Why did you choose a chow?

General discussions about Chow Chows.

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Rowlee
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Why did you choose a chow?

Post by Rowlee »

I thought it might be interesting to know why people decided a chow was the dog for them, when they first came across the breed etc. Was it because someone they knew had a chow?

My husband and I were looking to get a dog and I saw a picture of a chow chow in a magazine about 13.5 years ago. It was a picture of a woman, who the article was about and her chow, Teddy. But it did not say what kind of dog it was. I was in love. I cut the picture out and my husband and I had to go to the library and look through dog books to find out what breed the dog was. :lol:

We found out it was a chow, read up all about them and decided yes, this was the dog for us!! We got Rowlee about 1 month later.

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Post by puddinglove »

I first started taking interest in chows because I love cats and heard that chows were the most cat-like dog breed. That peaked my curiosity and I started reading more and more about them. The look of the chow also really appealled to me. I've come to love their intelligence, independence and loyalty even more now that I have Pudding.
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Boogie and Linda
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Post by Boogie and Linda »

Neither my husband nor I had ever had a dog before. We had both grown up with cats and I am a I cat person and he is a no pet person (so he says). My daughter is a dog person though. I got her a cat but he wasn't cuddly and playful enough so we decided to look into getting a dog for her. My husband didn't want a little yappy dog. We looked at the different kinds of dogs and had decided on either a Bernese Mountain Dog, a Newfoundland, or a Great Pyranese. We read up on the different breeds and looked at pictures and I remembered how pretty Chows were. My husband said he liked the way Chows looked too. After reading about them, I decided that a chow would be perfect for us. And I was right. We looked for about six months before we adopted Boogie from a rescue.
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Post by Igor »

Three years ago we decided to have a dog. And the only breed we could think about was chow. Why? Because it is cat like, it is independent, loyal and simply put beautiful.
Now when we have Mishka we only can think: "How wise we were!"
Chow chow is not for everybody. But for those who are good enought to be owned bu them they are the best friends you can imagine.
Mishka and his family
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Post by coleywoley »

We had one when I was a kid that was rescued from our local pound on her last day. She was always such a good sweet girl and so protective of us without being aggressive. I wanted that for my little girl too so decided to get one now. We searched for a while before we found Ginger's litter at a shelter a few hours away. She's a mix but she's still perfect.
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Post by deidre »

I was doing a search on the internet for a dog because i badly needed a companion of the furry kind, i cannot be without animals.

Any how, after going through all the dog breeds and their characteristics i stumbled across a picture of a chow puppy and fell madly in love. I then did thorough research on the breed and new i had to get one.

Im glad i did because i have discovered my chowkid and i are two pees in a pod.

:lol:
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Post by chow fancier »

I grew up with dogs in the house and showed Keeshonden as a teenager. I got married at 20, to a man who had never had a dog and didn't think we "needed" one. It took me years to convince him we should have a dog. Then he researched the idea and picked the Chow because it was aloof and it had a black tongue which he found interesting. So we contacted my family's vet and found a litter of chow puppies.

DH had read that females were easier to train so KaraKum's Princess Chana joined our family. She was an adorable fluff ball, twelve weeks old when she came home and already house broken! She was six months old before she actually barked, and preferred to "talk" quietly all her life. She was the perfect ambassador for the breed and I'll always have Chows.
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Post by CloudeSkie »

I for one didn't know what chows were :oops: :oops: ... my dream dog is actually a beagle - but I found out that if I wanted to raise one, I need to have a really nice yard (for his digging) and a house with the A/C on for 24/7 :shock: (way too expensive) due to the tropical atmosphere we have. Plus, on that note, hubby and I could not really afford to buy any puppy here at a heartbeat as it was so expensive.

