Does your Chow heel?

[Michael's Maggie May]

How many of you actually have a Chow that heels and stays by your side while you are on a walk?
Maggie will for a short while on the walk away from the house but on the way back it is a struggle.
Sometimes I even run with her to just tire her out, it is a constant tug of war. I found a choke collar that has material threaded through the links so it does not break her hair but you would think she was pulling a sled. I want you all to know that in my earlier life before I fell in love with the chow I have won obedience ribbons with my former dogs{non chows}. But this little girl is a real handfull. Do you chow owners really have control over your dog or do you let them do what they want? I even purchased Ceasar's illusion collar [$50] but it is a real hassel buckling it all up when she knows she's going for a walk. Is the Chow so independant that makes it so difficult to control? Be honest with your answers,DO YOU CONTROL OR DOES THE DOG CONTROL YOU?

[Sirchow]

Hmmm that is a really good question and one I have wanted to know the answere to too so I will be completely honest.

On our normal every day walk that is now quite boring for Bramble, we start off on pavements and Bramble walks beside me on a harness which is for later and a wide slip lead which lets me stear the front end and control her in traffic. She walks fairly nicely and acceptably and when we reach the woodland walkway the slip lead comes off and she walks and trots on her extendable lead and harness. I cant let her loose because she runs more than is good for her legs. On the way home she is tired and walks back home on her slip lead beautifully.

However, and I really wish there wasn't one of those, today I took her on a road trip and we went for a walk beside the beautiful Loch Lubnaig in the Highlands of Scotland, she was a total tear away. She ran like the devil on her extendable lead and would not walk beside me on the paths. I tried to think if that mattered, but for her it does, she cant be allowed to do that stuff or she hurts her legs. I felt that I aught to have been able to get her to walk beside me but she was so excited she did that chow thing - not "I cant hear you" just "I am completely deaf and I dont even know you are talking". Wow that is so frustrating.

So for me the answere is as long as we stick to the same walk every day she is pretty good but if I go anywhere else I have very little control and certainly dont know how I would manage another which I so badly want. The one thing that helped to teach her to walk nicely was the halti. I never yanked her head or anything she just behaved wearing it. I had some folk here warn me against them but I am not convinced, I think it was safer to take Bramble out in her halti than to have her behave like a whirling dervish! JMHO.

[chow fancier]

Teddy walks behind me and I spend the entire walk coaxing him along as he would always prefer to just lay down!

Cinder walked beside me, but we went through beginning and intermediate obedience classes together and she got her CGC (Canine Good Citizen). When we started obedience classes she pulled. A gentle leader harness stopped that immediately on walks. (But obedience classes were without it and she had to learn to stay beside me with lots of positive reinforcement and treats).

Anyway, I would recommend you try the gentle leader harness. It works wonders as it stops them in their tracks when they try to pull. It's not painful, it just makes it hard to move on when tension is applied. The choke chain just doesn't work if the pulling is constant, no way to correct that. And even worse, it could cause damage.

[rougedriner]

My Bear is the same way, sometimes she does good then others not. When I drove a truck and she rode with me it was a struggle in the winter, she would drag me across the ice like I was wearing skies If it hadn`t been for the occasional dry spot no telling where I would be now So far Bo my little one is doing good on her leash. You should see me when I take them both out on their leashes at the same time

[Sirchow]

Its the thought of this scenario that scares me about having two when it is icy. I found the halti much more effective than a gentle leader as Bramble just didn't pull when she had it on. I may go back to it for away trips I think.

[Tippsy'smom]

Tippsy walks beside me most of the time with her coke collar, as long as it's correctly placed on her neck. But when she's wearing her harness she walks a little bit ahead of me, but she's manageable.

However, Jasper walks beside me(except when he sees someone he wants to visit). He stays so close that his shoulder rubs my leg... I think it has something to do with his seperation anxiety. It's comforting to him.

But for the most part I kinda just let them do what they want...

