Possible new addition to our home
Moderator: chowadmin
Possible new addition to our home
I just found today that there is a chance we could be getting a chow for my boyfriend for christmas. It is a female, she is 12 wks. old and house trained. My boyfriend had a chow/akita mix and loved him to pieces. I on the other hand don't know anything about chows. I have heard that are not good with children. We have two girls 6 and 8. Will she be okay with the girls. The girls have been around dogs all their life so they are good with dogs. If any one has some handy advice for me that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you JEN
I'm assuming you live with your boyfriend? I don't think you'd have problems with your girls, as long as you give your puppy time to get to know them. It's hard not grabbing the little bundles of fluff and loving them up, which often times is the last thing the chowling wants! My daughter is 13 and even as we speak is cradling 6 month old Lily like a human baby...Lily allows this and even appears to enjoy it- but most Chows wouldn't put up with this behavior! I don't think you'd have much problems with the other dog in the house, unless he doesn't like other dogs. Also, Chows need to have a strong master, or they will walk all over you. If you decide to get this puppy, do it soon. She's already 4 weeks past the ideal age for placing puppies in permanent homes.
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Judy Fox
- Rank 4
- Posts: 6320
- Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2005 9:49 am
- Location: Cheshire, On The Island.(But always wishing she was back home in Wales)
Hello Jen and welcome. 
Chow Chows are really wonderful creatures - note I say creatures and not dogs.
They are listed as dogs but are so different as no doubt you will find out.
I think over in the States they have a bad reputation and I think the first thing you must do is to wait and see what your little chowling is like.
The second thing I suggest you do is to start as you mean to go on. You will probably find that the best thing you can do is to prepare your girls for the new member of the family. She will be absolutely adorable and will look like a little animated teddy bear.
Work out a handling routine with your girls. Your chowling will need to be taught to respect them and they must, in turn respect your chowling.
They must play with her, but more on her terms - but - she must not be allowed to play rough. They will find that the normal go fetch the ball will not work with a chowling.
Teasing is not a good idea.
There has been a lot of discussion on this site in the past few weeks about chowlings and how to handle them so it might be a good idea for you to look through them and get a general idea what everybody thinks. You will find many different approaches - we have had some quite heated words - but it will certainly give you some idea.
Somebody wrote a short while ago about bringing up a chowling rather like raising a child. That is a good comparison - Chow Chows are very, very intelligent and as I have already said, are not like ordinary dogs.
The point I think are most important to tell you are:-
1. Never hit or shout at her.
2. Make sure she has a bed or blanket that is hers and that she is not
disturbed when she is in/on it.
3. Teach her that you are the Mummy Person and that there is a Daddy
Person and that your girls are not to be bullied, bitten or snapped at.
4. Take her out as soon as she has had her injections to socialise her and
keep doing so - encouraging people to talk to her and pet her etc.
5. Remember that with her vision she can only see in front of her so
encourage your girls never to startle her by approaching her from be-
bind as she won't see them.
6. When she first arrives, don't let her become overwhelmed or frightened
by too many visitors. Remember she will still only be a baby.
Good Luck and keep posting.
Chow Chows are really wonderful creatures - note I say creatures and not dogs.
They are listed as dogs but are so different as no doubt you will find out.
I think over in the States they have a bad reputation and I think the first thing you must do is to wait and see what your little chowling is like.
The second thing I suggest you do is to start as you mean to go on. You will probably find that the best thing you can do is to prepare your girls for the new member of the family. She will be absolutely adorable and will look like a little animated teddy bear.
Work out a handling routine with your girls. Your chowling will need to be taught to respect them and they must, in turn respect your chowling.
They must play with her, but more on her terms - but - she must not be allowed to play rough. They will find that the normal go fetch the ball will not work with a chowling.
Teasing is not a good idea.
There has been a lot of discussion on this site in the past few weeks about chowlings and how to handle them so it might be a good idea for you to look through them and get a general idea what everybody thinks. You will find many different approaches - we have had some quite heated words - but it will certainly give you some idea.
Somebody wrote a short while ago about bringing up a chowling rather like raising a child. That is a good comparison - Chow Chows are very, very intelligent and as I have already said, are not like ordinary dogs.
The point I think are most important to tell you are:-
1. Never hit or shout at her.
2. Make sure she has a bed or blanket that is hers and that she is not
disturbed when she is in/on it.
3. Teach her that you are the Mummy Person and that there is a Daddy
Person and that your girls are not to be bullied, bitten or snapped at.
4. Take her out as soon as she has had her injections to socialise her and
keep doing so - encouraging people to talk to her and pet her etc.
5. Remember that with her vision she can only see in front of her so
encourage your girls never to startle her by approaching her from be-
bind as she won't see them.
6. When she first arrives, don't let her become overwhelmed or frightened
by too many visitors. Remember she will still only be a baby.
Good Luck and keep posting.
(Thank you Sweetpea for my new banner.)