His friends (two of them actually) have been raising chows and were the ones who introduced the breed to him. He said how marvelous would it be to raise them. And so, one of his friends who was expecting a litter told him that he could have one of the pups for a nominal sum - and he agreed. I was hesitant at first but he was so happy that I said ok, I'll see what this breed look like (and found cc.org! :D )

As the days passed, I became acquainted with how "cat-like" they were and as a cat-lover (raised quite a lot of strays in my teens) I found this lion-like looks and feline qualities quite appealing and so I consented - but told him we would be requiring a lot of things to make our chowling happy and since he was a first time pet owner too :shock:, like some of the DHs here, he didn't actually know what to do (and then thanks to cc.org to fill that void! 8))

Yumi's with us for almost 5 months now and hubby, well, he's still somewhat naive and we still often argue about how to do things (Yumi stuff) and what we read on books or articles about them... but for the most part, he was contented that he got his chow and as for me, well, I think I have blended well with being the person for the baths, the wet floor :shock: and the picky eating and love love love the chowling that Yumi is (and the purple kisses too!)... :D

and I hope we get another one sometime in the future too!
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Post by jacqui »

my dad loved chows but my mom wouldn't let him have one because of all the shedding.as a little girl,my dadtook me and traveled for hours to see chows at a dog show or just to look at a litter of puppies.
so when I was 21 yrs old I got a black chow pup for me and my dad.his name was Chang.he was a very agressive chow and hated other animals :twisted:but we loved him very much.he was my protector .I thought all chows were like that but after he died we got 2 so they would get along better.I have had 2 chows ever since.my mom even loves them now! :D
Last edited by jacqui on Mon Nov 26, 2007 5:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
Kito Feb 4, 2006 - July 1,2007
Kai Mar.15 2007 - Aug. 26,2010
And when my time comes I will not go alone for my Chows will be there to say "Welcome Home".
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Post by Dogdad »

I was looking on petfinder for a female zebra finch because my males partner died, I thought I would look at dogs just for fun and I saw this....

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f381/ ... axwell.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>

I fell in love instantly...and it broke my heart instantly. 3 months after Maxwells arrival home I was hooked and adopted Yoshi
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Post by vicster605 »

When I was 16 I saw the MOST BEAUTIFUL dog at a lady's house.....on a lead. She was black and the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. :shock: I had never really owned a dog before and didn't have time to spend with one. After working for 16 yrs and retiring from Nursing found myself needing a companion and decided to research the dog breeds when I remembered the Black beauty I had seen as a teenager. I had always liked cats and had never cared for DOGS and their licking, chewing,barking, up in your face attention seeking behaviors......so after researching the Chow breed realized that they were DIFFERENT......
Yes, and they are......I got Kearra and fell madly IN LOVE with EVERYTHING about them. Nope never was a DOG person, but I can tell you....I AM A CHOW PERSON and I NEVER will live my life without at least one or two in my home :D :D
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Post by kiwani »

Re: "why people decided a chow was the dog for them"...

...because of their primordial shamanic Spirit
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Post by sweetpea »

My husband was always saying he wanted another Chow, he talked how wonderful the breed was. I had never had a Chow, new nothing about them except they had a lot of fur and were so pretty. I had just never thought I'd want one. Then we were lettering a truck one night and the owner of the truck started telling us about this little black chow puppy in a bad situation and he really wanted to help find it a good home. He left and came back with this cute little shy fuzzy puppy. My husband fell in love so I said fine, your taking care of it. You potty train it, you feed it, ect. I'm done with pets. So the guy called the owner on the phone and convinced him to give up the puppy.
It became clear that Princess was a mix but she had enough Chow attitude in her that I found myself loving. I loved that selective hearing, the way she thought it was great when I tossed a ball and encouraged me to go get it and toss it again. Her knowing sit and lay down yet would only do it when she wanted to. It wasnt that she didnt know how, it was her looking at me as if thinking and wondering if she really wanted to. The whats in it for me attitude. She had a 3x rule. I'd take her out to run and jump things, she'd do it 3xs then was done. I'd try to play fetch, she'd fetch 3xs then was done. It was the funniest thing. I knew that was the breed for me. What really done me in was in the dead of winter at night I'd call Princess to come in, she'd run to the door, look in at me with a grin then run back into the yard because she wasnt ready to come in. So frustrating that was, yet I knew then I had to get a pure bred, I wanted to experience the whole attitude of a chow. The older Gracie gets, the more I want another. I only wish I would have known a chows love years ago.
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Post by TJordan »

