Biting and soiling issues

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

Moderator: chowadmin

Post Reply
DisneyScout
Rank 0
Rank 0
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Sep 18, 2009 5:51 pm

Biting and soiling issues

Post by DisneyScout »

I'm not sure what to do. Our chow is about a year and a half old. We got him a little over a year ago and the previous owners estimated he was 8-10 months old at the time. We are having difficulties with him soiling the house, escaping off of his chain or out of the house and there have been three incidents where he has bitten my children. Two of the incidents required stitches. Two of the incidents involved food he had gotten into and was trying to protect.There were also instances last fall where he escaped and showed aggressive behavior towards a neighbor. We were reported to Animal Control and had fines to pay. I'm just not sure we can keep him in our family. My oldest daughter bonded with him and keeps insisting she can take better care of him. He fills a void left in our hearts after our 15 year old Chow died, but I worry for the safety of my children and myself. He has shown aggression several times to me as well, so for the most part I stay away from him. We have to restrict where he goes in our house because if he has access to certain areas he soils them.

I think he needs more TLC than we can provide him, but I hate to break my daughter's heart again. Is there any training anyone could recommend?

Best Wishes,

Kim
Maryland
User avatar
Zhuyos mom
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 2712
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2005 9:37 am
Location: SF Peninsula

Re: Biting and soiling issues

Post by Zhuyos mom »

I'd like to refer you to a dog trainer/behaviorist in Maryland. She is a member of this site. However has been focusing on her business these past couple of years that it does not allow her to afford frequenting our site very much. Her name is Katalin and she runs specialpawstraining.com .... her chow's name is Special Dark. Katalin helped me immensely when I fostered chows with issues (biters, resource guarding, trust issues). Please contact her through her web site.
valerierichard27
Rank 1
Rank 1
Posts: 254
Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2009 5:12 pm
Location: Lachute QC

Re: Biting and soiling issues

Post by valerierichard27 »

DisneyScout wrote:three incidents where he has bitten my children. Two of the incidents required stitches. Two of the incidents involved food he had gotten into and was trying to protect.There were also instances last fall where he escaped and showed aggressive behavior towards a neighbor. We were reported to Animal Control and had fines to pay. '
Maryland
Im sorry to say but I have a strick rule qwith dogs, it they bite with agression... they get put down, I know ill get blasted by some people for saying this but your children are NOT SAFE with that dog.
User avatar
Merlin
Rank 2
Rank 2
Posts: 728
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2007 8:38 am
Location: Ontario

Re: Biting and soiling issues

Post by Merlin »

escaping off of his chain or out of the house and there have been three incidents where he has bitten my children.
It sounds like your chow has had little or no education, and at the end of a chain? so no socialization either? Why is that?


It would be sad to see a dog destroyed because of the owner's lack of application towards their responsibility.
Please sign yourselves up for puppy school and start the ball rolling. If this dog gets put down, essentially you'll have no one to blame but yourself.

You can't give this problem to someone else.
You need to make a pro-active choice to correct the problem.
A puppy isn't a, "play toy" for children either. It's a living, breathing, sentient, feeling entity that needs your input. It doesn't need to be tied to the end of the chain as a source of amusement for someone.
Do you not educate your own children? A puppy or young dog is child itself and how can you possibly blame any dog that you haven't made any attempt to school.

If this dog gets destroyed, I truly hope you think long and hard before ever getting another one. What a shame.
NEVER Support Back Yard Breeders & Puppy Mills
Contact Your local Chow Chow Association to find your Breeder of Merit!
Better Yet ! Adopt!
Mishkaboy10
Rank 0
Rank 0
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2011 10:50 am

Re: Biting and soiling issues

Post by Mishkaboy10 »

