My Chow killed a toy pomeranian please need advice

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Jaymee
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My Chow killed a toy pomeranian please need advice

Post by Jaymee »

My sweet Chow/Golden retriever mix Lilly is responsible for the death of a toy Pomeranian. My sister brought a friend over and that friend brought her little pom with her. The Pom was about a year and 6 months old. I didn't witness the incident but the most terrible thing happened. Lilly was in "her spot" when the pom came over and Lilly bit her. My sister was laying on the floor playing with Lilly when this happened. I heard Lilly make a noise from my room when this happened. It sounded like a fight had started. I came running out and saw what happened. We all rushed the dog to the vet but unfortunately she had passed. It was the most traumatic thing ever. Now we don't know what to do because we have our own Pomeranian named Maggie. She is 2 years old and she and Lilly love each other. She is a regular sized Pomeranian. I live with my mother and the decision of what to do is hers to make. First she decided we would have to find Lily another home or euthanize her. Now she has decided to leave things the way they are and keep Lilly. I love both of my dogs and don't want to see harm come to either one of them. Is keeping Lilly safe? Is my pom safe with her? I just cant stop thinking about what happened and I keep worrying about my pom. Lilly is not aggressive but she Is skittish. She bit my friend on the ankle when she was housesitting. In that situation my friend was trying to get Lilly to leave her post on the side of the bed. I guess she didn't want her in the bedroom and tryed to tug at her collar and Lilly snapped at her ankle. Another time my sister approached Lilly from above to hug her and Lilly bit her lip. Lilly and my older dog Cody we used to have would get into fights but no blood was drawn. We have always taken precautions with Lilly but now the worst has happened. Obviously my sister never should have let her friend bring the toy dog around Lilly. What should we do? Any advice or experience is welcome.
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Pinoy51
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Re: My Chow killed a toy pomeranian please need advice

Post by Pinoy51 »

It sounds like you're surrounded by people who are not very familiar with Chows and you and your Mom need to be much more alert if you have strangers around your Chow.
I wouldn't even think about letting someone I don't know bring a small dog I don't know and let them unsupervised in the private terriority of my Chows. You asked for this to happen !!!
Your sister and your friend seem not to be the right person to supervise a Chow. According to your description of previous incidents they both can't handle your Chow properly.
You can't have anyone trying to tell you Chow what to do if they're not having the respect of your Chow.
Everyone in your family needs to understand that your dog is solving problems by confronting the problem,not by by shying away. If the pack leader (either you or you're Mom) is not providing a solution for an issue, your Chow will take over the way her instict is telling her to do it.
If whoever is supervising Lilly is not using the proper commands and following the ususal routine, your Chow will rebel and take things in her own paws. That's what you get with an intelligent and protective dog like a Chow.
A lot of socialization exercises are needed regulary, that wil take the edge of the protective behavior of a Chow.
If you want her to be less protective you need to ensure that she understand that she does not "own" any territory in the house. She shouldn't have "her spot beside the bed". You need to make sure she understands, she can be there only as long as you let her, and any supervisor need to follow your command to make her move.
In my case each Chow knows the command "move". But if you already know she has "her" spots, then don't let unfamiliar persons and dogs approach her just like that.
Is Keeping Lilly safe you're asking, my answer is "yes" and "no".
Yes, if you get back to be a calm, assertive leader for Lilly and don't treat her like an "outlaw" from now on.
She followed the Chow laws she knows. You need to keep on working on her social skills, so she tolerates unusal situations better. And your family needs to understand this too.
No, If you're the only one in your family who sees Lilly as a normal Chow, who has done nothing wrong.
Her environment needs to be normal for her to stay normal. Again training and supervision should never stop, but she needs love and affection too, not just a bunch of people who are frustrated and angry with her or even afraid of her.
Your Chow will mirror this negativity and more bad situation will develop.
Your own Pom seems to have learned how to live with Lilly, so no worries just do whatever you did before the incident it seemed to work. Lilly hasn't changed due the the incident, she is the same dog she was before.
It is up to you to make her an even better dog or make her worse.
Best regards
Pinoy51
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Re: My Chow killed a toy pomeranian please need advice

