10 week old abused chow

[dondons1984]

My wife and I got a 10 week old female chow who was in a litter of 10. The breeders just put them in a kennel and fed them. that was all. It was outside. Since we have had her home now going on 5 days she still is hiding under our bed or under the couch. We have a 3 year old son who is scared of her but we expect that since he is autistic and not use to her yet. He is coming around slowly. Our main concern is that when we got her we noticed that she had dried blood on her and the vet checked her out and she is given a clean bill of health. She is very playful when she wants to be with my wife and I. Our concern is that I am AKC certified trainer but never encountered a Chow that seems to have abandonment issues and abuse issues but at the same time she is very vocal. I go to pick her up and she tries to run. We go on walks and she just is stubborn unless I run. I am not going to drag my dog to walk her. I am on here trying to find out how to train her to potty train and become more social. Our primary concern is just socialization. I socialized her with my parents black lab and she hid under my wife and I. Any advice? I really need it. Thanks a ton everyone.

[Ursa's daddy]

The more I read this forum, the more I realize that breeders that do not handle and socialize their puppies from almost day one are doing a disservice to the breed, the individual dog, and the future owner. I got my girl Ursa when she was 6 weeks old. She had not received any obvious socialization and was very shy. I had a Siamese cat that found the ball of fluff to be interesting, and would look in on her. I train my cats to walk on a leash, and Ursa got the same training. I prefer a harness, since I think it is easier to train and the animals seem to adopt to it faster. Let the animal wear the harness for a while. It usually only takes a short while before wearing a harness is a non-issue. Then add a leash and let the animal drag it around. That takes a little while longer, but usually it is accepted. If it causes stress, take it off. Once it is accepted, you can carry your dog outside and just hold the leash and let the dog walk around. The initial objective is just to make the dog used to having the leash as a minimal limitation to her ability to move about freely. If the dog goes to the bathroom while outside, MAKE A BIG DEAL OUT OF IT. You want the dog to know that you think she is the greatest thing ever. As an AKC trainer, you already know this. Chows just take a lot longer than other dogs. If they don't want to walk, they will lay down and almost glue themselves to the ground. Initially, you will just have to out wait the puppy. Over time, she will adopt to the routine of a simple walk.
Shyness is another issue that takes a lot of time. Don't expect to totally eliminate it. You have to take the dog out and let her see everyday life. I liked PetSmart because there are different people and animals for the dog to observe. Your dog will pick up cues from you. If you are relaxed and satisfied with the situation, the dog will pick up on this. A confession: The cost of gasoline has significantly reduced my outings with the dogs, and it shows. They are a bit more tense compared to when I would go out on Saturday and Sunday with them. I am going to have to use a little more gasoline and get them out in public.
Right now, I have two chows. Over the years I have had German shepherds, Australian shepherds, and a husky, and I really think my chows are best dogs I have ever had. My wife has a Yorkie-poo, and I think it should given Valium daily, and my son has a rat terrier that thinks it is 10 ft tall. They are not the sweet and loving dogs that my chows are. Chows take a lot of work to socialize, but they are well worth it.

[bcalm]

I got my Chow at 4 months - she was feral and timid. We have done all of socialzation work so that now, at 6 months, she will willingly let us touch her, comes to our call, will meet some people and other dogs.

In the first weeks, we let her be while she was in the house. We did our thing and didn't change the noise level or activity level in the house at all. After 2 weeks, she was naturally curious about what was going on. She had her own "house" which was in a corner of a room behind a table. She spent alot of time laying down close to the "house" and watching. Gradually, she came out and, when we came in from a walk, I would insist that she stay right beside me for 5-10 min in the house. We also would put her in a room where we were (ie close the doors to the room) for a short period.

We would take her for walks around the neighbourhood. Initially, sHe didn't want to meet any other dogs or people, but depending on the person, she might sniff their hands after a few minutes. We took her on walks to different areas so that she became accustomed to different noise levels, and sources of noise. Some examples were school buses driving around, meeting bicycles, crossing a busy street, walking in a public park, watching outdoor sports games, walks in the woods, going to pet stores. We took her in the car to lots of places so that going in the car was a "normal' thing too! We used both a long lead (for most daily walks) and a short lead (for "training" walks when we were going to a busier area, initially meeting people). You might try to keep the short lead on her while in the house.

We took her to a puppy school which was hard for her. So many dogs and people in the same space was a challenge to her bubble of personal space, noise levels and interaction with new and numerous humans. It was a good experience though to be around such a variety of dogs (from very small to bigger than her). I would recommend a puppy school with the only expectation that this is socialization time.

I got her to take food from me by gradually getting closer to her when I gave it to her. Baby steps - and food that she liked- were key. I worked on touching her in the same way. Taking off her leash was a good time to touch her legs or scratch her ears. I would do a short period with her and then let her go to be in her safe place.

So, my advice is to get out there with your puppy. Ten weeks is still a young dog. With your training, you can show the calm leader behaviours that will help her to adapt. Take it in small chunks (10 min in a busy store is a good start). I also try to be very delibrate about who/how I introduce her to so that each experience is positive for her. Good luck!

PS. I am with Ursa's Dad about the temperament of Chows. Our neighbourhood is full of small yappy or semi-aggressive dogs who would do well with a daily dose of Valium or a boot camp on obediance. I had an adult boxer last night who was doing a "creep up on the prey" walk up to my puppy Chow at a park: good grief is all I will say! My Chow, with all her baggage, is growing into a respectful, intelligent companion dog. Chows are worth the work!

[dondons1984]

Thanks a ton. We took her to the park and I let her play with sticks yesterday. My wife and I were brushing her yesterday and found a large scab on the back of her head. We thought it may of been from her going in under the couch but we took her to the vet just in case and found out it was a bite mark. We have a lot of work to do with her. She is playing with our son more and is still not liking the leash. She wears a collar now but does not like to be lead on it so we let her rummage around the house dragging it. She is also deciding she likes to play with me and cuddle with my wife. We r still trying to get her used to outside. She pees herself around other animals so I am going to take her to my parents who have a black lab who is very social. Thanks a ton for the advice both of u. AKC certified or not Dakota is becoming a great challenge.

[Ursa's daddy]

I am glad to hear things are going better with your puppy. Brushing the dog is good. As she lets you, handle her paws, ears and muzzle. These are critical points that may have to be handled for the health and welfare of your dog, so getting the puppy used to being touched in these places is important. As I stated previously, I use a harness when I walk my dogs. I have found it to be easier for them to adapt to being led using it. Have you thought about a crate and crate training? This is something I did not do, but Ursa used the corner behind the recliner as an adopted dog cave when she became too big to hide under the couch. Crate training would provide the dog with a place where she would feel secure, and it seems to me that Chows have more problems with insecurity than other breeds. Bcalm talks about having a "house" for his chow. That would be the same thing.