My dad brought a full grown red chow home from work with him when I was in the 4th grade. I was in love instantly. He followed me around with the tail of my shirt in his mouth watching over me. When he died when I was a senior in high school I was heartbroken. I would cry every time I went to the backyard. Then I made my parents sad everytime they saw me. My brother thought I needed a puppy for christmas since I had never had a puppy. Enter my 2nd chow. Now I have Butters my 3rd chow. Just an addiction I guess.
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Post by chowchowdaddy »

I had decided, years ago, that we needed a dog around the house. So, I had an office luncheon to attend one day and sat next to another man whose wife ran a kennels. I mentioned to him that I wanted to get a dog, but wanted to do a rescue of some type and he asked what type I was looking for. At that time, we were living in a condo so I said something small, like a cocker spaniel. He mentioned that, since cocker spaniels can sometimes get up to 28 lbs or so, they had a dog they were trying to find a home for, an 11 month old female chow, as her "mother" was dying of cancer and was worried about someone finding a home for her baby. No, I responded, I didn't want anything that big. He responded that she only weighed 32 lbs, just about the same as a cocker spaniel. Long story short, we ended up getting her two days later and right after that, we took her to the vets to be spayed and she weighed 48 lbs!!! When I told him about it, he asked, "What are you feeding her?????" Not funny...

Anyway, since then, we've accumulated Ming to keep her company as she aged and went blind through illness and, when we lost her to cancer, we adopted Tempest. I guess we're just destined to be chow parents forever!
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Post by cleopatra20043 »

For years I listened to stories from my hususband about his family's chow chows and was TOTALY against ever owning a chow chow. When we were dating I would go to his house to get him and his brother's chow chow would be on the front porch and I don't think that I had ever seen a dog that sounded or looked as vicious as that dog was. After ten years of listening to the stories of his parents chow chows (not his brothers) I finally gave in and got him Chen for a fathers day present and found myself falling in love. Shortly after we got Chen I was making calls and doing some research on the breed and ended up talking to a breeder that had a friend with one of her puppies that needed to re-home her because her other chow chows were going to kill her so that's how I ended up with Cai Li. I adore those two and they are both such different personalities and I am having so much fun watching them grow up.

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Post by Desi »

lol at David's zebra finch.I was looking for pygmy goats,checked the shelter in Summerville and saw these two listed as Spitz/keeshond mixes:

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Called dh over and we decided we couldn' let them get killed.
Noticed Cinnamons black tongue and realized they were at least part Chow.
Scared dh a bit at first,but not enough to change his mind.
We were going to keep only Cheyenne,she was my first pick,and place Cinnamon with a friend or neighbor, but after the first day that was no longer an option ,dh fell for Cinnamon :lol:
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Post by redangie24 »

It seems like just yesterday when C&C were that small. They are so cute.

I have always been around Chow-Chows. My mom was a breeder and then did rescue work. I have had allot of breeders in my family (chows, wolves, pomy, rabbits etc.) I was born to love them. I can remember being sad as a child and having a purple tounge lick my face and snuggle close. There is no better feeling in the whole world to a child. I still love feeling of a chow snuggling up with me when I am feeling down. Or watching Ivana get excited when she is happy to see me or ready to go for a walk. My chows have been my best friends.
Have a Chowfastic Day!!
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Post by debraschow »

Zebra Finches, that was too funny!

I didn't really choose a chow, Hobo found us in a way. We had a Million dollar account in LA that called us up one Memorial weekend and told us we had to send someone down to pick up this dog that the workers had been feeding in the parking lot, and take him to the pound. Well can't tick off Million Dollar account, so I have to find someone to dispatch to the site to pick up stinky dog. When they brought him to the office, I told the driver I would somehow take care of the problem. Wasn't really sure what he was right away, because of all the matts, and if it wasn't matts he was hairless from the mange, but opened his mouth and he had a blue tongue. He was a year and a half old weighed 29 lbs, I am married to another likewise softie, told him I had already called the chow rescue in Arcadia, but they couldn't take him till wednesday and asked if I could foster. I can't, the other dogs couldn't, and husband looked into my face and said fine, what's another mouth to feed. Breed didn't bother me at all, we had just lost my 18 year old Samoyed. 2 years before that I had lost my 16 year old pomeranian. Both of them were rescues. Besides he was so sweet, but what a suprise on Tuesday morning when we found out he was totally blind. When Hobo passed, I just knew I could never ever ever be without a chow again. I am working on my "I want something face", to get another!
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Post by sit_by_the_beach »

David, when I looked at the photo I thought you got your 3rd chow.

