Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

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ciaobella
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Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by ciaobella »

Farbeit from me to invite abuse, but there has been for some time a bit of a turf war here, and instead of encroaching on other people's threads, maybe it would be best if it was thrashed out in a thread of its own. This site is populated with owners of chows... some rescue chows, some breeder chows. It has been expressed to me that the owners of the breeder chows are being made to feel like second class citizens, and many have left this site altogether. It is possible that I might be partly to blame for posting this:
http://forum.chowchow.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8186
If so, I apologize, I hope that is not the case. As far as I'm concerned, everyone matters here, and everyone has something to contribute to the welfare of the breed we love. I had an interesting conversation with a respected fellow member, and I hope she wont mind if I share part of our PM.
I said: It takes a special person to connect with a chow, and too many get them because they think it would be cool to have one and then discard them as soon as they find out the chow is smarter than they are. Makes me furious. The people who hang in there with their chows and patiently raise them regardless of where they came from are on the side of the angels as far as I'm concerned. I love all the chows on this site and I know the whole elitist "rescues only" thing must annoy some members. I'm sorry if people are leaving because of that, that's not right.
I will always rescue. I will never have a chowling that comes from a breeder. That is my choice. That said, I would not want to live in a world where Millie and Alfie, Millie and Mabel, Big Baby Leo, Khana, Jake and Zhuyo (God rest him) didn't exist. And I am so happy they have loving owners, and are not sitting in a shelter somewhere because they were a little bit more than what their owners bargained for.

This site was created for chow owners... all chow owners... and everyone here raising a chow as a family member deserves respect.

That is all.
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Re: Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by lumbee »

Wonderful sentiment, I can relate to. I've never dealt with a breeder and the closes I've ever been to a true breed anything is the Petland store on the north end of the county. I wouldn't know where to begin in knowing what to do. We've visited Petland a time or two some ways back...they we're selling a true breed red chow for $1400. and my Mr told I'd have to wash alot of dishes to be able to afford that.

He surprised me on my birthday when he rescued our chow mix from the pound. Bruce says she was the only one sitting politely in her cage not barking.
Four years and close to $1400 in medical bills later she's worth every penny if not more in personality, grace, charm and strength.

I got my fingers crossed and my heart set now on another rescue cutie I'm waiting to see if I can adopt from a kennel in Media, PA....guess ya'll can tell I'm excited \:D/
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Re: Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by sit_by_the_beach »

Whether to rescue or buy a chow from a breeder should be up to the individual. Not everyone is cut out to tame an almost feral chow. I know I wouldn't have been capable, able to when I was younger. i wouldn't have had it in me. As my son got into his teens, I, as a single parent had to take tough measures or else I may have ended up with a little criminal. I had to get tough, tough love. That same approach I used on my first chow Luna. That I rescued a chow was a fluke. I heard this chow was left tied in the drive way under a car port and needed to be rehomed. After Luna went over the bridge, i did want to rescue a chow, I knew what I'd be facing. Chows are not plentiful in this part of Canada. Others had lost their chow also and were looking for an adult chow too. I turned to a reputable breeder. Due to not having a fully fenced in yard, I didn't qualify for one of their chow pups. I found Mikki chow on a CL type of board. Again, just a fluke. Had I not found Mikki and adopted from a not so reputable breeder instead, would that have made me a horrible person? I didn't know about this forum.
I do wonder if those who are reluctant to adopt an older chow, will they keep their baby chow when he/she has aged? Too many chows, dogs are dumped due to age.
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Re: Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by Tippsy'smom »

I'd love to be able to go to any shealter and adopt all the dogs (and cats too). I guess that's why my mom won't let me go there, 'cause I'd fall in love with one of them and she'd have to break my heart 'cause of my dad.

Tippsy did originally come from a breeder but I'm not her original owner but she was NEVER in a shealter, either. She was meant for my cousin but "got too big for the town house", so my aunt took her, And then when I went to visit and fell totally in love with her (the cutest little 6 month old), she let me bring her home and that's where she's been for 7 and a half years.

