New Chow Owner and beginner furbaby parent

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pinktomoyo
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New Chow Owner and beginner furbaby parent

Post by pinktomoyo »

Hi everyone! I'm a new chow parent and almost a beginner at dog parenting. Meet Momo, our 9 week old furbaby. We got him from my mother's friend. The mother is a mix of chowchow and a japanese spitz. Her friend said the mother is 80% chow. Although the mother looks like a chow in a japanese spitz body to me albeit bigger(but I don't really know about dogs and breeds so..). The friend said the father is a pure chow. I don't really care about Momo's breed but I do want to know about the dominant side so that I would know what to expect and how to better take care of him. From what I read from different sources, I think his looks (when his ears are nor perked up) and temperament are more of a chow. We've had him for a litte more than 2 weeks now and we absolutely love him! I've got a few questions though

1. Is it okay to brush his teeth this early? I forgot to ask his vet when we went for his shot last week. He still hasn't finished his deworming. I'm asking because his breath stinks and I don't know if this is normal. We only feed him dog food and treats. I used to give him dentastix from pedigree but I read bad things about it so I stopped even though I still have 2 packs of it.

2. Is it normal that he doesn't eat much at lunch time? I usually give him half a cup three times a day but at noon (and sometimes dinner) he eats less. I asked his vet about this and they said his lack of appetite is because of the heat (We live in a tropical country and summer just started).

3. He also has a hard time defecating and they said his lack of appetite might also be because of this. I can see him trying to poop some more after releasing a small one but nothing comes out. I have to bring him out a lot of times and let him keep trying until he finally lets it all out. What can I do to help him?

4. He wakes up a lot in his sleep. Is this normal? He doesn't cry though since he just returns to sleep or sometimes goes up to look at me or drink. I think he gets a lot of deep sleep ( and easily too) though since he's always sleeping in his back with belly exposed and dreams a lot. I'm just worried that his sleep are just short periods and he keeps on changing positions and moving to a different place to sleep. Should I be worried about this?

5. Momo loves everyone's attention. But he dislikes my grandma. He doesn't like her touching him or giving him attention. I think it's gotten a bit better. He used to growl at her and hide when she walks by his pen. Now, he stopped growling but he still shies away from her sometimes when she walks by. He also moves his head away and hids himself into my arms when I bring him to her and especially when she tries to pet him. He doesn't eat his treats when she gives it to him and even when I give it him while she's petting him. He eats the treats though the minute she walks away but not the one she touched. My vet said dogs can sense if a person dislikes animals but my grandma loves them. In fact, she's taking care of cats, chickens and also mutts. Is it because of the smell? Will Momo ever like her? I feel bad because my grandma really wants them to get along and she feels hurt and envies others especially new people when Momo plays with them

6. Lastly, Momo responds easily to his training most of the time. We've only had him for a little more than 2 weeks but we made sure to housebreak him, give him some obedience training and bite inhibition training the minute we got him. So far, he listens well to commands when he's not super distracted. However, sometimes he gets in this drive ( not sure if it's zoomies) where he runs back and forth and keeps on biting my ankles a little bit harder than normal, it's hard to get him to stop even when I'm not moving or even when I yelp ouch loudly. I tried to distract him with a toy or a treat but he still goes for my feet. I also tried to make him sit before he runs to me but he doesn't listen when he's in this mood. What should I do to calm him down when he's in this mood?

Sorry for the long post and thank you for reading through it all! I hope I can be a good parent to Momo and I will be thankful for your help~ Let's get along :D
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Pinoy51
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Re: New Chow Owner and beginner furbaby parent

Post by Pinoy51 »

Hi Pink,
You're asking a lot of questions but it shows you care for your baby.
Everything related to grooming it is okay to start early, but make it more a play then a strict procedure.
At that age it is important to get Momo used to all kind of grooming, like brushing teeth and fur, taking a bath,
Cutting nails.
But take it easy, small steps first not 10 minutes procedures, give treats for doing what he is supposed to do and ignore if he is not agreeing. But keep on going through routine every day again and make it gradually longer.
I don't brush teeth but use Debra sticks,
Food as long as he is othewise healthy even a misse meal is no problem.
You need to watch the stool of Momo.he shouldn't have any problems to do his business.
Watch for blood in the stool and consult a doctor if no change, make sure he always has access to water specially if you feed dry food. You might want to mix it with some water until he is older than three month. I also live in tropical
Country, shade and lots of water is very important for his health.
Dogs don't sleep like humans lots of short naps are okay. Avoid going near or even pet him when he is asleep.
There will be always lots of shifting, snoring and even drinking during the night.
Chows are picky eaters and picky when it comes to relationship, can have lots of reasons for not getting along with someone. Be patient only your grandma and him can work it out. She needs to be patient too. Nothin can be forced, let her offer treats and let her feed him for a while.
Nipping is normal at that age, keep on distracting and use a stop command to make him aware that ankles are not okay . Will get better when he gets older.
Patients, discipline and affection will get you there.
Best regards
Pinoy51
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