# CHow Chow Dogs?



## CookGuy (Jun 27, 2011)

Anyone have any experience with\own one. I've only had golden retrievers in the past, and thinking about buying one.


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## 99Limited (Jun 27, 2011)

I had a chow/lab mix. I'm a house dog person. If I can't keep the dog in the house with me, to be with me all the time, why bother with a dog. With that said, that dog was the worst shedding dog I have ever had, including my golden retriever, which I had at the same time. So if your golden is a house dog, then you're aware of the shedding and just think of the chow as three times worse.


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## Eamon Burke (Jun 27, 2011)

I'm not a fan of chow chows. I've never owned one, but I've been around more than a few, and they are really hit-and-miss genetically. A "purebred" chow is a little silly, because they were originally developed as a foodstock, so they are meaty and have lots of fur to harvest, but they don't have very specific breed drives, and can be a little nutty.

That said, dogs are dogs before anything else, so it's really nitpicking IMO.


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## FryBoy (Jun 27, 2011)

My daughter had a Chow mix. Very aggressive toward other dogs. Not a great reputation with kids or strangers. I'd do a lot more research before picking a Chow.


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## rockbox (Jun 27, 2011)

Chows are one of the worse dogs to have around kids including neighbor kids. They are very territorial. Pretty much the opposite of a Golden retriever. If I had the energy and time, I would get a vizla. Beautiful and friendly but very energetic.


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## mr drinky (Jun 27, 2011)

I just had to give away my lab-chow mix. It was not good with kids or small dogs, though it could be a sweet dog. However, it was always a neurotic obsessive compulsive sweet. I took the dog through training and she got a lot better, but even the trainer said he didn't like training chows in groups because you always had to watch them with other dogs. Anyhow, after having a baby, she became more territorial and would trap my other dog in parts of the house and eventually mauled the smaller dog. That was not a fun time. I'd avoid a chow, but if you get one I would definitely recommend a good training course. 

k.


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## ecchef (Jun 27, 2011)

Ok...my sister has two chows, a mini poodle, several cats, snakes, a pigmy hedgehog & 3 kids. All rescues. Well, not the kids. Anyway, they all get along quite well, even when I bring my dog for a visit. Go figure. Her chows are so laid back you have to poke 'em to make sure they're still alive.


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## tgraypots (Jun 27, 2011)

Chows don't seem to be predictable, from my experience. Out of all the dogs I've had, my Chesapeake Bay Retriever was the most loyal, maybe even neurotically so.


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## SpikeC (Jun 27, 2011)

I have to put in a plug for my favorite: Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Not the American Staffordshire, mind you, but the English version. In the UK they are known as the nursemaids dog because they are so good with children!


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## 99Limited (Jun 27, 2011)

Well, I'm going to add to what I said about shedding. I ending up putting the dog down. I first started having problems with my neighbor's daughter helping me with my garden. She wanted to push my wheel borrow back to the house and the dog wanted to nip at her hands. Within a week or so he, the chow mix, got a little more aggressive with her. The next thing I knew he would get what I'd call those "Cujo eyes" when I needed to disciple him. My biggest concern was the safety of my neighbor's child and I knew this dog had issues beyond my training skills. I am in no way saying that Chow or Chow mix dogs are problems, but with my limited experience, there are plenty of other dogs that are family oriented that would make a better pet.


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## CookGuy (Jun 28, 2011)

That's interesting. I knew Chow Chow's had a reputation for being reserved. I did not know about the aggression. Maybe a cross Chow Chow would be better. I just saw a few Retriever/Chow puppies that looked really nice.


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## FryBoy (Jun 28, 2011)

The breed was developed to guard palaces and temples. Aggression and territoriality were desired characteristics selectively bred into the Chow.


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## SpikeC (Jun 28, 2011)

That was my understanding. The problem is that they have a certain "cute" look to them, which makes people want them without studying their history.


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## Amon-Rukh (Jun 29, 2011)

I had a chow/spitz mix who was a wonderful dog. She never had a problem with kids (was actually really tolerant of them) or bigger dogs (got along great with the neighbors' doberman and the golden who lived down the street), although she was not particularly patient with similar-sized or smaller dogs (not immediately aggressive but she would snap at them if they hung around too long). She was very protective of the family and our home, but was trained well enough to know that when we told her to stop barking at a guest/stranger, she would do it. The one thing that we never could control was her killer instinct toward rodents of all kinds. My mom puts out bird seed, and the dog would happily watch the birds come and go, but the squirrels, rabbits, muskrats, moles, mice etc. that were attracted by the food... those things were all "exterminate on sight." She was like the Terminator when it came to rodents.


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## FryBoy (Jun 29, 2011)

Any dog can be a "good dog." Any dog can be a "bad dog." Any dog can be sweet. Any dog can bite. It's mostly a matter of upbringing and training and environment. But different breeds, particularly pure breds, have decided behavioral tendencies and physical characteristics that you should consider when picking a pet. A pit bull can be sweet and gentle, but if it goes bad for whatever reason -- or for no apparent reason -- it's a greater danger than other breeds because of the extraordinary power of its bite. Chows can be wonderful pets, I'm sure, but there are no guarantees the it comes to dogs. Better to select a breed that is more likely to be a "good dog" and less likely to be a problem if it isn't.


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## sudsy9977 (Jun 29, 2011)

FryBoy said:


> Any dog can be a "good dog." Any dog can be a "bad dog." Any dog can be sweet. Any dog can bite. It's mostly a matter of upbringing and training and environment. But different breeds, particularly pure breds, have decided behavioral tendencies and physical characteristics that you should consider when picking a pet. A pit bull can be sweet and gentle, but if it goes bad for whatever reason -- or for no apparent reason -- it's a greater danger than other breeds because of the extraordinary power of its bite. Chows can be wonderful pets, I'm sure, but there are no guarantees the it comes to dogs. Better to select a breed that is more likely to be a "good dog" and less likely to be a problem if it isn't.


 



very good point.....i was cornered by a golden retriever when i was a kid....i thought i was gonna get killed....luckily the owner finally got him to calm down somehow.....ryan


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## Eamon Burke (Jun 29, 2011)

Yeah, the truth is, you have to fulfill the dog's needs. This is true with any dog. Just because a miniature pinscher's bite is mostly harmless doesn't mean they can't be savage, scared, aggressive dogs.

One of the things I agree with Ceasar Millan about is that you have to fulfill the dog's needs in this order: Animal->Species->Breed->Name. My dog is an animal, so I treat him accordingly--He is not a child, or a person. He is a domesticated dog, and needs to walk, have structure, eat a dog's diet and have things to chew and hunt. He is a Norwich Terrier, so he wants to pursue and kill vermin, needs very strict walks, has a short attention span, is clever in his mischief, and not very dominant. He is then Rusty, and he smells like a hound and is one of the horniest dogs around, likes bigger, more dominant dogs, and is pretty much incapable of rough play with humans without becoming afraid.

Every dog is like this, but there are some breeds that, in my opinion will not have their breed needs fulfilled in a reasonable manner. Case in point: Chows(too obscure), huskies(unless you have a snow sled), Pit Bulls(face it--bred to fight other dogs), Dobermans(bred to defend people), Min Pins(a sad breeding casualty), Dachshunds(unless you have a badger problem), etc.


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## jheis (Jun 30, 2011)

As a cyclist, one of the things that will really spike my heart rate is the sight of an off-leash Chow.... 

James


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