New Chow puppy, lots of questions.

[BrentDwyer]

We just got a new chow puppy a couple months ago. He is now 4 months old and his name is Ozzy. My family and I are new to the chow breed but have always had dogs. In addition to Ozzy we also have a dachshund and a Lhasa opso mix. We also had a Shar Pei who passed with kidney failure. I don't buy into all the talk about breeds themselves being dangerous. I believe that the way you raise a dog depends on how that dog will be when it gets older. Our dogs are not just our pets, they are part of the family. Now I do have a few questions. As far as grooming, he is a rough coat chow and we live in northern Illinois and it can get warm in the summer. Do you or do you not cut their hair? I have heard both. Next is the licking. This pup just wants to lick everyone's face off. Is this normal? We have never had such an affectionate dog. It's not a problem at all, we were just told buy the breeder to not expect things like this. He is very very playful. He loves playing with the other dogs, even if they are necessarily in the playing mood, I am told that he will probably calm down a lot after he is fixed. Is that true? I am sure I will have many more questions and I am so glad that there is a place I can ask people who actually have chows as opposed that just speculate and assume they are mean. Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Rory's Dad]

Congrats on your new puppy. And welcome to the forum. Never feel like you have too many questions or that those questions are silly. That's why we are all here.

You are right that breed alone does not make an aggressive dog. Chows are strong willed and left to their own devices can become destructive, but will good training and socialization they are great dogs. But that aspect can't be ignored. They must be trained so that they are challenged mentally (very smart dogs who can become bored/lazy if not motivated).

Never shave down your Chow unless necessary due to knots/matting/infestation. They have a double coat. This serves to act as an insulator in both cold and hot weather. Unless you have extremely warm periods (like 100 degrees or above for extended days), they will be fine. That doesn't mean they should be exposed to conditions for long periods (not good to leave him out at 10 degrees or 80 degrees for hours on end), but they are fine at those temps for normal periods of time.

Licking is perfectly normal. Its a lot of things for the dog. It's a greeting and an inquiry. Its a sign of affection at times. It can be an indication that the dog is 'healing' you. Sometimes its a ploy (puppies with start with a lick that sneakily becomes a chew...). Chows are funny. They can be very stand-off and aloof, but never with their inner circle. Once they accept someone as family, you will see that affection. They will continue to be wary of outsiders. Very important to properly introduce people into your home with a Chow. Let the dog know that you accept that person and they are OK.

A breeders view can be very different depending on their operation. If they limit the dogs to a business venture, then they may never see that side of the breed, and that's a shame. If they have the dogs as pets, then they should not be surprised that Chows exhibit that type of behavior.

As to behavior changes after altering the dog...that really is a tough question. My personal belief is that the dog's playfulness is likely to decrease after. But, I think it's more of a timing thing and a result of 'down time' than anything hormonal. If you have the dog fixed at 6 months or a year, then they are entering different life stages regardless of the surgery. No matter the circumstances, a 10-12 week old puppy is going to be more playful than a dog at 6 months. It's just natural progression. Add to that a surgical procedure, and I figure it will slow the dog down.

[BrentDwyer]

Thank you for the reply. Ozzy is a very affectionate pup. His licking has very very rarely leads to a nibble at all. he is very very playful, sometimes a little to playful for his sisters, but all and all and very good puppy. I know a little about the bored smart dog from having raised a great shar pei. He seems to be very similar to our shar pei , but a little more playful and affectionate. I am very pleased to have a definitive answer about the cutting Of the hair, our groomer who refuses to groom chows, wasn't sure. And she absolutely loves Ozzy, which is a huge shock to her. She grooms all of our dogs and told us that she would groom Ozzy strictly because she knows we treat our dogs well , but we were not to tell anyone else that she would groom a Chow. people seem to have a preconceived notion about the breed all together. At what point should I start real training? He is 4 months now , very well potty trained mostly because we have doggy doors, but he is still kind of "shy" I guess sometimes. should I wait until he is a little more comfortable before I start training? Or maybe after he is fixed? Thank you for all the responses.

[Rory's Dad]

Yes, Chows are very similar to Shar-Peis in their disposition.

I wouldn't hesitate to start training. Chows are very smart and will pick most of it up easily. Just don't overload. Pick a command and work with it for a week before introducing something new. Then let the dog dictate the pace. I have a new 10 week old male. He hasn't missed the puppy pad yet in the week we have have had him. He has a natural tendency to sit, so that is easy. He also loves to offer his paw, so we chose that to work on. Other than that, we make sure to touch his head at every opportunity to overcome the head shy tendency, and try to touch his underside frequently so he is comfortable with inspections. I have a male that wouldn't roll over for his life and a female that will present herself at the drop of a hat, so just trying to work within the dog's comfort is important.

Since you have a doggy door, leash training might not be a concern, but I would work with walking manners. In my opinion is teaches a lot more than simple walking technique.