1st Chow Questions

[Ags]

Yuan and our family live in the Philippines and I have done my reading here in the forum and around the net but I still have some questions and advice would be most appreciated.

1) He developed hot spots around the left ear and we have been applying ointment as directed by his vet. We would use a cone but once it heals and we take the cone off, he starts scratching again. His ears have been cleaned and I cannot think of anything else that might be causing him to scratch.

2) We give him iced water at noon and discovered he likes the ice so we now use ice chips as a treat. After a walk he goes straight to the refrigerator and sits until we get a chip out. Is this okay?

3) We have him crated inside the house when we are not around. And he does let us know when he needs to go potty -- IF he is in his playpen. When we are around and we let him out to play with us, he doesn't always let us know and if we miss cues we have accidents. I noticed though that when he sleeps at the foot of our bed, even without the crate, he will let us know if he needs to be let out of the house. The living room and dining room are my problem areas.

4) I know there are a few chow parents here in the forum who reside in the Philippines. Any recommendations for groomers in Manila? No plans to have him shaved but I am lousy at cutting nails and brushing teeth. We only do one or two nails and a quick brush per sitting. He starts nipping at my hand after a while. I'd also like to observe how to properly clean his *Censored Word* sac if needed before attempting it myself.

That is it so far. Thanks in advance for your help.

[rmb]

yes, definitely do not shave but the reason I hopped on is to warn about ice water. I used to give my dogs ice water after their walks in summer and the loved it. I have since read that ice water can actually shock the system of a hot dog into a heart attack. I don't know for sure that is true but I don't take the chance anymore. I think ice chips are fine. Good luck with that hot spot. poor guy!

[Ags]

Thank you for the ice water warning!

[Rory's Dad]

I agree. No shaving. Chows have a double coat that allows for cooling in the hot weather and insulation in the cold. They adapt to the all but the most extreme conditions without additional help.

Having cool water available is great. An ice chip or two isn't going to cause any issues, but you don't want them to have ice water.

I am in the US, so no idea on local groomers for you, but if you want to give it a run at home, try using a Dremel tool. I have a cordless model and a sandpaper drum attachment. It's pretty quiet so it doesn't spook the dog, and since its so gradual very little chance of getting too deep into the quick. Get an 'assistant' at first to distract with small pea sized treats.

Crate training works well for potty training, but it needs to be expanded. Your chow is viewing that crate as his home. He will not want to soil his home and that is why he is giving you signals. Once he realizes that the entire house is his home, he will take the same care in not having accidents. AND, if he is unaltered, he will want to mark things that he does not recognize as his.

[Ags]

Thanks. We've moved on from ice chips to cheese treats. Much more practical when practicing loose leash walking. Yuan can be so stubborn (e.g. sometimes he stops and just refuses to move further or back) that the ice is all melted before we can walk back home.

I've followed your tip and expanded his play area to the dining room. We haven't had any accidents but mostly because we've been mindful of the time and take him out when we expect potty time.