How did you meet your chow?

[jennalyj23]

Hello everyone, I've been reading posts on this forum for quite awhile but this is my first thread.

I was just wondering if anyone would care to share their story about how they first met their chow! or where they found their chow. I have been wanting to get a chow for awhile now, but I'm waiting until I finish graduate school and have a steady income and steady schedule so I'll have time to devote to my future dog. But I am looking around and always browsing the photos you owners post up of your chows. Extremely jealous and can't wait for the day when I get to meet a chow of my own. Please share your story!!

[valerierichard27]

I meet Nelly through bad circomstances, my friend was up in the Bay James area, and she told me that her mothers neighbour had a nice Chow (12 months old) tied up outside with a BIG chain, and the owner was going to her with a gun, so i told her to offer the man some money in exchange for the dog. He refused, so then she told me that he seemed drunk, so i told her to offer her a 40 ounce of vodka for the dog, and he agreed. So she came back 2 days later with Nelly. I took her to the vet, she was in such bad shape, she had NEVER been groomed, and her skin was litterally rotting, she had not been fed properly and rarely, she was 26 pounds. the vet said that Nelly would never reach her full grownth. So after a few hundreds at the vet and 1 year later Nelly weights 40 pounds, and she is THE BEST DOG a person can have. Then not too long ago i decided to add to the family, so i got Romeo from a breeder, when i went to see him, we clikcked right away so i took him home 2 days later. He will be 5 months tomorrow and weights between 40 and 43 pounds. He is also very good. I also bring Romeo to the elementry school were i work, and the kids love him.

[Victory]

I got both my from a rescue that no longer exists. The owners retired. I had a male chow named Darkwind, and I noticed when I started back to school that he was lonely with my being gone so long, so I went back to the rescue and found Firesong, (her name was something else then) and she came to live with us, she was a little bitty thing, only about a year old. She's still petitite for a female chow, she weighs only 40lbs, but she's my sweet girl and she's going to be 10 in January, (about that) I've had her for 9 years. Sadly Darkwind got what turned out to be unoperable/curable cancer when he was 6, (Firesong was 4) I helped him out of his pain. A month later Firesong, who is hyper for a chow, lunged at a drunk guy on our walk, she was getting more and more nervous and antsy. So I went back to the same rescue looking for a male that would be compatible with her, I found that the rescue had a litter of puppies that someone had turned into them. One little boy was sort of spoken for, but that person backed out, and since I had a relationship with the rescue, I got the little guy, that was 4 and a half years ago. Dreamdancer came to me at 7lbs he's now about 43lbs, (he's a little guy too) I think he'll top out at 50 or so as he ages.

I miss the rescue that I got them from. I hope that others down there take up the slack left by their retirement. But I'll always be grateful to them for the three chows I got from them.

[Rex343]

We met Rex at the Humane Society. It had been about 4 months since we lost our Lab and we decided to go look one day (all of our dogs have come from the Humane Society). We were walking around and looking and didn't see anything that jump out at us when I noticed Rex in the back of his kennel. He was unhappy to be there but was uncaring if anyone came up to him. We asked to see him and went out back in a large pen with a staff member and he walked around and sniffed but was indifferent to the hole affair but we went through with it and its been great ever since.

[Sylvia]

I first met my Chow, Sweetie, when she was a very small pup, probably a week or less old. I didn't know at the time that she would eventually become my chow. Her breeder is a friend of mine, and she had just had two litters of pups born. I really wanted to get a pup from Sweetie's litter because it was obvious that they would have very calm temperments. However, I could not adopt a puppy at that time because one of my cats had been diagnosed with a heart condition and the vet said, "No new pets until we know that his medication is going to work." So I had to wait at least another six months to find out if the meds were working and then would have to wait for the right litter of pups.

