CAN 2 CHOWS GET ALONG????????

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melissa28
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CAN 2 CHOWS GET ALONG????????

Post by melissa28 »

NEED SOME ADVICE, OUR FIRST CHOW WE GOT WAS A GIRL, ABOUT 2 YEARS LATER WE GOT A BOY CHOW. wE'LL SHE WAS SWEET TO HIM AT FIRST UNTIL HE TURNED 1 YEAR OLD SHE TRIED TO KILL HIM SEVERAL TIMES. AND BELIEVE ME SHE WAS THE AGRESSOR EVERY TIME. sO FOR HIS SAFETY WE HAD TO GET RID OF HER, SO WE GAVE HER TO A FRIEND. nOW OUR BOY IS 3 YEARS OLD AND WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ANOTHER CHOW, BUT ARE SCARED THE SAME THING WILL HAPPEN.. OUR MALE IS VERY SWEET AND LOVABLE NOT LIKE OUR FIRST CHOW.. SO HERE'S THE QUESTIONS: CAN 2 CHOWS LIVE IN PEACE? AND SHOULD WE GET ANOTHER MALE OR TRY AGAIN WITH ANOTHER FEMALE?
tHANKS FOR YOUR ADVICE...
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Auddymay
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Post by Auddymay »

Yes, they can get along. Opposite *Censored Word* are the best combo. It is hard when the situation you had previously happens. How is your male around other dogs?
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fillyok
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Post by fillyok »

Depends on your definition of "peace".

I have 3 Chows and 1 Chow/Retriever (more Retriever than Chow) and they all live together with little or no issues. They each have very different personalities. My young female is the most aggressive of them all. She's always ready for a rumble. My biggest one, a male, is probably the most laid-back of them. He doesn't play very much, but when he does it sounds like they're going to kill each other. I was scared at first when I brought home the young female, but it was all for nothing. If they get too crazy or sound like someone will get injured I yell at them to knock it off and they do.

How long did you have both of them together? Sometimes it takes a little while for them to establish the pecking order. If they were unaltered, that would cause a lot of problems too. Mine are all spayed or neutered.

I'm sure others on here will give you better advice. Good luck...I can't imagine life with only one Chow now.
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jacqui
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Post by jacqui »

hi melissa,
I have had 2 chows for over 14 yrs.always a male and a female.when one passes away I always get another.I was afraid too,at first because my 1st chow was a male and I had a10 yr old female standard poodle,well he was fine with her until he was 7 months old,then he ripped her face off.it was scary.he was very aggresive.I never left them alone again.when she died I did not get another chow.but whe he died I got a girl then 6 months later I got a boy.the girl was the dominate one but they loved each other.
how is your male with other dogs?is he friendly and playful?I think its great company for each other and I love having 2.
I hope things work out,
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Can 2 choes get along

Post by RedSu »

I think it all depends of the temperment of the dogs.

A male and female are most likely to get along better, than two females who are both dom and older.
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Post by Guest »

Thanks for the help,
My male chow is very laid back, not really agressive. Ideally I would like to have another male chow it seems as though they are better tempered than the females. I had the female and male for over a year together, but the fighting kept getting worse. She would even attack him in the middle of the night, which was scary. He never really fought back against her, I think he thought that she was his mom. Believe me it was about impossible to pull her off of my male once she started attacking him. Do you think it will make a difference if I get my next chow from the same breeder where I got my sweet male from? Will I have a better chance of him or her being sweet?
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Post by sweetpea »

I hate to sound like a rip but I have to ask. What happens if you get another Chow and a year or two down the road the fighting starts again? How will you handle this?
I went through this with my Gracie. My sweet little Chowgirl turned into a devil. She couldnt look at Princess without showing her teeth and ready to attack. We lived in an apartment at this time and really couldnt have them battle it out like that. The fights were bad, it was as if Gracie was out for blood. We were so afraid to leave them home alone together in fear of what would happen while we were gone. But we werent about to get rid of either one of them so with suggestions from people on the board here we were able to work with BOTH of them and Gracie's attitude was adjusted. They became best friends again. I believe it took a week or two.
Chances are you never had to get rid of your chow, all you needed to do was step up and take charge of the situation. So what happens if you get another Chow and the same situation happens?
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Post by Dogdad »

Maxwell and Yoshi tolerate eachother, they can be together in the same room at the same time or outside together but I don't trust them alone together. Yoshi started it by playing too aggressively, Maxwell took it as fighting, now he just growls when ever he sees Yoshi. I would be very cautious, before you say yes to a new chow, I would bring yours for a meeting and see how it goes

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Post by mytwodoxies »

Sometimes its not a "chow" issue. I think sometimes people tolerate inapropriate behavior and just give the excuse "the chow is being a chow." surely individual dogs can have a lower boiling point than others so to speak and that's with any breed - but when you have a young dog or a baby and a younger dog together, its up to you to teach them "this is apropriate" and "this isn't". You are in charge, and a chow is a breed where there are sometimes individual dogs that will take advantage of the fact if you are not being a confident leader. Some people have mentioned that they seperate their dogs at certain times or they do other things - but it is on the human's terms not the dogs.

