Why did you choose a chow?

Chow Chow Mama · Post by **Chow Chow Mama** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 5:14 pm

My grandma owned Chows and gave us one of her puppies. Then my mom bred our Chow with another Chow and we kept two of the puppies. I have known Chows my entire life and will continue the tradition my grandma started

Princess · Post by **Princess** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 5:57 pm

when I was 6 and in Russia, i was playing at the park with my mom and this woman had this gorgeous red chow, who I went to pet and it nipped me LOL... my mom told me to not touch strange dogs... ever since then I wanted a chow... but i was never allowed to have one because my parents were never pet people (except for a stupid parrot

)... they moved to Russia few years ago and were planning on staying a few years... So at my first oportunity i went out and i bought a black chow... She's the love of my life and as long as I have her I don't need anything else. Hopefully i'll be able to get her a friend in the next few months

Olga and Gabbana

Dogdad · Post by **Dogdad** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 6:00 pm

sit_by_the_beach wrote:David, when I looked at the photo I thought you got your 3rd chow.

omg I am not that crazy, 6 are enough for now Maxwell and Yoshi take alot of time with the extra grooming and walking, I don't think I could add another dog in my schedule. I would love a female chow someday, I am middle age so I have a few years left.

bama · Post by **bama** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 6:06 pm

My first encouter with a chow...I was in my early 20's.
I saw a Chow Chow that belonged to a neighbor.
I was smitten by his beauty and regal attitude!
I had to have one! Then, a second one, then...a third!
I raised my two children with my three chows!
They dearly loved my children and my children loved them!
We were one big happy family!
One by one my chowkids crossed over the rainbow bridge.
Many years would pass before I could muster up the courage to love so deeply again. Last year, I began looking for what I believe will be my last chowkid, so he had to be special.
I admit, I was still a bit skittish when I began my search.
But, the folks on this forum helped me to find just the right chowboy and even helped to spring him from an Ohio shelter and get him to Alabama.
I'm forever in indebted to this forum for all the help.
As I write this, I'm overcome with emotion in gratitude to my chowfriends on this site. With deepest gratitude toward (Uncle) Alan and (Auntie) Sharon for their role in bringing our chowboy, Colonel into my life.

Nita F. · Post by **Nita F.** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 6:07 pm

I had cats and dogs of various breeds (no chows) and mutts while growing up. My dachshund moved with me when I got married. But hubby was a cat person and couldn't get close to the dog. When the dog passed away from old age, we had 10 rescue cats.

One day I came home to find a practically hairless puppy barking at me in the yard. Hubby asked me to take it to the vet the next morning to have it PTS because it had such a bad case of mange. Well, let's just say I came back home with an expensive puppy we could not afford since hubby was in college. But she grew up to be a beautiful chow mix and hubby loved her for the 15 years she was with us.

After she passed away in March we discussed various breeds and kept coming back to another Chow. In April we found Mimi at a no-kill shelter. We currently have 5 rescue cats and Mimi gets along with them.

I hope we will always have a Chow in our lives. Their beauty and independent spirit offer much to love.

Nita

Post by **chris** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 6:38 pm

hmmm... kinda didn't realy know what I was getting into. Someone we knew when X was around 21 years old, had puppies... er rather his dog did. He was just going to put them in a box and drop them off at the pet store. Mike (X) fell in love with one of the females and moved out of his parents house just so that he could have her. (parents wouldn't let him have the dog). So, he moved out and "Grizz" moved into a house with a yard with Mike. I moved in soon after that. She was Chow Chow & Pit Bull. For the most part, she was Chow. looked like one, acted like one... only difference was her tounge wasnt fully purple. We loved her. Then, we got another one. (one of her puppies) and just loved him too. So, all in all.. fell in love with the chow chow breed. Then, I wanted a purbread since we hadn't had one yet. Steel is my pb. Still.. I just have fallen in love with the breed and will always have a chow!

(pb or not... I am planning on a rescue next time)
They are so beautiful and smart. Some people say they are dumb... who is the dummy... the guy throwing the ball, or the chow looking at the guy thinking... "Why the hell would I go get the ball that YOU threw away... I don't want it.. you go get it...!"

