Anyone own a chow chow???

[Skylarr29]

Hello I was just wondering if anyone here owned a chow and if so can you recoomend a breeder. ANy other comments or advice is welcome. THis will be dh and I's first pet so we are doing as much research as we can .

 

[Texan Mouseketeer]

My sister's chow could open the back sliding glass door with her paws, so they always had to keep it locked! Very very wild dog and was not good around kids. Don't know if that was just the dog or if that is true to the breed or not. Good luck!

 

[cherylp3]

I own a chow chow.

The best resource I can recommend is http://www.chowwelfare.com/cciw/states.htm

Are you planning on showing the dog or having it for a pet?
If as a pet you may want to look at a rescue, it may be more affordable.

Are you in North Florida or South florida??

One last comment is insurance, some insurance companies ban certain breeds of dogs, unfortunately chow chows are usually on that list. I have had many friends whom have had their policies cancelled and needed to use the states insurance which may be more expensive and not offer as much coverage.

Cheryl

 

[mrsheppo]

I had a chow many years ago. Not a good dog around kids and did not like other animals. My ex brought home this dog and it killed some kittens so I had to get rid of her. I was afraid of what she might do to my children.

 

[cherylp3]

Some more infornation at
http://www.newenglandchowchowclub.org/ChowInfo.htm

Also regarding children and pets, my chow has always done well when supervised with both my cat and with children whom have visited me.

Cheryl

 

[Disneynutbsv]

We were a foster home for a chow. We had to have another home take her. She was beautiful, but she attacked my son She was terrible with kids.

 

[Skylarr29]

I own a chow chow.

The best resource I can recommend is http://www.chowwelfare.com/cciw/states.htm

Are you planning on showing the dog or having it for a pet?
If as a pet you may want to look at a rescue, it may be more affordable.

Are you in North Florida or South florida??

One last comment is insurance, some insurance companies ban certain breeds of dogs, unfortunately chow chows are usually on that list. I have had many friends whom have had their policies cancelled and needed to use the states insurance which may be more expensive and not offer as much coverage.

Cheryl

I am planning on just having the dog for a pet but I wouldnt mind paying more for a "show: quality chow. I live in south FLorida nad we already have state insurance due to all the hurricanes and difficulty getting insurance as it is.


We do not have any children so we will have alot of time to devote. Hopefully that will help. This is why I am trying to do as much research because I want to know what we are getting ourselves into.


ALso we have no other pets.

 

[Cantw8]

I had a pure bred Chow. He was the best, most well behaved dog I have ever owned. We had to put him down last January due to cancer. We owned him from a pup and he lived to be thirteen. "Chonga" was awesome with my kids and very protective of them, since they all grew up together. He wasn't always the sharpest tool in the shed, but he had a heart of gold. Even as a pup, he never had one accident in the house. He was also very fond of my cats. He would lay on the floor and let the cats lick his ears I miss him greatly He was a blue chow, which means that he was all black. The only thing that ever concerned me about him was he would become very aggressive with strangers. I know that as a "guard" dog, that is a good thing but anyone, especially the pizza delivery guy looked like a bowl of kibble to him

 

[pjtjm]

Left scars...

I won't go to his house anymore....

Be careful around this breed.... I never knew about how aggressive it was supposed to be until it happened to my baby..

 

[becka]

I had a friend in HS with a chow and to be honest that dog always used to scare me. I used to call him "wolf" because he just seemed so agressive. I am sure there must be some "good" ones out there but they do as a breed seem to be fairly agressive.

 

[ElizK]

You don't have children now, but do you plan to in the future? Something to consider before you choose any pet. DH and I got two chows when we first married. They were wonderful, never a single problem with them. But we never quite trusted them around our kids once they came along a few years later. Then the next door neighbor's dachshund got into our yard and was mauled by our male chow. I realize he was defending his territory, but we just couldn't have them around the kids after that. I can't tell you what a heartache that was.

 

[JKLLady]

We've had Chows for the last 24 years; 2 males & 2 females. They are wonderful family dogs & highly intelligent. They house train themselves & none of mine have ever had an accident in the house. When raised correctly, they are good with children. Our first two were adults when DD, 19, was born; the female slept next to her crib & woke me up the minute she made a peep! As a toddler, she dressed up our big cinnamon male in her dress up clothes from Lillian Vernon; picture a proud Chow in a floppy hat, chiffon scarf & gloves!.. He never moved, and let her have her fun.

Our DS, 8, also has grown up with Chows, and they were both adults when he was born. He's all boy & they both did a great job of putting up with his shenanigans. We lost our female in July 2004 to cancer & currently have just our cream male, who's now 9.

The breed is like no other & with patience & proper training you can have the best pet ever! Just make sure you let them them know that your the "alpha" leader of the pack.

For additional info, go to chowchow.org; they have discussion forums where you can get info on breeders & your concerns from experienced Chow owners.

