signs of fear in 9 months chow chow

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

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Drogo
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signs of fear in 9 months chow chow

Post by Drogo »

I have a 9 months chow chow and he is a great soul. I've been reading a lot about chows and the importance of their early socialization. He is really nice to everybody, barks when he hears noises but never really attacked any person or growled/got into a fight with another dog.

When he was reaching 3 and a half months an off lead adult doberman attacked him twice by bighting him on the back of his neck and lifting him off the ground trying to throw him away with his teeth! The owner did nothing about it as he was too scared of his dog's reactions and thankfully we managed to get him off Drogo ( my puppy). Drogo was crying for help and I was quite traumatized too from the experience.

Since then I really watched what kind of dogs he socialized with and kept him away from aggressive dogs.

However it feels that he never really recovered from it even if I did not the encourage that behaviour (being scared).

When he meets people he knows or sees for the first time he does not want to be touched on the head and keeps away from them. When somebody tries to go near him he usually runs away and his face always looks scared.

The other day a friend of ours brought her neutered adult male shi tzu and Drogo tried to smell him and make friends with but the shi tzu kept barking at him and he immediately ran away (with the scared look). It was definitely not an " ah ok let's play this out" run.

I am very confused and slightly worried as to what to do with it....

Will he stay like this forever or he will gradually grow out of it? What can I do about it?

Any suggestions or similar experiences?

Thank you in advance.

I find this forum always so helpful!
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TyChowgirl
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Re: signs of fear in 9 months chow chow

Post by TyChowgirl »

I'd say keep trying with other dogs, ones you know to be calm and playful to boost his confidence and let him know it's not always conflict with other dogs. Eventually he should have fun and get over it. He may not know how to properly interact either and some dogs are really unsure about approaching strange dogs until they become familiar with etiquette. As for people, encourage him to at least just say hello even if it's just sniffing a hand. He may never get over that because that may just be how he is and unrelated to the dog issue. Some chows just aren't all about pets and love from strangers, mine isn't and I'm still working with him. They were bred to be suspicious of strangers and are certainly not Labradors.
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Rory's Dad
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Re: signs of fear in 9 months chow chow

Post by Rory's Dad »

Chows are naturally head shy and need to be worked with on a regular basis to overcome this. First off, work on this at home. Get him used to being touched on the head. Approach from the front and from underneath so he knows your intentions. Then move to the ears and top of the head. Introduce other people to him with similar instruction. Put hands on your dog frequently to get him used to being touched. Not just the head area, but paws, hinds, etc. He should be accepting of any contact.

As for other dogs, and not just aggressive breeds, work on getting him used to social interactions. Start with leashed meetings. Try pet stores, walking paths, etc. Off-leash dog parks can be intimidating and he might go into defensive mode right off sending out certain vibes. Not the best situation until he gets comfortable.
brenchow2
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Re: signs of fear in 9 months chow chow

Post by brenchow2 »

Hi
My chow when she was not a year old was attached by 3 poodles all at the same time and it took her a couple of years to get over it and recently I was walking her and an owner of a black lab did not have her dog on a leash and the lab started to bite my now 3 year old chow my chow stood her ground and finally the other owner got her lab on a leash. No skin was broken but there was biting going on between the two. It may just take time and as for the touching of the head, chows can not see to the sides because of the hair around their face approach from the front, do it A LOT everyday. Good luck and keep up the work with yours.
Drogo
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Re: signs of fear in 9 months chow chow

Post by Drogo »

Thanks guys I'll keep doing what I am doing then. Socializing with people and other dogs and see what happens, hoping for the best
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maikinda
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Re: signs of fear in 9 months chow chow

Post by maikinda »

Have you considered finding a positive training class? They are great to socialize plus I think they help build confidence.

Laura
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Drogo
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Re: signs of fear in 9 months chow chow

Post by Drogo »

I'll check for that too Laura. Thank you
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