Should i get one puppy or not?

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invader7
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Should i get one puppy or not?

Post by invader7 »

Hello from Greece! My name is Stelios and i want to own a puppy! The first breed i would tell you as my favorite is chow chow! I have some major questions because i'm scared with all these info from the web that i will make a wrong choise!

First of all im in military duty right now and that means that i will be at home half a day and maybe one whole day absent! My parents will be home thought every day.

Its the second dog i would get. The first passed out :/
I have a yard! Lots of space.
No kids!

Can i get a chow chow in warm climate like ours?
It will leave a lot of fury?
It will bark at anything?
It will be difficult for me because i have no training knowledge?
How many time a day i have to get him for a walk?

Im sure im forgetting of something but i will list it below later.
I like the breed very much not only for their beauty!

Some people told me that they are incapable of following your orders and told me to own an american stamfordshire terrier :p

Please tell me its a good dog for me :p i'd love caring one of them! Every one says DO NOT GET ONE.

Thanks!!
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Pinoy51
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Re: Should i get one puppy or not?

Post by Pinoy51 »

Hi Stelios,
I live in the tropics (Philippines) and have four Chow's by now. You can see them and their stories if you follow my posts under Pinoy51.
So climate okay, if shady rest place, lots of water and eventually cooling fan if no natural breeze can be provided.
Please do not shave the fur of the poor Chow in an attempt to provide aditional cooling.
Dogs can't cool down over the skin, just via the tongue and a bit over the paw skin. The furr is essential for skin protection against UV. Only cut if get's too long e.g. get's in the way when the dog wants to drink.

Chows are protective and bark a strange situations, strange noises and strange people and animals.
You need to socialize them as puppy, make them familar with their surrounding and as many people as possible.
In my neighbor hood my Chows are the quietest dogs and only bark to alert me.
You need to learn about dog training and dog psychology. My mentor is Cesar Milan you can check his method over the Internet. Please do NOT just jump on his tools he is providing, understand his message about calm assertive leadership first and the importance of calm submissive dogs. If you achieve that you have the most wonderful dog companion you ever imagined. The intelligence of a Chow is awesome, if you got his respect his loyalty and devotion is still amazing to me. My pack is just wonderful, I just brought a 3 month old male puppy into my pack of three Chows 1 male two females and it is fantastic how the three adults are taking care of the little boy.
The good thing with Chows is their engergy level is relatively low, your yard for playing around and occasional walks are okay. I only walk late afternoon when it is cooler, Chows are not the most eager agility dogs, mine are happy to sit next to me four hours while watching movies or listening to music. Just make them part of the family don't have them in a cage or outdoor living by themselves, they love to be close to the boss. :)
Following orders is a complete story by itself:
due to the Chow intelligence they tend to make their own assessment and decision making process, specially if they don't respect you. But even with full respect and well socialized mentality, they will first make their own attempt to check-out a noise or the visitor and will not just sit and stay as you would want them too.
with a Chow obdeience is give and take, not 100% follow orders. You need to allow them to check-out and experience situations, once they're done they will come. I created an enviroment with rules and boundaries where they can make their own decisions. Example: the doors to the terrasse to the living room remains open, so they can go anytime to check the outside, the door from living room to bed room is open as well, but they'r not allowed to cross into the bed room by themselves. They're always allowed to see visitors but no jumping up and barking.
How do you set those boundaries and enforce them, check with Cesar Milan. It requires patiences and with Chows in particular.
Is a Chow the right dog for you ?
Do you see the Chow as a new family member ?
Can you imagine to be a calm assertive leader with patience and respect for the needs of your dog ?
Do you like intelligence more in a dog than obedience ?
Are your parents willing to treat the dog in the same way than you do when you're not around ?
Do you see protectiveness as a benefit and your friends and visitors to your house would tolerate a dog that insists to check them out when he sees them the first time ? If this is a problem you can work on it with the puppy, so he accepts being separated during visits.
Is barking to alert you okay ? They won't bark non stop, but they will bark everytime something unusal is going on.
If you answer all questions with "yes" you're the right guy for a Chow,
Best regards
Pinoy51
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Re: Should i get one puppy or not?

Post by Rory's Dad »

Pinoy, most of what you posted as a response makes sense. But I could never in a million years endorse any Cesar Milan method to deal with chows.

