New chow owner,quite anxious!

[Stathis]

Hello everyone

I am a new chow chow owner and a new dog owner in general,but still i am not anxious about the training and the living with the dog.My question my seem "stupid" to some of you but to me,meh,i had to make it clear to my head.I got my new baby (Choco) and she is 8 weeks old, and i am so excited living with her.The question is : Is she a pure chow chow puppy ? Thats what the breeder said,its just that the colors are making me curious.
I am attaching a photo of her so that maybe someone can make this clear to my head

Choco.jpg (71.12 KiB) Viewed 5250 times

[Rory's Dad]

Eyes look right, paw shape and structure look good, can't really see the tail but fur looks course and Chow puppy like. Check the rear legs, they should be straighter than your average dog with very little 'knee', normal walk should be almost tippy toed.

Coloring is unusual, but not indicative of a mix. The black mask will likely turn color to a red as the dog matures. Usually the ears are a tell-tale sign of the adult coloring, and i have seen many dogs with a black tip on the tale, also a sign of a red. Lots of black in your pup, but again its about coloring, not purebred or not.

[Stathis]

Well she surely got the blues(im talking about the tongue ofc ) and her tail is small straight and towards the head ( not sure how to describe it pefrectly )with brown and a little black colouring.Not sure about the legs but they seem like the ones you describe.Its not that im gonna love her less,but you know thanks for the info however!

[Rory's Dad]

Proper Chow tail should curl over the back, as you describe, towards the front. Not all pups will hold the tail properly, and may require a bit of encouragement.

[Stathis]

She seems to be growing normally with the tail up there and the triangular ears properly so we are all verty happy
Now the hard stuff come,like teaching her her name got any tip for that ?
Thanks for your help anyway

[Rory's Dad]

Yes, to teach her her name, use it frequently. Combine it with the basic puppy training that you will need to do. When you want her to sit follow this formula:

Chow Dog, Sit. Combine with a hand signal (move your hand from her nose over the top of his head). Reward for successful completion.

Call the dog using his name. At first he will just respond to your voice, not the actual name. Reward when he arrives.

Repeat, repeat, repeat.

[Stathis]

I was trying to teach her name by giving half her meals 1 by 1 in training.I called her name and when se succesfully looked at me i gave her the treat.I minded to distract her from me so that she just just look at me mechanically and it seems to work.If i combine these two as u say ,other orders and name,will it be faster/easier ?
thanks in advance for all your help

[Stathis]

Well she seems to be cooperating great with the training and socializing and i'm verry happy about it The only problem now is how can i get her sleep in her own bed ? I have got her a big nice comforting bed but she seems to ignore it and prefers to sleep on the floor.Any tips for that ?:P

[DrewBear]

I live in a mild climate (SF Bay Area) and my Chow from puppyhood did not like either my bed or his. When he got a bit older he'd sleep on a padded rug in the cooler months, but never cared for any of the padded dog beds.

[Rory's Dad]

Yes, as Drewbear stated, she may never care for a doggy bed. It's an individual preference, and most actually prefer a tile floor or hardwood. They tend to be cooler against their skin, and many just like it better.

Most beds are designed with an enclosure effect. This can be comforting to dogs who have separation issues or otherwise need to feel a secure spot to sleep in.

Typically, that is not the chow. He will want to place himself between you and entrance points. Most often they will lie in front of doorways or in spaces that are accessible to them. That is their guarding nature.

[Stathis]

Well i am currently studying in Sofia,BG so the climate here isnt hot,its actually the oposite.And she doesnt pick a certain spot she just lies around on the floor near the sofa ,but after some fun she had on her bed playing/training etc she seems to be liking it today
Thanks for the info however