First time chow/dog owner...

[BigBoyBat0]

Good day! I will be having my first dog and i chose a chow chow. I would like to gather some tips on how to take a very good care of my chow? What are the stuffs I need to buy for my first chow?

Also, the chow i will be getting was born nov. 6, is it ok for me to separate her to her mother, bros and sis on Dec 21?

Thanks for your help guys.. I appreciate all your replies..

[Fozzbear]

Your puppy needs to stay with its mother until a MINIMUM of 8 weeks old. You risk all sorts of problems if you seperate them early - they need to get early doggy social skills in this time and also still need their mother's milk.

[Victory]

You asked for lessons. Here is a repeat of the first. NO! it is not okay to separate him from his mom on Dec. 21. On that date he will only be six weeks, 3 days old. He shouldn't even be fully weaned by that time. You shouldn't bring him home until Jan. 1st, (Personlly I think they should stay with mom for 10 weeks but that is just me)

Why are we telling you this...dog to dog socialization is taught mostly between the ages of 6 and 8 weeks. Also and this is equally important, this time allows a certain independence to form, which will cut down on seperation anxiety issues. Many, many puppies seperated too young have major issues with this, you leave the house for any amount of time and they go a little nutso. Even putting them in a yard for a time on their own can cause excessive barking, destruction and howling. Seperation anxiety is hard to train away, because it stems from that lack of maturity and confidence which they get in that 6-8 week period.

The dog on dog tools they learn during this time serve two purposes, `1) it will help them know how to approach other dogs in the future and 2) they learn the first stages of bite hibition at this time. You can train them to accept other dogs and to not bite on your own, but it is much harder and even for an experienced dog handler it can be difficult especially if you have a puppy with a dominante personality.
Leave him with his mom and sibs for that extra two weeks and both you and he will be the happier for it. In the meantime go to the training section of this site and read, read, read. The tricks to remember with a chowling, is patience, respect, and consistency. Never hit, yell at or abuse your chow puppy. Never allow anyone else to do so, never use an alpha roll with your chow, never allow any behavior in your puppy you don't want to see in the adult. Remember a puppy grows fast both physically and mentally at six months he will be almost grown, at 9 months he is a teenager, and at a year he is grown up. You have a very short window to get the rules and the relationship down. if you want him to walk nicely on a leash begin immediately at 8 weeks, but don't tug or pull him, walk slightly in front of him, coaxing him all the way, you might even have to walk backwards for a bit. Watch him for tired ness, a little puppy can't walk for miles, a nice short walk on his leash two times a day will help him learn, explore and accpet the leashe. Call him by his name so he learns it, nick names can come much later. Learn the proper way to teach him to sit, stay, lay down. etc. I would highly , highly urge you to take him and yourself to a good puppy class that teaches through positive reinforcement.

the chow breed is not recommended for the first time dog owner, but it can be done and has been done. But the new chow owner must be willing to learn and learn correctly. First lesson like I said, he shouldn't be taken away from his mom and sibs until the first of Jan. If that is an issue for you, here is your second lesson, your needs are now second. What is best for the puppy is now paramount especially during this imprtant time when he will be learning at such a fast rate about the world.

[Cocoa]

Well said Victory. I really don't have anything to add to that other than to agree that he should not be separated from his mom and siblings until he's at least 8 weeks old.

[BigBoyBat0]

Thank you so much for your replies.. They are very helpful especially Victory's..

can you also tell me the basic stuffs i need to get for her? Thanks guys!
what kind of food do i have to give her?

[BigBoyBat0]

You asked for lessons. Here is a repeat of the first. NO! it is not okay to separate him from his mom on Dec. 21. On that date he will only be six weeks, 3 days old. He shouldn't even be fully weaned by that time. You shouldn't bring him home until Jan. 1st, (Personlly I think they should stay with mom for 10 weeks but that is just me)

Why are we telling you this...dog to dog socialization is taught mostly between the ages of 6 and 8 weeks. Also and this is equally important, this time allows a certain independence to form, which will cut down on seperation anxiety issues. Many, many puppies seperated too young have major issues with this, you leave the house for any amount of time and they go a little nutso. Even putting them in a yard for a time on their own can cause excessive barking, destruction and howling. Seperation anxiety is hard to train away, because it stems from that lack of maturity and confidence which they get in that 6-8 week period.

