Could use puppy advice

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

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TiVo's Mom
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Could use puppy advice

Post by TiVo's Mom »

I've been lurking on this forum for a couple of weeks since I brought home a 4 month old cream chow for my husband's birthday (well, he said he couldn't think of anything he needed for his birthday.) I did what I said I wouldn't do and fell in love with him at a local pet store. (We lost our 9 year old malamute in February from cancer and there has been such a void ever since even though we have one other dog and 5 cats that we love too. I did some research and just fell in love with the beauty and personality of the chow. I do love the malamute but was too afraid I would always compare the dog to Yukon and hoped to find a new addition with a longer life span that had the same grand look and independent spirit. So anyway, we have this adorable puppy.....

He's already crate trained and because we feed him in his crate and give him treats and toys in his crate he doesn't mind going there at all. He eats very well and he's only peed in the house a couple of times - both our fault for not taking him outside right after letting him out of his crate. He minds............ok he's not perfect but for a 4 month old he's doing very well. We can tell him "no" and he will move on to something else. Leash training has been difficult since he would collapse the minute he felt any tug but we're actually making good progress there. (Though when we start obedience training in a couple of weeks I'm sure we'll be a wonderful source of amusement for the class. When I took my malamute he would decide he had enough and we would have to move him aside for a nap while the class went on.)

OK, so you're wondering what advice, first is there a way to tell if he is a rough coat or a smooth coat? Then, my biggest concern right now are my cats, if they set foot within TiVo's viewing range he is after them in a split second. The cats are used to getting along with large dogs but not being chased by them. What should I be doing? Also, any advice specific to the chow that I should be aware of. I want to make sure I do things right with this little guy so we're all happy for many, many years. I was giving some rubs today and sneaked in a quick kiss on his nose to see what he would do, he jumped straight back two feet and then looked at me and wagged his tail. He seems to have unbounded energy, I mean he never stops until it's crate time. He will lay down (with his little butt in the air) to chew on one of his toys for a while but he's always doing something, he never rests unless he's in his crate. Is that normal? Will he ever slow down and if so any idea when?
Sorry this is so long but I appreciate any tidbits you can pass my way. From reading through your threads I can see there is a lot of experience here as well as people who love their chows!
PurpleKisses
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Post by PurpleKisses »

I am truly sorry about the loss of your Malamute. I absolutely adore the breed, I love the "whoo whoos".

Can you post a picture of your pup so we can guess if it is rough or short coat? (You can use photobucket.com)

As far as the cats go, what I have done with EVERY dog in my home, including my chow, was to keep them on a leash and when they go after the cat, they get a correction. We do not tolerate cat chasing, we have 4 cats and if I had them getting chased all the time, I would go insane. If you have a cat that would 'slap' the puppy, that is a GREAT lesson. Chi-Ching learned from Tiocy that cats are NOT toys. He tried a couple times and got his fluffy butt whooped! He plays with the other cats but only supervised, he is still a pup and he gets carried away sometimes and has to be told when enough is enough.

As far as the energy! LOL That is funny, it sounds EXACTLY how Chi-Ching was. He finally settled down a bit around 6 months, he was neutered at 4 months though, so that may have helped. Consistancy is the key for everything, but I am sure you know that raising a Mal. They can be as stubborn as the chow when they want to be! LOL
TiVo's Mom
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Post by TiVo's Mom »

Thanks that helps. I would love to post a photo but I have no clue how to do so. I have some digital photos of him stored on my PC but I don't know how to upload to the forum. Also, could Chi-Ching go from sweetie pie to holy terror within seconds? The first of our cats that TiVo met did stand up to him and he lost interest unfortunately the second cat took one look at ran and TiVo thought that was great fun so now unfortunately he's learned they'll run if he chases them. We did learn a lot from have a mal but it was so worth it, and there do seem to be some definite similarities.
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Mandy
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Post by Mandy »

Hi there! I've had my boy chewie since he was a pup and trust me... that energy will decrease SIGNIFICANTLY. Chewie still gets the "zoomies" (he is 1.5 years old) but unless we are working on training, playing, or he's in the mood to play with Cayenne, he pretty much just hangs out and watches what's going on. It will take a while but I'd say by about 1 yr he had calmed down alot.

As for any other advice - start immediately making grooming a fun and comforting experience. Start slow... just a little bit of brushing (a couple minutes) treats, and massages. Have Tivo lay down if you can and brush him lightly and give him treats and praise for good behaivor throught this process. The more you work on it now, the easier it will be through his adult life.

Since you've done your research you've seen all the talk about socialization and I can't stress enough how important it is. Work hard to make him familiar with many types of people, animals, places but don't force him past his comfort zone. Work slowly and use TREAT TREAT TREATS!

There are a lot more things to watch for and work on... but I'll let others post some thoughts too.

Good luck!
Mandy, Chewie, & Cayenne
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kingalls
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Post by kingalls »

http://www.chowchow.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1210

go to this section in this site regarding how to post pictures....
Karen, Kohana, Takoda, and our Chow Angels Nahkohe and Shiloh
TiVo's Mom
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Post by TiVo's Mom »

OMG, the "zoomies", that's perfect! Though yesterday, for the first time since we've gotten him, he actually laid down on the floor near my chair. I was a little concerned, I thought maybe he wasn't feeling well but it was pretty hot outside so that may have been it. I know with our mal, he was much more subdued in Summer and then would essentially come back to live in Fall and Winter. We would laugh because we wouldn't use the air conditioner for ourselves but if it looked like Yukon was at all hot, on it came. Is that the same way it will be with a chow?
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ngraham
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Post by ngraham »

Yup... your chow needs that air conditioning. I live in Illinois where it can be extremely hot and humid, so of course the air is on. But my 2 chows not only have the air conditioning, but also their own personal box fan on the floor where they both lie in front of.
Koda and Molly both do the "zoomie" thing. We call it a chow fit. :) Back and forth from one end of the house to the other. Koda jumps on the sofa and/or the chairs while he is zooming through the house. I am not sure if Molly is actually "zooming" as opposed to just following her big brother as he zooms through the house, but usually she is right behind Koda zooming with him. :) It's really funny to watch.
Nancy and Tai

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