New Member with New ChowChow

[lucasmommy]

Hi everyone! Today we got a surprise addition to our family, Lucas! I had been wanting a dog for my birthday and decided to take the kids to the pound and look around. Well I fell head over heels for our new baby. He has only been home a few hours but it very timid and shy. He is full grown and the pound didn't know much about him other than he liked grilled chicken, was an "escape artist", and could lead on a leash. So far he rode very well in the car on my lap, seemed in good spirits until he found a window with open blinds and has commenced to mope staring out of it I do plan to take him on a walk in the morning once he has settled down a bit, I am a little intimidated because he is a lot of dog for me to restrain lol!

I have a few concerns/questions as well I would love help with. We first tried to bathe him as he came from the pound so he has that smelly dog odor. He was VERY skiddish and cried the entire time so I settled for a quick rinse and wash (which pulled out more dirt than I have ever seen on a dog) while my husband restrained him. He is still quite smelly so I was wondering do you think it would be too much him emotionally or physically to try again tomorrow and get him truly clean? He has several sore spots from a combination of fleas and his escapes under fences so I don't want to agitate but I would like to keep them clean. We will set him up with a vet next week to get his initial check up but is there anything I need to do before then? Any specific precautions I should take around the kids? We are teaching them to hold out there hand let him smell and then pet softly if he will let them but they are young so mostly I am making them ask my permission first.

I am not sure what he is mixed with any guesses?

[Bilbo'sMom]

I bought my puppy a dry shampoo and some wipes on amazon made specially for dogs since I can't bathe him yet, he smells yummy and is quite clean.
I don't think they like getting baths, at least none of my dogs have liked getting full baths and blow-dry. Try to only do full baths when the dog is really filthy, use no-fragrance shampoo for sensitive skin and use warm water not hot or cold, towel dry if he is scared of the blow dryer. In between you will have to brush him every day or every other day so that he doesn't get as dirty and use wipes or dry shampoo as needed (I use wipe every night or two since he goes to the park to poo).
Hope that helps

[Ursa's daddy]

Some dogs do well with a bath, and some do not. My two do well, and like being toweled off. I have a foster at this time who does not like a bath. He does well with brushing, and I can groom him with the vacuum.

Try giving him treats and work to calm him down. Basically, what you have to do is build trust with the dog. He has to learn that you are trying to take proper care of him, and you are not trying to hurt him. A skittish dog is often frightened by the present circumstances, and is unsure of what is to happen. Do not try to force him to do anything. That is where people get bitten, because the dog does not understand and has minimal ways to communicate.

Since you don't really know the dog's history, it would be best to let the dog approach the children. I am sure that all the changes he has experienced lately are a bit stressful. Explain this to your children so that they understand that the dog may not initially appreciate their attention.

Read through the training section for some suggestions. There is a lot of information there. He should be taught basic commands. He will need grooming, so get a brush and work with him. If he has sores, be careful with them. Over time, he will learn that you are helping him, but initially he will find that it may be uncomfortable, especially if he has mats. My guess is that he probably does. I am not sure your experience level with dogs, but they do try to communicate with body positioning and vocalizations. Think about a two year old child that may not want a bath and hair brushing, armed with teeth and no words.

He is quite a handsome fellow. Judging from his appearance and the "escape artist" description, I would guess part husky. If so, he will be a great jogging companion. He will need plenty of exercise to work off some of that energy.

[Sirchow]

I would echo everything Ursa's Daddy said. You need to build trust above everything else. Lots of positive reinforcement. Reward every good behaviour. One good tip is to keep half his meal time kibble in a bag at your waste and call him to you and give him some so he learns his name and every time he comes to his name he is rewarded. Then gradually introduce other behaviours sit, wait, stay etc. take him into the bathroom and brush him a little and reward. Get him to hop in the bath (he should be able to do that on those long legs) reward and so on. He will get all his food in a 24 hour period but you can use it for rewards. At this point he needs to learn to how to live in your house, what you expect and what is not allowed.

You have done a wonderful thing bringing this boy in your house and giving him a chance. Just try not to rush him. He has such a lot to learn about life with your family. I would also say never force him to go through with something like a bath as he may feel to much fear to bear you not stopping when he asks and could lash out. Far better to build trust slowly till you both know each other better. Good food, grooming, wipes and maybe even a swim in a river if he likes water will all go towards a better smelling companion.

I can't wait to see pics in a few weeks.

[Ursa's daddy]

Thank you, Sirchow. I had to go see what I had written. True confession, when Ursa and Malachi were little, I would jump in the tub with them for their bath. I figured it would help reassure them that the water was not a bad thing. There would be no room in the tub now.

I haven't tried this, but I have read on the internet that you can use a mix of corn meal and corn starch to clean and remove odor from dog fur. I don't know the portions, but you mix the two by shaking in a plastic bag. You sprinkle it on the dog, rub it in and then brush it out. The corn meal is course enough to be easy to brush out, and the starch absorbs things. And the mix is safe to eat should you not get all of it out. It might be something to research and consider.

[chowpups]

I used the cornstarch recipe if you go to the search box and type in ,Nikki has a problem, that was the thread title, you will see the ingredients and also a before and after of Nikki, it worked really nicely on her and I used alittle baby powder with cornstarch in it and smelled nice too! they suggested salt too but I didn't use the salt !
Good luck and hope it helps!