Help!! our chow chow almost bit somebody!
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Help!! our chow chow almost bit somebody!
While at the dog park with our chow chow a neighbour approaches with his dogs. The neighbour leans over and wanted to pet our pup, but our pup just snaps back and barks at him and seems as though as if he were ready to bite the neighbour.
Help!! our chow is very protective and we're trying our best to make him be more social. I'm afraid to bring my little godsister over because I'm afraid that if I leave the room for a bit he might just bite her even if I tell him "no boy, it's okay"
How did you get your pup to be more trusting of others? and not always be the defense side? he's really not a mean dog, he loves us to peices and is a kid at heart but when it comes to strangers we're afraid that if we leave the room or not in sight, he might bite them if they try to pet him. To him he probably thinks they're trying to hurt him.
HELP us please
Help!! our chow is very protective and we're trying our best to make him be more social. I'm afraid to bring my little godsister over because I'm afraid that if I leave the room for a bit he might just bite her even if I tell him "no boy, it's okay"
How did you get your pup to be more trusting of others? and not always be the defense side? he's really not a mean dog, he loves us to peices and is a kid at heart but when it comes to strangers we're afraid that if we leave the room or not in sight, he might bite them if they try to pet him. To him he probably thinks they're trying to hurt him.
HELP us please
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redangie24
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First time relax. Next check the arcives they are full of advice. I have given mine before, but this is what I suggest. Put a muzzel on him then just invite people in and when he calms down take it off and praise him. He will soon associate the people with praise. Give treats if you can and make it fun. I go more in depth in the archives so check them out. Make sure to never give attention to him when he is being agressive since that will reinforce the unwanted behavior.
Have a Chowfastic Day!!
Cabo would bark at new people and make sure that he was between me and whomever was approaching. I've found that if I get down on his level and tell him it's ok and the person puts there hand out for a sniff and I touch their hand, he sniffs them and then tried to lick them to death. I think once he sees that it's ok and gets a whiff of them he's ok. I'm not sure how he would do if someone just came over and leaned over him to pet him. Dogs see that as a dominating movement.
Mommy to Cabo
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chowfrnd88
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- Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:47 am
- Location: Maryland
The advice the others have given is really good. Redangie is exactly right in saying you shouldn't give him attention when he's being aggressive. In a nuetral tone, you may want to just say "eh" or something to let him know he is not doing what you want. You don't want to say "it's okay" to calm him down, by telling him it's okay you're really telling him that it's okay to keep doing what he's doing. For us, okay is release word that positive associations, so if you use okay in other contexts, you may be reinforcing his negative behavior unwillingly. With the muzzle, the advice we've gotten is that if you want to use a muzzle, make the muzzle a positive thing. Just try to fit it on him inside, then work up to taking him outside with it, all the while treating him. If you just put it on and then take him over to meet others without giving him a few occassions to get used to it, he may be even more stressed. Good luck, I'm sure you'll get more really great advice on this aw well. I'm sorry you're having to experience this stress, but like the others said, try to calm down. Maybe he didn't liek how your neighbor approached him or something?
I don't consider that aggressive behavior on your Chows part I consider it aggressive behavior by the person that tried to pet him. My Chow has never liked a stranger petting her and never will, I think that's the feeling of most Chows on here (not the owners but the Chows) I've always told people she doesn't like to be bothered if you leave her alone she will leave you alone. If someone insist on petting her I tell them to let her come to them then they can pet her, but to walk up to a Chow and try to pet them especially if they don't see you coming and stick your hand in their face is asking for trouble. I took my Chow to a dog park everyday for 6 years everyone there new enough not to try and force themselves on her, they all gave her space and time, after awhile she was loved by all but she still wouldn't let anyone pet her unless she came to them.
This topic always leads to disagreements so check back but in the meantime there are hundreds of post on this subject its not new and there's nothing wrong with your Chow just keep him going to public places so he gets use to alot of people around, in the meantime I would warn people he's not comfortable with strangers touching him.
