HELP!

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

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queeniethequeen
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HELP!

Post by queeniethequeen »

Hello fellow chow chow lovers! i am new to this site. i decided to join because i have a problem with my chow chow puppy. I just got her a week ago. She is 9 weeks old and very sweet but there would be times when she will become super hyper and she will start biting everything, including me. Is this normal for a chow chow puppy? How can I teach her not to bite people? Also, she wakes me up very early! around 2:30am to 3:am. i thought she barks because she wants to poop but when i bring her out, all she do is play. She poops at 6 in the morning. It is actually a struggle for me. is there any way to teach her to wake up at 6am? or maybe to keep her asleep the whole night?
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HELP!

Post by queeniethequeen »

Hello fellow chow chow lovers! i am new to this site. i decided to join because i have a problem with my chow chow puppy. I just got her a week ago. She is 9 weeks old and very sweet but there would be times when she will become super hyper and she will start biting everything, including me. Is this normal for a chow chow puppy? How can I teach her not to bite people? Also, she wakes me up very early! around 2:30am to 3:am. i thought she barks because she wants to poop but when i bring her out, all she do is play. She poops at 6 in the morning. It is actually a struggle for me. is there any way to teach her to wake up at 6am? or maybe to keep her asleep the whole night?
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Re: HELP!

Post by Rory's Dad »

I am going to venture a bit here, but I am going to attribute all of this to age and the length of time she has had you.

Assuming you got her from the breeder a week ago, she is going through some separation. By waking up and taking her out at 3am, you are comforting her, but also teaching her that its ok. I prefer crate training at this age, and if she barks, ignore her. May take a few nights, but she will realize its not getting her attention and will settle back in. The outside walks for 'business' should directly correlate to when she eats. Feed her (you still get to make the schedule, just be consistent and with proper frequency), give her 10 - 15 minutes to digest, and then bring her out.

As for the hyper activity, its a chow trait. Some call them zoomies. They can be a burst of energy, a sign she wants to go out, a signal for play, or that last bit of energy before bedtime. You will need to start reading her signals. Let her run in those circles though. She is entertaining herself. With biting, she is likely teething. Its also how puppies play. Anytime she starts to mouth a hand, finger or foot (worse yet is the back of the calf), replace with a toy or acceptable chew item. Same with furniture or other household items. Rory actually chewed sheetrock for a bit. If that doesnt work, emphasize the bad behavior with a shriek. You are trying to mimic another puppy yelping if that makes sense. Even the youngest puppies recognize this as a sign they have been too rough and will generally stop.

Good luck and welcome to the forum. Let us know how it goes and please, share pics of the new Chow.
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Re: HELP!

Post by queeniethequeen »

Rory's Dad wrote:I am going to venture a bit here, but I am going to attribute all of this to age and the length of time she has had you.

Assuming you got her from the breeder a week ago, she is going through some separation. By waking up and taking her out at 3am, you are comforting her, but also teaching her that its ok. I prefer crate training at this age, and if she barks, ignore her. May take a few nights, but she will realize its not getting her attention and will settle back in. The outside walks for 'business' should directly correlate to when she eats. Feed her (you still get to make the schedule, just be consistent and with proper frequency), give her 10 - 15 minutes to digest, and then bring her out.

As for the hyper activity, its a chow trait. Some call them zoomies. They can be a burst of energy, a sign she wants to go out, a signal for play, or that last bit of energy before bedtime. You will need to start reading her signals. Let her run in those circles though. She is entertaining herself. With biting, she is likely teething. Its also how puppies play. Anytime she starts to mouth a hand, finger or foot (worse yet is the back of the calf), replace with a toy or acceptable chew item. Same with furniture or other household items. Rory actually chewed sheetrock for a bit. If that doesnt work, emphasize the bad behavior with a shriek. You are trying to mimic another puppy yelping if that makes sense. Even the youngest puppies recognize this as a sign they have been too rough and will generally stop.

Good luck and welcome to the forum. Let us know how it goes and please, share pics of the new Chow.
thank you for your advices!:) I really appreciate it.:) i started crate training yesterday dawn and i think Nadine (my chow's name) is starting to learn. With her pooping though, i think her routine is to poop in the morning and in the afternoon. maybe she still needs time adjusting to her eating and pooping schedule. Is it possible to teach her to pee and poop in the bathroom? How can i do that?