The dog on dog tools they learn during this time serve two purposes, `1) it will help them know how to approach other dogs in the future and 2) they learn the first stages of bite hibition at this time. You can train them to accept other dogs and to not bite on your own, but it is much harder and even for an experienced dog handler it can be difficult especially if you have a puppy with a dominante personality.
Leave him with his mom and sibs for that extra two weeks and both you and he will be the happier for it. In the meantime go to the training section of this site and read, read, read. The tricks to remember with a chowling, is patience, respect, and consistency. Never hit, yell at or abuse your chow puppy. Never allow anyone else to do so, never use an alpha roll with your chow, never allow any behavior in your puppy you don't want to see in the adult. Remember a puppy grows fast both physically and mentally at six months he will be almost grown, at 9 months he is a teenager, and at a year he is grown up. You have a very short window to get the rules and the relationship down. if you want him to walk nicely on a leash begin immediately at 8 weeks, but don't tug or pull him, walk slightly in front of him, coaxing him all the way, you might even have to walk backwards for a bit. Watch him for tired ness, a little puppy can't walk for miles, a nice short walk on his leash two times a day will help him learn, explore and accpet the leashe. Call him by his name so he learns it, nick names can come much later. Learn the proper way to teach him to sit, stay, lay down. etc. I would highly , highly urge you to take him and yourself to a good puppy class that teaches through positive reinforcement.

the chow breed is not recommended for the first time dog owner, but it can be done and has been done. But the new chow owner must be willing to learn and learn correctly. First lesson like I said, he shouldn't be taken away from his mom and sibs until the first of Jan. If that is an issue for you, here is your second lesson, your needs are now second. What is best for the puppy is now paramount especially during this imprtant time when he will be learning at such a fast rate about the world.

Soooooo HELPFUL.. Thank you so much.. I will just leave her with her mother and sibs for the next few weeks, and be with them during the Holidays.. LOL ....

What kind diet should i give her though?

[cherriemater]

Agreed. We did not pick up the boys until they were nine weeks old so they had lots of time to socialize with the others in their litter. Beatrice was the last to get picked up (poor girl, she must have been so sad to see all her litter mates go to their homes).

Also agreed: read, read, read. That's what I did even though I was a chow-surrogate. Even with all the reading and asking of questions on this site, I was still not prepared for the actualization of our boys and did A LOT of learning on the fly.

I was lucky in one respect because we brought home two boys from the same litter. They had each other and the transition to our home went very well for them. But I remember reading and listening to advice that two chows at the same times means double of everything. And that was so true!

Research both socialization and health issue on this site. Get yourself prepared. Chows that are not in good health (or even in great health) can have issues not common in other breeds (i.e., hip dysplasia, entropion, etc.) that can be VERY expensive. The worst thing you could do is take on the responsibility of a chowling and then have to give them up for not being prepared financially. How sad that would be.

Finally ... don't stop asking questions!!! I have found the folks here to be very positive in their message because we are ALL chow-focused and want what's best for the breed and for you, the owner. Having been accepted by a chow I found that there was no other breed for me. Having brought two little chow-boys into our home I have found that I will never be loved so much as I am by our boys. You are in for a truly rewarding adventure as long as you prepare yourself as best you can. Welcome!

[BigBoyBat0]

wow.. now im so excited to take home my chowling.. Thank you everyone for your positive replies.. people here are very very helpful. like it here.. can someone describe this puppy if she has a round or flat nose pls? thanks again guys!

[Ursa's daddy]

She looks like she is an open face chow. It is VERY important for your chow puppy to remain with her mother and litter mates. She will learn many valuable lessons in this time. I can tell you from personal experience through many years and many rescues that dogs and cats that are not allowed to stay with their litter will have many issues that will require a lot of extra training and work to overcome.

[Tippsy'smom]

Your pup looks like a rough, open faced chow. Very cute! And I agree with everyone else, that she should stay with her mother and her litter until at LEAST 8 weeks. I agree with Victory and would prefer to wait until 10 weeks.

And my list of stuff for a puppy would include:
*crate/kennel (keep in mind that your tiny puppy will grow and get big quickly)
*leash
*collar/harness (I prefer a harness for puppies)
*food and water bowls
*Good quality food (hopefully someone else will chime in about this)
*toys
*bed/blanket

[Rory's Dad]

The responses above have stated the most important aspects quite eloquently, so i wont try to rephrase what they have said...but...i am glad you decided to hold off on taking the puppy until an appropriate age. Why on earth the breeder would attempt to have you take him earlier is a question for another day...or topic.

I see the photo shows a 1 month old pup and from an askew angle, but make sure to have the pup vet checked by a vet familiar with Chows. You should research the site for health issues, but be aware of the most common issues and ASK THE VET. Tough to tell from the photos whether it would be a real issue, but ASK about the eyes and entropion. Have them walk the dog and check for knee and hip movement (the dogs gait will change as he grows, but they still can see any irregularities at that age).

Tippsy's list of supplies is a good one. I would add that you may want to consider puppy/child gates depending on your household layout. And training treats. Some Chows love em, others could care less, but worth a try. And finally...training/socialization opportunities. Chows are unique in how they learn and the effort they will put into it.

[BigBoyBat0]

thanks to all who replied; Ursa, Tipsy and Rory.. Very informative and helpful. I'll let you know next year if i have them already and we'll post some pictures.. Take care y'all..