Well within the next year, I got the go ahead from the vet that I could adopt a dog. And about the time that Sweetie was a year old she became available again for adoption. She had been returned to my friend, her breeder. My friend thought she would be a good fit in my home. And I have had her ever since. She is a great Chow, very mellow and very much a slug puppy like her dad.

[Me & Tess]

We saved Tess almost 17 years ago. She was running the streets of Norwalk, California for several days before we learned of her. One of our neighbors tried to keep her in their back yard but she kept escaping. They attempted to find her owner and were unable to. I believe someone just dropped her off because she was running the street and jumping up on car doors. That fateful afternoon she had half the neighborhood running after her when she ran though our gate and into the garage where my husband and his friend were hanging. Tess plopped herself next to my husband’s black 1951 pan head Harley. First sign! They asked if we were the owners. No. But…… Then they took her away and tied her up across the street in the back yard……. I came home from work and I saw this big black puffy dog….. Tess saw me and it was kismet! I went into the house, still looking at this big black dog, then looking at her from behind the screen door, I hollered for my husband to come look…… she was looking at me the whole time. A few hours later the neighbors came over to tell us they were calling the pound and my husband said we would take her. When we brought her into the house she was panting, I looked at her toung and oh - oh - CHOW! Too late we already fell into her spell. She was with us for 14 years. We had many adventures together. She bonded totaly with our family. She was our furry child, our protector & confidant. She is always in our hearts & memories, and deeply missed.

[Piff Poff]

We had been looking at a getting a Chow puppy, only knowing of the breed from what I had read on the internet, this was going to be my first dog. OH had, had a lab growing up (he said it was a nasty thing and actually put him off having another dog) but he had also known a couple of chows, one of which had puppies, the first time he met the puppies he just climbed into the pen to play with them, the mum had snarled at anyone else doing the same thing but just let OH get on with it, the owners were shocked.

Anyway, the first time I ever saw a chow was when we went to view Henry's litter, we went into the owners garden and 9 black teddy bears came running for us followed by a giant black teddy bear (dad) and a more sedate red teddy bear (mum). The whole lot of them just wanted to know who we were and to be fussed by us, in Oh look new people to love us because we are so loveable kind of way.

Well Henry chose us and our darling little boy came home with us that night (stopped off at the petstore to get supplies on the way home) and he has been an absolute pleasure to have in our home. I had never understood the bond people have with their dogs but Henry is really like my fur child, it really distresses me, the thought that he will one day leave us, before we are ready, I love him so very much.

[Judy Fox]

We met our first chow chow, Milly, when she was exactly 6 weeks old on a car park in Yorkshire.
Not the usual way to meet a beautirul little girl but it was necessary at the time. The date was 5th November, 2000 and at that time there was a serious shortage of petrol on The Island due to industrial action whereby the oil refineries were being blockaded thus stopping the oil tankers from leaving and restocking the petrol stations.
Anyway, the situation was that Milly and her litter mates were born in Cumbria which is quite a way from us, specially when there was little petrol so, as the sire's owner, who lived in Yorkshire was going up to Cumbria to see the puppies, as there were only two bitches, we agreed that she would bring one down for us and we arranged to meet her at a half way point to save petrol for us and her.
We met her and we I took the most adorable bundle of wool from her through her car window and rushed to our car and passed her to our daughter and granddaughter who were sitting in the rear of our car. It was pouring with rain and it was horrible. We paid for her, got her papers and set off on our journey home.
It was the most horrendous journey I have ever had and hope never to have again. The rain was pelting down and did so all the way home. We drove through floods and visability was awful. At one point the flooded roads made me think that we might have to pull in at a farm house and ask for shelter, if only for the pup and our granddaughter.
Anyway we got home.
The problem was there were reports that the industrial action was going to escalate and there could possibly be no petrol so we had to go on that Sunday. However, on the Tuesday following, quite suddenly, agreement was arrived at the the shortage became history so we could have waited but we did not know that at the time and we were all afraid that it could possibly be weeks and weeks before we could go and collect Milly.
She was gorgeous and we were all entranced.
When she was exactly six months old, we heard that the sire's owner, who had Milly's litter sister wanted to find a home for her so we again drove over to Yorkshire and picked her up. This time it was more sociable and we went to her home and met Milly and Mabel's father and other chows.
Sadly, Milly died in August of last year just a few days before their 10th birthday. Mabel missed her dreadfully so we started to look for a puppy for her to cuddle and to keep her company. Our daughter found out that there was a litter due in a few weeks time not so far away.
To cut a long story short, we went to meet the breeder and the litter and were delighted to find three little pups. They were 6 weeks old and we also met the other chow chows. They were all gorgeous and so good natured and so tolerant of the three youngsters. They were all so affectionate with each other.
Two weeks later we went back and brought Matilda back home. She and Mabel were so loving with each other and - just like history repeating itself - when Matilda was 5 months old, we heard from her breeder that she wanted to find a home for her litter sister. We arranged to buy her and a couple of days later the breeder brought her down to us. We call her Maisie and she, like Matilda is gorgeous. they love each other and Mabel and are up to all sorts of mischief. The love Mabel and will wash her face and kiss her. She watches them play like an old grandmother chow chow with a chow grin on her face and they are very respectful of her.

