throwaway chow

[bcowan]

I am a 1st time chow Chow owner. this dog was a throwaway (discarded at the state park near our home) and was so overgrown with hair and covered in cockleburs that he could hardly see and was nearly impossible to touch. their plan was to catch and put him down. somehow he found his way to our place and eventually came to me to be petted. i had put him food and water near the tree line where he stayed when they chased him from the park. i talked to the park ranger and he granted me a few days to see if he could be saved. their problem was that the campers and fishermen were worried about him. i've made this into alonger story than i had intended, but for the past year that we have had "HARRY" he has had one dilemna after another. we had him trimmed (he had to be shaved the first time) TOOK HIM TO THE VET WHERE HE behaved BEAUTIFULLY AND STILL DOES. the problem began with heat spots, then a fungus that made him scratch til he had raw places and during this time we had to constantly treat him. so much so that he bcame evasive (but not aggressive) and has gone from the sweet six year old to a somewhat paranoid seven year old. we have 4 other throwaway dogs of various breeds, full blooded german shepherd, red bone mix(90 lbs) and 2 smaller dogs and he gets along well with all of them. however the shepherd is a bully to the smaller dogs on rare occasions and when i get after her it has an effect on him. he has become almost impossible to groom because of this. if iam petting one of the smaller dogs he still wants his share, and he wil do a roll and bark to be petted. he has never been aggresive or growled at me but he does sometimes at my wife but has never tried to bite her. he is a wonderful watch dog - no one can go in my shop without permission. my problem - finally - is that it will soon be time for him to go to the groomer - a new one - and i'm not sure he will be as well-behaved as he was before all this started with his health problems. he displays a few characteristics that he didn't before like resting me when i try to hold him still to brush. he doesn't try to bite but he pulls away and he won't let my wife brush him at all anymore. i don't want to put him dow but i have to be able to care foe him. we are both senior citizens and not able to do a lot of undue bending. by the way all our dogs were treated by the vet and fixed. all are well fed and cared for, and a ll mind well except for harry.

[Victory]

First off what is he eating. Chows, especially senior chows are sensitive to different foods and skin problems are common occurances with food allergies for them. You want to switch him to something, with no corn, no artifical preservatives, colors etc and as little wheat as possible. You might want to augment his diet with Solid Gold's sea meal and Flaxseed oil. You can get them on line, they are a little expensive but not as much as a vet visit. Try these things to get him more comfortable. Also try brushing him just a bit everyday, not a thorough grooming just a few brush strokes, when he moves away let him. As his skin heals he'll learn to like it a little more. Also relax, as you do he will, and his jealousy over the others getting attention and him wanting to as well is a plus.

As for the groomer, maybe you can find one who is willing to work with him, over a few visits, if you explain that he's had serious skin problems and is uncomfortable some groomers should understand.

Thanks for taking the old guy in, not many people will.

[Judy Fox]

Sorry, I cannot offer any advice but thankyou for taking him on.

I hope all works out and you can find a solution.

[bcowan]

thank you for your replies. harry seems to be doing better. the itch medicine has got his scratching and chewing on himself under control and he has let us do more with him the past two days. i have never met a dog like him. when he is in tune he has an irresistible personality. his eyes talk. today he has stayed within petting or touching distance all day, walking as close to me as he can. he has always wanted to be in on whatever i'm doing (digging fishing worms, he joins in) and anything i am looking at on the ground he wants to see too. i can't throw anything into the woods (sticks etc.) that he doesnt find and bring back. i'm afraid if i take him fishing, he will go after the hook when i throw it out. anyway things are improving with harry. i think at one time he belonged to someone who really took good care of him and was either lost or stolen by someone who used him for a junkyard dog until he got so longhaired and full of burs. then they threw him away. i'm glad it was near us

[Judy Fox]

That sounds good!
Time, patience and love work wonders.

[Victory]

Sounds like he is bonding very nicely with you. It takes time with a chow, but looks like he has chosen you. You'll never have a better buddy, and that's what he'll be a buddy.

[cherriemater]

BC: You mention that he is following you around alot and that he sometimes shies away from your wife. I would like to offer you a bit of caution. Chow Chows tend to bond with only ONE person ... the other is generally only "tolerated" but not loved. This was true for me. My husband (while we first dated before we married) had a girl Chow (Kimba) and she hated me! I was taking away her man. She charged me, nipped at me and bit me once. Though discouraged, I knew that once Joe and I married and combined our households when moving to a new home, we would have neutral territory and that would help with Kimba. Indeed, she only nipped at me once while we were tickling. When we lost Rocky three months later (our Dutch Long-haired Shepherd) she mellowed alot during her grief. That being said, Joe did alot of work to get Kimba to not just tolerate me, but to rely on me (treats, pets, etc.). When I was at work, he talked about me (especially when I drove in the driveway, he would run to the door and say, "Here comes the Mama." He would sit on the floor and pet Kimba then say, "Go get the Mama," so I could join the fun. He would stand next to me and pet my leg ("Nice Mama") then pet Kimba. This went on for quite some time and when I lost my job but Joe started his new job Kimba and I were alone quite a bit and it was then that she and I bonded. She never "loved" me per se, but her acceptance was such a joy. We walked together and she even would let me get near her face and she would kiss me. So, from biting to kissing in about three years ... quite an amazing feat, I would say.

Long story short (too late!) ... be sure to socialize Harry with your wife as well. Sounds like he's bonded to you and thats great (especially in light of his abandonment) but don't leave out your wife. BOTH of you getting on the floor with your chow (and I know that might be hard for you as you mention alot of bending is difficult) or on their level (a lower chair or stool, perhaps) will establish that your wife is "approved" by you.

Victory and Tippsys Mom have been wonderful advisors ... I love reading their posts ... so don't hesitate to ask questions. You'll get lots of help at this forum. Sooooooo glad that you welcomed your Harry into your heart and home. You'll never want another breed once you get to know him.

[Ursa's daddy]

Have you considered having your wife do the feeding of the dog? This would be one way to have the dog develop a favorable connection with your wife.

[Auddymay]

My Lily did not care for anyone special as a Chowling for the 1st month she was with me. Then it became hard to tell if my daughter was the '1' or me, but as time went on she chose me. She loves Haley almost as much, but I am recognized as the 'go to' head of household. She does not like my husband. Until recently, she barked and chuffed every time he entered the room we were in. When Haley moved out, Lily had to rely on Brian to let her outside. Then just recently, he got himself a Pug that I am mostly responsible for, owing to his physical infirmities. Lily's world took a big change and now she tolerates him. Had he agreed to do what cherriemater did to even a small degree, it could have been an even more positive relationship.

[Belle1960]

My goodness is he gorgeous. He looks so much like our Max who passed away in November 2010. Max has very sensitive skin and so we put him on Science Diet for Sensitive Skin and that helped him so much with his skin problems and not to mention his stomach issues. It took a little time for him to adjust but his stomach and skin ended up very beautiful. On another note, Chow Chows are typically one person dogs. I haven't read all of what has been posted about your guy, but has your wife attempted to walk with Harry? Chows love to walk and that is wonderful bonding time for them. Also, if you can find a nice brush that he likes, perhaps she could just sit and brush him some. Let her know also, a little rubbing them behind the ears is something most of them like too. Just a little trick we learned with Max. Good luck with Harry.

[GarciaFamily]

I had a 5 year old chow with the same problem with heat spots and straching. Come to find out he was alergic to flea and ant bites. So we had to give him medicine everyday. Maybe you can ask your vet about that.