first time dog owner.

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CoCo25
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first time dog owner.

Post by CoCo25 »

Hi. im a first time dog owner, and i got myself a chow. Do you have any tips and advice for me guys?
CoCo25
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Re: first time dog owner.

Post by CoCo25 »

btw, my chow's a male. 3 months old . ive teach him how to sit, and also come when called, but i think he only comes because of food.
Im having a hard time teaching him to stay, but i wont give up. Ill just probably teach him how to lie down first, then come back to staying.
Piff Poff
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Re: first time dog owner.

Post by Piff Poff »

Be as stubborn as the chow, don't encourage any behavior you don't want in an adult dog.

We discouraged Henry from jumping up from day one, then when he was about 6 months old a friend was going through difficulties came to stay with us and in six short weeks undid all our hard work, even though we kept telling him, Don't let Henry jump, it won't be funny when his 70lbs. For the most part Henry keeps all four paws firmly on the ground but he does get his blond moments :roll:
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chica_2626
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Re: first time dog owner.

Post by chica_2626 »

Best advice I can offer is to read up on these forums and other articles on the internet about chows. They definitely are a breed that will require attention and training. Read read read! I knew nothing about chows until suddenly this little ball of fluff needed my help. I learned quickly and he's turned out great.
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Ursa's daddy
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Re: first time dog owner.

Post by Ursa's daddy »

Well, congratulations on your new family member. I won't repeat my wife's comment. PLEASE read through the forums for information. Chows can be challenging to raise. You MUST socialize your dog. You have a dog that will be a personal friend for life. Remember that you are the ALPHA dog, and your dog must always follow your lead. Always try positive reinforcement to achieve proper behavior. Pets and praise are always a good thing. Bribes (treats) are useful, but you will find out that you will never run out of praises. A loud, sharp "NO" will work well as a negative incentive. If you feel something more is needed, get a squirt bottle with water. A hand clap works also, but always use the vocal command "no" first. You want your dog to respond to your voice commands. That makes life so much easier.
Since this is your first dog, and my guess is it is a puppy, the best thing you could do is attend dog training classes. Both of you will benefit. Take your dog places with you. This is what socialization is all about. I just got back from an adventure with my two. We went to the VETS, a place that they really like. The people there talk to them, and they get treats after they get examined and stuck. They get to show off their ability to sit and lay down. The key point is that they find it a positive experience.
Some of the forum members may not be as positive. Chows can be difficult, especially as a first dog. You have the dog, so you now have to work at being the best dog owner and make the dog the best it can be.
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Re: first time dog owner.

Post by Piff Poff »

I agree some of the forum members will have negative comments about a chow being your first dog - Henry is my first ever dog, I hadn't even met a chow before we got him, now I don't understand why anyone would want a different breed. lol.
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Ursa's daddy
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Re: first time dog owner.

Post by Ursa's daddy »

btw, my chow's a male. 3 months old . ive teach him how to sit, and also come when called, but i think he only comes because of food. Im having a hard time teaching him to stay, but i wont give up. Ill just probably teach him how to lie down first, then come back to staying.
Sounds like your training is going well. Using treats to get him to come to you works, but you need to transition to other rewards. When he comes, have him sit, then pet him and give him verbal praise before you give him the treat. After doing this for some time, skip the treat occasionally. Your dog will still come, because he does not know if you will have a treat or not, but knows you will praise him, and sometimes you will have a treat. Teaching a dog to lie down is very important. I find that my dogs will "stay" better if they are lying down. This is also a very good control position. All our dogs have a location where we can tell them to go and lie down, and they will do so, since they know they are safe and things are ok if they are there.
Be as stubborn as the chow, don't encourage any behavior you don't want in an adult dog.
Piff Poff is correct with this. My two chows do not get on furniture, jump up on people, beg for food while I am eating, etc, because I do not encourage or accept this behavior.

Keep the forum updated on your dog's progress.
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Victory
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Re: first time dog owner.

