new to chow chow

[georgia walker]

I have had shar-pei for the last 20 years and my last 5 have past away with kidney failure. One last week. I can't take it any longer. Do chow live any longer than my precious shar-pei? Are they as laid back as the pei? Do they like cats like the pei do? Please let me know

Thank you

Georgia walker

[ski]

I don't know very much about shar pies, but our chows require very little attention. They aren't at all needy.
Speaking for my males, they have a strong prey drive and don't tolerate cats or small animals. I do think you can alter that behavior if they are introduced to cats as puppies. Our dogs are rescues and came to us at the age of two and it has been an uphill battle to get them to tolerate our cat.

[wokman]

I had a Shar Pei/Terrier Mix and read Shar Pei have their own fatal disease which causes their white blood cell count to dramatically increase. Only way to avoid the problem was to check the prospective dogs family history. Only one of my Chows was indifferent to Cats the rest saw them as food you can play with. As said in the other Post your best bet is to start with a Puppy and I think a Kitten.

[Pinoy51]

Hi Georgia,
the question how old Chows are becoming can be better answered by longterm Chow owners like Judy.
I can help with the cat/chow part.
My two chow puppies love our persian cat, but Simba my nine month old male has a overwhelming personality so Chibi our cat, is getting out of his way every time he likes to play with her.
Nala our nine week old female is much calmer, so they can share the same space and as it looks they will get friends soon.
Chows are laid back if the environment allows them too.
They're very protective, so they won't be good companions in a lot of public places or if strangers are coming into their territory regular.
But then again their intelligence will allow them adapt to a lot of challenges if they have the right boss to follow.
If they decide on their own, we humans might find some of their decisions aggressive but mostly they' will come over stubborn, showing a " don't care"- attitude.
It takes a lot to get an obedient chow in a traditional way. Nanouet seems to have mastered the art

[wokman]

Being like the other people I was eager to give you my opinion and answer to your question. Your Post for me brought back a memory of regret and sadness for my Shar Pei/Terrier Mix.
From all of us; deep regrets for your recent loss, they are all now together, playing in the forever after; R.I.P..

[kitten1426]

Our 2 chows love our cats they also grew up with them so im sure that helps...our 7 week old was introduced very young and our 12 week old female was also..they can be eating and the cat can go right into there dish as they eat they dont even seem to care...lol..

[Ursa's daddy]

My two have no problem with my cats. Currently, we have three cats, and 5 dogs. Ursa and Malachi, my two chows, found and raised Yoda, one of the cats. There is nothing like having a cat that will run to you and follow you like a dog. It does help to have cats that are not frightened by dogs. Chows seem to adjust to their territory by accepting animals that are a part of the territory, so the chow should recognize that the cats are a part of your home. The usual precautions are necessary. The cats need a safe place where they can relax. A gate in front of the door to one room is a good idea. That gives the cats a place to go and be alone. You also need to control initial interactions and correct the dog should he want to chase the cat.

[wokman]

Link to Shar Pei information?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shar_Pei#Health

[Conrad's Mom]

Hi all lovelt chow chow addicts. My darling little man is 11 weeks old and is behaving as befits a puppy - unpredicatably to my two cats. The male cat is a lot more mellow than the female and is happy to just smack Conrad a couple of times and get out of the way. He also likes to watch Conrad play albeit from a high vantage point. The female cat hates the puppy and now hates me as well. She hisses and spits and claws her way out of Conrad's way and out of my arms as well. She also likes to follow Conrad and I around the house just to sit under a random chair and hiss in our general direction. Conrad is pretty laid back as far as puppies go and that means that although he mainly tries to ignore the cats (no one likes to be smacked on the nose every time they say hello) he does find it hard to keep away when she follows him and hisses. This whole situation is worrying me as I do not want to end up with the cat and the dog at war forever. I would appreciate any advice from experience chow and cat owners on how I could help them sort their relationship out (or at least not make it worse) while Conrad is still young.

Much love

[Pinoy51]

There are a couple of blogs in relation to Chows and cats.
The most given advise is to make sure that the cats have a Chow free zone, so they can retreat and don't feel threaten by the Chows approach.
I mentioned several time that Simba and Chibi our persian cat can't get together because Simba behaves like a bulldozer when he tries to approach the cat. This is his general approach, fast and right in front of you to smell you and check you out.
Nala and Chibi can share a room as Nala is still smaller and way more sensitive means slow in her approach.
They haven't figured out how to play together but they don't go on each others nervs.
So my approach for Chow and Cats, separate areas and controlled "meet and greet" excersises. Until now limited success to socialise both species, but at least peace an quiet in the house, mostly