Should I keep my chow puppy

[Rocky]

Hello. My husband brought home an 8 week old beautiful sweet cuddly male chow chow. His co-worker breeds his. I love this puppy but I have a 12 month old, 3 year old and 6 year old. I also have a small dog and a cat. I have researched and understand he (rocky) will meed to be very socialized, well-trained, and grooming is extensive. I can commit to all of thw above if I feel that he will not ever be a threat to anyone. I in no way mean to offend anyone but I have read that Chows can be dangerous. Any advice is greatly appreciated. We would never give him to a shelter but can return him to the original owner. I really want to make him a part of our family and love him but I am looking for reassurance.

[Rocky]

Here are some pics of my sweet little bear. You can see why I want to keep him!!

[Rory's Dad]

He is definitely a cutie, and yes i can see why he would be hard to part with. Chow pups may be the absolute cutest things ever, and keeping them based soley on how cute they are have led to problems, so you are wise to ask. Even better is the research you have done on the breed and trying to understand why they are different and what is needed to raise a happy, safe chow.

I will say that while nothing is 100%, you are actually in a better situation than some of the horror stories you may have read. In most instances of 'chow gone bad', they are owned by single persons into adulthood and then the family dynamic changes (ex. wife, kids, dinner parties). A chow raised as a pup with an intact family is going to be much more tolerant of kid handling, multiple persons giving commands (and treats), or situations where they encounter groups of people.

If you understand that the chow will require leadership and socialization he will be a good family member. As each of your children reach an age of understanding, teach them how to approach the dog responsibly and how not to 'play' with him. I discourage tug of war type play with Chows. Have them approach the dog from in-front and below, not from on top of the head (Chows have limited peripheral vision and can be surprised at times with that approach).

You also mention that he is cuddly...look at how he is connecting with the members of your family. If he is overly attached to one person in particular, then he may view himself as that persons dog. If he is equally affectionate, then i think you have a winner. Rory is our 2+ year old male. He was selected from his litter mates solely on how he immediately bonded with my wife. He is super sweet, and really likes everyone. He is a chow though and requires us to tell him which guests are acceptable or he will guard the home.

I hope that helps. I know chows have a reputation, and you should be concerned about your children above all else. But it sounds like you have a good approach and i think it would be a good situation.

FYI, just one last thought. I have a 16 year old daughter and we currently have a male and female chow in the house. They are our 3rd & 4th overall. I figured we were about done with dogs after our last one passed on, but my daughter didnt ask for another cute, cuddly puppy. She asked who was going to protect her if she was home alone...that did it for me. When she was about 3 years old my wife fell asleep on the couch and my daughter tried to go outside to the backyard swingset. My male chow at the time was outside and actually blocked her from leaving the steps. When i got home, my daughter was sitting on the steps and the dog had put himself sideways and would not move out of her way. I know that was a brilliant dog that guarded my family and was forever sold on the breed.

[Rocky]

Rory's Dad,

Thank you so much for your response. I was a little nervous to post because I know people can be defensive of their breed of dog. It is exactly as you said though, I have to consider my kids safety at all costs. I have read many stories like your,s of Chows protecting young children. He does seem to prefer me to anyone else in the family. He will find me anywhere in the house and sit on my feet, but he also plays with the kids. He likes to "hop" after them in the yard. I am encouraging my 13 year old to hold him and let him attach to her. I also plan to take him out often. ( park, walks, ect.) Where would you recommend I take him for obedience or training classes? Are petco or petsmart any good? Also, my three other dogs are small breeds and all of them took FOREVER to potty train. Rocky has not had one accident and he is so young!! My other puppies were all rescues from bad situations and they are all very timid and obedient so I never had to have any classes. This is all new to me.

[Ursa's daddy]

Let's see, I have two chows, three small dogs, three cats and a foster dog. Ursa was raised with the cats from 6 weeks and Malachi was raised with the cats from 12 weeks on. NO problems with cats. That should answer that question. My two do well with the little dogs. I don't have any small children. However, I frequently take my two chows out in public, the primary reason is for them to meet people. They do quite well with children. There are any number of members here who have children. Well trained chows are some of the best dogs around. My wife, who is not a fan of "big hairy dogs" really likes them because they are well behaved. Dogs and children need to be properly trained to be well behaved. Dogs are easier than children. Go through the training section to get ideas on training. Chows are different, but (heresy) they are like all other dogs. They respond best to consistent training methods with positive reinforcement. You could almost consider training to be ritual based education. Feed him at the same time, so he knows when to expect food. Then you take him outside to potty. He goes, and you praise him "good boy". Establish a safe place for him to sleep and retreat. Lots of people like to use a crate. This should be a place where he can chill out without the children bothering him. He knows that it is his place. For several months he is going to be teething. He will find things to chew that you will think are inappropriate. Get him chew toys and substitute that for your shoe. It will be better for everyone. He simply does not know what is appropriate. That is your job. The dog that you will have in a year from now is the dog YOU create while he is a puppy. The time and effort is definitely worth it.

