Dog is HYPER-active, doesn't respond outside

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PERPLEXEDMEDIA
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Dog is HYPER-active, doesn't respond outside

Post by PERPLEXEDMEDIA »

Hello, so I have this problem with my dog being too-active. His name is Doobie and he will be 1 this month, I bought him under the impression that he was Husky/Malamute but as he got older he stayed smaller and developed black spots on his tongue indicating that he is probably mixed with Chow. He is about 65lbs now and I got him when he was 3 months, he listens awesome in the house and can do all the tricks in the book but when he gets outside he just goes nuts and usually runs till he cant anymore and when you take him for walks on the leash even worse hes damn near choking himself out (got a harness). He harasses the neighbors dogs when he gets out and wont listen when i try and call him over, when i try and grab him and pick him up he just lays on his back and will bite if i try to grab him hard. Hes broken out probably like 10 times now (most of the time the wind blows the front door open if its not locked) if hes got an exit he will take it basically. I just want him to stay in the house and calm down a bit, I know hes young and energetic but he cant be running off he could get hit by a car or something. Ive tried taking him for multiple walks a day and hes still wild. Also occasionally when he starts barking he will try and like back talk you when you tell him to stop and bark louder and more and run around and just try to intentionally test you, this is also a big problem. Any help would be awesome thanks.

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applebear
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Re: Dog is HYPER-active, doesn't respond outside

Post by applebear »

Without pictures, no one can verify if chow is indeed in your dog. I can say one thing for sure, spots on the tongue are NOT exclusive to the chow and is a VERY common misconception. I've seen a CH golden retriever have spots on their tongue, and also seems to be very common in GSDS...however, you can find it in many breeds [if not all]. Not saying what you have is or isn't a chow mix, only you can't go by the tongue alone.

Saying that, in all the breeds you mention, even the ones you were told he was....tend to not like to listen outside. I find huskies [can't speak for malamutes] are worse, but chows do have a very strong independence and they usually have a poor recall. I know my chow goes crazy over small animals...use to scream at them, but I worked hard on him and did a lot of counter conditioning, and he improved but not 100%. Doubt he ever will be, but he will listen to some extent in a confined area. You have to keep in mind though, I worked very hard on the behaviors.

I personally am not a big harness fan as it encourages pulling and you loose a lot of control, but really the only thing I can recommend is start training. Sounds like he has a great start inside, now open a window and allow in sound, then work up to where he can see the outside. Wouldn't hurt to get a trainer and work up to classes to teach him how to 'leave it' and not harass other dogs when you are walking him. Instead of fighting with him by grabbing, simply apply a leash...take away the ability to bite and work on redirecting to leave area he's causing issues. Is he food or toy motivated? Use it if so. Honestly by his behavior, he doesn't sound like he has a strong chow personality. That's not to say all are equal though, there are always exceptions to the rules. But out of all the chows I've had for over 25 years have been on the quiet side...only bark to alert or on command [and my current chow is the only one I've ever taught to do that]. They were never real wild. My wildest is my current one, which is a smooth and he would be considered lazy compared to many other breeds.

In the end, I think a trainer would be a good start...get some lessons on how to react to his behaviors.
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Re: Dog is HYPER-active, doesn't respond outside

Post by Rory's Dad »

Very odd, but I find I don't have much to add to AppleBear's response. It's spot on.

Since I can't totally sit on the sideline due to my nature, I would wonder about your description on the smooth chow. I actually find mine goofy rather than aloof like my roughs, but he actually is more agile, lazy just doesn't seem to fit...
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Re: Dog is HYPER-active, doesn't respond outside

Post by kingfluff »

I would definitely suggest looking for a trainer to help you with your dog. I've had huskies and chows, both are independent in their own ways. I can call my husky all day and he will just sit there and stare at you. He knows your there but has his own agenda lol. My chows in the past have been very docile but don't like getting their bums brushed after walks, that's about the only time they might go crazy.
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Re: Dog is HYPER-active, doesn't respond outside

Post by rmb »

a neuter would help if not already done
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applebear
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Re: Dog is HYPER-active, doesn't respond outside

Post by applebear »

Rory's Dad wrote:Very odd, but I find I don't have much to add to AppleBear's response. It's spot on.

Since I can't totally sit on the sideline due to my nature, I would wonder about your description on the smooth chow. I actually find mine goofy rather than aloof like my roughs, but he actually is more agile, lazy just doesn't seem to fit...
I was told this as well before getting my smooth, they tend to be more playful and friendly to strangers [this was from the breeder]. Mine was not. The breeder described him as "reserved." Since my second male Chow was this, I thought no problem...I've dealt with reserved and with training/obedience classes, he turned out to be a very neutral and relaxed boy to all. But Rolyx was NOT reserved, first day I had him...he hit the end of the leash huffing, puffing, growling, spitting [tail and ears completely erect] at the first people he saw next door. Keep in mind he was only 8 weeks old. I would have described him as not socialized or aggressive.

