So the Chow page on Wikipedia has these quotes...
"Chows are an aggressive breed, fiercely protective of their people and property and should only be adopted by experienced dog owners who have the time and energy to devote to proper training and socialization."
Okay, I agree with some of the last bit, but not the first part. I, personally, do not believe that aggression is a characteristic of ANY breed. It may be a characteristic of individual dogs, and some breeds may have more dogs prone to it, but it is not a characteristic of any breed. I have never met a responsible, intelligent breeder/handler/trainer say "blank is an aggressive breed". Maybe "Chow Chows are a breed that is more inclined to be territorial, over it's home and owner, and is not overly happy to have its space invaded" or "Chow Chows are an aloof breed that often regard strangers with suspicion" would be better.
Due to their aggression towards strangers or other animals, they should not be let off a leash or kept in an unfenced yard.
This I find particularly annoying. Any dog with a reliable, tested and true, recall and well socialized can be off leash (provided it is "safe" and legal to do so). While Chows can be defiant, the majority of the ones in my neighborhood (there's a whopping 8) are well socialized and have a good recall. It's up to the owner to assess whether or not it is safe to allow their dogs off-lead. This blanket statement is annoying. Now
Also, one of the links sited went on to say...
Chows are naturally aggressive toward dogs of the same sex... Chows should be kept in a single-dog family, or raised alongside a second dog of the opposite sex and similar size.
Depending on the individual dogs, their temperaments, and the experience/willingness of owners, more than one chow, of the same sex, can live peacefully under the same roof. I have a friend who has three, all female. I know of another who has two males.
Chows should not be raised around small children...
Chows are not inclined to allow roughhousing and abuse. If your four year old insists on grabbing the dog's tail, or riding it, the dog may practice avoidance or retaliate. Sure, and there are a lot of great bully breeds who will happily tolerate that type of handling from children. Chows aren't one of them, but that doesn't mean they can't be raised with kids. It just means that the owner/parent should use their head, supervise at all times, and teach their kids from an early age what is good-touch and what is bad-touch for dogs.
Give Chows a chance! They aren't all dog-aggressive, human-aggressive, child attackers!
ChowChow.org • View topic - Chows and Kids-- Any Questions?
ChowChow.org • View topic - Latest Picture of Matilda and Maisie
ChowChow.org • View topic - Respectful Girls
(None of these dogs are mine, I only have the one chow mix Cameron, and my other dog is a boy, and I'm not a kid, so alas, I have no proof of my dog)
"Chows are an aggressive breed, fiercely protective of their people and property and should only be adopted by experienced dog owners who have the time and energy to devote to proper training and socialization."
Okay, I agree with some of the last bit, but not the first part. I, personally, do not believe that aggression is a characteristic of ANY breed. It may be a characteristic of individual dogs, and some breeds may have more dogs prone to it, but it is not a characteristic of any breed. I have never met a responsible, intelligent breeder/handler/trainer say "blank is an aggressive breed". Maybe "Chow Chows are a breed that is more inclined to be territorial, over it's home and owner, and is not overly happy to have its space invaded" or "Chow Chows are an aloof breed that often regard strangers with suspicion" would be better.
Due to their aggression towards strangers or other animals, they should not be let off a leash or kept in an unfenced yard.
This I find particularly annoying. Any dog with a reliable, tested and true, recall and well socialized can be off leash (provided it is "safe" and legal to do so). While Chows can be defiant, the majority of the ones in my neighborhood (there's a whopping 8) are well socialized and have a good recall. It's up to the owner to assess whether or not it is safe to allow their dogs off-lead. This blanket statement is annoying. Now
Also, one of the links sited went on to say...
Chows are naturally aggressive toward dogs of the same sex... Chows should be kept in a single-dog family, or raised alongside a second dog of the opposite sex and similar size.
Depending on the individual dogs, their temperaments, and the experience/willingness of owners, more than one chow, of the same sex, can live peacefully under the same roof. I have a friend who has three, all female. I know of another who has two males.
Chows should not be raised around small children...
Chows are not inclined to allow roughhousing and abuse. If your four year old insists on grabbing the dog's tail, or riding it, the dog may practice avoidance or retaliate. Sure, and there are a lot of great bully breeds who will happily tolerate that type of handling from children. Chows aren't one of them, but that doesn't mean they can't be raised with kids. It just means that the owner/parent should use their head, supervise at all times, and teach their kids from an early age what is good-touch and what is bad-touch for dogs.
Give Chows a chance! They aren't all dog-aggressive, human-aggressive, child attackers!
ChowChow.org • View topic - Chows and Kids-- Any Questions?
ChowChow.org • View topic - Latest Picture of Matilda and Maisie
ChowChow.org • View topic - Respectful Girls
(None of these dogs are mine, I only have the one chow mix Cameron, and my other dog is a boy, and I'm not a kid, so alas, I have no proof of my dog)