First time chow owner (3 month old) and lots of questions :(

[Judy Fox]

You got it in one!

What is your little girl's name?

[Pinoy51]

Hi Cyprus, yes, that was my main learning. Compromise or a "win-win" situation. My evening ritual with Simba:
"okay you can stay outside for a while, but don't bark." I came up with that sentence, because after his evening potty he loves to hang-out. Instead of dragging him in or scooping him up I let him, until he starts barking. (we're talking about 11pm or later). The moment he barks I bring him in, in the beginning mainly scooping him up .
Now if he sees me coming out, he walks in by himself, sometimes of course in the longest possible way and with the slowest movements, afterall he remains Chow. Sometimes I ask myself who is training whom . could tell more stories like this e.g. about our grooming arrangements.

[Judy Fox]

Hee! ee! I wonder why Simba's walk in sounds so familiar!!

Anther example of letting the chows do something they want on their walk is what happened this morning. We came to a spot where we usually turn left but half a dozen steps on, leaning up a post was a wheel trim that had obviously come off a car wheel and somebody had propped up. Both Matilda and Maisie "planted their feet" so we let them go and see it. They sniffed it, had a little grunt and harrumph at it and then quite happily turned round and we carried on down the road we wanted to. It was their walk and they wanted to check the wheel trim out.
Can't imagine what they made of it.