Pros and cons of getting a second chow?

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Kimbe
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Pros and cons of getting a second chow?

Post by Kimbe »

My boyfriend and I got our first chow just over 2.5 months ago ... he's 4.5 months and a little cutie (his photo's below). He showed his first signs of shyness and fear of people (plus aggression) when he was just 9 weeks, but we've been socializing him ever since. And he's made huge progress!

My boyfriend has started thinking about getting a second puppy so he has someone to play with and keep him company when we're out of the house. I've noticed a lot of you have multiple chows ... do you have any recommendations on this? Does getting another chow help with socialization at all, or can it promote aggression? Is there a good age to do this?
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Jdcell100
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Re: Pros and cons of getting a second chow?

Post by Jdcell100 »

Chows are like tattoos once you get one its hard to stop
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Fozzbear
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Re: Pros and cons of getting a second chow?

Post by Fozzbear »

I just had to have another! Although - I think that it is best to wait until your first chow is a year old (training two puppies is a nightmare and I believe that you can get littermate syndrome if you get two within a short space of time and end up with behaviour problems, google it!). It is also best to get a boy and a girl to avoid problems (and neuter/spay them obviously).
It is definitely easier to have just one, especially when they are fully grown and you are trying to walk two stubborn beasts that together weigh just as much as you do and have just spotted a cat. It is twice the brushing, twice the bathing and general looking after, twice the expense in food, doggy-walker, doggy daycare if I am away and vets bills (tell me about that one - that's two pet insurance companies that don't want to pay out). I get fed up loading two great furries in and out of the car all the time and feel that I can't take two everywhere with me like I used to when there was just one. My house is drowning in chow chow fur too.
That said - my two love each other and I get loads of joy watching them play, chase and wrestle with each other. I feel better about leaving them home alone. They teach each other things (good and bad habits). They are the same, but totally different and I love them both. I wouldn't swop them for the world but two chows is certainly hard work and not something to be taken on lightly.
Personally, I would want to get over the puppy/adolescent stage with dog number 1 before committing to dog number 2. Why don't you wait and see how you go with your lovely boy for a while longer and then add to your family.
kitten1426
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Re: Pros and cons of getting a second chow?

Post by kitten1426 »

Try training 4 pups at the same time we did..lol..We have 2 chows a female and a Male, A male Collie and a Male Airedale...they all get along great.Oh we also have 6 cats the oldest is almost 3 and the youngest is 5ish months old...lol...We got them all together.....I would say do it now so there both young and they can get used to each other and you can train both of them now,And the funny thing is they learn from each other...its amazing how they do...Good luck...
Our dogs...Kodi Male chow..[Mia Female Chow RB :( :( ]...Bear Male Airedale...Shelby Male Collie...And Moose airedale, New girl chow Merida
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Tippsy'smom
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Re: Pros and cons of getting a second chow?

Post by Tippsy'smom »

I'm gonna be honest; it's awesome having 2. BUT I would NEVER have 2 puppies at once. Double everything 1 puppy needs (food, water, training, vet care/cost, grooming, flea/tick preventative, heartworm prevention, etc.) and I KNOW I'd be overwhelmed. I personally choose to put about a year or 2 between my dogs; so 1) I don't have 2 puppies on my hands and 2) to make sure their training is where I want it before trying to get another dog to where I want it. Jazz is 4, will be 5 this year, Dixie will be 3 in a fewmonths, and Todd just turned 2. I got Jazz when my late chow girl Tippsy was 8, I added Dixie just before Jazz turned 2, and I adopted Todd a few months before Dixie turned 2 (a year ago). And honestly, now, I'm kinda afraid to have 3 seniors at once. Next time, I'm probably gonna put 4 or 5 years between mine.

Also, do you want another for YOU or just so your pup has a playmate. If it's the latter, reconsider. You have to want it for you, not just your other dog.
Last edited by Tippsy'smom on Wed Mar 20, 2013 7:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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R.I.P. Cinder~1992-1994, Tippsy~9/00-4/11, Jasper~10/08-10/14, Todd~2/11-7/15
Dixie: mix Rebel: mix
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Laura
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Re: Pros and cons of getting a second chow?

Post by Laura »

We got Chloe when shug was about 5 mos old and she was 8 weeks. Shug was potty trained long before then so I wasn't house training two at once. They adore each other and I can't imagine only having one. It seems like a lonely existence to me for them not having a buddy of their own kind. I have read that you should wait until the first one is a year old so the second chow won't bond only with the other chow instead of with you. I made sure to spend alone time with Chloe and even slept with her alone in the room with me the first month or so. ( i read somewhere that sleeping with them is part of bonding) The only problem I ran into is that I wanted to wait until each was one year old before spaying/ neutering but Chloe had her first heat before Shug was a year old so we sped that process up by a month or two. I thought it was great raising them together and they each had completely different personalities and still do. I would never have two of the same *Censored Word* due to past experience though...bloodshed in the home is not good!
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Boogie and Linda
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Re: Pros and cons of getting a second chow?

Post by Boogie and Linda »

I personally think chows learn things from other chows that they can't really learn from people. With that being said, they can learn both good and bad things. If your puppy is having socialization issues it would be easier or you to bring in an already socialized older chow to be an example. The last thing you would want is 2 under socialized chows who will feed off of each others fears.

My first chow was a puppy from a rescue. He was also our first dog. When he was about 6 months old we started to feel badly for him being home alone so we decided to look for another but had no idea if it would work or not. We decided to foster chows through a rescue. This way we were saving a life, gaining experience and we got to try it out without making a lifetime commitment. We let the rescue know what we were looking for and what our intentions were and it all worked out. We found a buddy for our chow and have continued to foster additional chows as well. I will say 2 chows for me seems to be easiest. It gets a little trickier with 3 or 4 as it changes the dynamic. Most people recommend getting opposites so if you have a boy, you should get a girl. I personally have had mostly boys together. I have only had 2 female fosters and neither one wanted any part of being friends with my boys.

Cost is also another thing to keep in mind. Everything will be doubled. If you still want a second puppy instead, I think I would wait until your first puppy were a little older and could help with training the new one.
Rory's Dad
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Re: Pros and cons of getting a second chow?

Post by Rory's Dad »

I really want to weigh in on this one, but reservedly so.

Have had 2 male chows in the past, and although i wouldnt call them inseperable, etc, they got along just fine. But they were 5 years apart in age, and that definitely made a difference. They were also fairly calm in their behavior.

Most recently, we have an 18 month old male with a very laid back personality. He easily accepts me as alpha and doesnt challenge and othe family members.

We now have a 3 month old female. She is dominant to a fault and a nipper. She will learn proper behavior, but in the mean time, they spend a good deal of time separated so she doesnt push the issue with our male. He tolerates her puppy play, and does a good job being gentle with her, but she doesnt get it yet.

Confident it will work well, but its not stress free.
sara
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Re: Pros and cons of getting a second chow?

Post by sara »

Jdcell100 wrote:Chows are like tattoos once you get one its hard to stop
This made me laugh out loud, Thats my husband you're talking about,
His tatts are extremely good by the way, especially his back piece, one whole piece of work covering his back in black and shading but I'd prefer him to get more chows than tattoos. I usually get my own way, he has enough tattoos now, they are symmetrically placed on his body and that's how it'll have to stay as i can't bear things which are unsymmetrical.

Its also a sad fact that there are loads of dogs out there needing loving homes but I can't help wanting another chow, strange but so true.
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Chowmomma
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Re: Pros and cons of getting a second chow?

Post by Chowmomma »

Jdcell100 wrote:Chows are like tattoos once you get one its hard to stop
Amen!!!!

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