Sorry I kinda went on a trip down memory lane there but all in all thank you Ciobella. :)
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Re: Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by PurpleKisses »

I have a 'breeder' chow but I would hardly call it that. Had he gone to someone else("normal" person, not a "chow" person) I have no doubt he would be in a shelter, or pts already. And while I know my history has not been the best, if you look at numbers, I am definitely making changes in my life in general and have no regrets of my past pets either. They have all taught me many things that I use today.

Will my next dog be a 'breeder' dog, or a 'rescue' dog, I don't know. It will just depend on what works in my life at the moment. We have both decided though that regardless of either place a dog comes from, we are going to search for a healthy dog. And we have also decided to wait until we no longer have Chi-Ching. Right now, he needs us, and he is all we need. Besides, he cannot play like a 'new' dog would want to and that would suck for him.


I think all the chows are great on here, I would not want Chi-Ching to be thought less of because of where he came from, however, at the same time, I think that everyone would have full right to absolutely hate me if I was ever so stupid as to go back and buy another dog from them.

I do not dislike any of the chows on this site, but some of the owners can be a bit ignorant and with some people there is no changing that....

I am all for rescue, and I do see where buying a dog has its place....
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Re: Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by Tippsy'smom »

I do not dislike any of the chows on this site, but some of the owners can be a bit ignorant and with some people there is no changing that....
I agree with you, there.
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Re: Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by KathrynH »

I see both sides, but I am pretty neutral. Buddha was from a breeder, and if we saw a puppy from a breeder that we loved, we might get them, however, we like the idea of rescuing too. The thing is we can only get one more dog, and I promised Jake he could have his black/blue puppy, since I chose the color of Buddha. Whether that little girl (it's gotta be a girl) is a rescue or a breeder puppy will be decided at the time (although, I have let Jeff know we are very interested in Onyx). In the meantime we are more than happy and more than willing to foster a dog and find it a good home. That might rub some people the wrong way, but fact is, everyone has their preferences, not "right" or "wrong"...just different.
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Re: Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by Jeff&Peks »

It doesn't really matter to me where people get their Chows as long as its begotten, I would prefer getting them from shelters but once they are born they gotta have a home no matter who pumps them out and 75% of them are going to wind up in shelters anyway, what I don't like is someone thinking one Chow is better then the other because it comes with paperwork and not only does it have paperwork its AKC approved, big fricken deal a Chow is a Chow, what happens to it later in life regards to temperament is up to who owns it not the breeder they. Paperwork on a chow puppy doesn't guarantee anything. Pekoe has paperwork yet her temperament is worse then the last 3 BYBread street Chows I pulled from ghetto shelters, Pekoe's temperament comes from her experience's with vets, groomers, me and the owner she had the first 2 years of her life not from the breeder. Pekoe is the way she is because she is spoiled as hell, her Chow traits don't bother me so I have just let Pekoe be Pekoe.... "A Chow is a Chow no matter how big or small", Horton the elephant, Dr Seuss
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Re: Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by Red Dragon »

Rescues are great if that is what you want to do, but comments like you are killing rescues when you buy from a breeder are uncalled for. Nobody is responsable for those dogs in the shelter except the breeder and the person who owned it.

The idea with the AKC registration is not that it means the dog is better, the idea was the breeder was so bad or conditions were so bad that they were thrown out of the AKC, and that is pretty bad because they will put up with alot of BS. Dogs that come from these no-name registries most likely have some serious issues. When people buy a dog they need to do alot of research on the person they are buying from, and it is a good idea to know where the breeder got their dogs from. It's also a good idea to buy from a breeder that is health checking the dogs, and not some BS flaky piece of paper from a no-name registry that says the dog is healthy because the vet said so, it needs to be certified health checks.

With a rescue you have no idea what you are getting, and more than likely the dog came from a bad breeder or a bad owner and you will have your hands full fixing health problems or temperament problems.
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Re: Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by sweetpea »

I think it depends on the person. When I decided to get a purebred I had wanted to adopt. But I had a young grandchild around all the time and one was due to be born. No one I talked to could say the chow would be excellent with young ones. I decided it was best to get a pup and let it grow up with the kids. I have no regrets. I think it was what was best for me at that time.
In a year I plan to get a male. Most likely I'll try my luck at fostering rather than adopting right away. I do agree with the statement that to often people get pups then no longer want them when they are adults. Blows my mind, I laugh just as much with Gracie as an adult as I did when she was a puppy. She's comical.
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Re: Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by LEO's mum »

Thank you Ciaobella for starting this thread.

