Problem with my chow puppy.

[Chadder]

Hi everyone! I've been secretly stealing ideas and tips from you guys for 2 months now, but I finally needed to join and ask for some specific help. I've had my girl chow named Alabama (we call her Bama) for 2 months now. She's 4 months old and she has been amazing so far. I've always loved chows for their protective nature and their "one owner dog" mentality. Bama has been in love with me for every day of the last 2 months and I couldn't be happier. My girlfriend lives with me, and while Bama respects her, she is clearly my dog. However starting a couple days ago, Bama has been increasingly more and more afraid of me. She is always wagging her tail, but she backs away when I go to pet her. Also, she absolutely WILL NOT go into my computer room if I am in there now. We used to play this game where she would chase me through the house and into the computer room, but now she comes to a dead stop when she gets to the door. BUT, she will go into the room if it is empty or my girlfriend is in there, so I am definitely the problem. I understand that chows aren't always the most affectionate of dogs, but she was always very loving and affectionate, and still is with everyone but me. I am the only one who takes her for walks and car rides (which she loves) and I also play with her 10 times more than anyone else. I don't understand what possibly could have happened to make such a sudden change over the last couple days. I assure you there was no abuse or anything of that nature, and absolutely nothing has happened in the computer room that would merit her being deathly afraid of me in there. She dreams quite often in her crate when she is sleeping, is it possible that she had a nightmare about me in the computer room? I realize I am reaching here, but I just want things to go back to the way they were last week. Help!

[Sirchow]

At this age chowlings go through fearful stages so I wouldn't worry undully. Try sitting quietly on the floor in the computer floor with some very high tarrif treats. Keep you back to her and take no notice of her at all. Let her come in her own time to you and take the treats but dont reach to pat her straight away she needs to be completely in control. Take it very slow and let her get her confidence back, if it is a stage it may take a few weeks till she forgets.

My Bramble will appear to prefer everyone to me in the house so I know how you feel and I have seen a few others say the same. Perhaps you need to lay off scary chasing games till this becomes a thing of the past. Off the top of my head i would say this has nothing to do with affection and more to do with a bogeyman type fear.

[Chadder]

Thanks for the advice. I'm hoping it will pass in time. I don't need an affectionate dog, but i also don't want her to be afraid of me either.

[chowpups]

Is it like a stance she gives at the door to the computer room . .Like Iam here come chase me again. Or is she scared to come in.. Our dog will stand at a entrance to the den and actually bark sometimes at my son to come play with her .. No one else does she do this to but him. (cause hes the rough houser and chaser companion).. She will also backaway from him if he tries to pet her cause she just wants to play ..And chows don't like the head pet thing anyway. Go for the chin..

[Chadder]

it's a fearful attitude, not a playful one. If she does venture into the room, as soon as I make any movements she gets scared and backs away.

[chowpups]

If its fearful and no playing then I'd be very calm around her and let her come on her own terms and with a treat to lure her. The chasing does make them more jumpy ..its like they are on guard for your next move and they do associate certain people cause Nikki knows its my son that gets her going. After she is calm again I'd work on touching her ears, paws, and body to get her use to a hand on her .. It helps the flinching and with the vet visits.. Give her a great treat when she lets you touch her and she will associate the touching is okay and I get rewarded. Then wean the rewards later with a verbal good dog ...if she's gaining too much weight.. LOL Good luck let us know how shes doing..

[Chadder]

Thanks. I think I gave the wrong impression with the chasing game. We don't do that very often, but I just tried it to see if she would forget her fear of the room and chase me in there. You would think that when she gets all excited she wouldn't be afraid, but sure enough she sprints after me to the door and then skids to a stop.

[chowpups]

Shes still chasing you so its not you shes afraid of so thats good.... maybe she feels she would be trapped in the room? ? Hang in there and try the really to die for treats to get her in there to help her get over her fear of the room.. Even throw some treats in and you walk away and see if she ventures in by herself.. Chows are funny, for sure.. Nikki use to be afraid of her water bowl.. Here she saw her reflection and would back away each time.. rearranged the bowl with the sunlight and shes fine.
Maybe shes trying to tell you, shes bored she wants to engage in play, since you're the play person..maybe now shes giving you the hint I want more and that room just stops it all so Iam not going in there.. Not that you should engage in play when she wants it . That too can be a problem. It all sounds like its really part of a game with her more than a problem.. Hang in there she'll come around Iam sure. Keep those treats close to you and wait and see..

[nean007]

Have you put any new items in that room that might have a scent that you don't notice but she does? or even rearranged the furniture

[nean007]

p.s. She sure is a cutie!

