are they easily trained?

Training and behavior topics, guidelines, and tips for Chow Chows.

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how do you train your dog, with results?

treats forever, only praise and treats
13
93%
harsh corrections, with choke chains
1
7%
 
Total votes: 14

daryl168yang
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are they easily trained?

Post by daryl168yang »

my chow is now under a trainer, you can know more in http://www.waggies.com.sg, he uses choke chains and has several chow trained under him in previous years. he seems to be professional. but i am worried. is there any1who can enlighten me on how to train a chow. also, i am currently living in singapore where it is usually 30 degrees celcius here. he always pants and he seems to easily tire out. is there any way to keep him cool, except keeping him in air conditioning 24/7?
i really hope to have some help as i am a first time dog owner and chow owner. thx for all the replies.
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ngraham
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Post by ngraham »

Daryl... chows just do not do heat and humidity well. That comes with the breed. When you have them out in the heat and humidity, you have to take caution with them so they don't get heat stroke and die. That means shorter walks in the cooler time of the day, and plenty of cool water for them to drink while they are outside for their walks for numerous drinks. Their coats do act as an insulator against the heat and the cold, which is why it is my personal opinion that a chow should never be shaved down. You're taking that insulation away from them and also opening them up to being sunburned. Here in Illinois it gets extremely hot and humid and when it gets too warm out, we really have to keep an eye out on Koda and for the most part, this spring has been fairly cool so far. But even at 70 degrees fahrenheit (21.1 degrees celsius) that is starting to get too warm for a chow and you have to keep an eye on them. Even in our house, Koda has his own box fan on the floor to sit in front of for extra cooling. We haven't had to turn on the air conditioning yet at home, altho we have had a couple of days that we wished we had. And on those days, Koda was right in front of his box fan. Chows are cold weather dogs and keeping them cool and comfortable in the heat is very, very important.
As far as the obedience training goes, it's just my opinion that choke chains are not the way to go about training a chow, or any dog for that matter. Melanie does dog training, and altho some of us disagree on a chow's behavior and training/not training, if you take a look at Melanie's web site (which is very informative) you'll see she uses a more positive form of training as in treats and praise as opposed to the harsher forms of training used in the past with choke chains. She used the older form of training before she was "enlightened" and says the more positive way is much more effective... for all dogs, not just chows. And it does make sense. Any animal, or human for that matter is going to respond alot better to positive as opposed to negative. I learned that lesson the hard way with Koda last weekend when he decided he wasn't going to come to me when I had him off leash.
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ngraham
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Post by ngraham »

Here's the link to melanie's web site if you want to take a look aound:
http://www.kippsdogs.com/
Nancy and Tai

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LEO's mum
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Post by LEO's mum »

Chows are independant thinkers. Not a master pleaser. So they are difficult to train, or should I say plain stubborn :wink: They also have long memory. I don't believe in bullying a chow into doing things. One needs to be patient as they are with you. I am hoping that things will click in to place one day and she will understand what every command means w or w/o treats. That said I was approached and handed a name card by a tainer while on walk. She was lying down plainly refusing to walk :oops: We have been on Puppy Classes, and I might hire a personal trainer, but I'd make sure MY LEO will not be under any kind of torture :!:
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Rogansmommy
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Post by Rogansmommy »

Choke chains are dangerous, especially on Chows. Would you work if someone strangled you every time you misunderstood what they were saying to you?

I never used one on Rogan and he earned two obedience titles. Flat collars work best, combined with positive energy, treats and LOTS of breaks. You CANNOT train a chow like you would train a 'normal' dog. They get bored easily and have the mental capacity to tune you out. You MUST mix it up for a successful training session.
Michele

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Judy Fox
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Post by Judy Fox »

I do not use a collar with my Milly and Mabel. I use a harness.

In my opinion, you cannot train a chow chow in the normal sense of the meaning - i.e. like you can an alsation, or a retriever or so on.

I found, as a first time chow owner, but very well experienced with several other breeds, i.e. corgis, Great Danes, boxer, pugs - that with Milly and Mabel I had to "discuss" what I wanted them to do - we then we came to a mutually acceptable agreement as to how it was going to be!! :lol:

We now get on exceptionally well. :roll: They will come in when I ask them, go out to spend a penny when I tell them, hush when they are barking in the garden and I think they should hush, they will walk nicely on their leads and stand for as long as they wish to sniff at something and lay down to watch the ducks and swans on the park lake if they so wish!! They will sit when I ask them and shake hands to say 'how d'ya do' for their dinner and when it is bedtime I will tell them to go to bed and they will bumble off to bed. :x All in all, I think that is a nice way for a Chow Chow to live. They are very proud and dignified creatures and I don't want them to do tricks etc. :roll: More importantly, neither do they!! :shock:

Regarding heat and humidity, as has already been said, they do tire and need to rest in the heat of the day so walks etc. should be when it is cooler.