That youtube thread didn't hurt, what did was the rescue calendar. I felt like a kid not invited to the party despite playing together at the playground all the time. Can't believe I'm outing my feelings in public. No resentment, I was a bit sad, that's all..... But that's that, in the past....

We all have beautiful chowdren and I love reading about the ups and downs of parenting, learning from them, putting my 2cents in when I can. This is not like PA where the kids are competing against each other. I also strongly believe we can leave the nastyness out. Afterall we all chose to be on the site for the love of Chows, to share & to cherish.

As for Breeder Bred or Rescue, that's a personal choice. One is not better than the other. There won't be any recognizable breeds w/o "good" breeders and kennel clubs that set the standard, whereas we need a safety net for unfortunate animals. I have a great respect for good breeders, I have a great respect for rescues and people who help them.


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Re: Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by CoraP. »

My first chowmix, Bear, my husband found in the woods while trout fishing one day. The little puppy was so determined to follow him that when he went to the car and Bear got near the road, he took him home. There were no people or houses nearby, and he didn't want him to get hit in the road, so home he came, and it was love at first sight for me. Molly came from a rescue, so I have never had a chow from any breeder with papers. I probably never will. As long as there are chows who so desperately need homes, I will try to help them. It doesn't matter to me where people got their chow, I just love being able to talk to those who have the same love of the breed that I do. They are a dog like no other, and I like to think that we chow-lovers are people like no others too. So far, cross my fingers, we haven't had any health issues with Molly. She has a very good temperament except for being a little touchy around people she doesn't know well. She has snapped at a couple of people, always when I'm not here for some reason. Other than that, she is a doll and I love her TONS! I think airing our feelings is a good thing, as long as we try to be reasonable and civil, sometimes hard to do when we feel passionately about something. We're all human, we're all doing the best we can.
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Re: Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by jacqui »

I'm glad this tread was started.
I was brought up to believe that breeders had the best quality dogs.my Dad always bought from a breeder.so when I got my first 5 chows all were from" reputable breeders".everyone has had alot of medical problems and none of the breeders ever took any responsiblity.
so what good did it do me to get a chow from a breeder? I do know there are some great chow breeders out there,I just had not found one.
I got Kai from the shelter last year and he also has alot of medical issues.what can I say,I'm hooked on chows.
we are all here for the same reason and we all love our chows.
I think many of us have had breeder chows and rescue chows and had I not found this site I wouldn't know about all the chows that end up in shelters.so I am grateful to be enlightened from everyone here.
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Re: Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by MickChick »

I've had 4 dogs as an adult - the first was a Samoyed rescue that was about 1 year old who had been foraging for food to survive. .The second was a Samoyed pup from a breeder - hip dysplasia out the whazoo - and this was supposedly a reputable breeder - I had to have him PTS when he was 10. I loved Puff, but Bear was MY baby. Then came Honey, the 6 month old chow puppy we found by side of the road, who had Parvo; then Ralph, a cream chow/Samoyed mix- not sure which now, though the solid black tongue bespoke his ancestry! Last but far from least was Ivanhoe, an 8 year old purebred Standard Poodle that a friend could't keep any longer. Jim and Ho dog stayed with us for awhile, and when Jim left, Ivan stayed because he was already a part of the family and it would have been too hard on him as well as us, to go with Jim, who was basically homeless. Ivanhoe was only around for a year before his spleen ruptured and I had to have him pts. Ralph lived for 13 years after he came into my life; Honey a year longer. My rescues cost me more than the purebreds, and once they were cleaned up and fixed up, had better health, but I LOVED all of them equally. The dogs, the chows, they are what is important. They are what brings us together. They are what we are here to learn about, to share about, and to protect.

