Lady Phoenix - New To everything

[Lady Phoenix]

Hi, firstly not sure if I should post in new to forum, new to Cow Chows or in Generla, but I dont think this is far wrong.

Firstly me.
My name is Penny and Im a live in Carer for an 85 year old lady who suffers from Dementia. I myself have owned dogs in the past but never came across a Chow Chow. Dogs Im great with, Puppies, well, you know the score, most of their life they are adults so unless you are buying dogs on a regular basis can you really say you are great at training puppies. Ive had 3 dogs in my life, a Dalmantion, a Border Collie and a Staffie Cross Lab, all great dogs and all obtained from a Puppy.

My Lady
I have to call her My Lady as Im under a confidentialtiy agreement, so cant reveal many details.
She is 85 and has Dementia and has previoulsy owned a Chow Chow. If the forum will allow this is a portrait of him. I have no idea when she lost him but I know he was old so can only assume he lived a normal age for a Chow Chow



So, 4 or 5 weeks ago my lady decides she wanted a dog. I hunted for a dog, made appointments to see breeders and pounds and each time it wasnt right but each time getting a few more details on what she wanted until I finally discovered she wanted "Sandy Again". So, did some more research and found some lovely pups for sale, lovely Mother and lovely owners. Went to see them last Sunday and in 2 weeks time we pick this lovely little superstar up



Co-Incidently he will be called Sandy. Personally I wanted to keep the name the breeder gave him, Obi Wan Kenobi, but its going to be her dog.

So, cut a long story short, we now own a book (KISS guide to raising a puppy), a bed, a cooling pad, a few toys and its been booked in for the vets for various shots and Im in the process of getting insurance.

So, thats all I can think of as an introduction.

So, my question really is this

Can you think of any more questions I should be asking and can you answer them

The most obvious one I can think of is who should train it. The dog is going to be My Ladys but I dont feel she will be able to train it properly. Im worried that if I train it that he will become attached to me which defeats the whole object of getting her a dog. SHould I be asking this in general?

[Rory's Dad]

Penny, it sounds like you will be the primary caregiver for the dog as well. In that instance, the dog is going to decide that you are it's owner. Chows in particular are going to determine their pecking order based on who controls the resources and determines the rule set.

So, if you are going to feed, water, reward, teach, and reprimand, then the dog will view you as his/hers. Its going to be all about structure. You will want to make sure that "Lady" is introduced early and as frequently as possible though so the pup doesnt view her as an outsider. Chows will generally do very well with an established family structure. As long as they understand everyone's relation and position they will accept those persons. It's when someone is introduced later on, or a change in dynamics occurs that issues arise.

You will want to make sure that the dog is very well socialized. Dogs have a very strong sense regarding individual personalities, but with dimentia you want to make sure that the dog is comfortable regardless of the situation. Introduce him to people of every age and size. Get him used to strangers and people who are around on a daily basis. "Lady" may recognize him one day, but not the next and the dog may pick up on this, so you want him to be accustomed to making 'new aquaintences'.

Aside from normal sit, stay, lie training, you should consider Canine Good Citizen (CGC) training, Therapy Dog, or Companion Dog training and certification. These are specialized programs that teach the dog to deal with certain situations and ensure good behavior.

[Lady Phoenix]

First of all...what an adorable puppy! The portrait of the original Sandy is amazing.
I have never had a chow puppy but now I am the proud owner of two Chow rescues. Both came to us about the age of two.
I also had a number of breeds prior to the chows including a border collie. I must admit...chows are a very unique breed and nothing like any of my other dogs. They require a strong presence and I doubt an 85 year old woman can fill that role. They can be very stubborn...somewhat aloof...and require a strong leader. I absolutely love the breed and have had my chow boys for nine years now. They are a joy and I enjoy their distinct personalities.

Thank you.

Penny, it sounds like you will be the primary caregiver for the dog as well. In that instance, the dog is going to decide that you are it's owner. Chows in particular are going to determine their pecking order based on who controls the resources and determines the rule set.

So, if you are going to feed, water, reward, teach, and reprimand, then the dog will view you as his/hers. Its going to be all about structure. You will want to make sure that "Lady" is introduced early and as frequently as possible though so the pup doesnt view her as an outsider. Chows will generally do very well with an established family structure. As long as they understand everyone's relation and position they will accept those persons. It's when someone is introduced later on, or a change in dynamics occurs that issues arise.

You will want to make sure that the dog is very well socialized. Dogs have a very strong sense regarding individual personalities, but with dimentia you want to make sure that the dog is comfortable regardless of the situation. Introduce him to people of every age and size. Get him used to strangers and people who are around on a daily basis. "Lady" may recognize him one day, but not the next and the dog may pick up on this, so you want him to be accustomed to making 'new aquaintences'.

Aside from normal sit, stay, lie training, you should consider Canine Good Citizen (CGC) training, Therapy Dog, or Companion Dog training and certification. These are specialized programs that teach the dog to deal with certain situations and ensure good behavior.

Well, I dont mind admitting that this will throw up new challenges for me, as its not the usual situation I find myself in. Norrmally I find myself getting a dog for myself.

The basic plan is that My Lady will do everything, such as feeding, watering, handling him, walking, etc etc, but even that will throw up its own challenges. For example, we plan on getting an automatic feeder. This is because if my lady should forget to feed him then the dog may not get fed, not on purpose, so with an automatic feeder you know its done. However, thats not something I like in a normal situation as I feel its all part of the master/dog relationship building.

My Lady will be introduced early, To be fair, Ive not even so much as touched the dog, well, the odd pat, but Ive not picked him up, thats all been done by her, and she will have him on her lap when we bring him home,

I certainly want to get him used to strangers as there will be strange people coming into our house on a regular basis, Doctors, Social Workers, my boss etc etc, so I really like the sound of that CQC training, I will look out for something like that.

Im going to be honest and say that I really dont know how this will go. It will certainly be good for my lady and the dof will never be mis treated. If she stops looking after him then I will certainly step in. I beleive she will look after him, but Ive approached the situation like a kid. All kids will promise the world, and when the puppy comes home they want to walk him 24/7, then after a week or a month they start to find its achore and Mum and Dad start to take over the feeding and walking. Im prepared to step in and take over this role but I do believe her when she says she will underatke all the horrible jobs.

O, since I wrote this Ive bought a great looking leach from Amazon. Its got an LED Torch and a poop bag dispencer built in