Is chow right for me?

[Tan160581]

I have fallen in love with the chow breed after reading about them I feel confused some people say lovely dogs other people say they would never trust a chow one minute can be nice next minute could bite you

I work from home so most of the time would be with the chow my partner is more of a cat person cannot stand in your face yappy dogs and I work from home so can't have a dog barking all the time my boss would sack me I have a large house with big garden with 3 chickens and there are wood land walks near me I can take him on lead

I also have 4 sphynx cats 1 savannah cat and 1 Chinese crested would this be a good mix I read chows have strong prey instinct and kill cats but breeder I have found said they be ok as long as I have from puppy but then I read other stories on net that scare me my cats are pretty much in your face and Chinese crested is very dainty girl

I also read they don't bond with there owner in a way that would upset me thinking they didn't like me in some ways the chow sounds great re cat like personality and independence does anyone here have other animals with there chow also my cats are indoors

Advice very appreciated as got to let breeder know if I want a puppy

[Rory's Dad]

i wont say whether its right for you or not, that is your call. But i can tell you from experience that Chows like to announce everything that enters their domain. A knock at the door, barking and some growls. Stranger in the yard, same thing. Chows certainly can be accepting of cats, but with that number, i would wonder. As for the chickens, i think that is inviting a situation.

On the flip side, i do think you have gotten the wrong impression on Chows bonding with their owner. They are very loyal is treated well and raised properly. A chow would be the most loyal of your pets, they just dont show it the same way. Think of the cats when visualizing how your Chow reacts to you. They can be stand offish at times, but the tail (the whole rear actually) will wag away when you come home and they would defend you and your property without question.

[Tippsy'smom]

It's your call weather you believe a chow is right for you or not. Currently, in our household, we have 6 dogs (2 chow mixes, a pitbull mix, a yorkie, a Chihuahua, and a pomeranian); 8 cats, 2 hamsters, a bird, and a mouse and everyone co-exists peacefully. My late chow girl, Tippsy, had a high prey drive. She killed MANY critters (opposums, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, lizards, etc.) in her 10 1/2 years, and she loved to chase cats that we didn't own. She lived with a number of other dogs (a mini poodle, 3 Pomeranians, a Chihuahua, a min pin, a boxer, a mini schnauzer, a yorkie and briefly a pitbull and a beagle mix that we fostered), many cats, 5 birds, and a hamster and she never harmed or even tried to harm any of them. If you do the socialization with other animals early, you shouldn't have a problem with them living together.

And by the way, chows have been the most loyal of ANY breed of dog I've owned. My last purebred girl even put her own life in danger to save me from a dog that was aiming to attack me. They're not going to always want to be dawned over and cuddled, they like their space, like a cat, but they like to be able to keep you in their sight. Tippsy followed me EVERYWHERE, I couldn't even go in the bathroom alone. Lol Still can't.... Always got my 2 chow mixes and my pom underfoot. Lol

[Ursa's daddy]

Well, I have two chows, and three cats, along with three small dogs. The cats rule the house. Ursa, my first chow, was raised from a puppy with the cats. Malachi, my male, was with cats from three months on. The two dogs raised a kitten from 4 weeks old. I now have a cat that will rush dogs if they approach too closely. He doesn't mess with the chows, but then he thinks he is part chow. Our Persian we got from a pit bull rescue group, and all the dogs are afraid of her. Our Maine coon cat likes to sample the dog's food, and they know to go along with the program. If a chow puppy is raised with cats, there should be no problem. As far as trust, I trust my dogs. You have to train your dog, and accept nothing in a puppy that you would not accept in an adult dog. You have to the the leader. Chows look to the leader and will follow the leader. Now if you cannot effective lead, then the dog is on his own. This might not be a good thing. My two will alert when they see or hear something they think is unusual or a possible threat. They do learn what is a normal sound and tend to ignore them. As far as bonding, my two have bonded quite well to me, my wife and my son. Ursa, my female, loves my wife. There is a bit of male bonding with Malachi. He has a "whatever" attitude towards my wife. I don't know how a chow or any dog would respond to the chickens. My two are fascinated by birds, butterflies, and squirrels. Personally, I believe that chows are wonderful dogs.

[Cam Atis]

A chow would be great companion to you if you work at home. 100%. Since you have already cats in the house, I'd say it DOES present a problem.
Why would you like to have a dog when you got a lot of cats already. But Ursa's Daddy can guide you as he have both. And so is Rio.
What you read about the internet is not always true. Chows are known as guard dogs and thus regarded to have an aggressive trait BUT they can be nurtured to grow up having a gentle trusting nature to his immediate family members. Most members here having chows can attest to that truth which is beyond the other people's understanding simplu because they have not owned a chow in their life.
Cassie, my first chow, is very gentle but I know she still has an attitude. She just learned to be trusting because of the way we brought her up. Being gentle with a chow is the way to go. That means no hitting.