There are a few people on this site that take there Chows to Pet-smart or Pet-Co for obedience training and all seem to think it works. One day I was at Pet-smart paying at the casher, my Chow was sitting minding her own Business when this lady filling out an application turns around says oh how cute, a chow, she leaned over to pet Pekoe, Pekoe had a stroke didn't attack the lady but nipped at her hand, growled and forced her to hide behind the counter, Everyone in that area including the store manager started yelling at the lady, don't ever approach a Chow like that, let them know your there first then ask permission to pet the chow. so they say one thing at the classes but another at the counter.
The Godsister, No problem I've been through it with a four year old. There are certain guidelines you have to use with all dogs and childern but first let the Chow get use to her being around and let the chow come to her, your going to have to watch them both very carefully for awhile. I'm assuming your godsister is a child.
Judy and some of the others have some good advice with kids and Chows.
This topic always leads to disagreements so check back but in the meantime there are hundreds of post on this subject its not new and there's nothing wrong with your Chow just keep him going to public places so he gets use to alot of people around, in the meantime I would warn people he's not comfortable with strangers touching him.
There are a few people on this site that take there Chows to Pet-smart or Pet-Co for obedience training and all seem to think it works. One day I was at Pet-smart paying at the casher, my Chow was sitting minding her own Business when this lady filling out an application turns around says oh how cute, a chow, she leaned over to pet Pekoe, Pekoe had a stroke didn't attack the lady but nipped at her hand, growled and forced her to hide behind the counter, Everyone in that area including the store manager started yelling at the lady, don't ever approach a Chow like that, let them know your there first then ask permission to pet the chow. so they say one thing at the classes but another at the counter.
The Godsister, No problem I've been through it with a four year old. There are certain guidelines you have to use with all dogs and childern but first let the Chow get use to her being around and let the chow come to her, your going to have to watch them both very carefully for awhile. I'm assuming your godsister is a child.
Judy and some of the others have some good advice with kids and Chows.
Hi, Chowbear.
This is a nonissue in my opinion. He's a pup, he just needs to learn and be socialized. He won't always be snappy once he's socialized.
Just make sure that people don't surprise him. Keep on socializing him, and be consistent. Go slow with him, and have people let him come to them, not force themselves on him. In his mind, that's what they're doing when they approach him and just start to pet him right away. And he needs to know that these "strangers" aren't going to hurt his family, which is you. And don't make a big thing out of it, they're like human kids, they crave attention. You have to make them show positive behavior to get it.
I don't see a child with the chow as a problem, either. Many on here have both furry and human children. Most, however, have taken the time to be sure their children understand the chow and how to treat it. You will have to watch them closely at first, but it should be fine for both the human and the furkid as long as you're patient and attentive with the orientation.
Best of luck and let us know how it goes.
This is a nonissue in my opinion. He's a pup, he just needs to learn and be socialized. He won't always be snappy once he's socialized.
Just make sure that people don't surprise him. Keep on socializing him, and be consistent. Go slow with him, and have people let him come to them, not force themselves on him. In his mind, that's what they're doing when they approach him and just start to pet him right away. And he needs to know that these "strangers" aren't going to hurt his family, which is you. And don't make a big thing out of it, they're like human kids, they crave attention. You have to make them show positive behavior to get it.
I don't see a child with the chow as a problem, either. Many on here have both furry and human children. Most, however, have taken the time to be sure their children understand the chow and how to treat it. You will have to watch them closely at first, but it should be fine for both the human and the furkid as long as you're patient and attentive with the orientation.
Best of luck and let us know how it goes.
Chowbear, I've found that if you ignore a chow they come and find out why 
. When people come and fuss all over my Pup he backs off but when they ignore him he goes to them to figure out why they wouln't want to put their hands on the beautiful specimen that he is 
. I have found with my new chowboy that if I pick him up and let people put their hands on him that he completely gives into a very submissive state but this didn't work for my other two over the years. The best advice is socialize socialize! Just take him with you everywhere you can and let him get used to people and cars and kids and screaming and fireworks etc. Good Luck!
