my chow seems a bit down

[bigsolo]

hi there

ive had my chow for over a few months now and he seems to have settled in our home quite well and most of the time seems happy.
its just in the working week we have to leave him at home and we go back at dinner time during the day to feed him.

but when we come home he seems down and wont eat his dinner its almost as if he knows we have just popped in and will not be home for a while after that. we really notice this at weekends when he has really enjoyed our company and the monday after he seems distant and lonely. he is about 16 weeks old now and my question i suppose is this normal and will he grow out of this phase??

we have never owned a dog before leo so im unsure whetert this behaviour is normal??

all advice will be well appreciated

[Cocoa]

All dogs, particularly chows are very sensitive to your moods and react accordingly. If you are projecting your anxiety in leaving in the morning he is going to sense it. Try to make it no big deal when you leave and the same when you get home. He will soon learn that this is just part of the daily routine. Sixteen weeks is pretty young so he still has plenty to learn, do you have him crated or in a restricted area during the day while you're gone? He might be anxious if he has too much freedom in the house (not to mention all the dangers he could encounter).

[siewchingan]

Hi , I am no expert to chow chow but one thing I have learned was When ever I go out I always put some background music on (radio or tv) . I think for a puppy staying by himself seem a bit scary , I still carry on even my Aslan is 19 months old now . I am totally agree with Cocoa, make no big deal as u come in and out , he will learn quickly .

[chow4life]

This made me laugh. Matilda started acting like this at around age 6-7 months and she is 21 months now. Still going strong with the pouts everytime i leave. Luckily I only work part time and at some point this year I will be working from home. I know Matilda will approve. Chows love to be with there owners as much as possible. Talk about guilt trips when you leave the house she is a master at giving these. She loves the weekends when everybody is home together with her. Then the evil Monday comes.I don't have the magic recipie to help with the pouts. As he gets older and settles into a regular routine that will help. I have noticed that Matilda feels more secure when things are consistently made a routine.

[Rory's Dad]

He definitely wants to be around you, which is great considering many chows end up showing indifference at times. And if he misses you when you are away, make the times you come back something to look forward to.

Don't just dump a bowl of kibble at him and expect him to enjoy it. Make him work for it and do something he enjoys. When i come home at night, my wife and daughter have already been home for hours. Yet, we have our own special routine. When i come in, it's doggie lesson time. We work on doggie basics, sit, down, paw, speak etc, and for each command he gets rewarded with a (very) small treat. He works for them and appreciates both the treat and time/attention. He gets upset if our routine is interrupted or delayed.

We do the same thing at meal time. In the morning, we play a game of (fake) tag. I know it, he doesnt. He does a few zoomies across the upstairs rooms, and then i tell him he won, and i carry him down for breakfast. At dinner, he wont move from his spot on the living room floor until i pick up his bowl to clean it out from breakfast. Then i move the food to the freezer for about 30 seconds to cool off. That's when he comes out to the kitchen. Ask him where dinner his and he runs to the freezer. I tell him to go get it, and he crowds the freezer door. Then we walk back to the sink to transfer it to the doggie bowl. He knows he has to sit for at least 10 seconds before it hits the floor...any break from the sit resets the clock.

[Fozzbear]

I always leave the radio on for my two when I go out.
I think chows particularly love to be with their owners but he should settle into his routine.
I think it helps to have two chows together. If I'm out all day Fozz and Humphrey go to doggy daycare (which they love) or out with the dog walker (they love playing with her beagle) and my Dad drops over to say hello to them. It is an expense but could you consider daycare or a dog walker to break up the time alone and give your dog something to look forward to?
I've noticed that Fozz and Humph save treats I give them if I go out until I get home, as a sort of celebration.

[wokman]

Cocoa mentioned dangers they can encounter when the owner is gone. Make sure no electric cords can be chewed as boredom can cause them to be destructive. Your Chow sounds like they know how to manipulate you. As Fozzbear said have someone drop in to let them out if possible or think of getting a Female companion for him.