Would it be fair if we got a Chow pup?
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 11:05 am
Hi I was just hoping we could get some advice from some experienced chow owners here.
I have loved the chow breed for about 4/5 years now and have been reading the forum threads on here for about the last 3. Only recently my boyfriend and I decided that we would love to add an addition to our lives and so I am now trying to find a good UK breeder so that I can go on a waiting list. I don't mind waiting for even a year if it was the right breeder, with the right parent chows.
What I was hoping for your opinion on is about our current living situation. I want to give the puppy the best life, socialisation and training possible and so I value everyone's opinion and will take it all into consideration.
I am 22, 23 years old in July and my boyfriend 23. Even though we seem quite young, I am mature for my age. I don't go out on weekends to early hours of the morning and usually prefer snuggling on the sofa with a book..or reading threads on this Chow forum! This means that the puppy will not be left alone in the evenings and if we do decide to go out on an evening, my mum lives five minutes down the road from me with her own dog and so she would be able to puppy sit for a few hours. I work two days a week at an office for 9 hours a day (this includes travel) and the rest of the week at home and so I would be with the puppy pretty much all the time for socialisation, training and cuddles! My boyfriend works evenings so he will be at home the two days I am at work and during the evenings he has off he is usually wide awake until 3am anyway so the puppy will have someone to cuddle with if they aren't tired yet.
The problem (or maybe it isn't a problem depending on your views) is that we live in a flat. It has two levels and a small balcony and a communal garden on the ground floor (We are on the third) but would this space be okay for a Chow? As I mentioned that I would be at home a lot I can take it out on walks and play time throughout the day, I visit my mum every couple days and so the dog would have more space there too for visits. I plan to take the puppy everywhere with me for socialisation, and carry it in a puppy sling while the jabs are being done so it is used to noises etc. I also plan to put a lot of effort into the training, and I lean towards the positive training method, where negative habits are ignored and positive habits are praised. I am just wondered that the puppy may not have enough space in the flat and I would hate to have an unhappy puppy. We have neighbours so I was wondering if your chows bark a lot? We are only allowed a dog if it doesn't cause to be a nuisance to neighbours (which I understand is what can happen if they are left alone for a long time). Also the absolute maximum the puppy would be left alone is 2 hours.
Sorry for such a long post, I just wanted to explain my situation to see if you thought that we would be good parents to a chow pup.
I have loved the chow breed for about 4/5 years now and have been reading the forum threads on here for about the last 3. Only recently my boyfriend and I decided that we would love to add an addition to our lives and so I am now trying to find a good UK breeder so that I can go on a waiting list. I don't mind waiting for even a year if it was the right breeder, with the right parent chows.
What I was hoping for your opinion on is about our current living situation. I want to give the puppy the best life, socialisation and training possible and so I value everyone's opinion and will take it all into consideration.
I am 22, 23 years old in July and my boyfriend 23. Even though we seem quite young, I am mature for my age. I don't go out on weekends to early hours of the morning and usually prefer snuggling on the sofa with a book..or reading threads on this Chow forum! This means that the puppy will not be left alone in the evenings and if we do decide to go out on an evening, my mum lives five minutes down the road from me with her own dog and so she would be able to puppy sit for a few hours. I work two days a week at an office for 9 hours a day (this includes travel) and the rest of the week at home and so I would be with the puppy pretty much all the time for socialisation, training and cuddles! My boyfriend works evenings so he will be at home the two days I am at work and during the evenings he has off he is usually wide awake until 3am anyway so the puppy will have someone to cuddle with if they aren't tired yet.
The problem (or maybe it isn't a problem depending on your views) is that we live in a flat. It has two levels and a small balcony and a communal garden on the ground floor (We are on the third) but would this space be okay for a Chow? As I mentioned that I would be at home a lot I can take it out on walks and play time throughout the day, I visit my mum every couple days and so the dog would have more space there too for visits. I plan to take the puppy everywhere with me for socialisation, and carry it in a puppy sling while the jabs are being done so it is used to noises etc. I also plan to put a lot of effort into the training, and I lean towards the positive training method, where negative habits are ignored and positive habits are praised. I am just wondered that the puppy may not have enough space in the flat and I would hate to have an unhappy puppy. We have neighbours so I was wondering if your chows bark a lot? We are only allowed a dog if it doesn't cause to be a nuisance to neighbours (which I understand is what can happen if they are left alone for a long time). Also the absolute maximum the puppy would be left alone is 2 hours.
Sorry for such a long post, I just wanted to explain my situation to see if you thought that we would be good parents to a chow pup.