[Michael's Maggie May]

You know their sense of smell is really outrageous, could be a scent coming from the computer, could be noise from all the electricty in the computer room, you know they hear things we cannot and i'm sure you would know if she got a shock from something with all you have plugged in? My Maggie used to lay under the computer desk until I started thinking there is just too much juice going on under there, think she could have bitten into a wire while in the room? Just a few ideas, shes adorable.

[Auddymay]

Do you play rough with her? She may have been startled or hurt during your chase game, not necessarily your fault, either. Re-establish your relationship as outlined in previous answers. This too, shall pass.

[Chadder]

Thanks to everyones suggestions. I dont think that it has anything to do with the room itself, because she will go in there with no issues unless I am in the room. Again, the chase game is not something that happens a lot or anything like that, I was just using the game to make the point that she REALLY wont follow me into the room. Thanks again.

[Mia]

Chowlings do go through funny stages at times.
I would go with the advice above - hi tarriff treats while ignoring her. Let her come to you.
She is most adorable!

[Chadder]

That picture is from the first day I got her, so I will try and take a more updated one. She's gained 12 pounds between vet visits, and i'd say at least another 3 in the past 2 weeks. She's probably 25 pounds now, and is only 11 pounds in that picture.

[chowpups]

Oh, we need an updated photo then. She very cute..

[rougedriner]

If you are sure no one has mistreated her when you were away it will probably pass in time. I agree with everyone else try some really tasty treats. Chows are head shy but once they get to the point of totally trusting you they love to have their ears rubbed. When my Bear was a puppy you couldn`t force her on her back for a belly rub, their instinct is to protect that vulnerable area, no she begs for a belly rub. My 4mo male Bo is the same way you cant put him on his back Just hang in there and before you know it you will have your most dependable best friend ever.

[Chadder]

Well I have some fairly good news. While she got worse and worse from friday to monday, yesterday she seems to have gotten quite a bit better. She was playing around with me in the computer room quite a bit, but I could tell she was still slightly nervous. She also seems afraid of me when she is in her crate now too. Her crate is next to my side of the bed, and she now keeps her back to me when she is sitting in there. I don't know, but I am really starting to think that she had a nightmare in her crate about me doing something evil in the computer room! It sounds rediculous, but it would make perfect sense. She has some pretty active dreams quite often. Anyways, it does seem to be getting better now, so thanks to everyone for the positive reinforcement. Here are some pictures I took last night with my phone:

bama1.JPG (38.19 KiB) Viewed 8491 times

bama2.JPG (39.97 KiB) Viewed 8489 times

[chowpups]

OH, Bama is adorable. She seems very attentive to you with the camera in hand..

[rougedriner]

She is very cute, she looks like my boy Bo. They are about the same size. He is aggravating my black girl Bear right now. He keeps steeling her duck, I can hear her on the other side of the bed whimpering when he steels it. He is a little thief I`m glad to hear Bama is warming up to you.

[Chadder]

just wanted to give everyone an update. Alabama is doing fine now, she's absolutely not afraid of me or the computer room in the least anymore. She does seem to pee when I come home everyday. If I come home first and I am the one to let her out of her crate, she doesn't pee. She NEVER does in her crate. But if she has already been let out of her crate, she runs to me and pees at my feet. I am the ONLY person she has this problem with, and believe me, she gets much more excited when my brother and father stop over. I always bring her outside right away, and I don't yell at her about it, but I'm wondering what else I should do to prevent this. I don't want to have to have her be brought outside before I come home or anything like that. Any suggestions?

[LUV_a_CHOW_PUP]

From what I have read Chow puppies do go through stages when they are fearfull. I think she will be fine she is just growing up.

[Sirchow]

I agree with LUV_a_CHOW_PUP but I also think that our pups take a long time to mature we can't expect them to learn everything in a short few weeks or months. Alabama sounds like she is going through little stages and she has learnt a lot. The main thing is to keep always in your mind how you want your chow to behave and slowly shape them into it. In my mind I never think of training Bramble (that word feels more like a performing animal) I just see it as an ongoing shaping process. Try to think of a different way to do the homecoming perhaps you could come in the door to the garden (if you have one) and let her run out to greet you then she will have her accident outside. I feel the more times they do anything the more it become part of them. Chows are extreme creatures of habit in that way. Mainly remember she is just a baby and she has years to mature and learn different ways so whilst you need to know what you want from her she will learn I am sure. She wont still be peeing on your feet when shes eight!

The other thing to remember is peeing is a sign of submisiveness so she is aknowledging you as Alfa. Its a complement really.

And BTW she is absolutely adorable.

[Mia]

She is just adorable - and like everyone says, hopefully it's a phase and she will grow out of it and be as loving as chowlings are, LOL!