Post by Victory »

yes some of us are very hesitant about first time dog owners and chows. But it can be done, and has been done. Puppy class is essential in this circumstance, not so much for your chow but for you. This way you will learn the right commands, the correct things. However, if you walk into a class and they instructor says anything like, "chows are too stuborn to learn; chow are viscous, (mean, unpredictiable, uncontrolable); chows can't be trusted, etc, and/or wrinkles his/her nose at your chow, or in anyway at all indicates that he/she doesn't like chows, RUN, do not walk RUN from that class and find another one.

Chows have long memories, this is good because it means once they learn something they retain it, (even if they pretend they don't know which he will do, it's a chow thing) it also means that any negative thing they experience the also remember and it can make life hard for you and your chow. So positive things only.

The key with chows is patience, persistence, (you have to be more stuborn than he is), respect, (you must respect him as a being on his own, he is a friend, a companion, a partner, not a clown, not entertainment in a fur suit) fairness, (if you can't show him something, or encourage him to do something, it is not his fault,it is yours.) consistency, (if you give a command, and he ignores you, give it again, and again, eventually he will obey, don't lose patience and punish, or give up, that is inconsistent and sends the wrong message) and a sense of humor. He will be silly sometimes and ignore you just to make you laugh, it's a chow thing.

Remember the trick with chows is that they don't really need people, there are a lot of stories on this site about chows that lived on their own, and stayed fairly healthy, well fed and watered for years. They are smart, independent, loyal to a fault. They do not preform tricks just to do it, they have to have a reason for what they do, and it isn't always going to be to please you. Think of him as part feline, ( the indepenent, self aware part), part ursine, (the memory and learning from experience part) and part canine, (the loyalty and clowny part)

And remember chows are for life, his life, congradulations on yuor brand new 15-17 year commitment.
Victory, Darkwind, (our angel), Firesong, and Dreamdancer
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Re: first time dog owner.

Post by Judy Fox »

Congratulations. :D

Cannot add much more.

Love him, respect him, be firm with him - teach him you are the Mummy Person and he is the chow puppy - you say he does.

Don't accept behaviour from your little fur ball that you would not accept when he is a fully grown chow gentleman. Play biting from a little pup is one thing - biting from a fully grown chow is quite another matter.

Don't allow people to tease him. Socialise him with as many people and experiences as you can and encourage him to be polite with people.

Do not let strangers approach him from behind as because of the placement of his eyes, he does not have peripheral vision and could be startled.

Most of all love him and look after him and you will have the most faithful friend for the rest of his life.
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Calift
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Re: first time dog owner.

Post by Calift »

Are you using any training resources?

You should definitely socialize your new dog as much as you can. Group obedience courses are excellent for that! I highly recommend you take him to a class. Also, check out some training books! Look for ones with methods you will use - such as clicker training. Kyra Sundance has some really great stuff about training your dog, though Chows will not be as easy to train as other breeds. I'm not crazy about Cesar Milan's harsh methods, especially with Chows. Barbara Allendorf and Stanley Coren have great books that'll help you understand your dog too. Definitely make a training plan and use a consistent, clear method. (and be patient! ;))
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Re: first time dog owner.

Post by cherriemater »

Welcome!!! I joined back in June and have learned SO much from all the wonderful people here. Be sure to ask all your questions and don't ever think you're being a pain. Your question asked can be one that someone else is too afraid to ask and we all learn from the answers posted.

One thing I will add that is (more) specific to Chow Chows is that most Chows do not like to be petted on the top of the head. Our Kimba would get more nervous if someone headed for her head. She LOVED to be scratched behind the ears or in the front ruff. So, when you're socializing, be sure to give instructions to those who approach. Keep an eye out for things your pup does not enjoy and add that to your list of instructions. This makes for a much more positive experience for you, your boy and your visitors.

Can't wait to hear more stories about your boy.
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Joe and Marti Martin ... Chow Chow lovers for Life (RIP Kimba 06/03/2011)
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