World's friendliest chow?

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RuthB
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World's friendliest chow?

Post by RuthB »

Before I got Ruby, who is now two years old, over the years I had two rescue chows, who were elderly, grumpy, and aloof. I always thought chows were naturally aloof, one person dogs.

I truly believe in "used" dogs and have had many hairy rescued dogs, but there are rarely any young chows in my area, so I found a breeder in Canada and got Ruby. Her mother was cream and her father was red. She has had some health issues, which I wrote about in the health section, but she has the the loveliest temperament of any dog I've ever had.

She is friendly to the point of obstinacy. If she sees someone coming down the sidewalk, she plants her 50 pound butt foursquare on the sidewalk and I can't move her until she has greeted and licked the person going by. Often these people are walking to take the commuter bus and don't really want their pants licked, although generally everybody loves and knows Ruby in my neighborhood. This makes walking her a long and slow process, but we have a local dog park where she plays with all the young dogs and has a wonderful time. She has the opposite of What I think of as a "chow" temperament.
Do other people on this forum have really really friendly Chows? Is it because she's from Canada so she is naturally more polite?
Ruth B
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Sukies_Daddy
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Re: World's friendliest chow?

Post by Sukies_Daddy »

Hi Ruth,

My Sukie was more friendly when she was younger.
On walks she would want to stop and be petted by friends in the neighborhood and interact with other dogs.
It made for some long walks as she was very popular.
As she has aged she has become a little more territorial and cautious with people.
I would say enjoy it while it lasts and encourage Ruby to be social and a nice Chow!

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A young Sukie models for her fans.
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rmb
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Re: World's friendliest chow?

Post by rmb »

Oh gosh no. Buddy2 stands as far off as he can get when we encounter people & pause for sister Suzy to meet & greet. I'd say you have an unusual chow.
Rory's Dad
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Re: World's friendliest chow?

Post by Rory's Dad »

Ruby may be 'overly' friendly, but never take that as a bad thing.

With pups you get to set the stage and introduce them to the world as you want them to be. You will see countless recommendations on socializing your dog so that they are good Chow citizens. That advice is point on and one of the most important aspects of being a responsible Chow owner. Sometimes older chows have been set in their ways and that is a tougher challenge, but I would encourage anyone with all but the hardest cases to continue to introduce the dog to all the people and circumstances they can imagine. In general terms, Chows are not friendly because they are shy, unsure, or frightened. You could find a rescue that has been abused at the hands of an adult male, and they will shy away or go into a defense mode. They need to be reassured and shown that it was an individual and not all men. It takes time and patience (and I wouldn't recommend putting a dog into that situation if its 1st response is bite). You may find some that had a woman who was nervous around them and allowed the dog to dictate the terms, so the Chow needs to be shown that women can be strong enough to lead 'the pack'.

Ruby obviously loves attention, and that is great. My guess is that she has been tempered a bit by those health visits, so she has met a bunch of people and is aware they have made her feel better. To a well socialized dog, a nice pat on the head and an atta girl is also soothing. My only advice, and that is because I have seen it, is to make sure that she has some independence and doesn't become 'needy'. Not everyone is going to want to be slathered by her kisses or give her a belly rub (I know, hard to believe).
briannajo
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Re: World's friendliest chow?

Post by briannajo »

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I was just thinking the same thing about my Chow! When I got him everyone was afraid and warned us to socialize him, they can be mean, lawsuits, and one person dogs.. My Simba is the sweetest dog I've ever met!! He greets everyone and gets excited and licks them. Before bed every night he jumps on his big fluffy bed on the floor waiting for me to come snuggle with him for 5 seconds before I go to bed. He loves cuddles and kisses! I kiss his cheeks and get close to his face all the time.. Not one ounce of meanness in him! I just love him :)

I am hoping when I do get him fixed that he doesn't become mean..has anyone experienced this?
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Re: World's friendliest chow?

Post by briannajo »

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My cuddle buddy Simba!
Rory's Dad
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Re: World's friendliest chow?

Post by Rory's Dad »

Briannajo, great pics...

And no, having him altered will not effect his friendliness or his cuddling. It may slow down his desire to mark territory or any aggressiveness towards other male dogs, that's about it.
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Sirchow
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Re: World's friendliest chow?

Post by Sirchow »

Izzie...my beautiful black girl below is the friendliest most chilled chow I know. She loves to come to the door when deliveries arrive and insists everyone should stroke her before they leave. She is a great ambassador for the breed.

Isla and Bramble are both a bit more shy and hesitant about petting except on their terms but I had Bramble out one day and met a neighbour who is having cancer treatment...she was bent over doing weeding at the front of her house and Bramble walked straight up and put her chin on my neighbours knee and looked up at her...very gently and sweetly done with some kisses too. My neighbour didn't realise how rae if unheard of this was in an outdoor situation. Bramble normally hangs back at the end of her lead and waits for me to stop talking polite but aloof.
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Siriol, Bramble, Izzie and Isla.
Kylea
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Re: World's friendliest chow?