With regards to her hyper activity, i honestly cannot control her. what i do is to put her inside the crate once she starts biting stuffs. Does this hyper activity lessen as a chowchow grow? i really like to cuddle her all the time but because of this hyper activity, i cannot do so.

I will post Nadine's pictures soon! Again, thank you so much!:)
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Re: HELP!

Post by queeniethequeen »

Rory's Dad wrote:I am going to venture a bit here, but I am going to attribute all of this to age and the length of time she has had you.

Assuming you got her from the breeder a week ago, she is going through some separation. By waking up and taking her out at 3am, you are comforting her, but also teaching her that its ok. I prefer crate training at this age, and if she barks, ignore her. May take a few nights, but she will realize its not getting her attention and will settle back in. The outside walks for 'business' should directly correlate to when she eats. Feed her (you still get to make the schedule, just be consistent and with proper frequency), give her 10 - 15 minutes to digest, and then bring her out.

As for the hyper activity, its a chow trait. Some call them zoomies. They can be a burst of energy, a sign she wants to go out, a signal for play, or that last bit of energy before bedtime. You will need to start reading her signals. Let her run in those circles though. She is entertaining herself. With biting, she is likely teething. Its also how puppies play. Anytime she starts to mouth a hand, finger or foot (worse yet is the back of the calf), replace with a toy or acceptable chew item. Same with furniture or other household items. Rory actually chewed sheetrock for a bit. If that doesnt work, emphasize the bad behavior with a shriek. You are trying to mimic another puppy yelping if that makes sense. Even the youngest puppies recognize this as a sign they have been too rough and will generally stop.

Good luck and welcome to the forum. Let us know how it goes and please, share pics of the new Chow.
thank you for your advices!:) I really appreciate it.:) i started crate training yesterday dawn and i think Nadine (my chow's name) is starting to learn. With her pooping though, i think her routine is to poop in the morning and in the afternoon. maybe she still needs time adjusting to her eating and pooping schedule. Is it possible to teach her to pee and poop in the bathroom? How can i do that?

With regards to her hyper activity, i honestly cannot control her. what i do is to put her inside the crate once she starts biting stuffs. Does this hyper activity lessen as a chowchow grow? i really like to cuddle her all the time but because of this hyper activity, i cannot do so.

I will post Nadine's pictures soon! Again, thank you so much!:)
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Re: HELP!

Post by Rory's Dad »

1st off, good to hear on the success starting the crate training with Nadine. Chows are extremely intelligent and will learn most anything as long as you are consistent in teaching her what you want her to do. As far as her schedule, she is still young and only has so much control (space actually) for holding all that stuff in. As i said earlier, coordinate eating with her 'business' trips. Morning seems perfectly normal, but if she is going in the afternoon are you leaving food out for Nadine? "Grazing" will allow her to eat all day and then go when she needs to.

I think its possible to teach her to go in the bathroom, but think carefully about this one...as she grows, so does everything else...Chows are also very clean dogs and when they develop the control, they wont generally go in 'their' house. You would basically have to convince her that the bathroom in not part of her house, which could cause issues later on if you want to bath her, etc.

Dont use the crate as a negative, time out area. Use the replacement therapy or yelping response. You want her to view the crate as a safe haven. Try to get her to hang out with the gate open. Put some toys or treats in there and see if she will just sit comfortably. Utilize the closed door when you are going to be away longer than she can hold the pee/poop or if she needs to be away from the rest of the house for safety (cleaning chemicals are nasty for the dogs paws and nose).

Encourage her to cuddle with you with some nice treats. I always start with just placing the dog on the couch. Get him comfy with a favorite toy or a training treat. I have an incredibly tolerant Chow that allows my 14 yo daughters to put him on her lap upside down, sideways, whatever. That is our dogs relaxed nature firstmost, but we have spent a ton of time handling him. Touch the toes, check the ears, look at his teeth, etc.