[Tan160581]

Hi
Thanks for getting back to me I have read some horror stories about chows and then some lovely things I guess it's how the chow is brought up I know I have the cats but just love animals and moving to a bigger house and would love a chow as always been a admirer and now I been reading up on them to see if right for me

So I have to be very strict as the dog grows up would training help as well to socialise and train him can I ask how did you go about socialising did you invite people in your home and then just let the chow sit and watch or did you let the person stroke the chow also as the puppy grows and you take it out if someone comes up wanting to stroke the chow would you say yes or say no as would hate anyone to be bit cause I was not a responsible owner

And re walking for first year is garden excercise and maybe a daily 20 min walk enough?

[Cam Atis]

Socialising means you let your chow see people. Other people. Letting him observe how you behave around people help enormously in his mindset. If you hate people, your dog will get that. If you love to talk to people, your dog will be accepting of that. No need to have the dog in a sit stay position if someone want to pet him as a pre requisite. I dont find it necessary. You need to close in your hold nearer to the collar when someone is about to pet him. I do hold the lead/leash but my other hand is in my dog's neck. So he knows I know. He will relax. That is if someone want to get closer. Their hands can get closer, their faces must not. No smushy.
Being strict is of no meaning to the chow. They are quite behaved you know. What you need to understand is how the dog perceive things. What do they mean when they play bow. A tucked tail. Or if ears are erect or carried low, a fixed gaze. A wandering look or look away. Bared teeth or open mouth. By knowing these, you can pretty much assess if your chow is already pissed off or happy. Their bark also have different intonations that could tell you if they are just plain happy or grumpy already. You will learn that from a grown dog as puppies are more on play play play. Attention from you is taken always into consideration by a dog or puppy , nevermind if it is negative or positive. So you need to learn how you are giving away body or behavioral signals to the chow. Buy a book on chows as they are not trained in the same league as the other dog breeds. They are different, a bit on the ROYALTY side like they are one level higher than the mutt next door.

[Cam Atis]

One trait of a chow that seemed to be in their genes is the INITIAL reluctance to be in a strange surrounding,(think more with strange people). They tend to try to disappear from view as much as possible, opting to observe from somewhere hidden. But frequenting one place until the chow is at ease, before going into yet another strange place or routine is the way to go. They can easily get what you want them to do maybe because they wanna observe first. So they dont obey you so dont hit them when you are not being obeyed. They will obey you later. Cassie had two or three (?) months before she decided to be an outgoing chow as against to Cassie the reserved chow. It just happened when she got to explore by herself and she never looked back once she decided. That means, no tugging, no sitting down during walks.

[Ursa's daddy]

Chows require a lot of time and patience; definitely at first. Ursa was very shy. China, my Siamese cat was interested in her, and also wanted to sample the puppy's food, so that worked out rather well, since Ursa was too frightened to be food aggressive. Teaching her to walk was the usual chow thing. I used my method to train cats....I put the leash on her and let her drag it around inside. Later we went out into the fenced yard. My wife tried to get Ursa to walk with the terrier, but Ursa was too cautious to really want to walk. I let her explore on her own and eventually she learned to walk. A lot of issues were resolved when I got Malachi. He had been socialized by the staff at the animal shelter, and therefore was not as shy. When I walked the two together, they did well as a team. For socialization, we went out to the parks and walked around town where they could see people and other animals.

[Tan160581]

But if u walk them you would never discourage a stranger from stroking a chow as that would socialise it

Also do chows mount
Do chows drool
And do they have a doggy smell
Can u groom them in summer to keep them cool

[Cam Atis]

No do not DISCOURAGE a stranger from petting or stroking your puppy during walks if you want him to be friendly. Be aware of your chow's reaction to it and adopt accordingly.

Do chows drool? I dont know of any dog who drool without reason. They drool if they smell fried chicken and they cant have them. NO i havent seen Cassie drool yet. But I sure had a grand time watching my Cookie slowly develop a drool while looking at me eating some fried chicken! hehehe while she patiently sat and waited for her piece.

Can you groom? Sure. Daily if you have that much time.

Do they mount? of course yes. Especially if you have a male.

Do they have doggy smell? I dont understand this. Of course they have doggy smell if you dont bathe them often enough and that is true in a hot weather. Do cats have cat smell? I think they have. I am not a cat lover. So i dont know.