This threw me, as even my reserved boy that I literally pulled out of a isolated barn setting, was not this. Even my most aggressive chow, my first [female], was not this bold. She would go to the back of a room and make it clear she wasn't comfortable...she just didn't go after people. I cried for months when I got Rolyx, as I made it CLEAR I intended to use him as a potential SD. An HONEST breeder, would have told me he wasn't it. I knew it day one, no way they didn't know and I can only describe them as having no conscience.

So instead, between the tears, I did counter conditioning...I waited in my yard just for some walkers and the moment he spotted them [and before reaction], I stuffed a super tasty treat in his mouth. Literally, just shoved it in and his head went *up.* Soon, he was starting to auto look up for his treat when he saw people. But he's not perfect, despite how hard I worked...he will always be more of guarder. I have very strict instructions for anyone meeting him. I made some mistakes along the way, but overall...if people just ignore him, let him sniff and pet him under his chin-he will warm right up to you and you'll see a flying chow tail.

But he will also warn if the person crosses a line before he's ready. I allow this, as I don't want his alert system taken away...we don't want to skip growl and go straight to bite [he's yet to come close]. This way I know someone is crossing the line, and he is feeling threatened and can snap both out of it [and yes he knows when I lay out the command, he best move it back and focus...I try to only use positive reinforcement, but if I must, a leash correction will be applied-I don't mess around, period]. I will block a person if they are that clueless [and many are]. I will have to manage him for the rest of his life, but I do love him. I mean he's chow, totally devoted to those he loves and you could sit on his head and he would not so much as try to fight it. He loves me and his people extremely....total teddy bear, and you would never know his problems if just watching us. He is very docile with my other dog and us.

Anyway, rambling but wow it took a long time to get to the place we are now [he just turned 3 this past March]. Overall, he's a pretty solid boy, just certain things he hates from strangers [petting on top of the head...not totally his fault, as it took me awhile to figure out how to put people in their place for running at him squealing like a pig when he was a pup]. He is who he is, but I make sure I am very responsible for him...I've gone this long without one incident from my chows and they have a hard enough time with people who don't know how to work with the breed. I think what the breeder did was crappy, but I no longer keep quiet about it. They should be ashamed for misleading me in not only his temperament, but they also lied about many other important things that I asked [I now know how to do checks on those things, so progress].

Off topic, but who knows...maybe something in there that will be helpful to the OP or someone else who runs into a similar situation, etc..

PS Yes neutering helps...I wanted to wait until Ro was closer to two [for growth plates] before doing his, but when I did, he knocked off some of the hormonal behaviors [peeing on people, kicking up grass when he saw someone-I've only had him kick his feet once at a man since his fix, but he [the man] was being very intrusive...once I told Ro to leave it, he returned to me and sat. If honest, the man gave me the creeps and I was glad Ro made it clear he had my back if he tried anything funny].
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Re: Dog is HYPER-active, doesn't respond outside

Post by Rory's Dad »

Great post Apple. I think a lot of people will find it helpful, not just the original poster. It really shows that Chows are very much individuals. Even I was a bit guilty of generalizing, but it really shouldn't be done. The importance of an experienced and honest breeder is the 2nd big point. In my case, we totally went with gut on our (now) 5 year old male. He just connected with my wife. He is an absolute delight. Smart, well behaved, follows direction to the T. We started showing him and when looking for a 2nd dog, the breeder was surprised we were showing him and told us she wouldn't have picked him for us if she knew we were going to show. Well, she didn't pick him for us, and we didn't have those aspirations at 1st. So with our 2nd dog, a now 3 yr old female, she gave us her opinion that she was the 'show' choice of the litter. We went with it. She doesn't hold coat, is terribly head shy despite thorough socialization and practice, and has a bunch of what I will call neurotic behaviors. I can get her to accept a judges inspection, but just barely. She digs in the crate the entire travel time to shows. My 2 year old smooth male is pretty balanced. He does the guard Chow thing when introduced to new people, but warms up quickly. He is pretty compliant when he needs to be, but seems to hold a good amount of independence at the same time. He does great on lead, but avoids recall like its a death sentence. He still ducks under furniture when its time to go into 'his room'. Having all 3 dogs still intact, separate sleeping quarters is essential.
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