Post by Constantina »

she knows your pomeranian and considers her a pack member so Maggie is perfectly safe. Your sister and her friend are very irresponsible but you have to step up. do not let another dog enter the personal space of Lily that is just asking for it. That poor Pom! Listen to Pinoy51 he has successfully integrated 4 Chow Chows of varying age with the rsst of his dogs.
Jaymee
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Re: My Chow killed a toy pomeranian please need advice

Post by Jaymee »

Thank you both for taking a moment to help my family with this upsetting event. I still feel so bad for the dog that died and for her owner. We've decided to not let any new dogs around Lilly. This whole happening was really out of my hands as I wasn't even present until the worst had happened. But now I realize that its my responsibility to intervene if another member of the family wants to take a risk like that. It's just not worth the risk. Lilly is a wonderful dog and Im glad to hear that her and Maggie should be able to continue to live in harmony. Do you guys think we should have a dog behaviorist come out to work with Lilly?
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Pinoy51
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Re: My Chow killed a toy pomeranian please need advice

Post by Pinoy51 »

I'm not in favor of putting the burden on Lilly. If there is someone who knows Chows very well and can work with you and your family how to socialize Lilly better thats okay. But most dog trainer don't know Chows very well.
That might make things worse specially if they hear that Lilly killed another dog.
it's not easy to socialize Chows. NILIF works. Nothing In Life Is Free means Lilly needs to show good behavior to get food, and any other positive reinforcement. Mine are all doing SIT and HIGH FIVE before they get a treat.
they need to sit before they get their food etc.
Make her move from her favorite place when you are there, she needs a pack leader, so she doesn't feel she needs to protect her pack.
Best regards
Pinoy51
Jaymee
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Re: My Chow killed a toy pomeranian please need advice

Post by Jaymee »

Thank you :D :D
pet sample
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Re: My Chow killed a toy pomeranian please need advice

Post by pet sample »

Characteristics of a Pomeranian dog
Today's Pomeranian dog, although very small, originated from its large, sleigh-like ancestors at the pole, and has a long and very, very interesting history.
Pamranians are usually suspicious of strangers and may bark a lot
In-house training may be as difficult as training them in a dog toilet
They must be able to stay in the park from the moment they get used to it
High temperatures and humidity can irritate Pomeranian dogs and expose them to heatstroke.
If not properly trained, they can cause behavioral problems in dogs that can be annoying.
Pomeranian dogs are good with children, but because of their small size, they are endangered when playing with children.
Pomeranian puppies, even though they are small dogs, have no fear when confronted with large dogs and may even bark at them and threaten them! Therefore, be careful of your Pomeranian dogs when playing with larger dogs so that they are not beaten for pulling their horns and shoulders!

Pomeranian dog positives
Loyal, warm blood and very sharp
Establishes a deep and close relationship with its owner
Be kind to children
Love to please the owner
They are very smart and learn quickly
Suitable for living in an apartment
They do not need much daily activity and only 30 minutes of activity during the day is enough for them and drains their energy.

Challenging Pomeranian Dog Tips
If they do not learn social skills well, they are prone to barking a lot
Training the toilet in this breed is a little time consuming and requires patience
If left alone, they may develop separation anxiety
They should be brushed daily to keep their hair in proper condition
They need a lot of mental activity to be smart.

Source: https://petpors.com/pomeranian-dog/
pet sample
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Re: My Chow killed a toy pomeranian please need advice

Post by pet sample »

Characteristics of the Pomeranian Dog Today, the Pomeranian dog, although very small, originated from its large ancestors and sledges at the pole, and has a long and very, very interesting history. Pamranins are usually suspicious of strangers and may bark a lot. In-house training, such as dog toilet training, may be difficult for them. They must be accustomed to being in the park from birth. If they are not properly trained, they will have behavioral problems in the dog that can be annoying. Pomeranian dogs are good with children, but because of their small size, they are endangered when playing with children. Pomeranian puppies, even though they are small dogs, have no fear when confronted with large dogs and may even bark at them and threaten them! Therefore, be careful of your Pomeranian dogs when playing with larger dogs so that they are not beaten for pulling their horns and shoulders!
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