[Tan160581]

Sorry I explain my questions bit more I meant do chows slobber like a mastiff like if they shake there head there saliva go everywhere and when I said do they have a dog smell my mum has a collie and her house smells of dog I just wondered cause the chow so big do they have a doggy smell I read on the Internet they smell of popcorn lol is that true lol

Also I would groom them every day but when I looked on YouTube I seen chows shaved not right down to the skin but a summer cut but I read that bad so just wondering what is right x

[Cam Atis]

Ok. They dont do the mastiff drool like shaking head and drool flew all around you. No.
Smell? They do smell but not as worse as a collie. I can say : discreet? Uhmm, subtle! Yes. Smell like dog but subtle.
They dont smell sweet like popcorn either.
Chows should never be shaved unless they are going under the knife or has skin diseases. They must be left alone in their fur. Their fur is their insulation. Believe it.

[Tan160581]

Thank you helps a lot so if they getting warm in summer put on air conditioning then I have to say my house gets warm as I have tropical tanks and reptiles and I have sphynx cat so do have heating on would that distress the chow x

[Ursa's daddy]

Chows don't have a doggy smell. Here is what I do when someone approaches my dogs and wants to pet them. I stop and have the dogs sit. This tells them to relax and that I don't need them to be on alert or protective. I ask the person to approach from the front and hold their hand out at the level of the dog's nose or lower. They are to be still and let the dogs smell. If the dog does not draw back or react negatively, then I tell the person to touch the dogs under the chin or on the side of the ruff. Malachi does not like to be touched on the top of his head, and Ursa is not too keen on it. Most dogs do not like to be touched on top. Under the chin seems to be ok for a first contact, and side of the ruff seems to be good. Most people remark about how soft and fluffy they are. The best thing to do during the summer is to daily brush your dogs. I like a pin brush, because it seems to untangle their fur and pick up the shed hair. Now my wife does clip our dogs. Why? Because she grooms her mother's poodle, and she just like to play with the clippers. I could argue, but I have been married 40 years, and know better than to pick pointless arguments.

[Rory's Dad]

LOL on the arguing Ursa...well thought out and very smart. i am on 15 years and know the same.

i will add this on the subject of drool...no they are not like a mastiff or a bulldog, but most that i have seen are sloppy drinkers. they will spoil their bib and drip a small river across the floor leaving you to wonder if any of it got into their mouths.

an intact male of any breed will mount. chows can be sensitive to the timing of any medical alteration. best to check with a vet knowledgable in chows about when to have that sort of stuff done.

Chows also do not have a typical dog smell. there adult fur is a bit different, so they dont tend to get 'doggy'. that being said, if they are exposed to rain in large amounts (like totally soaked), or are not bathed at proper intervals, they certainly will develop a fur odor.

Also agree with Ursa on the proper way to approach the Chow. That can be very important, and it is up to its person to properly educate strangers.

[Ursa's daddy]

@Rory's Dad, LOL, thanks...

I forgot about sloppy drinkers. We keep a mat under the inside water bowl in the kitchen. The floor is ceramic, so getting wet is not a big problem, but they do make a mess. Chows drink a lot of water. We have several large water bowls outside which get fresh water daily. I am is south Mississippi, and the heat and humidity can be a bit much. Dogs cool by panting, and this takes a fair amount of water. Of course, they aren't shy about asking to come inside for the air conditioning.

[Cam Atis]

I live in a country where temperatures during summer ranges from 34 to a high of 37 degrees celsius. We mostly survive the 34-35 degrees celsius. That was also my concern before I get my chow pup.
So you decide how hot your home heater should be because you have reptiles and tropical tanks.
Can you spare some if your chow pup played with them and they die in the process? (just kidding)

The turtle we have here always had heart attack whenever Cassie saw her or him? I cant even tell if he is a she or a he. Cassie will bark at the poor thing and patiently waits for it to crawl or at least take a peek. I haventt got enough time to see who wins in the waiting game as I am probably the most impatient with the turtle.
Cassie carried the small one in her mouth one time so I relocated the poor thing before she or he became a chew toy.

[Tan160581]

The more I hear about the more I want one I have found a breeder who is rec on the kc breeder website and she shows chows and her pups are 1400 pounds as I read never go to anyone who sells pups lower then that also she said if I go at 6 weeks to meet both parents and pups and feel chow not right would give me deposit back so can't be fairer then that and said pups ready to leave at 8 weeks

Can I ask when you got your puppy home did you start straight away who was boss and how did you do that

Did they sleep in a crate of a night or desperate room or did you leave them to sleep anywhere in house and as they get older what are there sleeping arrangements just thinking with my cats would it be best to desperate them?