Post by Kylea »

Kudos to you & your chow chow, Ruth! I believe the majority of it is about how the chow chow is raised. We have our first chow Dolce, a cream who is 9 months old & he has truly caused people's jaws to drop at how friendly he is. We did a lot of research on the breed ahead of time to prepare (lots of good advice from the wonderful members of this site!). From the day we got him we took him everywhere & anywhere we could. He is the biggest "people person" you could imagine. We take him to doggie daycare most days to keep him socialized with other dogs & take him on any errand runs or car rides that we can. One of us will stay in the car with him if it's not a dog friendly place. (We'll base our weekend schedules around however Dolce can be a part of it all.)

We have a wonderful, large outdoor mall only minutes from our home & I take him shopping with me. I always call ahead of time to any stores I plan to visit & first ask if they allow dogs. I've been surprised at the ones that do. There's a fantastic pet store there that happens to be located near my favorite clothing stores, so Dolce & I hop in the car & head to the mall often. We'll stop in the pet store & grab a new toy or treat for him (they sell individual treats which is great for the frequency that we go shopping) & then we'll go to my clothing stores. He is polite while I shop & will lie on the floor & happily let the customers & employees pet him, as well as sit patiently with me while I'm trying on clothes in the dressing room. He's a dream. Little kids that are eye level with all 60lbs of him will walk right up & get kisses from him. The most rewarding part of any time we take Dolce out is seeing the smile on people's faces & hearing their reactions when they pet him. Some people will be nervous but very much want to pet him after I've assured them he's friendly, so I will tell him to "sit" & "shake" their hand.

I've lost count of the number of comments we've gotten from people who say they thought "chows were supposed to be mean". To me, as I'm sure it is to you, it is such an honor to be the parent of a chow chow & to be able to help spread the positive message that "chow chows aren't mean". It never gets old seeing stranger's delighted faces when they're petting Dolce are pleasantly surprised at the friendliness.

Apologies for the lengthy story, but as you can probably tell, I am so very proud of our little guy for being an upstanding puppy & spreading the good word for chow chows. I developed a fierce loyalty & passion for the breed the day that Dolce came into our lives, as it seems all chow chow owners do. :)

*I wasn't sure how to upload a photo of our Dolce, so here is his instagram account if you'd like to see a photo of our big little guy: https://instagram.com/dolcethechow/
RuthB
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Re: World's friendliest chow?

Post by RuthB »

Hello I am the original poster, about my impossibly friendly chow, Ruby. I did socializer heer at mylocal dog park from the age of nine weeks, but I wanted to give credit to Zerilda at Beshia kennels in Alberta Canada. She told me that she tries to breed chows with stable temperaments. Ruby was the runt of the litter and almost died; I understand a retired neighborhood couple helped take care of her, so she was socialized there as a tiny puppy.

The upside to having a friendly chow is that people who have always wanted to pet one but have been afraid to can put their arms around Ruby and get a lick; The downside is that when people express interest in the breed I have to tell them that Ruby is not typical and that they should always ask about temperament issues.
Ruth B
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Re: World's friendliest chow?

Post by Rory's Dad »

Ruth, I agree with the sentiment of your post update, but I hope the tide is turning.

Chow owners have become increasingly more responsible and with all the efforts to emphasize the need to socialize, I think we are turning a corner. More and more I see stories about well socialized chows (I have three, my friend has four). The efforts of sites like this one, and efforts to 'spread the word' have really made a difference. Hoping the days of people adopting Chow pups only because they are cute and furry have passed. That's why this forum, and others like it, are so important, and its why I spend a lot of time trying to respond to new Chow owners.

According to the latest AKC data (sorry to Chow fans outside the US, its the only data I have access to), Chow registrations have been on the decline for several decades. In the early 1980's, Chows were the 6th most popular purebred dog. By 2003 they dropped to 60th, and in 2013 they had sunk to 70th overall out of 177 recognized breeds. Certainly the reputation as difficult or aggressive dogs contributed to this decline as well as their inclusion on the "Insurance Black List".

I fully anticipate a reversal of this trend. At the Show level, we have seen a huge increase in entry numbers. This is indicative of increased popularity and responsible ownership. Again, relying on AKC Data, Chow dogs participating in CGC efforts are off the charts compared with previous years. This shows that new Chow owners are taking basic training seriously. That includes basic commands, socialization, and generally acceptable behavior. I even have a friend that is working with her Chows on Coursing Titles.

So...hopefully the world will be full of overly friendly Chows in short order and it will not be atypical to find a well tempermented Chow. The breeders that I know are striving for that as well, and so far so good.
Koniec12
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Re: World's friendliest chow?

Post by Koniec12 »

Hi, she's beautiful. Nice photos. Sending greetings:)
germyong
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Re: World's friendliest chow?

Post by germyong »

I'm really excited to hear about the friendliness of chows here! I've been eager to find a chow the past one year. Now that I'm finally settled in my new home, i really wish to have my own chow soon. :) Please please... anyone with good experience of a chow breeder, please share with me. :)
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