Remember that a chow is very independent. They need a reason to do something. Treats are always good with pups, and a very hearty 'good girl' combined with a nice head or body rub usually get good response.
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Re: HELP!

Post by Cocoa »

Rory's dad said:
(cleaning chemicals are nasty for the dogs paws and nose).
I find that vinegar and water cleans the floors beautifully and is totally safe for the pups. I am sensitive to the scents that they use in a lot of the products and because of that and since chows are so prone to skin irritation I try to use mostly natural cleaning products, you may want to give that a try.
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Re: HELP!

Post by Cam Atis »

I couldn't agree more with what Rory's Dad said. Nipping means your pup is normally behaving given her age. All discomforts you are experiencing is just the beginning coz you got a pup for pet. Her playfulness will wane as she gets older. Buy a chew toy for her. Nylabone Brand in my experience is the best as chew toy and it lasts longer
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Re: HELP!

Post by queeniethequeen »

Rory's Dad wrote:1st off, good to hear on the success starting the crate training with Nadine. Chows are extremely intelligent and will learn most anything as long as you are consistent in teaching her what you want her to do. As far as her schedule, she is still young and only has so much control (space actually) for holding all that stuff in. As i said earlier, coordinate eating with her 'business' trips. Morning seems perfectly normal, but if she is going in the afternoon are you leaving food out for Nadine? "Grazing" will allow her to eat all day and then go when she needs to.

I think its possible to teach her to go in the bathroom, but think carefully about this one...as she grows, so does everything else...Chows are also very clean dogs and when they develop the control, they wont generally go in 'their' house. You would basically have to convince her that the bathroom in not part of her house, which could cause issues later on if you want to bath her, etc.

Dont use the crate as a negative, time out area. Use the replacement therapy or yelping response. You want her to view the crate as a safe haven. Try to get her to hang out with the gate open. Put some toys or treats in there and see if she will just sit comfortably. Utilize the closed door when you are going to be away longer than she can hold the pee/poop or if she needs to be away from the rest of the house for safety (cleaning chemicals are nasty for the dogs paws and nose).

Encourage her to cuddle with you with some nice treats. I always start with just placing the dog on the couch. Get him comfy with a favorite toy or a training treat. I have an incredibly tolerant Chow that allows my 14 yo daughters to put him on her lap upside down, sideways, whatever. That is our dogs relaxed nature firstmost, but we have spent a ton of time handling him. Touch the toes, check the ears, look at his teeth, etc.

Remember that a chow is very independent. They need a reason to do something. Treats are always good with pups, and a very hearty 'good girl' combined with a nice head or body rub usually get good response.
Thanks again Rory's Dad! I am happy with Nadine's improvement. Now she's starting to learn that after eating, she needs to poop and she doesn't cry or bark at dawn anymore.:)

I just have to work with her biting issues though. The biting lessened but it seems that sometimes she remembers that she wants to bite me.:)) What i do is to put her inside her crate once she start biting me. These are actually the times that she's uncontrollable. Will she be able to learn not to bite with this kind of training?
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Re: HELP!

Post by queeniethequeen »

Cocoa wrote:
Rory's dad said:
(cleaning chemicals are nasty for the dogs paws and nose).
I find that vinegar and water cleans the floors beautifully and is totally safe for the pups. I am sensitive to the scents that they use in a lot of the products and because of that and since chows are so prone to skin irritation I try to use mostly natural cleaning products, you may want to give that a try.
Thanks for the advice Cocoa! I tried cleaning the floor (especially where Nadine pees) with vinegar too. i think it works well.:)
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Re: HELP!

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Cam Atis wrote:I couldn't agree more with what Rory's Dad said. Nipping means your pup is normally behaving given her age. All discomforts you are experiencing is just the beginning coz you got a pup for pet. Her playfulness will wane as she gets older. Buy a chew toy for her. Nylabone Brand in my experience is the best as chew toy and it lasts longer
Thanks for the advice!:) I bought her Nylabone Keys but she still wants to bite my bed sheet and curtains. To make things worse, she also want to bit ME. :cry:
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Re: HELP!

Post by queeniethequeen »

Image

Anyway, this is Nadine's latest picture.:)
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Re: HELP!

