Aggression or normal Chow behavior?

[linhnguyen2210]

Hi all,

It has been a while since I post in this forum; my Chow Amy has grown up quite a lot and she just turned 1 last week. When she was a puppy she was always indifferent to strangers and doesnt like to be petted by them, and she still is. We tried to socialise her by getting strangers feed her and say hello to her, etc. but she didnt get better. Anyway, today when a stranger came to pet her, she ducked and walked away. But the guy still insisted in petting her and that made her upset so she growled at him. This is the first time she ever growled at anyone (she did once with the neighbor cat). I can understand she doesnt like it and just wants to protect herself but I am still quite upset. I hope she can be more friendly towards human. Now that she has turned 1 and things are not getting better but even worse, do you suggest any ways to train her to remedy this or accepting it as one of her characteristics? The problem I worry about is that there are many strangers who pet her without asking me (stupid people), and I am afraid one day she may bite because of these sudden petting.

Also, she has been very protective of the house but her protection has increased with age. Since we hardly have friends visiting, there is little chance to practice visitors entering so I worry she doesnt get enough training of this. Do you recommend anything with this?

Thanks.


Amy's mama
Linh Nguyen

[Laura]

My first thought is that it is your job to protect her and don't allow a situation to happen that could put her in jeopardy. If she did bite someone she will be the one to pay the price. You must be firm with people and tell them flat out that they cannot pet her. First and foremost do not put her in jeopardy. Be vigilant and stop people in their tracks before they get to her. I understand that you want her to be friendly with strangers but that might not be in the cards for her and that is okay! Your relationship with her and her safety and trust in you is what matters most.
My two are not aggressive and like to sniff/check out random strangers we meet but they still are not huge fans of strangers petting them. They will allow it but they aren't big fans of it. I always tell people that ask to pet them to gently let them smell their hand first and not just dive in and start touching them. Let the chow see you and figure out what you are going to do first.
I'm sure someone on here will offer you some good advice on working with her. At the end of the day I wouldn't care if strangers could pet mine or not. Just keep her safe.

[Rory's Dad]

I understand your frustration. It sounds like you have done what you can to socialize her, but bottom line is she just may not want anything to do with strangers.

But don't mistake that for aggression. Chows very frequently are dogs that wish to be exclusive to one person or their family. By ducking her head and turning she indicated she wasn't interested. When the person persisted, she elevated to an acceptable level (in my opinion) to a warning growl. She did not snap or nip which would have been an over reaction since she wasn't threatened.

A couple thoughts though...my female is also not interested in being approached by strangers. Since we have a household of show dogs, its really not the best attitude for her. She is tolerant of touching, but just not thrilled. Her big issue (and she is 2 yrs old, and has been socialized since day 1) is head touching. She just doesn't like it. If you get her at the right time she will totally enjoy a quick rub under her chin or a hip rub. She will even lie down and go for a belly rub at times.

You may want to continue trying to get Amy out meeting new people. Try to figure out if she is head-shy, and if so, be very clear with those that want to pet her. Have them approach from straight ahead, but below her head. If she is accepting, they can give her a pet on the chest and move toward her back. Chows have limited peripheral vision, so never let anyone approach her from the side. I would also watch to see if you can tell if she has any preferences toward people types. She may be better with children or women. This is also fairly common. Men tend to have a more aggressive approach and if she lacks confidence or is considering her alpha/beta role, she may just be asserting that.

If none of that works, be more assertive in your approach. Once she has rejected an approach, put yourself between your dog and the stranger. Explain that she just isn't in the mood to be petted. Do not allow a 2nd approach. She may be looking to you at this point for reassurance and protection, which will strengthen your connection with her.

[JasonandNat]

Sounds head shy. ShenLung has been like that for eight years. He likes people, at a distance. He'll duck or walk away and even verbally warn as necessary, even slide his teeth along a persons skin to back up the threat when they don't listen. No one has pushed him further. He does select a few people over time that have more privileges than others. The first year of his life, we couldn't touch his head. We have also met abou 8 chows that have this issue. Do not shut your fur kid away from people, that will make it worse.

[jmoreton]

We have 2 shows that are very out going and 1 that is exactly like what you describe. Having chows for 30 years, I can tell you that they are just like children. Each with their own personality, Hachi & Myka are very outgoing and loving. Remy is more reserved and does not want to be touched by strangers unless he wants to be touched. This includes our sons when they come over to visit. He shows no signs of aggression. He will run away when they try to pet him and if they pursue him then he will let them no he doesn't want to be bothered. Then sometimes when they are expecting it he will come up and let them pet him. It is all in how he feels. He is even head shy with me at times, it is just in how he is approached. Chows are known to be reserved. Just be patient.