Good luck and keep posting.
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Post by Guest »

I think a combination of treats and correctios can lead to a well trained chow. A correction should NEVER.....EVER be given until you are POSITIVE that the dog understands the command you are asking them to do. This is with ANY breed of dog.
I mainly use treats and catnip mice(long story) to get Chingers to do as I ask. But I also will use a prong collar. I have used everything from harnesses, and choke chains, to buckle collars and K-collars, you will spend ninety percent of your time, choking your dog and giving nagging insults, instead of correcting your problem, the prong collar *WHEN PROPERLY USED* gives a mild correction but gets their attention and I can say from experience with multiple dogs that I give MANY less correction with the prong, then with ANY other collar.
*Please ask an experienced trainer IN PERSON to show you the PROPER way to use the prong collar before use.*
Chows are not hard to train, they just use a different method. I have encouraged training with Chi-Ching to be fun from the moment that we brought him home, and we still do. Some "rules" in training are to NEVER train when you are upset or distracted. Always leave on a good note, if you are training to heel, and the dog just isn't doing well that day, stop, but before you finish, let him leave on a good note......leave with success. Do something that he DOES know. Anything, even a sit. And then quit, but do not quit frustrated, or your dog will quit frustrated.
Chows are stubborn dogs and will sometimes refuse to follow a command, but you have to try and make every training session a success.
Chi-Chings favorite part of the day is training, it is bonding time and he LOVES to know that he did well.
A good key to training in ANY matter, but especially in chows is to make them think that it was their idea. Chi-Ching does not get his dinner until he goes into his crate and lays down. I say nothing, he just knows, but if he goes in there, he gets his food. He doesn't know I trained him to do that but rather that he is getting me to bring him food.....i.e., his way.
He also sits by ANY door if he wants out, even to the fenced yard. He knows, he sits, he goes out. I say nothing but he learned that by sitting the door opened.
Patience and persistance is the key to any training. Don't give up and do not think that your DOG is untrainable just because it is a chow. Chows are not hard to train because of their stubborness and independance, but rather difficult because they are smart enough to know that most people will quit before them. I have never give Chi-Ching that option, when I tell him something, I follow through, and so will he. I raise my kids the same way.....empty threats will get you nowhere. If I tell my kids that they will get a time-out if they do not do what I ask, and then I do not follow through, then they will know that I am not going to, and then if I do sometimes, they just get confused. Follow through everytime and you will have a smart, independant and still, well trained Chow.
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Judy Fox
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Post by Judy Fox »

I do not use a collar with my Milly and Mabel. I use a harness.

In my opinion, you cannot train a chow chow in the normal sense of the meaning - i.e. like you can an alsation, or a retriever or so on.

I found, as a first time chow owner, but very well experienced with several other breeds, i.e. corgis, Great Danes, boxer, pugs - that with Milly and Mabel I had to "discuss" what I wanted them to do - we then we came to a mutually acceptable agreement as to how it was going to be!!

We now get on exceptionally well. They will come in when I ask them, go out to spend a penny when I tell them, hush when they are barking in the garden and I think they should hush, they will walk nicely on their leads and stand for as long as they wish to sniff at something and lay down to watch the ducks and swans on the park lake if they so wish!! They will sit when I ask them and shake hands to say 'how d'ya do' for their dinner and when it is bedtime I will tell them to go to bed and they will bumble off to bed. All in all, I think that is a nice way for a Chow Chow to live. They are very proud and dignified creatures and I don't want them to do tricks etc. More importantly, neither do they!!

Regarding heat and humidity, as has already been said, they do tire and need to rest in the heat of the day so walks etc. should be when it is cooler.

Good luck and keep posting.

:D :D :D
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Auddymay
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Post by Auddymay »

I would get your Chow out of boot camp asap. As others have stated, they don't respond well to force. I did a basic 9 week course that used positive re-enforcement. Find one, and go there, instead.

