Are there any seeing eye chows known?

[lumbee]

Do you think chows would make good seeing eye dogs or handicap service dogs in general? Does anyone know whether there are any?

In all my years with the USDA I've see many exceptional breeds true bred and mixed trained in many areas of work and home but do not recall knowing any chows or chow mixes.

[Chow Chow Mama]

I've never seen or heard of any, but, my Golden/Chow mix Hannah would have been a great seeing eye dog with the right training.

[Desi]

Picturing my girls as seeing eye dogs.....Walking on the leash nicely ...cat crossing the street..........nah,wouldn't work,,lol

[fillyok]

Melanie might know the answer to your question and I think she checks this section when she gets a chance. I'm thinking mine wouldn't work...a cat, a lizard, or any small animal and you'd be in for the ride of your life. I have the broken ankle to prove my theory.

[Coco Chow]

There might be some seeing eye chow, but Coco will definitely never be one of them, hehe.

[TJordan]

Butters has ran me face first into a tree and I can see. So I am gonna say he sure wouldn't make a good one!

[sit_by_the_beach]

I have very poor vision, very little periveal (sp) vision, severe nightblindness, macular degeneration. My late chow Luna wouldn't have made a good seeing eye dog, she pulled me across an iced up field chasing a fox. I couldn't stop her, the bushes at the edge finally stopped her from running and I landed on my behind and couldn't stop laughing.
With Mikki, any little 4 legged critter she sees, she heads for it. At an intersection, she'll cross at a red light. All the training in the world can't change my chow. I know of a woman, 100% blind who has a $40,000 eye dog/lab. When he finds something more interesting and is off leash, he's gone. When she is at an intersection, she listens to the traffic. When she thinks it's safe to cross that's what she does, the seeing eye dog's job is to put himself in front of a car and save his master............by getting hit, rather than have his person get hit. A seeing eye dog cannot tell whether it's safe or not to cross the road. This is what I was told. An attentive, calm chow pup might qualify for training, I wouldn't bet my life on any one, lab, retriever or chow.

[Coco Chow]

the seeing eye dog's job is to put himself in front of a car and save his master............by getting hit, rather than have his person get hit

Oh, Karin!

[chowwoman]

I've seen a website of chows trained to pull wheel chairs and I've seen chows certified as service dogs in the capacity of going into nursing homes to cheer people up, but not as seeing eye dogs.

*shout out to the NC Lumbees*

[lumbee]

I have very poor vision, very little periveal (sp) vision, severe nightblindness, macular degeneration. My late chow Luna wouldn't have made a good seeing eye dog, she pulled me across an iced up field chasing a fox. I couldn't stop her, the bushes at the edge finally stopped her from running and I landed on my behind and couldn't stop laughing.
With Mikki, any little 4 legged critter she sees, she heads for it. At an intersection, she'll cross at a red light. All the training in the world can't change my chow. I know of a woman, 100% blind who has a $40,000 eye dog/lab. When he finds something more interesting and is off leash, he's gone. When she is at an intersection, she listens to the traffic. When she thinks it's safe to cross that's what she does, the seeing eye dog's job is to put himself in front of a car and save his master............by getting hit, rather than have his person get hit. A seeing eye dog cannot tell whether it's safe or not to cross the road. This is what I was told. An attentive, calm chow pup might qualify for training, I wouldn't bet my life on any one, lab, retriever or chow.

Do you have Fuchs disease also? It's frustrating having to give up certain independences because of it. I can drive sometimes under certain conditions when I'm having my good days but on those bad days it's very frustrating.

It's been raining and humid here in VA and my eyesight has been so blurry I haven't been able to read or see clearly. Today is a warm dry day and I glad to be able to read and write to most all the my message responses.

[lumbee]

thank you all for your input. Taking in account of the antics of our fur ball pals I'd figure chows are in a majority rule all their own.

[IliamnasQuest]

I don't know of any chows that are working as seeing eye dogs. These dogs have to be so dependable that the trainers tend to stick with breeders who naturally want to please their owners (not a huge trait in most of our chows .. *L*).

But chows as therapy dogs or service dogs is certainly a good goal. I know of several chows who have been certified as therapy dogs (my Khana is one). She had to go through specific testing to prove her temperament under periods of stress with strangers. She loved it.

She also works quite well as a service dog for me when I need it. Service dogs can provide any type of service from being a solid brace for when you want to get up off the ground, to carrying items, to finding the phone for you, to providing emotional support when you're in a place of stress. Legally I could take Khana in with me to grocery stores, etc. as a service dog because she would truly help me. I could put her backpack on her and have her carry my groceries as well as my money and keys. She's well-behaved enough to do this for me. The hardest part would be to get people not to pet her while she's working.

During my bad spells, I can hardly walk and my fingers are kind of frozen in place, so picking things up or doing much is a huge challenge. I have been tempted to put Khana into the service dog role but then on those days that I'm doing better, I'm afraid if will look like I was just faking it so that I could bring my dog in with me.

Melanie and the gang in Alaska