The Chow Chow..

[PawNclaws]

Well I'm not sure they are very popular. They have the bad rep. just like Pitts, Rotts, and Dobies but I'm sure if you ask about them- there will be alot of responses from owners and past owners that'll say much more good and no bad. It is breeding and socialization, if a puppy is poorly socialized then problems will arise just with breeding- if poorly bred temperment and health problems will arise. I'm glad you asked about them littleones, the Chow is a great breed - all I can say abut them is good. I've had no bad expr. and in fact thanks to Jasmin, alot of peoples minds changed as well.
Crossfire I cant wait to see your Chow pictures....

[EricaLee715]

One of my dogs (the one pictured in the ID pic named Foster) is a Chow Mix. I think she is the sweetest most loving and gentle dog but she has a bad reputation. A lot of people won't go near her when I tell them that she is a Chow Mix. It's the same with Pit bulls really. They just have a bad reputation.

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

I'm still going through old pics but did find one of my daughter and one of our pups, I posted it once before but not in this thread and wanted to share.

The Chow will always be my first love.

Baby meet baby Taken back in 1985 - My daughter Mauriah and one of our female pups Tiki.

[Ritz459]

How precious....and people think Chows are evil....*snorts*

[Camz]

I love their faces- for some reason, the smooth coats are my favorite look.

Two years ago, when Orchid wasn't even a sparkle in her mum's eye, chows were among those breeds I was researching for getting my first pup.

However, after reading more about them, I realized that they were probably too much dog for me. I don't think chows are bad dogs; I think they are pretty misunderstood by the average Joe. They're aloof, independent, protective, and have high prey drive.

Chows got a bad rep because of bad breeders. End of story. Good breeders wouldn't breed an agressive dog, even if it is the most beautiful dog they've ever seen.

That picture of "baby meets baby" is very precious. I've always thought that chows (and keeshond puppies, too) look like little bears.

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

They really do look like fuzzy little bear cubs when their little, especially the black ones and I agree......any dog that's been given a bad rep is due to bad breeders and bad owners not the individual breed.

The Chow is very misunderstood by the general public I think and let's face it, that proud stance and those eyes looking right through you at times can make anyone a little nervous if they really don't know the breed. Their so different than most and it seems that even some of those with previous dog experience fail to recognize that there are just some things with this breed that require the human to change rather than the dog to live together.

With the right owner this is a proud breed, dedicated to it's master and family with tons of love to give.

[wrat]

we rescued a chow mix last dec after our elkhound died.she had been at 2 different shelters for a total of around 12-14 months,she had two strikes against her she was black and a chow mix..she is one of the most loving and fun dogs Ive ever had..

[kcalbat]

we just did a beautiful chow chow today. She was so apricot she was almost gray. She is one of the few good chows we get in. She was good for every part of the groom...her only downside was that she liked to dance (or shift feet alot...) try precision scissoring with that! The owner is a very diligent and caring woman. She brushes the dog daily (WOW a concept that is hard to ALOT of people ...<sarcasm) and brings the dog in the salon every 3 1/2 to 4 weeks. About time someone is showing a positive image of the breed.

Same with pits. Get this...about four months ago a friend from next door (at the vet) brought me over and showed me this pit bull. The dog was rescued (by parents from their son who owned the dog) from the fighting ring. His whole body was scarred (more his face and chest) his teeth were broken...uncropped ears were torn..it was a sad sight. HOWEVER...this dog was the sweetest dog in the world. Immediately he slid up to my legs and and leaned up against me very lightly...looking up at me to pet him. Even more amazing...the dog is completely dog friendly. Mind you the parents are very wary with him around dogs but we think he was just used as a bait dog to train other fighters. He doesnt care about the others dogs...doesnt lunge at them..or growl...very friendly dog. Anyhow...I told the owners that what they have there is a dog that will change peoples mind about the breed. Straight from the fighting ring to a loving home to finish his life in peace. kudos...

Then again there are those who will ruin all the work those people are trying to do. Today i went on break and saw this very beautiful pit puppy probably aroung 5 months old. I walked up to dog and bent down and after greeting i went to pet the dog. After a few seconds the dog backed away, lifted his lips and growled at me...im like WHAT!? I could just tell the man was proud too...argggg!!! Irresponsible.

Sorry i totally went off topic of chow chows...but i think they both face similar problems.

thanks for readin.
Kelli

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

Originally Posted by wrat

we rescued a chow mix last dec after our elkhound died.she had been at 2 different shelters for a total of around 12-14 months,she had two strikes against her she was black and a chow mix..she is one of the most loving and fun dogs Ive ever had..

Kudos for giving your girl a second chance at life! Shes a very pretty girl!

[kfloydlezak]

Hello to all. I was surfing around the site and had to comment on the chow chow post.
I have been a chow chow owner for over 10 years...only dog I will ever have. I use to be a foster parent for the chow welfare in NJ. After having kids, decided not to do it anymore as it was way too time consuming.
I had my first furry son for 9 years. His name was Teddybear. Beautiful red chow! He was beaten/abused prior to me getting him. His paws were broken and never fixed, (you could never clip his nails). Of course mommy could touch his paws, but no one else...I had my human daughter a few years after obtaining him from the chow welfare association. He was wonderful. so my daughter comes into our family and she starts walking...she would climb all over him...he would growl get up and walk away, never a snip or a bite. He was the most wonderful furry son!!!
Then we decided to get my furry son a playmate, so I ended rescuing a female chow. One day, the two of them got into a fight and my husband had to separate them...she leaned down, bit his leg (he still has the scar), then went after my male. After the night in the doggie ER, they were both released with minor puncture wounds to the neck.
I ended up putting the female down as we were afraid of my young doughter getting stuck in the middle of a dog fight, and the female showing aggression.
So let's fast forward 10 years later....my furry son got very sick and I put him down...worst thing I could have ever done. It's been two years and I finally adopted a female from a breeder in NY...her name is Xing-Xing (as in cha-ching (sound of money). she is wonderful, not afraid of anyone or anything. We took her to my vets office, and my vet said he does not like chows at all, but she is the one acception.
Bottom line, it comes down to how well you raise your furry child. If you don't socialize them and take time to understand there needs, you will end up with a bad child...just my opinion.

[ginastags2315]

My brother has a chow and she's very friendly. A lot of people say they're bad with kids but she's good with all people. My neighbors have a chow that's good with people but is aggressive toward other dogs. If a dog's aggressive, it's the owner's fault if they didn't socialize it properly. It's sad that many breeds of dogs get a bad reputation... it's not the breed, it's how the dog was raised by it's owners.

[viki irvine]

i rescued a chow the other day, i found it wondering around town dodging traffic. the dog wouldn't listen to my calls or even eat the treats i was handing out just to grab a hold. after running around for about 30minutes this nice lady in a car started to round this dog up like a sheepdog. eventually it was cornered and taken to the rspca, it turned out the dog was deaf and partially blind.