Milly and Mabel

Matilda and Maisie

Baby Milly the day after she came home.

Little Matilda shortly after she arrived home.

Mabel playing with Matilda when she was a baby

Mabel, Matilda and Maisie who is nearest the camera all snuggled up together in the garden.

[Piff Poff]

Judy,

Your pups - all of them, really touch my heart. I think it's you stories and your pictures that really make me want to add to our fur family. I'm working more hours now and Henry seems a little sad. I have also been poorly and not able to walk Henry for 11 days I really miss our walks but poor Henry doesn't understand and looks so sad all the time, I'm moving around more today and he has been my constant shadow today.

[Judy Fox]

Oh dear, I hope things ease for you. It is sad when you know you cannot walk them. At the moment the weather is keeping us in. The ice and snow here is treacherous and makes walking dangerous. I feel Fred and I cannot risk falling - Matilda and Maisie are so strong and even though they are getting to be good on their leads, one tug and one or other of us could be over. They don't seem to mind so much though as they are having great fun in the garden with the snow.

[Piff Poff]

Oh dear, I hope things ease for you. It is sad when you know you cannot walk them. At the moment the weather is keeping us in. The ice and snow here is treacherous and makes walking dangerous. I feel Fred and I cannot risk falling - Matilda and Maisie are so strong and even though they are getting to be good on their leads, one tug and one or other of us could be over. They don't seem to mind so much though as they are having great fun in the garden with the snow.

Oh living in Alberta we know all about ice and snow and strong puppies - the worst of our ice won't come until late march (sounds so long away) But that is when the snow starts melting and then freezing, it's then that I won't go out without grippy things on my shoes - have a look at the link, the best ones I've had so far are like the second ones with bolt like things in them, the sprialy ones were not quite so grippy. http://cozywinters.com/ice-cleats/ice-cleats.html

The Canadians seem to have a knack of walking and running on the ice that this displaced English person is very envious of

[Judy Fox]

What a lovely story abbout how you and Tess met. If you have told this on the site before, I have missed it. She lived a good age too. I wish we had had Milly for longer - I look at these three girls and what wouldn't I give to have Milly here with them - just for one day would do.

Thank you Piff Poff for the ling too the spikey things. You say you are a displaced English person. Where did you used to live? I am a displaced Welsh person though not so far from my homeland as you are from yours.