Back in 1996 I went to PetValu to buy cat food, I had 8 cats at the time. That's when I came across a chow that desperately needed a home.

I saw a beautiful red chow when I was around 10. I asked my parents for one. My mother said no one is ever home to care for a dog. She said only the wealthy can afford a chow, poodle or afghan hound. I liked all three. My first chow Luna was with me for 10 years. After her departure from us, I was miserable, getting fat, till my doctor suggested why I don't get another chow. I did. I am still not wealthy, but I own a chow.

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Post by sengeoz »

I grew up in a dog family - my mother's breed of choice was Cairn terriers, but we also were a puppy foster home for police and guide GSDs and often had the odd rescue that ended up having a forever home with us (cocker, dachshund, Afghan). (My grandfather and uncle also owned, showed, worked with and bred dogs.)

When I was about 10-11, we moved Stateside and I met this magnificent black Chow (Stormy) who was owned by an ancient (probably 40s or 50s) couple who lived up the road. While I loved our family dogs, I was enthralled, enchanted, in love with Stormy, who deigned to let me. His humans also allowed me to spend time with him, walking him, brushing him and so on. Hooked.

As I got older, I also became incredibly interested in working with/for wolves (very amazing beings). Hooked there as well when I met my first "ambassador" wolf up close and personal - incredible, undescribable, awestriking.

When the time came for me to get my own dog, I wanted something that was a domestic dog yet as close to a wolf in spirit as was possible. The Chow was it. Both my loves combined and I've had Chows ever since - nigh onto 35 years... I've gone from owning/being owned, to showing, to breeding, to judging. Still hooked.
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Post by WildThings »

Chows picked my family. We found Zoe, our first chow mix, actually our first dog ever, in a shopping cart at Big Lots. We didn't even know what chows were until Zoe. Two weeks after Zoe left us at a very young age, Tess found us also. She was running loose in the woods were my dad worked. Two black chows found us in 4 years time, it was fate :lol:
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Post by Laura »

My first love had always wanted a Chow so when we ran across one at a Petstore (don't yell at me, this was 22yrs ago...lol) I couldn't resist that ball of fluff so we scooped him up and took him home. He turned out to be mean as the dickens. I was clueless about Chows or any kind of training so we had to put him up everytime we had any company over (yes he would bite!) but otherwise he was great dog with us. I am a independent, bull-headed, stubborn, feisty, only child so I guess you could say the breed fits me. I like the layed back mellow attitude. I don't have the patience for some hyper bouncing off the wall dog who needs to be entertained 20 hours a day.
Years later I got Kody and Nanook both males who fought...progressively worse over the years so when I divorced, Kody came with me and Nanook stayed with my ex. It was heart-breaking but they had to be separated all the time and I just couldn't handle them both alone moving back to Alabama into an apartment. I was Kody's person 100% so that is why I took him. My mom had poodles growing up...I have only had Chows and can't imagine ever owning any other breed of dog.
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Post by Yvonne »

My mother's breed of choice was the chow chow, so I was raised to believe that it was the best breed in the world. We never had one when I was little, though. My parents had one that lived for 16 years but passed away before I was born. (I later learned that it was a mix, not a purebred, but the love of the breed was lit in my childhood, nonetheless)

So when I had a house of my own, and wanted a furpartner, I of course found me a chowchow.

Only breed I would ever want to own me. Why? Their personality matches mine perfectly. I always said I'm a chow personality in a human body - and I'm proud of it! :)
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Post by Tippsy'smom »

I got my first chow when i was a baby, weather I liked it or not. Obviously I LOVED him. After he passed away we tried other breeds but I always came back to chows... Then my dad took me to my uncles and I saw this:

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc30 ... an0026.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>

My uncle let me bring her home 'cause I absolutly fell in love with her. :D Now I'm hooked forever... 8)

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