[rougedriner]

FLucky for me I`m not in the ice and snow anymore, and its rair that it snows here in Mississippi. I have a fenced spot for them now so they can run and play I only had Bear when I drove and she is like a horse when she decides she wants to go a certain direction. You know how strong willed chows are

[chowhuskylass]

efe walks to heel but i think that is due to her age, yumi and taishi are wellbehaved on lead but i walked taishi initially on a canny collar as she did attempt to lean with all her weight, but now they are on collars and i also had our first off lead run on a local bridle way rather than in our secure playing field , they recalled lovely and stayed close but still explored they even met dogs and due to their happy go lucky natures they all had nice experiances i will need to work on the recall if i do not wish for them to talk to other dogs that may take some time as everything is a new fabulous experiance, they are very very food motivated its the most confident i have felt with off lead dogs in a few years as the huskies are too unrealiable on trailsas we run in harness on those so they have a very A-B attitude to trails and then theres the squirrels lol but fine in open spaces like beaches and fields so they get to run free on those other than that i walk all 4 huskies together and then the 3 chows

[Victory]

hmmm, lets see, MingToy, yes; LiChi not really, he did the loose leash lead thing. Ming yes. Darkwind yes, though he walked a little to the front, (which is okay with me actually I don't like them where I can't see them) Firesong, after 6 years she will walk on a loose leash without pulling. Dreamdancer, he's getting there....I hope.

So out of six three would heel nicely and didn't pull, three were more challenging. Of course I sometimes they did the stop at every single blade of grass to investigate thing, (and this included Darkwind who was neutered) I've learned that there are two factors to getting them to walk properly, 1) if they are keyed up and need the exercise, for get it! You have to walk some of that energy out of them first then they'll be ready to listen. 2) You have to also make sure they are properly mentally stimulated, the same route over and over again will lead to bordom and that will cause more pulling, change it up every now and then and that will help.

And of course if you have one with high prey drive and squirels, rabbits, birds, cats or anything else like that is visible or smellable, all bets are off!

My best advice? Work on your shoulder and arm fitness, wear appropriate shoes for the season that give you good traction and carry treats those will help to distract from the hunting....I also work on making them realize that there is a person on the other end of the leash, not a table or something. Because, yes they are that independent, also one of the things they were bred for is PULLING. You have to get around that instinct.

[chowpups]

Nikki walks almost at a heel, loose lead but just alittle to the side in view. I walk with the lead in right hand and behind my back and loose in left hand( Nikki at my left). When we do walks its with just a leather lead and not expandable. I do use expandable, if I want to take her in an open area and want her to have alittle freedom. I have never put a harness on her only because at my very first class with her one of the labs. came in with one and pulled the owner all over so the trainer said . You are giving your dog all the strength he can get from his body.. Just like dog sled dogs have a harness to give the best pulling and strengh they can get (okay made a point). So I never gave it a try so Iam not sure about using a harness, I do see alot of people on here use them, I know one trainer TRIED to put a prong collar on her and she flipped out (and so did I). She does wonderful with a martingale collar and she can't slip out of it either. I would say Nikki walks fine on a lead, but there was some work involved. The biggest problem is a rabbit staring her down really pushes the limit on things. But a quick little jerk of the lead and a irritating little noise I make and a faster pace (distraction) usually does the trick.

[Victory]

Most of the harnesses you see on here on chows are the ones by gentle leader, if the chow pulls the front squeezes which pulls their shoulder blades together, making it uncomfortable and they stop pulling.

[chowpups]

Thank you for clearing that up for me. I didn't know that.. That would make alot more scense .. Iam glad you pointed that out to me cause I was confused.. Okay then what is the one that goes around the nose ? I thought that was the gentle lead? OH, well you learn something new everyday on this site.. LOL

[Mia]

Ok, you all are just making me laugh too hard.
Heel? Can a chow heel?
(From my chows, I would never know that was possible, LOL!)

[Auddymay]

No heel, loose leash, sometimes. Cart parade at petstores, with Pip on the left of the cart and Lily on the right? Great! Corners are all ours. We turn as though we are marching in formation...lol.

[kingalls]

Ok, you all are just making me laugh too hard.
Heel? Can a chow heel?
(From my chows, I would never know that was possible, LOL!)

I hear ya! As soon as we are out of the gate, it's run-baby-run They will stop and "wait" to cross the street. Actually, Nahkohe understands "walk!" - which only translates to a slow trot for the most part . Truthfully, we don't need for them to "heel". They can be ahead of us as long as we're still in control. It's about what your personal preference is - if you want them to heel, you'll need to put more time into training.

[Victory]

Okay then what is the one that goes around the nose ? I thought that was the gentle lead? OH, well you learn something new everyday on this site.. LOL

That the "Gentle Leader" halter. "Gentle Leader" is a brand name over here, they make a halter and a harness, (probably some other stuff that I haven't seen)

[chowpups]

Thanks Victory, I actually was in petsmart yesterday with Nikki and looked at them so now I know..
Auddymay, I can so see you with the cart and dogs.. LOL there was a lady in the store yesterday with her g.shepherd IN the cart and I was thinking how did she get him in there???