And its not that he doesn't know how to go get the ball and bring it back.. the Chow is thinking... "everytime you throw the ball, I go get it for you... if you want the ball so bad... why do you throw it?" LMAOROTF.. And they are loyal as all heck and a very good judge of people!

Jeff&Peks · Post by **Jeff&Peks** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 6:57 pm

We went out for chinese food one night and Pekoe was listed on the Menu, When they brought her to the table for our approvel I thought a miniute and said instead of cooking her just wrap her up I will take her home so they put her in a doggy bag and off we went.

Just wanted to add some excitment to the story. We saw Pekoe sitting on a matteras at a Milo adoption event then adoted her. We didn't know a Chow from a poodle but she looked good so we adopted her. When I got her home I found out why she was leashed to a door, alone and a block down the street rest of the group.

VTCHOW · Post by **VTCHOW** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 6:59 pm

When I was about 8yrs old I would ride my bike in the neighborhood. Oneday I stopped in front of a house to rest for a momement and noticed these two dogs were barking like crazy at me. I remember liking the way they looked and vowed I would get me one as soon as I was on my own. When I turned 19 I moved out of the house with my boyfriend and imediatly broght up the dog thing. The problem was I didn't know what kind of dogs they were. I started looking through dog books to see if I could figure out which one it could be and as soon as I saw the picture of a chow chow I knew it was the same one. I ended up getting two the first in 1990 and the second in 1991. I will never live without at least one.!!!!

Post by **kingalls** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 7:35 pm

We didn't pick the Chow, the Chow picked us...Shiloh literally moved in on us and we didn't know enough to know that she wasn't a Pom

bama · Post by **bama** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 7:46 pm

LOL @ Karen!

I often call Colonel a big Pomeranian! LOL

Wollfie · Post by **Wollfie** » Tue Nov 27, 2007 10:19 am

I remember I posted the same question almost two years ago. It’s the same now as it was then, except it's now been 11 years ago. . . a woman my age, who had two children the same age as mine, was sitting in her kitchen one afternoon painting before picking her kids up from school. She lived about five miles from me, in a very affluent, no crime town. She was brutally raped and murdered. That really scared me; still does when I think about it. That's when I decided to get a "body guard", a Chow, as I had always heard how loyal and protective they were.

Mia · Post by **Mia** » Tue Nov 27, 2007 10:30 am

OK, I have to throw in my two cents here.

I orginally started looking for a keeshond. Then, one fateful day, I beheld a chow.

Of course, looks weren't enough, so I did my research.

My only thought must be that my hair dye must have soaked into my brain too much.

Why else would someone choose a stubborn, willful, misbehaving little ball of fur with selective hearing, selective memory, and little interest in pleasing anyone but themselves?

I can't imagine what was going on in my head!

Of course, it only takes a minute to fall in love. So, here I am with a stubborn, willful, misbehaving little ball of fur with selective hearing, selective memory and very little interest in pleasing anyone but herself.

Wouldn't change it for the world.

Is there something wrong with me?

Yvonne · Post by **Yvonne** » Tue Nov 27, 2007 6:32 pm

Bama,

I hope you don't mind my asking, but why do you believe Colonel will be your last chowkid?

I'm asking because I said that about Brandon a few years ago, and truly believed that I meant it. Now, with Brandon getting a little older, I'm getting Chowling fever really bad! I'll never get another as long as I have him, but I can feel my resolve wilting on the "never again" statements I was making earlier.

enchantedonyx · Post by **enchantedonyx** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 1:43 pm

Amanda already posted about how our Chows have found us. And fate brought us Fiona as well. Amanda and I both knew from the first time that Lisa posted her pictures on here asking for help that somehow that little Chow would pass through our lives. A bit different than our other dogs who have all wandered into our lives (Zoe the Chow mix, Tess, and Tacia- which indicates that fate brings us Collies as well as Chows).

After living with Tess all these years (our Zoe was actually more shepherd-like than Chow) I was amazed to join cc.org and find out that it wasn't her but that they all had those odd, wonderful personalities. I'll probably have a Chow or Chow-mix in my life forever now.

