Chow Chow?

megabiznes

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#1
Hi all,

I keep hearing about how Chows are not good dogs cause of the temperment but I find that its just with the males. I had a female for about 2 yrs and she was great and very playful and loveable. And great with kids. My mom did have a male that even I was afraid of.

Anyone have similar experience with Chows?

John
 

DiosaGirl

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#4
Chow chows arent known as being the most social animals in the world and have a more standoffish temperment than say...a lab so thats where they get the rep. That is just in general tho. ANY dog can be a great pet as long as they are socialized properly and trained well. The only exception to the rule IMO are pit bulls. They are perfectly fine with people but have a natural bred in aggression towards other dogs. This can be controlled with proper training but if the dog were ever in a fight...you can bet that that pit bull is gonna fight to the death. Chows are fine as long as they are raised properly. Other breeds simply tend to be a little less standoffish really is all.
 

megabiznes

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#5
Thanks for the feedback.

Yes I agree with the statement regarding its how you raise your dog and the training recieved. When my chow was 4 months old I took her to a training class that was held at our local pet store. They were so impressed with how she was doing that we got to come back for more training for free.

I will say that the males are more temperamental.
 
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#6
I lived in a duplex for a year. My side of the yard had my doby/shepherd mix, the other side of the yard had a jet black chow. It was the meanest animal I have ever encountered besides a wild javelina I happened upon while hiking in the mountains. I would not let that dog near my doby mix, because my dog was very "mellow" and had no desire to engage in fighting. I tried to make friends with the chow, I was bitten several times by that dog (well, I guess I had it coming but I simply couldn't figure this animal out, why it wouldn't EVER warm up to me - I was around it very frequently in my back yard playing with my own dog). Never drew blood but left deep teeth marks. During that year, I had the misfortune of encounter 2 chows at a home I was visiting. They were running around in their front yard which was fenced. I couldn't and wouldn't come to the front door, those 2 dogs wouldn't let me and the way they were snarling, growling and showing their teeth, I wasn't about to try. This "evidence" may be anecdotal, but I have had other encounters with chows on numerous occasions that had the same result as the other stories: very mean tempered towards strangers OR non-strangers.
BB
 
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#7
Sorry to intrude, but this message just caught my eye because I heard the same thing on TV last weekend.
My friend has a Chow, Chelsie, and she has warned me that the dog can be aggressive because of her age and the fact that she is nearly completely blind. I hugged her and she attacked me.
This is proof that these dogs can be aggressive, but perhaps they can be perfectly fine too, as you say. I always suspected it was Chelsie's age that made her that way, but apparently they are a more wary breed. I think they are lovely dogs with beautiful coats, though.

beaglefoxiezip xoxo
 
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#8
Certain breeds have been bred for certain traits, just as they have been bred for a standard appearance. Unfortunately, when a breed becomes extremely popular quickly, careful breeding is often a casualty. Physical faults, such as hip dysplasia, skin allergies, etc., start manifesting, as do undesirable personality traits. Sometimes the less desirable traits become more pronounced as unethical breeders inbreed their existing lines. Sometimes people will even breed purposefully for aggression. How many times have you heard someone talk about how well their dog fights, or how aggressive it is? Or how many cats it has killed?

Also, a dog owner should be responsible; be realistic as to whether or not you can really handle the breed of dog you are interested in, socialize your dog, teach your dog what is acceptable behavior and what is not, assess whether or not your home is appropriate for the breed. Remember, a bored or frustrated dog is going to take it out on something. It may be your shoes, or it could be your neighbor's cat, dog - or your neighbor. You should also take into consideration what kind of neighbors you have and how well they control themselves, their children and their pets. You may have to make an effort to make sure your dog is not being teased or tormented by the idiot next door! Privacy fences can be your dog's best protection.

And be aware of what kind of signals you are giving your dog. They try to do what we want them to do, and are often very sensitive to our emotions. Your dog will try to protect you; if you feel threatened or an intense dislike for someone, chances are your dog will feel it. If you're angry and aggressive, your dog is going to pick up on that - and potentially act on it.

I had a friend who raised chows. When she had her little girl, I was a little concerned, although her dogs had always been very sweet and docile. I didn't need to worry. When her baby started walking, she learned to pull herself up and walk hanging on to the dogs. They were always gentle, walking slowly and encouraging the baby to take her steps, stopping to nuzzle her when she fell down. I wouldn't have given very good odds to anyone who tried to hurt that baby, though!
 

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