Meet Kokoy

[Rococo]

Hey everyone!

My family has owned dogs all my life, but Kokoy (pronounced Coco with a y) is our first chow chow. People keep saying chows have bad temperaments, but Kokoy is no more stubborn than any of our old mutts and is definitely more obedient than our late shih tzu/pom mix (I loved him dearly, but boy was he difficult to control).

Kokoy was the littlest puppy in his litter, and when we got him at 2 months and 1 week old, he weighed 8 pounds. Today, at 4 months and 6 days old, he weighed in at a whopping 28 pounds!



A few weeks ago, we found out our little chowboy has entropion. But, we've been religiously using eyedrops on him, and coupled with the changes his face is going through, his vet says his eyes are getting better. Hopefully, by the time he turns a year old, he wouldn't need surgery anymore. Right now, our only problem is that he chews everything in the house (once, he shredded an electrical cord!). Bitter sprays aren't available in my country, and I couldn't find anyone who'd send one to me from the US, but we're actively trying to find a way to make him stop.

Bonus pic of him looking purdy:

[wokman]

Your place of living needs Puppy proofing. Safe chew toys should be provided and inspected regularly. You are lucky your Puppy did not get electrocuted. Check this Forum for information on raising a Puppy before you find yourself Posting on the Memorials section.

[Rococo]

He has A LOT of chew toys. So many, we don't know where to keep them. We also play with him all the time to tire him out, and make sure we firmly say "No" when he starts chewing on anything other than his toys.

[Laura]

He is adorable! Congratulations! My Shug was a chewer as a pup too but he grew out of it and I am sure yours will too.

[Rococo]

Thanks, Laura! Yes, definitely. A couple of our old dogs were chewers when they were puppies, too. We'll just continue distracting him with toys and games and make sure he doesn't touch anything dangerous again. For now, we've sprayed a few things in our house with a mixture of apple cider and white vinegar (I saw this on a website somewhere). He's a glutton and will eat anything, though, so I'm not sure if a bit of sourness will deter him haha

[Doppler]

Nice to meet Kokoy, he's one sweetheart! Our Doppler still chews but greatly lessen by now, they will surely outgrow it. You just have to consistent and I know you would.

[Rococo]

Thank you! Will def be consistent on letting him know it's not OK to chew on wires, furniture and my hair. Right now, we play fetch ~20 minutes a day and practice basic commands for another 30 -- he also runs around our property for another 20 mins every morning with my sister and spends a couple of hours doing random activities with my dad. Those seem to be effectively zapping his energy.

[Rococo]

I'm extremely happy to share that our new vet has confirmed that Kokoy doesn't have entropion. It might be because his facial structure changed, or because he never had it in the first place, and the first vet just misdiagnosed him. Either way, I'm ecstatic and will buy him some treats and toys this weekend.

[Rory's Dad]

Very nice to hear that. Too many vets dont have a lot of experience with chows. Many times inexperienced vets rush to judgment and dont allow for their development to straighten it out.

How is Kokoy doing on the chewing? It should improve as he ages, but if not, consider a simple mist bottle with tap water. Most chows dont enjoy the water on their faces and will adjust their behavior to avoid a misting.

[Rococo]

@Rory's Dad> So, so, so true. It's so hard finding a vet with ample experience handling chows. Even our current vet doesn't have a lot of chow patients. We're really pleased with how he's been attending to our dog thus far, though -- he only confirmed that Kokoy doesn't have entropion after examining his eyes with a magnifying glass for over an hour.

Re: chewing: It has been improving! He doesn't chew on furniture or on our hair anymore, at least. He sometimes can't help himself, though, and we find some tattered paper every now and then, so your tip is super helpful and appreciated! Will try it out for sure.

[Chowmomma]

Congratulations!!! I've only ever had one chow that needed eye surgery and its one of the first things I always check whenever looking at a new chow

Good luck with your new baby and be warned chows are addicting.