. When people come and fuss all over my Pup he backs off but when they ignore him he goes to them to figure out why they wouln't want to put their hands on the beautiful specimen that he is . I have found with my new chowboy that if I pick him up and let people put their hands on him that he completely gives into a very submissive state but this didn't work for my other two over the years. The best advice is socialize socialize! Just take him with you everywhere you can and let him get used to people and cars and kids and screaming and fireworks etc. Good Luck!
i want to refer you to
Taklamakan Chow Welfare.
it was an excellent site but is off line
therefore
go to
http://www.chowwelfare.com/cciw/training.htm
good luck , dont give up
mb Moto Bravo chow
the anrgy chow ranch where every mean biting son of a bitch can find a home ..
Taklamakan Chow Welfare.
it was an excellent site but is off line
therefore
go to
http://www.chowwelfare.com/cciw/training.htm
good luck , dont give up
mb Moto Bravo chow
the anrgy chow ranch where every mean biting son of a bitch can find a home ..
The Chow is a protective breed by nature. Some are more protective than others and require more socializing. I personally would NOT use a muzzle on my dog. It's your responsibility to keep your dog safe from strangers and either explain to them how to approach your dog and control the situation or, just tell them NO, you can't pet him, sorry. My first Chow was very aggressive and did not like anyone other than immediate family. There is no question that he would bight someone, but in all his years he never did and never wore a muzzle. I just kept his teeth away from strangers. My two current Chows are both protective but not mean, people can pet them with complete confidence and It's a much nicer lifestyle for all of us. Socialize and control the enviornment and I'm sure she'll be fine.
No matter where you go, there you are.
"I'm afraid to bring my little godsister over because I'm afraid that if I leave the room for a bit he might just bite her."
Don't ever leave a child alone with any breed of dog in a room or yard, To me that's Child endangerment, poor parenting and pure stupidly, If you leave the room for a second and your godsister does get bit thats your fault not the Chows..
What do I tell my children about dogs?
Make sure your children understand the following rules about dogs:
Do not go near strange dogs.
Never bother a dog that is eating, sleeping, or taking care of puppies.
Tell an adult about stray dogs near your house.
Always have an adult with you when you play with a dog.
Never tease a dog.
Let a dog smell you before you try to pet it
Following these dos and donts will help keep promote child safety around dogs and prevent dog bites.
Do not hug a dog, put your face close to his face or lie on him. Do sit beside your dog, rub his chest or scratch him on the side of the neck.
Do not play chase-me games with a dog. Do play hide and seek - where the dog has to find you or an object that you hide.
Do not play tug-of-war games with a dog. Do play fetch with the dog - teach the dog to trade the object for a treat so he won't try to tug.
Do not lean over or step over a dog. Do respect a dog's resting place - go around him or ask an adult to move the dog.
Do not bother a dog who is sleeping, eating, has a toy or bone, is hurt or has puppies. Do wait for the dog to come to you for attention.
Do not dress a dog up in play clothes. Do dress up your stuffed animals.
Do not hit a dog or poke him with a stick. Do be gentle with dogs.
Do not pull a dog's ears, tail or fur. Do scratch the dog's chest or the side of her neck - most dogs enjoy this.
Do not stick fingers or hands into the dog's crate. Do ask an adult to let the dog out of the crate if you want to pet her.
Do not play in the dog's crate. Do play "in and out of the crate" with the dog - toss a treat in - dog goes in to get it - dog comes back out - toss another treat in etc (with adult supervision).
If your dog does not welcome you with wagging and panting - leave him alone. Do wait for the dog to come to you for attention.
If your dog gets too rough or excited, be a tree until he gets bored and goes away.
Do not run and shout around a dog that is not in a crate. Do be calm around dogs; involve the dog in an activity such as chewing on a bone or playing fetch so he doesn't feel that he needs to chase you to have fun.
Don't ever leave a child alone with any breed of dog in a room or yard, To me that's Child endangerment, poor parenting and pure stupidly, If you leave the room for a second and your godsister does get bit thats your fault not the Chows..
What do I tell my children about dogs?