[BigBoyBat0]

Hello guys.. this is Sparkle and her siblings on their 5th week.. Sparkle on the far left side of the picture

[Domiss]

Hi everybody , I have bought a chow chow puppy but didn't get him yet coz he is still 5weeks old. I spoke to the owner today and she said that the mother passed away ( some body poisened her:(:(. ) the thing i want to know is it ok to bring him home at this age ? If yes what I have to be careful about and what I have to exactly? I will get him most probably in other 10 days (coz I am out of the country) he will be then 6weeks and half.

[cherriemater]

Sparkle is GORGEOUS!!! Ohhhh .... I'm so excited for you!!! I know you're eagerly anticipating the pick up date. Hope her arrival goes smoothly and please be sure to let us know how it goes.

Domiss ... I replied to your separate post.

[BigBoyBat0]

Sparkle and her sibs on their 7th week.. Sparkle is the one in the middle.. Tongue is still spotted, im worried it will never go blue-black..

[chowpups]

What adorable pups all of them. Sparkle looks like she has a little wrinkle on the muzzle so it might be more of a slight squishy face then open, in my opinion . hard to tell by pictures alone, But she looks great and as for the tongue give it time!Nikki's took a little while to completely turn purple as a pup! Good luck with your new pup and we are all here if you need some help! Do you know what the parents look like?

[BigBoyBat0]

hello chowpups.. thanks.. here are the parents.. the red one is the sire, the cream is the dam, though the dam's coat shreds already.. hehehe..

[chowpups]

They are a nice mix of open face and wrinkled. I think your chow might look alittle like my chow did, but cream! Nikki's parents looked similar to your pups parents except our dame was black! And maybe the sire had a little more wrinkles not much different though! Nikki is in my banner and my avatar as a pup!

[cherriemater]

Sparkle, Sparkle, Sparkle ... oh how my eyes sparkle when I see you. Soooo adorable! She's a real stunner. I can feel your excitement!! Congratulations.

[Fozzbear]

Sparkle is just lovely!

[BigBoyBat0]

Thank you so much everyone.. A week to go before I get her.. Sad to say, her 2 brothers (cream and black) were already adopted last week. I'll keep everyone posted as soon as I have her with me..
Sparkle must be very happy if only she can read your comments.. LOL..

[Victory]

Don't worry about her tongue going dark. My Dreamdancer is a light cinnamon,(he's very much an old time chow, in every way) and when he came at 8 weeks his tongue was barely dark, and his mouth had a lot of pink left in it. By 14 weeks that had all changed his mouth and tongue are fully smokey purple. With the lighter colored chows you may not get a blue-black mouth and tongue, but a dark smokey purple.

Her sire and dam are gorgeous, the dam lost her coat with the puppies I'll bet, that is perfectly normal.

I'm so glad you waited for her to grow up to get her, only a few days now...

On the list of equipment/things you need. No one has mentioned grooming tools, you'll want to begin brushing her--at least lightly--as soon as possible. For this you'll need:
a wire pin brush--this is a brush made with wire bristles but has little round knops on the end of the wires so it doesn't pull too much.
a wide metal tooth comb and a narrow one--mine is one half wide and one half narrow
a wire slicker brush
a soft bristle brush
an undercoat rake
also sometimes a long toothed comb for humans is a good investment for the tail and pantaloons, (rear end and back of back legs hair) which is often coarse and can really tangle and is so long and thick that most brushes just can't get to all of it.
I have pictures of most these tools and I'll try to post them in the next post hear. Grooming a chow is work, (not as much as a Pulli) but it is work, and the best way to make it less work is to get her used to it as soon as you can. You start with very short grooming sessions, that are full of praise, praise praise and maybe a treat or two after it is over. Also grooming sessions are a good way to get her used to vet visits and examines. Touch her every where, open her mouth and look in, rub the flat of your thumb over the inside of her ears at the base, (do it right and she'll turn to butter on you) run your hands under her belly and squeeze, very gently, this mimics what the vet does when they feel organs. lift her legs and bend them back and forth, check her feet, between her toes, (if you live where there is snow nad ice on the ground this can be essential because you will need to look for and remove any ice that may form between her toes. Do it gently, but also do it with an attitude that you have the right to do so. Have other people you trust completly do some ofthe same things, rub her ears, touch her tummy etc. This will go a long way to helping her behave well at the vets.

[Victory]

Here are pictures of the grooming tools:

Pin brush:


steel toothed comb:


slicker brush:


undercoat rake:


the slicker brush is hard to see, it has a soft plastic/rubber part that holds very fine wires that are bent at the end slightly it is good for the front of their legs and their faces, but be gentle around their faces. I use the slicker around their mouths mostly, for around the eyes I use a soft natural bristle brush.

[BigBoyBat0]

This is so cool.. Thanks so much Victory.. I have to start scouting in different pet shops for these grooming tools.. I'll keep you updated on Sparkle's status.. Thanks again...