I don't care where anybody's chow came from or whether they're pure bred, AKC registered, or mixes - they are our babies, and we love them. I think I love every single chow I have met through this site - they have such wonderful personalities, and I feel as if I have met through all the pictures and the tales of their antics. I would miss hearing about any, and every, single one of them. Have I discovered I have a passion to rescue chows that are in danger of being PTS? Absolutely. Not as much as some here, more than others. I know what my physical, financial and emotional limits are. Others have lower limits, others have higher, but we shouldn't say that everyone should aspire to the same standards. We don't know each other's situations, and even if we did, we don't walk in each other's shoes.

What we do know, is that we are all here for the chows; those wonderful, intelligent, independent, loyal, regal, fuzzheads that we all adore. Where they came from, how we got them, doesn't really matter. What matters is that we have them and that we care for them to the best of our abilities, and that we help and encourage each other to do so. I can't tell you how much I admire what some of you have done for poor, abandoned chows that are in shelters and in dire danger of being pts. I can't run around and pull them and ship them like some of you have; I can't foster them; I can't run a rescue. I can throw a little money at some of the problems some of the times. Others can do more; others can't do that. What I am thankful for is that this site, and the people on this site made me aware that there is a problem that I didn't even know existed! This site has been a blessing for so many reasons - taught me things about chows in general, about training them, about feeding them, about grooming them - even though I had two for 13 years - and it's opened my eyes to the discrimination against these wonderful companions. A discrimination I didn't know existed. And everyone here on this board has contributed to some area of what I have learned!

I can understand the despair or frustration that some feel when a puppy is bought from a breeder because that means there is a rescue that will stay in a shelter or be pts. But ... if no one buys that puppy, it becomes a dog, and at some point it becomes the dog in the shelter that we're hoping to save, right? I THINK this site is meant to support chows and share our love of them - regardless of where they came from, how old they are, whether they're pure bred, AKC, or mixed, right? So maybe the thing is to get back to that initial purpose and common interest - our chow babies!

Brandy and I are going to go back to reading about what Butters and Millie and Mabel and Layla and Chi-ching and Pekoe and Onyx and the rest of the bunch are up to now because it makes our day!

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Re: Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by Mally »

I got my Lychee from a breeder for a huge price because I wanted a Chow! Chows are very rare in Australia and there is no way in hell that humane societies or shelters would have one..or even a cross. My next Chow will also be from a breeder but we, unlike in Canada or USA, don't have Chow shelters so I don't have the option to have rescue Chow. I'd love to do that but where from??? So please understand that someitmes this has nothing to do with being posh or too scared to take a rescue - we just don't have them, but we all love them to bits and give them a family that they can grow old with. :D

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Re: Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by WildThings »

Rescue versus breeders…the battle wages on. There is never going to be a winning side. I am sure there are some people who have left because they feel alienated or offended because of the rescue versus breeder discussions, but I can say, I rarely check or participate with the site any more because of the multitude of breeder puppies that pop up everyday while very, very few people even bother to check the “Chows needing a home” section.. It blows my mind that people could ask for advice and solutions to the problems their breeder puppy has, then turn around and buy one from the same exact person or from another bad breeder. People don’t care about health screenings or ethics when they look for a puppy because we are a society of “I want it, and I want it now.” Many are too impatient or possible too selfish to at least to their homework when looking for a breeder even though the information on good breeder and bad breeders is right in front of their faces. Who cares if the breeder doesn’t want to put a little money into doing health testing, actual health testing, not just throwing around some health terms and saying their dogs are healthy because puppy buyers don’t care. The puppy buyers don’t care if their chows need to have painful surgeries, spend their lives on drugs, because on the outside, they at least look nice. The argument of “the puppies are already here, so I have to buy one because it needs a home” will never win me over either. If people are that concerned with making sure a dog, a dog of any breed has a home, then why aren’t there more people involved with rescue. The chows in shelters and rescue are here too but these people have no problem with the fact they are dying. I think my blood pressure rises 50 points every time I see a post that “rescues are great, but they are not for me.” Why? Are these people above putting a little work into an animal they claim to love? Are the chows in rescue and shelters, many who are good with other dogs, cats, children, etc…are they not good enough for everyone? Tess came from an abusive home, she was eleven months old when we got her. She is great with cats, dogs, our family…she has no health problems, at 10 years old, she still acts like a young adult. She has never had eye surgery, hip surgery, elbow surgery…no cancer, thyroid issues, no bloat, heart problems. My family has had better luck with her than many people have had with their breeder puppies and she is not an exception. There are many close to perfect rescue chows and rescue dogs, many on this site, but that seems to have no impact.