Make sure your children understand the following rules about dogs:
Do not go near strange dogs.
Never bother a dog that is eating, sleeping, or taking care of puppies.
Tell an adult about stray dogs near your house.
Always have an adult with you when you play with a dog.
Never tease a dog.
Let a dog smell you before you try to pet it
Following these dos and donts will help keep promote child safety around dogs and prevent dog bites.
Do not hug a dog, put your face close to his face or lie on him. Do sit beside your dog, rub his chest or scratch him on the side of the neck.
Do not play chase-me games with a dog. Do play hide and seek - where the dog has to find you or an object that you hide.
Do not play tug-of-war games with a dog. Do play fetch with the dog - teach the dog to trade the object for a treat so he won't try to tug.
Do not lean over or step over a dog. Do respect a dog's resting place - go around him or ask an adult to move the dog.
Do not bother a dog who is sleeping, eating, has a toy or bone, is hurt or has puppies. Do wait for the dog to come to you for attention.
Do not dress a dog up in play clothes. Do dress up your stuffed animals.
Do not hit a dog or poke him with a stick. Do be gentle with dogs.
Do not pull a dog's ears, tail or fur. Do scratch the dog's chest or the side of her neck - most dogs enjoy this.
Do not stick fingers or hands into the dog's crate. Do ask an adult to let the dog out of the crate if you want to pet her.
Do not play in the dog's crate. Do play "in and out of the crate" with the dog - toss a treat in - dog goes in to get it - dog comes back out - toss another treat in etc (with adult supervision).
If your dog does not welcome you with wagging and panting - leave him alone. Do wait for the dog to come to you for attention.
If your dog gets too rough or excited, be a tree until he gets bored and goes away.
Do not run and shout around a dog that is not in a crate. Do be calm around dogs; involve the dog in an activity such as chewing on a bone or playing fetch so he doesn't feel that he needs to chase you to have fun.
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IliamnasQuest
- Rank 3
- Posts: 1010
- Joined: Fri Feb 17, 2006 8:04 am
- Location: Alaska
Hi ChowBear -
Aggression is not acceptable in the chow - the temperament is supposed to be "aloof" but never aggressive. A puppy should not have to feel the need to snap at someone who is merely reaching to pet them - a friendly stranger should not be construed as a threat, even to a chow.
I would be willing to bet that your pup is acting out of fear. Fear is the biggest cause of aggressive-type behaviors in almost all breeds. Puppies need to be carefully socialized from a very young age and shown that people (and other dogs, etc.) are not something to fear but instead are something to enjoy. A dog park may not be the best place for this pup (not sure how old he is). There just isn't enough control of everything around him when you're in a dog park, and if he's already showing fear aggression it could very well make him worse.
If there is any way you can get into a good positive training class (puppy class if he's still young enough) it would probably help a great deal. It's a controlled atmosphere, where dogs are on leash and people are being taught how to deal with various behaviors. It's very important to find a class where the trainer uses all positives (as far as possible) and doesn't expect you to put a corrective collar on your pup and give him leash pops. Gentle, kind training is always the best way to start.
Another thing you can start doing now is to carry some really special yummy treats that he doesn't get any other time. Find friends who are willing to help you out, and meet in a neutral (quiet) place. Have them drop treats near him so he can pick them up, and gradually work to the point where he will accept them from their hands. This may take a long time - weeks or more - but it's important not to just force him to accept it. He needs to learn to be comfortable. When he's at the point where your friends can all approach him and he is happy to see them, you can start taking him places where there are more strangers. Keep the stress low at first - one or two strangers at a distance is a start, and then you can reward him with the treats as they approach and pass by. After awhile you should be able to ask people to give him a treat.
You're right in having concerns about him biting your godsister. If he is willing to snap at people, a child is especially at risk as their faces are so close to a dog's mouth (compared to an adult). Any time your godsister is there, she and the pup need to be supervised 100% of the time. She needs to learn how to act around him too. You can incorporate her into the treat program by having her drop treats near him. It would also help if you teach him some basic commands (sit, shake paws, down, spin a circle, etc.) so that you can have him do some behaviors for the treats after awhile.