It could be very possible that your two dogs played a little too rough and tumble, but when the little one got bigger and his nips and shoves started to hurt, your female could have just retaliated and pushed back harder instead of being "suddenly aggressive". I think to some extent you need to let dogs sort things out for themselves but for a puppy you need to be the momma dog sometimes and teach them where the line is if your older dog doesn't.

What disappoints me and I have seen it happen a LOT is that when there is a personality conflict or behavior issue between two dogs - its always the older dog that goes, even if they have been there awhile, and the young whippersnapper stays. It may be that the two dogs are like oil and water, but if it is indeed the female was unsocial with ANY dog, you are just passing a problem on to the next person - i mean, how would you feel if that person gave up on your dog too?

Also, what can really help out a dog is that you socialize them. Sometimes when two dogs only see eachother, they are different dogs versus the young dog who is regularly taken out and socialized. Taken to meet with other dogs - and the younger the better.

I think that before i would consider another dog, I would devote a lot of time to socializing your current dog. I would even consider an obedience class. Even if your dog "sits" etc - it is the whole structure of being there with other dogs, etc, and just strengthening your communication one on one without the distractions or habits of home.

I would also take care that you are not treating your dog like the perfect prince/your baby/the center of your universe because if you are and the dog is the boss, you will have a hard time introducing any dog. I have heard that when you have a dog, and they have been a single dog for awhile that you consider adopting a dog with a lower energy level than your current one or slightly more submissive than who you have because if you bring a very dominant chowfemale into your home and she tries to unseat your dog as alpha, there may be conflict.

Also I agree with what sweetpea says.

And, it also it goes without saying that if you haven't already, neuter your dog and make sure that the dog - if you decide to get another one - be spayed or neutered before bringing them in as well.

I would also encourage you to consider that it could be the right dog for your dog is not another purebred chow, even if that is what you want. The right chow may be out there. but there could be another dog that fits your family better. I am NOT saying chows aren't right for you - but if you know your dog and knows he can like to throw his weight around maybe something mixed with a different breed is the answer.

Anyways, i guess bottom line is there is no hard and fast rule - you just have to know your dog and take the time to really do that to determine if another dog is what is right for you.
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Post by mytwodoxies »

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the help,
My male chow is very laid back, not really agressive. Ideally I would like to have another male chow it seems as though they are better tempered than the females. I had the female and male for over a year together, but the fighting kept getting worse. She would even attack him in the middle of the night, which was scary. He never really fought back against her, I think he thought that she was his mom. Believe me it was about impossible to pull her off of my male once she started attacking him. Do you think it will make a difference if I get my next chow from the same breeder where I got my sweet male from? Will I have a better chance of him or her being sweet?
You have absolutely no guarantee a dog from the same place will be sweet. Every dog is different. Even within a litter of pups there may be a very dominant one, a very shy and nervous one, a really sweet one but is a real handful, one that is not bothered by much, and all variations in between.

Also, i would consider forgoing a puppy and getting a dog that is younger than your dog but already mature. Their personality will be apparent. There are very good chow rescues and all breed rescues that are chow friendly that will honestly assess a chow that they have and guide you a little bit too. It will be apparent very quickly if your dog and that dog are going to be a good match once you get home. Where in a puppy it may take longer for the pup to grow up - they mature into an adult, they start to exhibit the results of whatever training or socialization you put into them (or don't put into them) - and its too late if you end up with a dog that isn't the right match for yours.

I am not saying puppies are bad, but in this case with an existing dog and having a track record of things not working out before...i would hope you would consider another alternative.

Also, i mentioned a dog younger than your dog - sometimes also a more mature, older dog who is lowkey works with a younger dog too - its all about the individuals.
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Post by mytwodoxies »

Dogdad wrote:Maxwell and Yoshi tolerate eachother, they can be together in the same room at the same time or outside together but I don't trust them alone together. Yoshi started it by playing too aggressively, Maxwell took it as fighting, now he just growls when ever he sees Yoshi. I would be very cautious, before you say yes to a new chow, I would bring yours for a meeting and see how it goes

Dogdad
last comment i will make - dogdad brings an important point - he never puts his dogs in a situation where he would have to pull one off of the other. he doesn't allow them to be alone together in the first place and is always supervising them. Otherwise if not they are seperated. When you mentioned you couldn't pull your dogs off eachother - are you prepared to accept the responsibility that you will have to keep yourself ahead of a situation to prevent it if need be. I am not saying their aren't chows who live in harmony. there most certainly are - but its something to think about if you had the experience you had. and i am not singling out chows - it goes for just about any dog.
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Post by Guest »

