Hello, question about my chow and other dogs

[Rosamundjo]

Hi, we have a 7 month old black chow puppy. I was wondering if anyone else with a black chow found that some other dogs were quite aggressive towards it. I've been told that dogs find black dogs harder to read. Dogs often growl at him but he never growls back. He just wants to play with them. In fact, I don't think he is very good at reading them and they're clearly saying back off and he keeps playing. I was wondering if anyone else had experience/ advice on this. I love that he loves other dogs but worry that he needs to learn to back off when told or one day a dog will attack him. I also don't know what's he is doing wrong to make them growl in the first place as he goes up and sniffs them and wants to play which I would have thought was quite normal dog behaviour. Thanks, Kate

[Cindy J]

He is a cutie. I think PEOPLE have a hard time reading black chows because it is tougher to see their expressions. Dogs will look at the overall body language of your dog (this is what people should do as well)

BUT, many people do not understand what to watch for. An obvious sign would be the action of the tail;
Is it wagging? - Happy- Confident
Is it being held still, but upright? Not a bad thing, but a sign that your dog is wary of the other dog or people
Is it tucked low, maybe even between the legs? Dog is uncomfortable; scared or submissive

Then there are the ears... I watch to see my dogs ears twitch and turn

... and the hair on the back of the neck

A fairly safe body language sign is the play bow.

Many dogs do not like to be stared down as it is a sign of dominance. If my dogs do this I redirect them; make them turn away from another dog that they are "Mean Mugging" (street term for giving someone the evil eye)

[Rory's Dad]

Hello, and welcome.

I think Cindy said it pretty well. People may have misconceptions about the dogs color, but I don't think that's an issue with other dogs.

Primarily what you will find with other dogs are the Chow attitude and stance that sets them on the defensive. As Cindy said, dogs look at the body language and stance. Since Chows have a different gait than any other dog, this will set them back a bit. And while most dogs will make quick eye contact and then move on, a chow will actually hold a gaze. Other dogs can view this as a challenge, which it might actually be, who knows.

Think of how your chow reacts to new people. They most often do not attack or outright move aggressively. Rather, they hold a superior position. That is why they lie in doorways or exit paths. They control an area of space, usually one that they know is tactically positive. Then they will hold eye contact. This makes people very uncomfortable. Other dogs have a similar response. Watch a group of Chow pups play together. They don't go after the neck area, they know that is well protected by their ruffs. They move at the legs to gain leverage, setting the other dog off balance and wrestling them into a submissive position. Other breeds play very differently.

Chows also, for lack of a better term "chuff". Similar to what a tiger does. Other dogs don't get this and find it unsettling.