at what age do chow chows become protective and territorial?

[haifinn]

i socialize my chow chow a lot! she seems to be friendly to almost anyone. we live on a military base and maintenance came in our house one day when we wasn't home and charlee bear was roaming free in the house. i think them just coming inside our house without us knowing was uncalled for and rude; they aren't supposed to do that, but anyways she didn't seem to mind them being there at all... i want her to at least know when someone strange enters the house when we are not home to be cautious and scare someone off who isn't supposed to be there. she's a big teddy bear and i don't think she will ever have intentions on hurting anyone, she loves meeting new people; which is good. but i also want her to know when to be a watch dog and protect us and the house in a dangerous situation. do chow chows know good from bad? or maybe it's because she is still a puppy. she is 7 almost 8 months old. from what i read about chow chows they are super protective of their owners and property and wouldn't let anything bad happen to them.

[wokman]

I have read accounts on these Forums where the most gentle Chows have shown another side to their personality when their owner was threatened.

[Victory]

What I have observed with my chows is this: If I'm not home and they don't feel threatened they could care less about anyone entering our home or getting near it even. In our old apartment there was a bad water leak while I was at work, four strangers came into the apartment, and were working on the leak for hours, even moved their,[the chows'] food and dishes, my two didn't care, they could stay away from the strangers and didnt feel threatened so they were calm and no protective. When I got home, they started guarding me, staying close and staying between me and the strangers, but they didn't growl or become in anyway agressive.
In our new apartment, they bark at everything when I'm home. When I'm not home, my neighbors have told me they are silent. I think chows don't feel the need to guard property so much when owners aren't there, as long as nothing "wrong/bad" is going on. But when you are home, then they are much more likely to become protective. I actually think most well socialized dogs are like this.

[kitten1426]

Our female chow would let you in take what you want as long as you petted her....lol...Our Male chow there isnt NO way your getting in the house..He is very protective of us,and he needs a formal introduction to strangers..He was growling and protective at 7-1/2 weeks old...Our Airedale is also very protective and feeds off Kodi...together thats over 180 lbs of dog coming at you...Plus you can add our collie..he is 75lbs + he is very calm tho and we really dont know what he would do..Kodi and Bear are bascially the guard dogs..

[Rory's Dad]

Naturally, all dogs vary. My two previous chows would have backed a stranger into a corner and stood there until i came home. We spent a lot more time socializing Rory, and he really is a peoples dog. That being said, he barks at any noise within his 'zone'. My other dogs had actually learned the sounds of our cars, and didnt alert us when other family came home. Rory hasnt quite got this yet. He is 13 months.

Keep in mind, Chows are guard dogs, and not Attack Dogs. They will alert you, similar to an alarm, but for most their 1st option should not be to attack or bite. They live through intimdation if you will. Set a stranger on alert, get them off balance, and watch them walk away. If cornered, then thats different, but most chows will posture. The tone of their bark and growl, and the stance they take is usually enough.

[Ursa's daddy]

Well, I don't know what my two do when we are away, but they guard the property and alert to anything that they consider not normal. Malachi wants to get close enough to smell you all over to verify your identification. Of course, he comes running at you like a locomotive barking all the while, so it is quite a show. They have always been protective of the house and family. Like Rory's Dad said

The tone of their bark and growl, and the stance they take is usually enough.

[kitten1426]

I Know what you mean all show they use there bark and look to scare people...But i really think Kodi is more like he will bite/attack ask questions later type dog on our propery and with us...Bear i think he would be the same way...the other two who knows LOL....

[Tippsy'smom]

From what I've been told by my mom, when I'm gone and she has Dixie and Jasper out in the yard, they don't bark at anything or anyone. Our neighbors have told me the same thing; if everyone's gone and they're locked in the house, the only ones they hear bark are the little ones (pretty sure it's just Max and Li'l Bit because even standing right next to Todd he sounds like a big dog barking from REALLY REALLY REALLY far away ).

When I'm home, and someone comes onto our property, Dixie and Jazz get on edge but they don't bark unless they KNOW the person is not welcome. Otherwise they just stand guard and watch.

[kitten1426]

We have had power out for 4 days just got it back...its nice having a few good alert dogs on duty....lol...Especailly Kodi he is so stealthly all black...lol...you always hear about break ins when power goes out and almost all of NJ was out...lol...so we felt very safe going to bed at nite...

[Ursa's daddy]

Glad y'all got power back. The news reports look bad.

[kitten1426]

Glad y'all got power back. The news reports look bad.

Thanks we have power but still most of the town is out...Gas stations either dont have gas or electric the ones that do have it are over 3 hr waits...lucky we filled one of our trucks up,,,all our other cars are on fumes...not good...

[Ursa's daddy]

I know this is a new experience for everyone up in the region. You have to fill up all your vehicles prior to the storm. The boat fuel lines with the squeeze bulb are great to have to transfer fuel from vehicles to vehicles. Been there, done that. Generators are a fact of life down here. Filling your freezer with water bottles prior to the storm and turning it to low is standard practice. Clean up and recovery take a LONG time. It was 10 years after Camille before much of the losses were recovered. Some, of course, never recovered. There is still lots of damage from Katrina. I am still doing minor repairs from Issac.

To everyone in the storm effected area, you can survive this and get better. It is hard, it is frustrating, but you can do it.