Okay everyone I feel as though I have to defend myself for giving my girl chow to my close friend. It seems as though you think I gave up on her or did not try alternatives. We'll let me inform you more: My girl would attack my boy for no reason whatsoever, she would attack him when me and my husband were in the room. My boy was never rough with her at all, even when he was a puppy. She would not stop until my husband ( A Marine) would pull her jaws apart off of him. So I do have a Male Enforcer in the house. We got her fixed, it did not help. We took her to obediance classes, it did not help. We showed her more attention than our boy and it did not help. She started to be agressive to other dogs in the neighboorhood also. The last straw was when she tore my boy's ear apart so horribly we had to have surgery on him. So believe you me It broke my heart to give her to my friend, but I knew she was going to be happier where she was the only dog.
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Post by Laura »

I had two male chows once...raised together (3 mos apart in age) and they fought. I got them fixed and it didn't help. It started out mild ( no injuries ) and maybe twice a year and progressed to the point that they had to be separated at all times byt the time they were 7 yrs old. One was in house dominant and started the trouble. The other was outside dominant and started fights. I would never have two males again even though I know alot of people on here have success with multiple dogs and same *Censored Word*. I'm sure it was all somehow my fault...lol...but I just wouldn't risk it again.
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Post by Larry Harris »

Okay everyone I feel as though I have to defend myself for giving my girl chow to my close friend.

Please do not feel has if you have to defend yourself here. True we are all very passionate about our Chows and do speak our mind. We are like a very large family and sometimes we do spark a nerve. It is meant in a positive way and not to be mean.

We care very deeply about Chows and worry when they are rehomed. You gave yours to a good friend and home, sadly some do not and they are killed alone at an animal control facility.

There are a lot of very smart Chow people here that have a great deal to teach us. I have been around Chows for a long long time and I learn new things here everyday.

Being a family you can take the advice or not but be prepared just like in a family to receive some feedback :lol:

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Post by kiwani »

Re: "I feel as though I have to defend myself for giving my girl chow to my close friend."

It seems as though your female Chow had some hormonal imbalances which got worse after spaying, increasing the aggression. It's common enough.

If your male has a very submissive temperament, I wouldn't advise you getting another male, who would most likely challenge him. You would have to be very careful selecting a female too, and focus on hormonal health, especially thyroid issues.
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Post by pfordeb »

You did the right thing by asking advice. I'm so sorry you've had this trouble.

I have been very lucky with my 2 chow mixes and my little guy (see picture). The oldest is a girl and she does not like our chow boy but they tolerate each other. The boy likes her but they get into fights sometimes when he tries to get her to play and she won't. One loud "hey" from me and they quit, so we've been very lucky, because their "fights" don't happen very often. Everyone loves Charlie, Sullivan, our girl, thinks he is her baby. She actually does play with Charlie.

We got our second chow mix from a rescue group and they talked to us and came to the house to make sure they got along. After the first day we left them alone together, first for short periods, then eventually all day, and no signs of fights. We actually "fostered to adopt" Charlie and he got along with both dogs right away. All appearances to the contrary at our chowfest yesterday, Sullivan is very dominant and Gilbert, our other chow mix, is very submissive. One growl from Sullivan and he's on his back with an "I surrender" pose.

Good luck with your search. I don't know how, but we have just been very lucky. Sullivan was the only one who had formal training, and she's the grouchiest usually, so you never know. I would normally agree with getting opposite *Censored Word*, but maybe dominant and submissive could work too. You can never know for sure but I hope it works out for you.
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Post by Sharons Chows »

I have been very lucky with my two, JR and Cheyenne.
JR was already 8 years old when Cheyenne was rescued and that was almost 2 years ago. I was very concerned about her joining us, however, since the 1st minute JR accepted her and she just stuck by him. They are so close...real chow soulmates. Neither will be without the other for anything...they just truely love each other.
I even leave them home all day together while I work. I never have any issues with them at all.

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JR AND CHEYENNE

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Post by mytwodoxies »

Anonymous wrote:Okay everyone I feel as though I have to defend myself for giving my girl chow to my close friend.
I am sorry if you felt I was attacking you - but it is necessary to know all the facts and ask honest questions in order to help. Some people - not saying you - don't really want "help", they want to be villified. And the only way I might seem a little blunt sometimes is that I have seen it thousands of times where the younger one gets to stay and someone rehomes their 3, 4, 12 year old dog that has given them their heart longer and keeps the baby. I just don't understand how people can justify that. I mean, if it means that you only have that one problem dog for the rest of the dog;s life and don't get to have multiple pets like you want - that's the way it is.

I am sorry that I came across as attacking you, but understand, to a rescuer = giving up a slightly cantankerous dog for the cute new baby is like a broken record to us.

So i will duck out of this conversation...
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