My husband tells me all the time Chows are stupid because they don't respond like other dogs. We were in the garage earlier today, and Lily went to investigate a leaf on the floor. I told her 'leave it' and she did. My husband then said, " ...but it was just a leaf, why did you make her leave it?" And I answered, "to keep her in practice." She may run away when she's free, but she is definitely smart, and can obey a command without a treat being offered. Plenty of praise, though. So, good luck, and keep your furkid cool! :D
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Judy Fox
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Post by Judy Fox »

That is so true Auddymay.
I don't offer treats only when I want to - not as a bribe. I believe that there has to be an interaction between M & M and me. I have achieved that and bearing in mind that M & M do have different personalities. Milly is an absolute baggage and will defy me as often as she can get away with but Mabel is more compliable - but she is more determined! :) If she wants to do something she will do it - but will stop when I am firm with her.
Our retired lady vet had a philosophy regarding the art of living with a chow chow and giving the impression that you are in charge. :wink:
She said that you have to watch your chow, try to forcast what he/she is going to do then tell him/her to do that and the chow will do it anyway, it he/she so wishes then you look as if you are in charge! :D This was, of course, said to me 'tongue in cheek' but it does illustrate that chow chows are very independent and proud creatures. :)
I love my M & M just the way they are and I would not have let them go to any boot-camp training regime with choker chains, prong collars or whatever.
What Fred and I have achieved with them has been done with talking to them, understanding their unique natures and loving them.
A totally different approach than we took with our other dogs and certainly different to the way Fred dealt with his War Dog in the R.M.P.
Having said that, Fred's Tex was an absolute big softie when off duty and the girls in the NAAFI loved him and he them!
But, Chow Chows are different - and I salute their difference and revel in it. :x
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Judy Fox
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Post by Judy Fox »

Here is a picture of Milly and Mabel in their harnesses. They love them, they are comfortable in them and they work for us.
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Victory
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Post by Victory »

Many others have already said that heat and humidity are not good for chows and I want to restate that firmly, here in Minnesota it can be 85+ degrees fah, (29.44cel) and 70+ percent humidity. I run the air conditioner 24/7 and make sure the chows have access to it. I also don't clip them in the summer but allow their coats to trap the cool air next to their skin. Also short walks only when it is that hot and usually in the very early morning or later at night. (although it's been known to be 90 degrees and 85% humidity at midnight here!)

Also if it is that hot and your chow is hot and uncomfortable don't try a lot of training, no matter what method you use...do you like to be forced to learn new things when you're hot and miserable? I'll bet not, your chow doesn't either. And get rid of the choke collar, it's an old form of training. Posistive training is best. For most things like sit, stay, heal and all that normal stuff high praise works well for training. Also consistency..my thing is to never issue a command I'm not willing to issue over and over again until it is done if necessary. Once you give a command you have to be willing to make them do it, they can out wait you, like Judy said if you're not willing to make it stick. I've also found that you have to tailor your training and expectations to each chow's personality. For instance when we are getting ready to go for a walk, they are both understandably excited, but Darkwind will sit nicely to get his leash on, while Firesong just can't stay still, she used to bounce around and make be crazy, she'd sit for two seconds and then have to move again, (she's hyper), so I changed it to "hug hug" and now she comes right to me, lifts herself up for a hug and then I put her leash on. Most folks wouldn't like that, but she's a very loving chow who loves to be hugged and touched, so it's best for her. (it's not part of the "Canine good citizen" program but it works for us!)

However if your chow is being a real pain, a sharp reprimand followed by a nice timeout will inforce the fact that you are displeased. Chows hate being ignored and I've found leaving them in another room where they can't see me is a good way to let them know I'm not happy.

I hope some of this helps.
Victory, Darkwind, (our angel), Firesong, and Dreamdancer
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Post by Tovya »

What I've heard and have had work for me is the adage that a Chow will obey someone they respect. So I try to always be the human my Chow thinks I am. He can be a bit stubborn at times but always listens when its really important (in public).
Chuy has never really like a collar around his neck - I think its all of that fur in the mane. When we were on vacation last week I used a harness for the first time and he didn't mind it at all.

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Chows are not the whole of our lives but, they make our lives whole.
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Jeri
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Post by Jeri »

When I got my first chow 16 years ago, I used a regular collar and during a walk we came upon another dog and my chow ended up pulling out of the collar so since then I have used nothing but a harness... I truly believe that harness are the only way to go with a chow... I now start my chow babies on harness as soon as I can and they never seem to mind it....

Jeri, Saydee & Kaspur
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