Is a Chow right for me?

[.technoSprint]

Hi! I'm new to this forum and recently I've had a growing interest in chows. I came here mainly because of all the experts and what seemed like knowledgeable people.
My main question is as the thread indicates, is a chow right for me? I have a pretty specific lifestyle.
First, let me tell you my dog history. I've had two dogs, a samoyed who passed away at age 6 (her whole litter died of genetic defects...it was sad) and I had a border collie/corgi who is still alive that we gave away to a better home because we life in an apartment and she had the mindset of a border collie! We gave her to someone with acres of land to run on so she would be happier.
I had no problems training these dogs.
I want a dog that is a loyal companion to me, my mom and maybe even my two cats that are quite calm, but at the least get along with them. I know many people with kids and dogs that I would socialize with my chow if I got one constantly at a young age. I would assume dominance early so my chow knows who is the boss (but I would NOT do this in a cruel way!)
I am a high school student who lives in an apartment with much grass literally right outside the backdoor. I go to school from 8:15-2:00. I would take my dog out to go potty every morning before school and feed it, then probably lock it in a reasonable sized room of the house like the master bathroom for the day with a grass potty pad and another full bowl of food. Then when I got home I would feed it and take it on a long walk or maybe even a jog depending on how it's feeling, considering I'm a jogger. I would train it a lot and socialize it as much as possible.
Would a Chow be the right companion for me? How long can a Chow live?

[wokman]

Being locked in a bathroom even a large one for six hours plus does not sound like a happy time for any dog. Most Chows are very clean with the exception when they are very young and still figuring out what to do with that stuff that keeps coming out the back end. They would probably hold back and not use the potty grass if it were to close to their food and sleep/rest area. Chows are very curious and like to stop a lot and sniff things because of their keen sense of smell; they were once used for hunting. They are also selectively stubborn and deaf, so as a jogging partner I cannot see it, though others might jog with their Chows. Chows can have a very strong prey instinct and Cats may be seen as something to hunt. These are just my opinions; see what others have to say that have kept Chows in similar living conditions.

[Tippsy'smom]

I think you could make it work. My mixes and my purebred girl who passed almost 2 years ago live(d) peacefully with our cats. My Jasper (mix) was left gated in my parents bathroom with water, his bed, and potty pads. I didn't leave food, I dunno why I didn't, but I didn't. The potty pads were at the opposite end of the bathroom from his water and his bed. He (and my purebred girl, Tippsy, who was closed into my parents bedroom with water and blankets, she wouldn't use potty pads if offered. She held it from the time I left to the time I got home) was left from about 8AM to 4:30PM. As soon as I got home though, I dropped everything and took them out to exercise and they make great jogging partners. Of course, that also depends on what type of chow you get (the more athletic type or the less athletic type).

I personally think you could make it work. But you really need to take into consideration, the lifespan of a chow (10-15 years) and make 100% SURE you can give your chow those years with you. It's not fair to them if you "get tired of them" or anything else and you decide to give the chow away. They ARE one person dogs and become very depressed when bounced around.

[.technoSprint]

Of course! I want a lifelong partner and someone who can give me companionship.
Also, there are other options than the bathroom (ie a kennel/crate or different room) but I figured the bathroom would be best.

[Tippsy'smom]

I think the bathroom is a good idea. Messes are easier to clean up and the pup has more room than in a kennel.

Have you checked with your apartment to make sure chows are allowed? Many rental places have a list of "dangerous" breeds that they don't allow... And unfortunately chows tend to be on that list.

[Pinoy51]

I like that you plan well and think ahead. You're Chow will appreciate that. They love to be able to anticipate and do things right on their own. They don't do we'll in standard obedience but they beat every breed in intelligence and focus on their master, if you earned their respect. Chows and cats can be a challenge, in my case Simba is still to excited and is just too much dog to handle for our cat. Nala can be with her, as she is much calmer in her approach.
So it will depend on the character of your Chow how much challenges you will face. Same goes for jogging, Simba not his thing, Nala would love it, she likes to run.
You best check with your breeder, if the parents of your potential pup would meet your
requirements to increase the chance of a match.
Oh, and Simba has his "I'm bored" bark, if no one attends to him. It is a high pitch very loud single bark, he repeats every minute or two. He also uses it, if he wants to go out, come in etc. Not sure how that will work in your apartment, if your chow is doing that while waiting for you to come home.
Last but not least chows are protective, your Chow being alone might react to noises he can't figure out. He will do with a warning barking. That's a full blast, dark voice barking session to warn whoever makes that noise, that your Chow will deal with the noise creator, if he has too.
I'm sure there are chow owners who were able to train their Chows out of all that, but's that what a kept alone Chow might come up with, and you have to be ready to deal with.