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queeniethequeen wrote: The biting lessened but it seems that sometimes she remembers that she wants to bite me.:)) What i do is to put her inside her crate once she start biting me. These are actually the times that she's uncontrollable. Will she be able to learn not to bite with this kind of training?
No she will not learn with this kind of 'training'. A chow DOES NOT learn by negative reinforcement. By putting her in the crate you are not 'training' her you are just seperating her from you. And she will equate her crate as a bad place & since you put her in it every night she will be confused as to what she did to deserve being put in the crate. She is a puppy & ALL PUPPIES BITE. They are teething & it feels good on their teeth & gums (just like a human baby).

I am sorry but I have to ask...did you do your homework before buying puppy? As Cam Atis said all this is just the beginning because you got a puppy. Also did you research chow chows or did you just buy the fluffy puppy? Because if you think that you are going to be able to completely control a chow chow the way other dogs, say a golden retriever, is controled you are fooling yourself. I couldnt find the pic but a great quote that exactly describes a chow chow is:

"I'll say this just once - listen up! I don't sit-stay-lay down or get up. And since you threw the ball, you go and fetch it.
That's all. If you play by those rules I'm your puppy! ?

Yes, chows can be trained but not like 'normal' dogs. Yes, chows want love & attention but only when they want love & attention. Yes, chows want to play but usually in spurts or zoomies. I love that my chows are independant, that they are not completley controlable, that they do zoomies, and that they dont fetch.
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Re: HELP!

Post by queeniethequeen »

bellachow wrote:
queeniethequeen wrote: The biting lessened but it seems that sometimes she remembers that she wants to bite me.:)) What i do is to put her inside her crate once she start biting me. These are actually the times that she's uncontrollable. Will she be able to learn not to bite with this kind of training?
No she will not learn with this kind of 'training'. A chow DOES NOT learn by negative reinforcement. By putting her in the crate you are not 'training' her you are just seperating her from you. And she will equate her crate as a bad place & since you put her in it every night she will be confused as to what she did to deserve being put in the crate. She is a puppy & ALL PUPPIES BITE. They are teething & it feels good on their teeth & gums (just like a human baby).

I am sorry but I have to ask...did you do your homework before buying puppy? As Cam Atis said all this is just the beginning because you got a puppy. Also did you research chow chows or did you just buy the fluffy puppy? Because if you think that you are going to be able to completely control a chow chow the way other dogs, say a golden retriever, is controled you are fooling yourself. I couldnt find the pic but a great quote that exactly describes a chow chow is:

"I'll say this just once - listen up! I don't sit-stay-lay down or get up. And since you threw the ball, you go and fetch it.
That's all. If you play by those rules I'm your puppy! ?

Yes, chows can be trained but not like 'normal' dogs. Yes, chows want love & attention but only when they want love & attention. Yes, chows want to play but usually in spurts or zoomies. I love that my chows are independant, that they are not completley controlable, that they do zoomies, and that they dont fetch.
Is it wrong to put her inside the crate every night? There is where she sleeps. I want her to sleep beside me but when she's on my bed she just play and bite my bed sheet.

Regarding my research, i did read some chow chow articles.

And what should I do with her zoomies? Do you also love that your chow bites you? It's the only thing I want to control because she might grow up thinking that it's fine to bite members of the family.
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Re: HELP!

Post by Victory »

Before you do anything else, go here: http://forum.chowchow.org/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=3815 and read this. Biting is something that needs to stop ASAP. Putting a chow in a time out is the best way to teach them not to do something you don't want them to, like biteing. If you don't want to use the crate find another spot, a place with a closed door is good, (not a closet) the bathroom is good. And remember a chow is smart, so a timeout has to be a good long one for a 9 week old puppy, 5+ minutes is a good starting point. You put her in her time out spot and totally ignore her, don't look at her, don't speak to her, nothing. When you let her out, go about your business, she has to earn your attention and forgivness.

If she was still with her mom and sibs this is the way she would be treated, the sib would yelp and then ignore her if she continuted. Mom would bite back and then ignore her. Yelping is good for many other breeds, but doesn't always work with Chows. With chows you need to work with their instincts, and be a leader.

