recommend you attend some puppy school so you and your pup work together and learn how each other work.

Once you can both understand each other - you will have the most amazing buddy for life. This i promise you.

Good Luck!
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Re: Maturity age?

Post by astonblake »

At the maturity age they can do like this. But it will be overcome within a short time. So don't be tensed.
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Re: Maturity age?

Post by Clovers_Mom »

[quote][/quote]Never underestimate the intelligence of these dogs. They're flippen' smart. They know exactly what they're doing.

completely agree with that....

definitely do not be scared to try approaches because you will not know if it will or wont work until trying it.. they will sense you being scared... our little chow-loves... are unique and they cannot be trained like a retriever or labrador ... and of course, using common sense/judgement ...
Clover was spayed at 6m, she is 9m now, and i would say gets easiely enough excited, but is also is very well behaved. We started training (puppy, then intermediate, just finished advanced) when she received all of her shots... I think that was at 16 or 18 wks... You must really make sure she knows that you are the leader...
Oh my Miss Clover can be a super lovebug and cuddle however, it is when she wants... as for the bed deal.. we thought the same thing when she was little oh it would be so cute for her to be on the bed... ya, after 5 minutes she wants no part of it. as for her bed...this really is just a storage holder for her to place/hid her toys.. she prefers to sleep on the hardwood floor... no blanket.. nada...
Hope the feedback helps a bit!
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Re: Maturity age?

Post by Cam Atis »

Dogs are not humans. We do sleep at night time. They dont. They are almost nocturnal. Now
If you have switched the body clock in reverse, he'd be sleeping more during the day and predictably he'll be awake during night time doing his night shift guarding.
Keep him awake all day and he'll be sleepy come night time. (which personally I dont prefer) Cassie and Blue have tHe run of the property from 5pm to 7am. They sleep mostly at 8am to 3pm. Blue is more alert and easily awoken while Cassie is snoring more and I can walk past her without her waking up. But come night time they are always awake. I dont have them in my room so I sleep more.
Maturity age for me is at 5 months. She's practically an old soul now. A proper lady. Very intelligent and can easily learn any thing. Like calmy sitting and watching even if the gates are wide open with the car coming in pr going out. She knows when I dont want her to accompany me. She comes when I call her and somehow she knew I wanted her to come along.
She is only 7.5months old.
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