 

[chyam]

I have to agree with most of the other posters this breed can be agressive, and regardless if you have children or not, they still could be a threat, also with any animals that may wander into your yard........personally I would not own one, there are so many other breeds that aren't as agressive or more trustworthy. A guy at work has one and he brags how the dog goes after all the cats and has killed several and the squirrels in his yard. I would not want to be responsible for a dog like that in the case that he may escape the yard or go out the door by mistake. But that is just my opinion, I put them on the same list as pit bulls.

 

[justhat]

My mom was bitten by a chow as a kid and she still tells that story all the time (she's now 60). She was 7 and he bit her hand and she picked up his paw and bit it back. Seriously. This was a neighbor's dog, not a family pet, but she saw him everyday walking to/from school (and she is the biggest animal lover in the world, so not like she was a mean kid who teased the dog).

 

[minnie56]

But we have a Chow and she is our third.

She was a rescue and I had my concerns that naturally she would have 'baggage' and that would perhaps be an issue but having now had her for almost 8 years, she is and always has been a joy. She is wary of people but happily lives with 3 kitties and came into our home when my daughters were still small.

Our previous Chows were with us pre-children and they also were fine with the babies and as they grew but I do think training and lots of love can make the difference. They always knew they were part of our family and consistantly loved.

Good Luck!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

As you can see, I fancy another breed that can sometimes be difficult. I was just wondering what attracted you to the Chow? Is it the way the dog looks? I honestly know very little about that particular breed, but I am very familiar with German Shepherds having had them all my life. Let me just say that having a kind and gentle dog makes your life so much more enjoyable and worry free. It's probably hard for you right now to imagine the implications of having a (potentially) aggressive dog but take my word for it it isn't fun and can be downright scary and even heartbreaking if an event occurs. It's also kind of sad when your friends and family avoid your dog because of it's personality if it is aggressive.

Breeds that are known for their aggressiveness need to be in experienced hands. As a first time owner you will more than likely make mistakes and learn as you go, but with a dog such as this that could be a huge gamble on your part. Not saying this will necessarily be the case with your Chow, but in general when you own a dog that is not good with people, other animals, children or whatever, it makes it very hard on a day to day basis to keep others safe and it puts you in the pathway of liability as well. Give it a lot of thought, please and re-read all these posts - people speak from experience.

I would strongly recommend a choosing a breed known for their good temperament such as a Golden Retriever or a similar breed for your first dog owning experience. However, if you still want a Chow you may want to look into a Chow Rescue organization. Breed rescues for the aggressive breeds temperament test their dogs before adopting them out to help prevent any problems from happening. They often have rules about ownership but those rules are there for a reason (for example, GSDs can often not be placed in homes with children under the ages of 7 or 8). If you decide to get a puppy try to see both parents and make sure they are friendly - interact with them. Then get your pup into a Kindergarten class asap and continue on with training and socialization for at least a year. You will know during this time the type of personality your dog is going to have, but you will be able to mold him as much as possible to being well socialized (though there are never any guarantees). Good luck and let us know how you make out.

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

We have had 2. Our first was a purebred Chow Chow and was a big teddy bear with the kids - very gentle, patient dog. The 2nd dog was a Chow/Akita mix and was the most aggressive dog we have ever owned - not good around the kids at all (even though we got the dog as a puppy and he was raised with the kids). After much money spent on doggie obedience school with no luck we gave that dog away to a friend with no kids who lives out in the country.

Oh, both dogs had issues with skin problems - a big deal with Chows from what our Vet told us.

When the kids are older we may try another Chow but for now we are happy with our Weimeraner/Lab mix.

Good luck with your new addition to the family!

 

[MerryPoppins]

We have a Spaniel/Chow mix. We call him a Spow. He's gentle as a big pussycat. We have two other dogs and my mother's dog visits frequently. We also have two cats. Whenever we introduce a new animal, we just have to tell him to behave. We've had him for years and he'd never hurt one of our animals. He does kill wild things that come into our yard. He protects us regularly from gophers and such. Yuck! He's great with kids. Barks a lot, but wags his tail so hard that I fear it will fall off. He also drools a whole lot.

I'd be careful. Lots of people have posted negatives. But Buddy is one of the kindest, gentlest dogs around. So not all Chows are mean.

 

[tar heel]

Our next door neighbor at our old house had a chow and it was an evil beast IMO. He hated my middle son who was 6 or 7 at the time and would chase him. DS is 17 now and still somewhat uncomfortable around dogs. Once DS came out our front door as the dog's owner came back from a walk with her baby in a stroller and the stroller was turned over in the melee. The dog destroyed the knit cuff on my son's Lands End jacket, but fortunately never managed to bite him before the owner got him. They got rid of the dog after that incident.

 

[MoniqueU]

I would listen to the warnings about breeds. I didn't listen to the warnings about breeds and ended up having to give up my last dog when it bit my son. Aggressive dogs can be more stress then you ever bargain for.