A male or a female?

[marcNjade]

Hello everyone,

We are new to this site, and especialy new to Chows!
My boyfriend and I will adopt one at the beginning of August of this year. The mother is pregnant at the moment.
We are really happy and excited we found a good breeder (www.labandeakiwi.com) and we are absolutely certain we want a beautiful Chow !
Actually, we are on a waiting list and paid the deposit. Initialy we chose a Male because my mother-in-law, which we see often, has a female golden retriever, so the breeder thought we would be better with a Male.
Question is, what do you guys think?
We live in a house-like condo (first floor and a big garden) in Montreal, if it helps.
Thank you very much to all!

Marc et Jade

[Merlin]

I will adopt one at the beginning of August

Sounds like you are BUYING a dog, not "adopting" a dog.

we are absolutely certain we want a beautiful Chow

To find breeders of merit who sell purebred chows and who adhere to a code of ethics you can contact the Canadian Kennel club or the Chow Club of Canada.

There is also a good read at:
http://www.merlinshope.com/2010/index.p ... ticleid=20

[Sarahloo]

We are really happy and excited we found a good breeder (http://www.labandeakiwi.com)

That website always shocks me. They provide NO info on themselves or their chows (names, dates of birth, ...) and there's not a single chow smile to be found on any of the photos which is just so strange.

[leisa75]

I think you should check into the breeder a little more ! I would not a buy a puppy from them ! And most reputible breeders dont ask for money befor the pup is even born !

[bubbybear]

I have two beautiful chows from there. I have had no problems with them. They are 2 and 10 months. i also keep in contact with their siblings also other references i was given. I would send anyone to her in a heart beat. It bothers me when other people jump on you . The pups were clean no fleas and potty trained and liked humans. Hope to see pics. There are pictures of my two on this sight.

[Merlin]

it's not only about the health of a dog. 90 percent of all dogs in shelters come from back yard breeders in general because they sell dogs to just about anyone , so they don't necessarily descern between responsible or irresponsible owners, and only care about making money. Tell me, did they insist your sterilize your chows? Did you sign a contract? Did they give you anything in writing??

[valerierichard27]

it's not only about the health of a dog. 90 percent of all dogs in shelters come from back yard breeders in general because they sell dogs to just about anyone , so th
ey don't necessarily descern between responsible or irresponsible owners, and only care about making money. Tell me, did they insist your sterilize your chows? Did you sign a contract?

the dogs are in shelters because of irresponsible owners NOT breeders !!

As for me I got my male from them and he is WONDERFULL !! The parents are great and they are born into a LOVING FAMILY !!! When i get the room to have a 3rd chow i will still get it from them. They are wonderfull and I totally recommend them As for your question, I would go with a female, they are less stuborn then males.

[Merlin]

the dogs are in shelters because of irresponsible owners NOT breeders

yea. in your mind and only in your mind.

I would go with a female, they are less stuborn then males.

You still have a lot to learn about chows. Gender certainly doesn't at all, not ever, dictate stubborness, or character difficulty. It's an individual trait largely dependent on the dog's inherent character and the handling it receives from it's owner. Good thing that quality breeders offer WRITTEN temperament guarantees. That sure does help the buyer not have to worry about plithy details like that.

Find your papers yet?

[valerierichard27]

hey merlin, stay polite and dont start an other fight, we are all tired of it. so please keep your comments to yourself thaqnks

[Merlin]

i started nothing - you opened the door.
if you're going make comments in any forum, then realistically you need to assume that you're going to receive opinions towards your own - and if you're tired of it then simply don't read the reply. The only "we" here who are tired of hearing this are people just like you, who didn't do their homework, and went out to buy a horse and got a donkey instead. Next time do your homework and we won't be even having this conversation.

[valerierichard27]

What ever.... I still think that LA BANDE A KIWI is an EXCELLENT CHOICE, Like the others said, we keep in touch and the puppies are in very good health. Many people here have dogs from them and they are all SATISFIED

[Merlin]

There are also a lot of people who don't have chows from that place.

Well good for youuuuu. My next chow will come from http://dragonslayertaichows.com/
At least I'll know they are purebred , come from experienced professional breeders, with a solid and WELL RESPECTED background -, after all, why settle for cur, when for a few bucks more one can get a real purebred chow, with a lifetime written guarantee?

[valerierichard27]

why do you keep saying that they are not pure breed ?? They are, its not because they dont give you papers or a warrenty that they are not pure breed, and by the way they do give garenties, Romeos left ear didnt pop up like the others and they offered to take him back and give me an other, but i wanted to keep my Romeo.

[Merlin]

They are, its not because they dont give you papers or a warrenty that they are not pure breed

oh gawd... are we really going to go through this again? No Valerie. You're wrong. If there is no pedigree NO breeder, person or individual can call them purebred. Period.
get over it. If there is no pedigree then the dogs are considered cur. Period. There is a reason why the government made it a law.
You know, you need to get in touch with the real world outside of your own opinion. Just love your dogs. |that's fine. But don't go around trying to make them out to be something they are not.

For the original poster who posted the message here additional reading at:
http://www.ckc.ca/en/Default.aspx?tabid=113
Please consider seeking out a reputable breeder. I'm sure the Canadian Kennel club would have a lot to say on this topic.

and another thing... breeder of merit only breed a female maybe 4 times out of a lifetime. They don't breed them and breed them and breed them none stop for the rest of their lives, There are plenty of valid reasons never to support back yard breeders.