Your 13 year old daughter should be a good fit for him. She could start now brushing him and working with him. I may be wrong, but I think a young girl, a brush, and a dog just seem to work well together. The pet stores can have good training programs, but it is highly dependent upon the person they employ. The primary reason they have training is to train the dog owner, and that is important training. Most times, if a dog is a problem, it is due to the owner and not the dog.

Chows have a certain aloof personality, but that varies with each dog. Ursa, my female, just loves my wife and will do what ever she says. Malachi, my male, uses his selective Chow hearing to tune out my wife, which annoys her. It is a strong willed woman vs strong willed dog, and it generally ends up with her turning to me and saying "tell YOUR dog to do -------." Of course, he does what is requested because he does that to show her he can.

[Rocky]

Ursa and Malachi are beautiful! I will certainly read through the training section. I think you are right...I need to be trained to train him

[Sirchow]

Hello and welcome.

What a beautiful puppy As Rory's dad says cute is not a good enough reason to keep a puppy but you sound like you have thought things through. I wish you good luck and hope we will see plenty more pics.

Just remember as well that baby puppies bite and chew everything. My Bramble was a horror and we had such trouble teaching her not to and I thought I was doing it all wrong but when her adult teeth came in she stopped just like that and now she would die rather than bite a human. Try not to panic over the next three months or so if he bites now and then. This is not the same as an adult dog biting though it does need to be stopped. Be very careful your littlest children don't get mistaken for litter mates and hung off by their clothing etc. This is not acceptable.

[maikinda]

<<Where would you recommend I take him for obedience or training classes?>>

You may be able to find an obedience club in your area. Check with your vet, in your local paper, or even the humane society. If you are on facebook you might ask if anyone know of one in your area. The most important thing is to find a trainer that uses positive training methods. This website explains positive training. http://www.training-dogs.com/

Laura

[Rocky]

Thank you all so much for your kind words and valuable information. This forum is amazing and has so much info!! I am glad I found it.

[Sirchow]

I would check out several trainers and ask about their methods. It is most important that every thing is done by positive reinforcement and that the trainer understands that a chow is never going to be like a spaniel or a collie in that they wont always be looking for how they can please. A chow will decide if there is a good reason to do something and if there doesn't seem to be then they may not do it. Also they will do something three or four times and then they cant be bothered repeating it. They question everything

[Rory's Dad]

Absolutely some great responses here. It sounds like you have made a decision that is based on how your Chow pup is responding to your family and not just the cuteness and that is a great thing.

As for training, understand the dynamics involved. Your local pet store is a good resource. With the right trainer, they are going to teach YOU. Most of these franchises offer the correct approach, even for chows. Positive reinforcement, treat rewarded programs designed to teach basic dog behavior. They will show you how to get the dog to sit, stay, loose leash walk, etc. It is up to you to take those lessons home and work at it. They will be basic hand signals or vocal commands (most dogs will learn the hand signals first). Beyond that, these classes should allow a group play time. That allows the pup to continue his litter behavior. Don't worry about what seems to you as too rough, the dogs should monitor themselves during this play period. It also could include interaction with the other dog owners, kind of a switch and bait deal. Let the owner of another pup walk your dog for a bit or have him sit, etc. This is a great socialization exercise, and it really needed for Chows. From my point of view though, go for these classes 1 at a time. Join the early pup class, not the whole program. You probably wont need 3 or 4 sets of lessons once you have learned what YOU need to know. You can always visit these stores adhoc just to get your dog meeting other pups and people.

If you wish to go beyond that experience, you could find a 1 on 1 trainer. These are usually better for specific behavioral issues, in my opinion. If you dog is a nipper, or chews on items, or refuses to walk nicely (Pulling is a common issue), then you could consider this option, but i would say that is down the road a bit.

And yes, chows are amazingly adept at potty training. I know of no other breed that gets it so quickly. They are very clean dogs and definitely do not want to 'soil' there spaces, so once they have defined their residence, it's unlikely they will mess it up. Exception to that may be intact males, who will mark their territory.

[DeWitch]

OMD! If you don't want him I will happily take him off your hands:)