I went to the shelter last weekend to check on a purebred chow puppy. I went with intentions of talking to the shelter personnel, seeing what could be done about getting the boy in a rescue. I barely spoke to anyone because it’s hard to get information while you are crying. To walk through the rows after rows of dogs that have no one, simply because they are not good enough has bothered me the rest of the week. I cry when I think about the 300+ dogs, many of who will die in a cage 3x5 feet because they were not a perfect breeder puppy. I went back today, with a renewed sense of optimism. I walked in to see several dogs going to homes where people didn’t mind not having a perfect looking dog, but I had barely made it half way through the first room and the tears and sadness where back. But while these dogs die without a home, without someone who loves them, we encourage bad breeders to churn out more and more puppies by throwing money at them whenever we decide to get a new pet. I guess the breeder puppies’ lives are just worth that much more than a plain jane dog who would do anything just to have a loving home.

The debate will continue on, the site will gain new members and lose old one. Members will be offended, irritated, and like me, too depressed to continue to watch people adding to the problem so they leave, but site will continue.

I am a quote-a-holic…this is one of my favorite…
“If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten.”
Unfortunately, at this point, chows and dogs everywhere suffer because of it.

I know this is probably offensive…it’s not been a good day to discuss rescue versus breeder. Not every breeder is bad, but until we demand the highest possible standards from all breeders, we are all part of the problem, it’s too bad the innocent pay the price.
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Re: Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by bevgo »

I am a 1st time chow mom but mine is a mix from a shelter. All we know is she is 1/2 chow and have no idea what the rest is. I have always had shelter dogs. My last was a husky chi mix and died 3 years ago at the age of 14. CC is my latest and I got her at 6 weeks old--yes I just love puppies. I would love a purebreed from a breeder but simply am unable to spend that kind of $ on a dog with all my other family responsibilities so I am envious of those that have the financial resources to buy from a breeder. My thing is that if I spend a lot of money on the pup, I may not have the funds to care for it. I will stick with rescues. I also don't feel guilty for getting a puppy rather than an older dog. I want the whole puppy experience with all it's trials and problems. I applaud those of you that save the older chow or any other breed and have great respect for you. I just love dogs and have missed not having one for 3 years. Hopefully CC will live to be very old because this is a 1 dog house only. If something happened to her I would probably wait a long time again before getting another.
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Re: Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by Mally »

Oh and also:

"Brandy and I are going to go back to reading about what Butters and Millie and Mabel and Layla and Chi-ching and Pekoe and Onyx and the rest of the bunch are up to now because it makes our day!"

Well said Cecelia! I love you guys all the same! I love reading all your posts and that's why I come to this site every single day! (I do have a life...sometimes :lol: :lol: )
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Re: Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by Tippsy'smom »

I know it's been said before that this website for for the love of our chows. And that's absolutely right. That's why I joined. And I've fallen more and more in love with the chow breed than I originally was. We all own and cherish our chows no matter if they're from a breeder or a shealter, or have papers or not. And at least the pups that are being bought from the breeders aren't ending up in shealters themselves.

There's no right and wrong side here. There just isn't and that's all there will EVER be of it. No chow is better than another.