[valerierichard27]

do us a favore and shut up about your stupid CKC some of us dont care about that, so go back to saving your dogs (witch I respect you for)

[Merlin]

ooooo-lala!! What a fragile ego you must have! and how insecure and immature a woman you must be.
No, I won't shut up about the CKC, certainly not for the likes of you, and no one should have to. Why should anyone?

The CKC is a governing body that tries to educate people and set a standard to weed out unsavory dealers, unsavory breeding practices, helps to protect dogs and promote quality breeders. ( and they aren't the only ones).

You'd be surprised to learn that there are people out there who will happily choose education over ignorance. and respect from someone like you is certainly nothing for myself or anyone else to get excited about. The fact that this entire subject gets under your skin so much is your in itself has become so comical, it's not even funny. To know that you actually went on another chow forum to try and find out how to buy registration papers, * somewhere* says it all about what your position is on this entire affair.

[Sarahloo]

I think the most important question to ask a breeder is, "Will you take my Chow back if I can't care for it any more?". If the answer to that question isn't "yes", then that is a huge warning sign!

[valerierichard27]

thats why i said that they are good, because they told me that if something happens and i cant keep the dog (no matter what age ) they will take it back.

[Merlin]

Well, then they should have no trouble putting it in writing, right?

Are you mandated to give the dog back if you can't keep it? no, I don't think you are.
You can let it out on the road, dump it at the shelter or give it to your dying uncle. If you are mandated to give it back, then the dog is protected.

There is an intrinsic reason why things should be done in writing. Most good breeders do.

[crickle_22]

I clicked that web link and wasn't able to see any information. All the links were frozen so I couldn't see what they were all about. However, I do agree with Merlin that you should do more research and find a reputable breeder. Trust me when I say that we have learned the hard way that getting a chow that wasn't CKC registered has been one obsticle after another. No guarentees on anything regarding behaviour or health. When my parents bought us Koda, we looked up information but didn't really research what we were getting into and if our so called "breeder" as nice as she is (and we keep in touch) had done more research on us... I don't think she would have recomended Koda for first time chow owners. As happy as I am that Koda is a oart of our lives it has been hard work dealing with certian behaviours that he has, it could have all been avoided had we been smarter about where we got our dog. (or my parents)
Breeders who will just give a pup away to someone who has the right amount of cash on hand is not someone you should get a dog from. They might love their dogs, they might seem really great... and odds are.. they are great people. But if they truly loved their pets, if they really cared about the breed.. I have now learned that they wouldn't breed dogs that aren't registered.
It is worth the extra money to get a registered dog.
I do think chows are an amazing breed, and I am falling in love with the breed more and more as my Koda grows... but loving him I couldn't ever picture going about it the way we did the first time around.
Good luck to you on your chow journey!!

[Auddymay]

Why must every little thing turn so ugly? The OP asked about GENDER PREFERENCE. That many have concerns is fine. Politely explain why. Oh yeah, and concisely. Many of us would be considered to have gotten our Chows from BYB's. Most of us, like the OP, were oblivious to the larger impact. MY education was done politely and respectfully. It's a good technique...

Having papers does not garantee quality, and calling unpapered dogs curs is rude. That is grossly over-stating and insulting- and if you were honest about it, meant to enflame. I've seen some papered Chows that were further from the standard than the 'curs'.

Having said all that- I also agree that buying unpapered Chows is harmful to the breed. These are mainly the type of Chows that do end up in rescue situations. I had a Boxer once that was the result of dabbling pet owners. Bud was a magnificent male. Very close to the standard. GREAT head...but still, because of his dubious parentage, he could not TECHNICALLY be considered a purebred. BYB can and do produce AKC PB Chows as well.

[Merlin]

and calling unpapered dogs curs is rude. That is grossly over-stating and insulting-

Maybe in your country, the word, and the use of the word "cur", is not a colloquialism, but in my country it is.
A non purebred dog is commonly known as a, "cur" - in your country I believe you call it a, *mutt*. it's in the dictionary, and a very, very common word, so don't read other things into it.

I agree with you that registered breeders throw dogs outside of the standard, throw dogs with entropian, do nasties just like back yard breeders do, but the entire registration process is an attempt to embody the concept of what registered dogs are supposed to be in the first place. People need to know the standard before they buy, yes, and people need to know not to support back yard breeders, and that won't change, and people who constantly go out of their way to protect back yard breeders ( and I won't mention any names), need to get educated - but there are those who simply won't ever. ( It's that, "conscious ignorance", thing again).

Politely explain why. Oh yeah, and concisely

if you are referring to me... I did respond politely and concisely.

[crickle_22]

I think the reason people haven't been posting whether to get a male or female and instead posting more about where you get your chow, and making sure it's CKC registered because that's the way you should chose a chow. It's not about male vs female... it's about quality of breeding and health and temperment... I think that's the main focus people are trying to relay. I know it might come across as harsh and that surely wasn't my intention... I didn't answer male or female because I don't believe it matters if you find yourself a quality dog...
Also, if you plan on breeding or getting them fixed... these too can effect the behaviours of any dog... and if you plan on breeding.. then a dog with papers should be the ONLY way to go.

I hope that my response wasnt taken the wrong way... I'm just offering the advice of what I have recently learned.