I am no Chow Chow pro, but.. I had the same problem with my first chow. My mom got him from a pound and I was about 9. He soiled the house a few times and he did bite me and mauled my sisters arm. Chows and dogs are ALL ANIIMALS. they shouldnt be put down just because they defend what they think is theirs. You just need to show them whos is whos. This food is yours, this is ours. you potty there not here. And the Children should NEVER try to pry food from a dog. ever. Children show fear and back off at the right moment for the Chow to know he has controll. He will show the child what is his because its in his blood, in his nature. I learned at 10 to stand up to him and not show fear. to know when to back off and let him cool down. Just giving the dog a harsh stare down is enough. never get down in his face when he is showing agression. he more than likely thinks your trying to take what is his. My step dad BEAT that dog. I hate that man, and disown him from my family for this reason and many others. That is an example of NOT doing the right thing. Just show the dog love when he needs it, and show him you are boss when he is out of line. If you cant do this Please send him to a rescue shelter. putting him down is ending his life, just for living his life, just as you live yours every day. He just needs help.
My chows name was Bear, we got him when he was 2, and he lived untill he was 13. In the first year it was hard, and he was faced with being put down on one more incident. but by the end of that first year. He was THE most loving, protecting, loyal companion. He loved us as much as we loved him. Chows are wild animals, wild spirits...but they are loyal to us with guidance. They are protectors and lovers. I would Highly suggest keeping your kids out of the dogs face and away from him when he is in Punishment untill they or he learn how to PROPERLY handle the dog. I would even suggest the children attend a class or two with you and the pupp to get the aquianted with authority over the puppy and not aggression. Maybe even get him nutured. We had to do that with Bear, and he came back a different puppy. He was Bear, just loving, and with less testosterone
DisneyScout
Rank 0
Rank 0
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Sep 18, 2009 5:51 pm

Re: Biting and soiling issues

Post by DisneyScout »

The situation has been taken out of our hands. He bit a neighbor's child and is under mandatory impound at the local Animal Control. He is being retained by Animal Control and we have the option to appeal.

To address other comments. Yes, he was occasionally on a chain...attached to a 40' aerial run because we do not have a fenced-in back yard. He was not left there all the time. He did socialize with the family and slept in my daughter's room. We have several toys for him and the children enjoyed playing tug-of-war with him or playing with him on our back deck.

The children were not attempting to take food away from him. They were just standing nearby when he got into people food.

We did not receive him as a young puppy. He was somewhere between 8 and 10 months when we got him and we know little to nothing about the two previous families he had been with before we took him in. He did quiet down quite a bit in the time that we had him. When we first had him he would eat his food as quickly as possible checking to see that no one was going to take it away from him. The previous owners indicated their other Chow had been beating up on him.

My children know how to behave around dogs. They grew up with our previous Chow. They never got in this dog's face and knew not to try to take food away from him. If he got into food he wasn't supposed to, they would come and let my husband or myself know.

We did not take him to any obedience classes as we should have and if we do decide to get a dog again we will certainly do so. We never needed obedience classes for our other Chow. My husband grew up with Chows and none of his Chows ever needed obedience classes either. We agree that we should have taken this Chow and regret not having done so.

We have decided we can not keep him ourselves, so the only thing we can do at this point is hope that someone that lives out of state would be willing to take him, but with his bite history I am not sure we will find anyone. I appreciate the feedback everyone here has given us and our goal currently is to find a way to prevent him from being destroyed.

Kim
User avatar
Boogie and Linda
Rank 3
Rank 3
Posts: 1062
Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2005 5:46 pm

Re: Biting and soiling issues

Post by Boogie and Linda »

Okay, now I remember this post. I hadn't put this one together with your other post in the needing a home section. Have you contacted Katalin per Zhuyo's mom's suggestion? That was a great suggestion so I didn't even comment on this post originally. Katalin has given me a lot of good advice over the years with issues with my fosters and my chows. She is close enough that you could probably meet in person and she could help you assess your chow. Having a trainer would also help your case with animal control. Please try all you can for him. He is so young. I don't want to see him destroyed any more than you do.
Post Reply