And heck for some people the dog they have is the only one there for them. The only one they can talk to is their dog and for some even the dog is the only reason their alive. Weather that dog be one from off the streets, or from a shealter or even from a breeder.
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Re: Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by kingalls »

:-? I've been part of cc.org for about 5 years now (since we got our "rescue" Shiloh)...that was when I was first introduced to Zhuyo, Pekoe, the lovely M & M sisters, Pumpkin (rip), Kodi, Dakota (rip), Grwol, and so many more...breeder Chows vs rescue Chows were not a topic back then - at least, I don't remember it. When I announced getting Mr. N from what I now know is a byb, everyone on the site was excited for me. The site was all about the Chow - health, behavior, training, etc. and sharing funny moments and stories (pictures weren't an option back then - we had to go to another site to post Chow pictures).
The shelter Chows and dogs come from throwaway "accidental homeowner" breeders, backyard breeder, and registered breeder Chows, etc. All the Chows on this site are special - because they belong to me, you, and the next newbie that joins...
The Chow people on this site are as different as the Chows on this site. Some members have the home environment (that includes the family members), the lifestyle, the discipline, and dedication that makes it possible to rescue. Others want a Chow as part of the family and sometimes that means buying a puppy from a breeder.
We all love our Chows - rescue or breeder.
Karen, Kohana, Takoda, and our Chow Angels Nahkohe and Shiloh
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LEO's mum
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Re: Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by LEO's mum »

Brandy and I are going to go back to reading about what Butters and Millie and Mabel and Layla and Chi-ching and Pekoe and Onyx and the rest of the bunch are up to now because it makes our day!
Just a small point but Layla is not a Chow. :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Jeff&Peks
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Re: Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by Jeff&Peks »

People keep saying rescue and breeder, I break it down to Shelter, rescue and breeder. The way I see it SHELTER Chows should have top priority, Shelter Chows have about 7 days to live and being a Chow 7 days is Lucky. Rescue Chows are pretty much safe even though needing a home then comes the breeder Chow that stock piles the Shelters so it really doesn't matter where the Chow comes form most will wind up in the same place anyway, the shelter Chow should come first to make room for the next shelter shipment, like Baldwin, I pull two Chows then four Chows come in the next day.
“...There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because conscience tells one that it is right.” MLK

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ciaobella
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Re: Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by ciaobella »

Just to clarify, when I say "rescue", I mean rescue:
from a shelter, rescue organization, private foster, or in Sophie's case, off the street. But your point is taken.
I also wish I had said "Chow from Breeder" rather than "breeder chow", that does seem to carry a negative connotation that was not intended.

Continue venting, Mr. Picky. :D
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Laura
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Re: Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by Laura »

This site is titled ChowChow.org…not RescueChowOwners.org. I thought all Chow owners were welcome here but that is not the case lately and that is unfortunate for regulars and new-comers alike.
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Chloe (left) Shuggy (right)
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Desi
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Re: Rescue Chows vs Breeder Chows

Post by Desi »

When I got my two girls from the kill shelter ,where they wouldn't have lasted another day (the whole story is in the rescued section somewhere),I didn't even know they were Chows ,or at least mixes,until Cinnamon gave me her first purple kiss.
I never would have considered adopting an adult large breed ,we have two toy poodles,a cat and an old Jack Russel,and I wouldn't take any risks with the little ones.
These girls grew up with them and still we need to be careful.(Even if the chows wouldn't hurt them on purpose,they do play a lot rougher than other breeds,and just one of them landing on a 6 lbs poodle could end in disaster.)

I'd consider rescuing another Chow puppy once the Jack Russel is gone (we're at our legal max now) but no adults until the poodles have crossed the bridge.
After that,adults are welcome even if they sometimes eat a vet or think chihuahuas taste like chicken.

If I have room for another dog and there is a puppy at risk that is a different breed (doesn't mean any breed,but a Samoyed,Keeshond,Husky,Malamute,or anything mixed like that)
I would go for that .

Getting a dog from a breeder doesn't mean your dog won't have any problems, just that the risk is less if the breeder did his homework. I don't know of any breeders that will pay any and all vet costs if somethings turns out to be wrong with the hips,knees,eyes or whatever.The "return and replace" guarantee I see a lot is baloney imho.

I've always picked the pets that were least likely to be loved,the kitten with the ugly ear,the hissing cat from the shelter ,the pup with the underbite,even when I picked Cheyenne it was because her sister was prettier and I was sure someone would want her,but Chey didn't want to be touched and she had the ugly infected eye.(dh let me take them both because he's as much of a softie as I am,lol)
As long as there are unwanted dogs in the shelters,that's where I'll get mine.
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