I hope that you take the time to work through this. Too many chows have poor adult temperaments and it usually starts in puppyhood and then is not handled properly. There's just no reason for a chow to be aggressive unless there is an actual true threat. Please never shrug off your dog's behavior as "typical" because the chow should have a solid temperament and not growl or snap at people just because they've been approached by a friendly stranger. They may not act tremendously friendly to people they don't know, but aggression is a definite flaw. With dedicated work on your part, you will hopefully change your pup from acting fearful to acting happy around people.
Good luck -
Melanie and the gang in Alaska
Aggression is not acceptable in the chow - the temperament is supposed to be "aloof" but never aggressive. A puppy should not have to feel the need to snap at someone who is merely reaching to pet them - a friendly stranger should not be construed as a threat, even to a chow.
I would be willing to bet that your pup is acting out of fear. Fear is the biggest cause of aggressive-type behaviors in almost all breeds. Puppies need to be carefully socialized from a very young age and shown that people (and other dogs, etc.) are not something to fear but instead are something to enjoy. A dog park may not be the best place for this pup (not sure how old he is). There just isn't enough control of everything around him when you're in a dog park, and if he's already showing fear aggression it could very well make him worse.
If there is any way you can get into a good positive training class (puppy class if he's still young enough) it would probably help a great deal. It's a controlled atmosphere, where dogs are on leash and people are being taught how to deal with various behaviors. It's very important to find a class where the trainer uses all positives (as far as possible) and doesn't expect you to put a corrective collar on your pup and give him leash pops. Gentle, kind training is always the best way to start.
Another thing you can start doing now is to carry some really special yummy treats that he doesn't get any other time. Find friends who are willing to help you out, and meet in a neutral (quiet) place. Have them drop treats near him so he can pick them up, and gradually work to the point where he will accept them from their hands. This may take a long time - weeks or more - but it's important not to just force him to accept it. He needs to learn to be comfortable. When he's at the point where your friends can all approach him and he is happy to see them, you can start taking him places where there are more strangers. Keep the stress low at first - one or two strangers at a distance is a start, and then you can reward him with the treats as they approach and pass by. After awhile you should be able to ask people to give him a treat.
You're right in having concerns about him biting your godsister. If he is willing to snap at people, a child is especially at risk as their faces are so close to a dog's mouth (compared to an adult). Any time your godsister is there, she and the pup need to be supervised 100% of the time. She needs to learn how to act around him too. You can incorporate her into the treat program by having her drop treats near him. It would also help if you teach him some basic commands (sit, shake paws, down, spin a circle, etc.) so that you can have him do some behaviors for the treats after awhile.
I hope that you take the time to work through this. Too many chows have poor adult temperaments and it usually starts in puppyhood and then is not handled properly. There's just no reason for a chow to be aggressive unless there is an actual true threat. Please never shrug off your dog's behavior as "typical" because the chow should have a solid temperament and not growl or snap at people just because they've been approached by a friendly stranger. They may not act tremendously friendly to people they don't know, but aggression is a definite flaw. With dedicated work on your part, you will hopefully change your pup from acting fearful to acting happy around people.
Good luck -
Melanie and the gang in Alaska
Thank you all very much for the advices and comments. Our chow is almost 1years old and he sure loves to play. I really agree on the not using positive reinforcement when he snaps at strangers. We haven't tried the muzzle (spl?), and hope that we won't have to. His previous owner never socialized him with other dogs, people or anything for that matter, but we are trying our best to change all that. Thanks everyone, for the support! 
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redangie24
- Rank 3
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- Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2005 3:36 pm
- Location: Keesler AFB, MS
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One more thing....if people act like they are scared of him he will pick it up and that can make introductions longer and more stressful. If you don't like muzzels don't use them. I think they work great for ppl scared of thier dog biting (for very short periods), but if you are not comfortable don't. If you are uncomfortable he will pick it up and he will not like it.
Have a Chowfastic Day!!