He is a complete idiot that supports pinning a dog into submission and basically bullying the dog. It is an absolute crime to attempt to train a dog with that method. His basic theory is to teach the dog that you are the pack leader regardless of the method or consequence. That includes many negative approaches that quite simply will NOT work with a chow. If you employ that method you or someone close to the dog will be bitten.

Chows do require a strong, assertive leader. You can't be intimidated by their will or submit to their selective hearing, but that does not mean you should wrestle a dog to the ground to show you are stronger. In most cases, the chow owner isn't really strong enough, agile enough, or brave enough to pull that off.

Pack theory in itself is actually spot on, but as Humans, we need to exert that through intelligence, not brute force. Control the resources to control the dog. Reward positive behavior. Get the dog to do the right thing because there is a positive at the end. Negative reinforcement will never result in a well behaved Chow.
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Pinoy51
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Re: Should i get one puppy or not?

Post by Pinoy51 »

Rory's dad,
I wonder why you're fixated on one aspect of his method he has clearly only done with some red line cases (saving theme from being killed) and clearly stated not do this yourself and not to confuse this with standard training and behavior shaping. Unfortunately this became sensationalized over the media, same as the few cases he got bitten.
I wouldn't talk about someone you haven't even met in person and call him a "complete idiot".
It just shows that you're not able to differentiate properly and are too quick to judge.
I respect your knowledge about Chows which you have shown in many posts, so I think you're better than your opening remark.
I also mentioned not to focus on his tools ( like threat mill training , special collars).
Those emergency methods I fully agree are not working with Chows. Just to confuse a bit more,
I use negative re-enforcement for wrong behavior, like you also mentioned I'm controling resources, refusing walks and denying access to certain spaces as most common penalties. Praise and affection are the rewarding re-enforcement methods I'm using,. Treats while young and to re-enforce NILF.
Cesar is absolutely right with the calm assertive leadership and establishing a calm submissive dog. I follow discipline first, exercise second and affection only when calm submissive. By being that kind of leader, I have now a pack of four that lives harmonious with us and I was able to teach my family and helper to interact with them in the same way. No-one gets bitten, not among the dogs not among dogs and humans. I have a stable pack and given unlimited space and money I could imagine many more Chows being added without issue. Which means the affection which everyone likes to give and be given most of the time, as discipline becomes second nature.
I can bring them to public spaces, I own a restaurant and they stay with me in the outdoor part of the place and becoming a guest attraction. This became possible because I was able to understand the true method of Cesar Milan, he intended everyone to use.
So don't judge a book by the cover and even reading one chapter won't do it Don't call someone complete idiot who saved thousands dogs world wide and provided a practical method to integrate dogs in human environment.
He surely isn't free of error and might done some stupid things and even put that on video. But I'm also not proud of everything I did in my life, just luckily there was no camera around.
Best regards
Pinoy51
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maikinda
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Re: Should i get one puppy or not?

Post by maikinda »

Any kind of puppy is going to be a huge commitment for the next 12 to 14 years. If you are willing to take the time to train and socialize your chow, and learn to groom him, you will have a devoted companion. Make sure you have the time in your life for a puppy. You mentioned your parents. Have you talked to them about the puppy? Are they willing to help take care of him when you aren't there? What happens when you move out? Are you going to be able to find housing where your dog is allowed? Think about the future. If you decide to get a puppy be sure to find a reputable breeder.

Training has changed a lot since I got my first chow 30 years ago. I agree with Rory, I do not like Cesar Millan's training methods. Positive training has been proven to work much better. This is a great website to help you understand the right kind of training. http://www.peaceablepaws.com/

We would love to see your puppy if you get one!
Laura
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invader7
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Re: Should i get one puppy or not?

Post by invader7 »

Thanks a lot for your advices i appreciate them very much! I know about milan and i like him but knowing him or not i will treat my dog without make him fear of me.

I want to have the dog in the yard, if i take him in will leave a lot of fury?

Right now im on mobile so i will come up again

Thanks!
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Pinoy51
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Re: Should i get one puppy or not?

Post by Pinoy51 »

Hi,
Yes Chows are very furry Companions.
Nala is shedding every six month her complete under coat, which means litterally hands full of furr balls are coming off.
The others are not so heavy shedders but still dog hairs are everywhere, every day and need to be cleaned up.
Best regards
Pinoy51
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