[willfrommaine]

I can get my Chow to walk beside me most of the time. If I start being insistent with the leash she will go where ever I want her to with not much effort. When she is off leash in an area she knows she will go out in the woods and then circle back to me every few minutes. She constantly checks to make sure I am going in the direction she thinks I am. If I am walking on a trail and she goes the wrong way, I call out NO! This way! Come on! and she stops and follows me. If we are in an unfamiliar area she stays much closer, especially if I randomly march off a trail into the woods, then she doesn't assume she know where we are going.
If you make your dog heal enough it gets easier.
-will

[Piff Poff]

Henry will heel if he wants to.......No really he will heel crossing the roads, when we are approaching other walkers etc - when I tell him, but it is for the most minimum time he thinks is acceptable, for example he expects to be released as soon as he raises his paw for the pavement when crossing the road and likewise when he has sniffed the approaching people/dogs that is the end of heel as far as he is concerned. We also use the gentle leader harness - the halti (the one that goes over the nose) coverered his eyes up

I also use a 20ft leash (lunge line) for Henry, he is either in front or to the back of me when walking, sometimes I will drop the leash when he is being extra sniffy and carry on walking, he panics when he sees I have escaped and come running after me When we go to the dog park I have a 20ft long piece of rope instead of the leash, so if Hnery does decide to go on walkabout ond go deaf I have a chance of getting him back, I have never had to really panic OMG the chow has done a runner as he always comes back to me when I whistle/call/clap. BUT if he didn't have the rope - you just know he will be GONE.

[dannyoconnor430]

Well I've got 2 and have to say.....sometimes. Max is still getting over his cruciate injury (think his surgery was about 5 months ago) but you wouldnt think it. I have him on one side (80lbs) and Holly on the other (60lbs) so I get a good workout! Sometimes its very very very frustrating but others its a joy so it balances out. I've tried the leader harness, choke, stopping on pull, switching direction on pull....let just say Im happy to just be able to walk them sensibly. Most weekday walks are on short leads and then on weekends I take them both out for at least an hour a day on the extender leads. Theyre just too prey driven to let off. It is quite funny though having a 15ft extender lead in each hand as they dont realise Im at the other end getting tied up in knots - theres a knack to it!

[Piff Poff]

Well I've got 2 and have to say.....sometimes. Max is still getting over his cruciate injury (think his surgery was about 5 months ago) but you wouldnt think it. I have him on one side (80lbs) and Holly on the other (60lbs) so I get a good workout! Sometimes its very very very frustrating but others its a joy so it balances out. I've tried the leader harness, choke, stopping on pull, switching direction on pull....let just say Im happy to just be able to walk them sensibly. Most weekday walks are on short leads and then on weekends I take them both out for at least an hour a day on the extender leads. Theyre just too prey driven to let off. It is quite funny though having a 15ft extender lead in each hand as they dont realise Im at the other end getting tied up in knots - theres a knack to it!

I used to use an extender lead for Henry BUT I was told by a trainer that the problem with those is that the animal feels resistance as the lead is being pulled out to it's full extension, so the animal will carry on pulling even though there is no more lead to pull out - does that make sense? So we switched to a lunge line (20ft long and cheaper than an identical item marketed for dogs). The benefit of this is Henry doesn't feel resistance until the end of the 20ft, when that resistance is felt he stops pulling (most of the time). I can carry on walking when Henry stops and when he feels me pull on the lead, he knows it's time to move on (most of the time). I do still use the gentle leader harness though for more control in traffic.

[dannyoconnor430]

Yeah that makes sense but it would be tricky having them both on the lunge lines as I'd need another set of hands to gather up the lead. Its only on a weekend that I have them on the extenders and they dont actually pull on them (its a cycle of sniffing everything, peeing on everything and then running ahead and laggin behind). On normal leads Holly is fine (albeit she likes to walk slightly behind) and Max needs "breaking in" lol for the first 5 mins. In the 1st 5 mins I generally get nowhere!

[Piff Poff]

You just let the excess lead drop to the floor, you get pretty good at gathering quickly when needed - or grabbing nearer the head and dropping excess - mind you I can see where two would make it harder.