Oh, and zoomies aren't the problem, all chows do those, but biting isn't really part of it. Stop the biting and the zoomies will be fun...And no, neither of my two bite, I just accidently stepped on my male and all he did was yelp and pout, he's still pouting...
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Re: HELP!

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Hoping to clarify the other posts, cause there is some great advice there...Victory mentioned a time out, great advice. And Bella mentioned the crate. Just dont combine the two. The crate needs to be a spot of comfort, time out should be somewhere else.

Do not tolerate the biting, although it is normal puppy behavior, you need to stop it. You are not another puppy or his litter mate. I have found replacement to be a good tool, but its not for every puppy. Same with the yelping. You will need to figure out what works for your pup. And yes, with proper instruction and training, they definitely outgrow it. You dont want that behavior to continue when they get their adult teeth.

I do 2nd the question about breed research, because it does sound like you would like a cuddly dog. Some chows will cuddle, but i think thats more on the rare side. Rory is our 3rd chow. Both our previous dogs were obtained for our childrens 5th birthdays. Neither were 'cuddly', but they were affectionate and protective of our children. Rory is unique, he is overly calm and has a bond with my daughter that even i cant believe. Kodi and Tedi, our previous dogs, were very owner (me) reliant. They knew who their family was and were very friendly, loyal and protective. Rory is different. He will allow my daughter to pick him up, dress him up, and generally put him in positions that even i consider undignified. Rory wakes up looking for her and waiting for her to pay attention to him (sadly she sleeps until all hours of the day).

Point is, i dont think the Chow is really an odds on favorite to be a lappy type or cuddly dog. They usually are very independent and want their personal space. We have been very hands on with Rory, and he has become accustomed to the whims of a teen girl, so it can happen...just not likely.
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Re: HELP!

Post by Cam Atis »

Just to assure you, YES your puppy will eventually learn NOT to bite you as she grows older. There are different methods as you can see, different owners different approach. See what best fits you and Nadine.
Encourage her to lick you instead. start with this buy a gooey doggy vitamins contained in a toothpaste-like tube. Give it to her once a day and praise her (your own mark word: example: Kisses Nadine...) now that she'd associate Kisses Nadine with licking vitamins, whenever she licks you randomly, say: kisses nadine Good girl. Depends on your tone of voice. She'll learn you pay attention with kisses and no attention if she bites.
By the book, all biting (nipping) must stop at 14 weeks so she stil has a long way before you put a stop on it. Buy a spray bottle, like the ones used by hairstylists or parlourists, fill with water and some nasty tasting bitter apple juice or simply water. Hide it in your belt, once Nadine is out, have it ready. When she starts her biting, spray her quick in the nose. Hide it ASAP let her NOT see it. or else she'll know it's you. AnywAy, aside frm that, you can leave a 12 inch short leash on her as she go around, so you can hold it when she bites. tell her you mark word: example: Hep! hep!

Crating at night, is ok as long as the crate is large enough for her to stretch fully with her water and food bowl in it. and IT IS BESIDE YOUR BED where you can reach out to your puppy(fingers in her cage). Some prefer to buy a dog bed placed beside your bed also. But since you dont want her on your sheets....
My own first chow (though I bred other dogs before) is only 11wks and she mouths (bites) me a lot. My other dogs reinforced it since they play with their mouths. Cassie still has less than 2 wks to clean up her act :-p and my children ran around oh making it harder to tell Cassie not to run after our ankles and nip. I still have to start training her not to mouth me but as of now or this week I let her do that coz it is normal for her age. Just like a teething baby they want to put things in their mouth. Puppies dont have hands , so their mouth is.
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Re: HELP!