OZZY13849 · Post by **OZZY13849** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 9:11 am

WHEN I WAS 6 YEARS OLD MY MOM AND DAD BROUGHT HOME A BLACK BALL OF FUR WE NAMED CASEY!!! MY BROTHER WAS ONLY 4 AT THAT TIME SO WE GREW UP WITH THIS DOG. SHE WAS WITH US THROUGH EVERYTHING.... SHE PASSED WHEN I WAS A SOPHMORE IN HIGH SCHOOL. I WAS SO DISTRAUGHT SHE WAS MY BEST FRIEND! I THINK WHAT UPSET ME MORE WAS THAT SHE TRIED TO TELL ME AND I DIDNT LISTEN. I WAS TOO BUSY...I WAS UPSTAIRS GETTING READY TO GO WITH SOME FRIENDS AND I HEARD HER PAWS CLICKING ON THE STAIR WELL I THOUGHT WHAT THE HELL IS SHE DOING SHE HASNT BEEN ABLE TO GO UP THESE STAIRS FOR YEARS SHE MADE IT TO MY ROOM AND WAS DANCIN AROUND ME WANTING ATTENTION. I TAPPED HER ON THE HEAD A BIT AND MADE HER GO BACK DOWN THE STAIRS. I RETURNED HOME LATE AND WHEN I GOT UP THE NEXT MORNING SHE HAD PASSED QUIETLY IN MY DADS ARMS. DAD SAYS SHE CAME INTO THE GARAGE AND GOT HIM AND HE FOLLOWED HER TO OUR DECK. I HAD NEVER SEEN MY DAD CRY! IT IS HARD TO THINK YOU CAN EVER LOVE THAT DEEP AGAIN...OUR FAMILY COULD NOT DEAL WITH NOT HAVING A CHOW BABY ABOUT TWO YEARS LATER DAD GOT OUR CHYNA!!! HOPE TO SEE THEM AGAIN SOMEDAY RIP

....SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS LOCK!!!

pfordeb · Post by **pfordeb** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 2:29 pm

We had various pets growing up but not for long because my mother does not like animals. So I was always the neighborhood pet sitter.

It took 5 years of pleading when I got married to get a dog when a local TV station had a telethon for the humane association. Forrest finally said yes. Our son picked out another dog (bull mastiff), I picked out some other mix, then Forrest picked out Sullivan because she was the only dog not barking and she followed a ball with her eyes.

After another 5 years of pleading we went to a dog fair and I found a female chow mix I really liked. The local shelter has an event called Mingle with the Mutts every two weeks, so we went the next day to find the rescue group with the female chow mix and ended up with Gilbert. Sullivan sort of picked him -- funny since she pretends to hate him now.

When we got Charlie, I went to the shelter to get another black female chow. In fact every dog I had on my "wish list" was a black female chow but Charlie. I can't explain how it happened except he jumped out of the cage and wrapped himself around my neck and I couldn't let go.

Now here's the weird part. I found out a few years ago that my great aunts had raised chows -- never knew that until we got hooked. Chows must be in my blood.

ski · Post by **ski** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:14 pm

We had dogs all my life...lab mix, beagle, border collie (they really are smart), spaniel, etc. I never wanted a chow. I heard they were aloof and nasty. It just so happens my son found a purebred wandering in New York City. He had been homeless for sometime and was in bad shape. We thought we would keep him until we found his proper home. The owner never showed and we found ourselves falling for this "aloof" breed. We now have two.. It seems we can't get enough of them! The second chow was surrendered and was about to be put down when we came to the rescue. They have the most amazing personalities.

fillyok · Post by **fillyok** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 4:14 pm

I've always been an animal lover and grew up with all kinds, but dogs (and horses) were always my favorites. I grew up with a collie and a bird dog. As an adult, I housesat for a co-worker that had a little black Chow. She was sassy and a little pyscho, but I loved her. That was 14 years ago and I work with that same co-worker again...we often talk about Sasha and how he would love to have another Chow, but his wife says she couldn't stand to have another pass.

Now, the real question...why did I choose Chows? I didn't. I was volunteering at the shelter (very unhappily married) the day Bear came in...he was a Katrina surrender and the most calm, sweet little guy I'd ever seen. He was HW positive so he couldn't get a lot of exercise, but I did a lot of volunteer time just so I could spend time with him. I begged my ex to let me adopt him, but he wouldn't let me. I ended up leaving him and almost immediately went to get Bear. Best decisions I ever made. Soon after, Ping found me and less than 6 months later, Samantha found me through Petfinder. I can't imagine life without them now.