Also re grooming baths I heard don't bath to much and don't get fur wet so bath just once a month
If they went out on a soaking wet day would you bring them in and hair dry then or bath then hair dry them

Also I had a private message from someone on this forum but deleted by mistake saying 65 percent of chows on death row for attacking there owner and not to get one as if you don't know what your doing that could happen or a chow be a home - what is your view on this as it did scare me a little

[Sirchow]

The fact you have put the price of a puppy in pounds makes me wonder if you are in the UK. Our chows are very different in character to the back yard bred US chows who often but not always are the ones who end up on death row. Here in the UK for many years breeders have been breeding for a more laid back nature and it has paid off. I have three chows and have never been bitten. We do have one drooly chow with a heavier head who dribbles as she leaves her water bowl or if she pants excesively in the heat. None of our chows smell except a faint smell unless they get wet in the rain. They generally loose a lot of coat in the summer which helps keep them cool. Ours have a shady patio area which they lie out on the concrete slabs and keep cool. I dont groom as much as I should probably but they dont get tangled....I would say a couple of half hour sessions a week is fine for most chows. The more open faces dogs have it easier in the hot weather.

[Sirchow]

The fact you have put the price of a puppy in pounds makes me wonder if you are in the UK. Our chows are very different in character to the back yard bred US chows who often but not always are the ones who end up on death row. Here in the UK for many years breeders have been breeding for a more laid back nature and it has paid off. I have three chows and have never been bitten. We do have one drooly chow with a heavier head who dribbles as she leaves her water bowl or if she pants excesively in the heat. None of our chows smell except a faint smell unless they get wet in the rain. They generally loose a lot of coat in the summer which helps keep them cool. Ours have a shady patio area which they lie out on the concrete slabs and keep cool. I dont groom as much as I should probably but they dont get tangled....I would say a couple of half hour sessions a week is fine for most chows. The more open faces dogs have it easier in the hot weather.

[Ursa's daddy]

Sirchow KNOWS about breeding chows in the UK. Rio, also in the UK, has raised cats. A puppy raised with cats should do quite well. Feel free to PM me for questions about dogs and cats. I have had both together for years.

Chows are not vicious and likely to attack their owners...far from it. My two are highly protective of me and my family. Most of the chows (as well as other pets) that are euthanized in the US are because of stupid owners who do not recognize that an animal is a commitment for life and deserves the best of training and treatment. I knew nothing of chows when I got Ursa in 2007. I got to know her and train her, and things worked out rather well. I joined this forum in 2010 because I had questions about health issues, and not training or behavior issues.

I see you have a Savannah cat. While I have never seen one in person, from what I have read, they would have a personality similar to the chow. I suppose you have trained your cat. If so, then you know that positive reinforcement and love can work wonder and harsh treatment can get you scratched.

[Cam Atis]

Ideal time to bring home the puppy is at 8 weeks. But i did brought home a pup at 4weeks and I did not have any problems raising it. She just didnt learn to bark, thats all. She found her voice at 8months and i was glad. She never barked if it is not human. She whined if it were anything but humans.
Bathing depends on weather. We bath our dogs weekly. Some bathe them monthly, some twice a year, some dont. So use us as a gauge. Perhaps no other people bath their dogs more frequent than we do and yet our dogs dont catch a cold. Tropical country I am in. If you are in the UK where the weather is either overcast, or it is raining or snowing or raining or overcast, frequent bathing is not in order I think. Ask Rio and some who are from your place.

Whenever I have a new puppy I let them sleep in their crate at night inside my room near my bed where I cam reached down. Immediately, I start them on the routine I want. Feed them at intervals fit for their age. Play amd interact with them 4xaday during feeding time. Train them to sit before putting down their dish. I train asap.

[Rory's Dad]

being in the US i will offer this...chows have a poor reputation with insurance companies. That is all that is published and is really without any solid background.

Chows are extremely loyal dogs. I have had 3 and have never had an issue with them being aggressive to family members or guests welcomed into my home. They all have very different backgrounds and personalities.

Most of what you hear about is the result of major changes in family dynamic. Young, single male persons who get a chow as a protector dog, and then get married and have children. The dog isnt socialized to this change and cant understand the new people or situation. Because the dog grew up as the 'only child' so to speak, it still views the new family as intruders.

My dogs were given to my children when they were old enough to realize it was a responsibility. The chows grew up within a family atmosphere. They have always recognized people of different ages as being part of the pack, so never any issues.

[Tan160581]

Thanks everyone you all been great

Ursa daddy any advice u have about getting cats and chows to live together in peace would be gratefully accepted

Also you said When you got to know your chow and train her what did you mean by that did you mean you got to know when she was angry about something and know if she was going to strike or u just know her methods of training

Puppy only 5 days old so I probably be on here heaps when I get her to see I'm doing thjngs right

I also read that they can't eat off floor in a dish and to have a raised dish is that right snd only have a tablespoon of meat and rest is rice and eggs what do you feed your dogs

Also are they destructive as puppy's and what in your experience keeps puppy's entertained happy etc