Chows and Pine Cones

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

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KFayal
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Chows and Pine Cones

Post by KFayal »

My wife and I are on our second Chow Chow and we love them. One habit that we saw across the two - living subsequently to each other - not simultaneously - was that they love to eat pine cones for some reason. It's not a big deal when they do this outside, but they both have brought in the pine cones and made a mess all over the floor. My wife and I found a solution to the problem with our second chow Mosa. We have trained her to bring the pine cones in the house and trade them for a treat. Now she comes in holding a pine cone in her mouth with a brisk run, finds one of us and proudly drops it on the floor in front of us. We show all kinds of happiness and pet her on the head and then immediately go to her treat bin to "trade".

It works wonderfully well. In fact, sometimes too well. She figured out where we store the pine cones and sometimes when they are in short supply, she will steal one from the box, take it outside, then turn around and come back inside to demand her "trade". So now we know we have to burn the pile of pine cones when the box becomes too full to where she can easily steal one.

As you all know Chows don't really come to you for attention - so when Mosa comes to us and sits down and stares at us we know something is up. Many times she's brought in pine cones before we've even gotten up in the morning and she is trying to inform us that there is one waiting downstairs to trade. On many occasions she's been so desperate for the trade that she'll paw or bump her nose into our legs to let us know.
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Laura
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Re: Chows and Pine Cones

Post by Laura »

That is so cute and what a smart girl she is!
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Chloe (left) Shuggy (right)
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emiliebbbbb
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Re: Chows and Pine Cones

Post by emiliebbbbb »

OMG!! My Suki is the same! She collects them whenever we go on road trips or anywhere she can find them. So glad to know someone else out there knows what it’s like - everyone else seems to think I’m going bezerk when I tell them my dog loves to collect pinecones. Mosa sounds so intelligent!
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