Post by Cam Atis »

And since I bred and owned pure breed as well as mixes(dalmatians, mini pin, toy fox terrier mix, and the mixes now, a golden labrador mix and minipin toy terrier mix which I raised from birth) I think I can tell you that Cassie my first purebred chow chow, is shy , suspicious , slow to befriend , hard to convince you dont mean harm, sensitive. But once acclimatized and familiar with her surroundings (takes about a day or two) - she behaves just like any puppies I have raised. The only behaviour that is different and uniquely hers is her attitude.
Other breeds are eager to please, they come begging my attention and willing to do things again. Example: Blue was protecting Cassie (chowpup) from further harassment from Princess, although small, he Placed himself between the golden lab and chow puppy, barking. I praised him immediately, GOOD BOY BLUE! He picked up on it and did it several times just to please me coz I will say GOOD BOY BLUE everytime he did. And when i call him or PrIncess they come to me and would want me to pet them. No treats at all. Cassie will come also because they do, she imitates them but when the two (blue and princess) are caged, Cassie will come to me If I call her when she wants but will not repeat it again, coz I dont have treat at hand. She then becomes deaf and couldnt hear my calls. If she's leashed and I pull her towards me,she'll plant her paws and sit or do a down position. HAHAHA! Funny. I need to patiently wait for her coz she's stubborn, to heed my call and she's leashed. If she's not leashed, I might as well forget I have a puppy, until she comes to me. CHOW pups are independent minded. Cassie has her own schedule but she's super house trained! I cant believe it coz this is the first time my puppy housetrained itself! ) :-) no joke. She doesnt soil her house. She got a dog house outside and a crate inside. Cassie also doesnt like to stay cuddled for a long time. Blue tolerates my 4 year old daughter and Cassie is happy to be around them. if you will not move , you'll notice Nadine will not bite you. once you walk and Nadine is her zoomie self, she'll nip your ankle but believe me, other breeds such as Dalmatians whew! Destroys a lot when puppies and their Peter Pan syndrome goes on till they are 7 or 8 years old. :-) Chows. I love their attitude. Very self assured.And not very destructive with plants and flowers. But slippers and curtains fall victim to Cassie.
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Re: HELP!

Post by Victory »

Please, please, please, realize something. A chow is NOT like most other breeds. They have some traits in common with Shar-pei's. But for the most part they have unique temperments. They are independent to a fault. Biting in a puppy will not stop with age, in a chow puppy biting is an attempt at dominance in play. It will grow into dominance behavior in the adult. In a chow's mind it is very simple, "I bite, I win." In a puppy this is a game, in an adult it is alpha dominance behavior.

Chows need to learn in the first 1-2 weeks you have them, by the time they are 10 weeks old, not to bite a human in play. I had my Dreamdancer trained not to bite me in 1 week. I started the very second he got off the plane while he was still even in his travel cage. I stuck my fingers through the bars, if he just sniffed, or licked I said, "good boy." If he opened his mouth and tried to nibble, I moved my hand away and said firmly but calmly, "No, no biting." I then waited a few minutes before putting my fingers back in. I continued this with him even when he was playing with other people. In a week he had learned that putting his mouth on me or anyone else only earned him time alone.

One of my first chows, LiChi was trained in this way. LiChi had been my mother's chow, he was spoiled, but trained. When I got him he was an assertive boy who basically thought, "Look at me I'm gorgeous and I rule the world." We lived with some friends back then, one was a toddler, one day I was playing with the toddler on the couch and changing his diaper. LiChi was laying beside the couch, fully stretched out, the toddler jumped down off the couch, right onto LiChi's boy parts. Before I could even move, LiChi spun up onto his feet, mouth open...and I saw it flash through his eyes, anger, pain, then the realization that it was the toddler and biting was not allowed. LiChi huffed out a great big sigh and buried his big head in my lap. Had he not been taught proper bite hibtion while a puppy and adult the toddler whould have lost part of his face or even been killed. This is why I am SO very vocal on this subject
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Re: HELP!

Post by Ursa's daddy »

If your puppy nips you, give out a high pitched yelp. In puppy language, that translates to "You bit me too hard, and I am upset." Your puppy will understand that. Say "NO!" in a firm voice and withdraw from her, cross your arms, look away from her and have a sad look on your face. This is a variation on the advice given by Victory. Dogs, even puppies, understand human body language.
Puppies are going to chew on things. They do not understand what is appropriate. Pick up and put away things you do not want your puppy to get, just like you would do with a baby or toddler. If they can't reach it, then you won't have a problem. There are any number of chew toys you can get. Get several and let her pick out what she wants. If she gets something that she should not have, let her know by saying "NO!". Clapping your hands helps to get her attention. You want her to look at you and make eye contact. The idea is to make her check with you by looking at you.
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Tippsy'smom
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Re: HELP!