[Piff Poff]

Judy we moved from Bedfordshire 5 and a half years ago, Henry however is pure Canadian. This has been one of my toughest years, fairly homesick. Wouldn't go back to Bedfordshire though

[kingalls]

We met Shiloh in our backyard ...she was about 3 months old - either dumped or a runaway in our neighborhood. One of the few days our gate was opened, she managed to sneak in. We think she was in our yard about 2 or 3 days (we have an oversized backyard jungle). We thought our cat was tromping on the bushes and was really hungary as the cat food was being devoured daily. Then one day Jeff saw a large animal run across the deck - oh no, it's a dog! He went to shoo it out. The puppy was running toward the gate only to put on the brakes when she saw our cat sitting at the gate cleaning itself...an immediate U-turn and back into the backyard. When I got home, Jeff said we have a visitor. Shiloh found a "hiding" spot in the bamboo. Meanwhile, I knocked on our neighbor's door - "are you missing a dog? looks like a pom..." One of my neighbors came over to check out the pup..."That's not a pom! It's a Chow!" We knew nothing about Chows. We put out flyers and contacted the animal shelter but no one called. Meanwhile, Shiloh always hid from us but we knew she would sneak up when we were gone to eat the food we would put out for her. When I told a co-worker about the Chow pup, he told us to get rid of it - you don't want a Chow. We were not sure what we wanted to do with this dog. Jeff was not happy his beautiful garden was being trampled but I was becoming attached to this allusive Chow-girl. One day Jeff told me something that "Shiloh" did - now she had a name? 1st step One day I kept following this Chow girl in the yard - she didn't want us to get too close. I just kept following her and calling her new name. She finally got tired of me following her and sat down while I approached her.
Anyway, it took us many months before she would let us pet her with our hands. She would let us touch us from a distance with our feet. Now she loves hugs and kisses. She is the best!!!
We got our Chow-boy Nahkohe from Canada. We wanted to get a companion for Shiloh. ..and that's another story

[Tippsy'smom]

I met my first chow, Cinder, when I was 2. My parents, my brother, and I drove 2 1/2 hours to Dallas, GA to meet an entire litter of puppies. And when my parents let me down one little black male pup came up and played with me, well, he actually undid my shoe and stole it. And I basically made the decision that he was the one I wanted, and he was the one we got! We had him for 2 years when he died in my mom's arms of a heat stroke. And even though I was only 4 I knew what had happened, my buddy was gone.

And then 5 years later, I met Tippsy at my uncle's house. My cousin had bought her from a breeder and hadn't been able to keep her, so she gave her to my aunt and uncle and then when they saw my connection with her, they sit it up with my dad to surprise me with her as my own. And she's been my faithful, loving friend for the past 10 years!

Then almost 2 years ago on New Years Eve of 2008, I met Jasper. My brother called my mom from his friends house, saying that he found a puppy who looks like a chow when they were walking down the street. So my mom sent me and a friend of mine to go get them, and I rolled down my window when my brother walked up to my side of the car and he sat the most adorable black ball of fluff in my lap. And he quickly became my best friend.

And finally, even though we're not sure weather she has chow in her or not, I met Dixie 2 months ago when a friend and I went to the local pound. I wasn't looking for a puppy at the time, but my friend was. And she picked Dixie out of a little of puppies, but quickly figured out that she couldn't handle Dixie with her 20 month old daughter, so instead of seeing Dixie go back to the pound, I took her. And she has adjusted well into my little pack.

[Judy Fox]

Karen how lovely that you gained her trust in the end - mind you she stuck there so she was going to give in , in the end, little madame.
Jess, I was interested to read that you remember back to when you were so young. A lot of people don't . I do, like you , remember back to things when I was 2 yrs. of age and they are not things I have been told and then remember as if I actually remember, if you see what I mean.
I wonder if I am going to be one of those old ladies who cannot remember what happened two minutes ago but can give people a long and protracted lecture about what happened when I was very young.
Piff Poff - never been to Bedfordshire - but I would go back to Wales - I get homesick sometimes - I just want to see the mountains and the Welsh Blacks and..........................

[Tippsy'smom]

Thank you Judy! I don't remember a lot, but what I do remember has Cinder in it. I guess he just touched my life that much.