Post by Tippsy'smom »

Victory wrote:Please, please, please, realize something. A chow is NOT like most other breeds. They have some traits in common with Shar-pei's. But for the most part they have unique temperments. They are independent to a fault. Biting in a puppy will not stop with age, in a chow puppy biting is an attempt at dominance in play. It will grow into dominance behavior in the adult. In a chow's mind it is very simple, "I bite, I win." In a puppy this is a game, in an adult it is alpha dominance behavior.

Chows need to learn in the first 1-2 weeks you have them, by the time they are 10 weeks old, not to bite a human in play. I had my Dreamdancer trained not to bite me in 1 week. I started the very second he got off the plane while he was still even in his travel cage. I stuck my fingers through the bars, if he just sniffed, or licked I said, "good boy." If he opened his mouth and tried to nibble, I moved my hand away and said firmly but calmly, "No, no biting." I then waited a few minutes before putting my fingers back in. I continued this with him even when he was playing with other people. In a week he had learned that putting his mouth on me or anyone else only earned him time alone.

One of my first chows, LiChi was trained in this way. LiChi had been my mother's chow, he was spoiled, but trained. When I got him he was an assertive boy who basically thought, "Look at me I'm gorgeous and I rule the world." We lived with some friends back then, one was a toddler, one day I was playing with the toddler on the couch and changing his diaper. LiChi was laying beside the couch, fully stretched out, the toddler jumped down off the couch, right onto LiChi's boy parts. Before I could even move, LiChi spun up onto his feet, mouth open...and I saw it flash through his eyes, anger, pain, then the realization that it was the toddler and biting was not allowed. LiChi huffed out a great big sigh and buried his big head in my lap. Had he not been taught proper bite hibtion while a puppy and adult the toddler whould have lost part of his face or even been killed. This is why I am SO very vocal on this subject
I couldn't agree more with Victory. I trained ALL of my dogs this way. They bite, I tell them "no" in a stern voice(no yelling or hitting), Iput them in the bathroom, and close the door and leave them for 5+ minutes. After their time out is over, I let them out but continue to not pay attention to them. When they do something good worth praising I give them a "good puppy" in a happy voice. NONE of my dogs would EVER put their mouth/teeth on me. And it is definitely not something they "grow out of", it is stopped by consistent training.
Jess
R.I.P. Cinder~1992-1994, Tippsy~9/00-4/11, Jasper~10/08-10/14, Todd~2/11-7/15
Dixie: mix Rebel: mix
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Cocoa
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Re: HELP!

Post by Cocoa »

Agree with Victory, Ursa's Dad and Jess. You will find a comment under several threads on this board that sums it up perfectly. "Never accept any behavior in your puppy that you would not accept from an adult dog." Biting at any age is not acceptable and is one of the first things they need to learn. Follow this advice and us the NILIF training and you will raise a happy, well adjusted chow.
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Re: HELP!

Post by Cam Atis »

I think I've been misunderstood or have used the wrong word when I said puppy will outgrow her biting (nipping). I did mention correction. Correct her when she does bit you. What I have seen from experience in general is that , their playfulness will be tamed in time. A pup behaves differently from an adult dog. Any owner will know what I mean with that. Nipping should be corrected. I agree with all of them above saying a pupy will not outgrow biting IF NOT CORRECTED. I assume when I said outgrow is you will reprimand you pup consistently in a tone firm and strong. Shouting will scare Nadine as Chows tend to shut down when harsh techniques are used. If you will neglect training her not to nip, then it (nipping) will develop into biting in adult or adolescents. Remember, dogs dont have hands to grab with. So they use their teeth to make their point. TRAINING will teach them how to behave around two-legged companions. Hope I get my point across.
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Re: HELP!

Post by queeniethequeen »

Hello friends!:) Thank you so much for all your advices! I am looking forward to trying your techniques.:) Is it a good start to put her food on my hands and let her eat it?
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Re: HELP!

Post by queeniethequeen »

My Nadine.:)
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here is Nadine's picture.:)
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