does anyone have a chow chow

A V A

im thinking of getting a chow chow and im just wondering those anybody upon hear have one and could maybe share some tips and advise etc. i just think they are deadly dogs . . have a look

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnKGfJuJnts

babychuckles

My experience of a chow chow is through a member of my family having one. They bought it in the south of ireland and had nothing but trouble with its eyes poor thing and eyelashes growing all wrong and many other physical problems so much so that it had to be put to sleep at a very young age about two years of age or so.

A V A

jaysus really ?? iv read up on them alot and some seem to have problems but alot seem to not aswell ?? i think id check to see if the mother has any bad medical problems etc, so what happened to the chow? how did it get on


was told they were very temperamental at times

babychuckles

From what i was hearing they, the family, were sold a badly bred chow chow ie they got it from a puppy farm. They just didnt know that it was a puppy farm and bought it unbeknown to themselves at the time as they were all excited and didnt know any better.
The poor dog went to the vet so often that it had flyer miles and it was such a shame as it was a lovely lad. so the rule is I guess buyer beware especially when it comes to puppies.
I believe they even took it back to query the problems with the breeder when they got it but got nowhere of course and then again they didnt want to give it back to suffer at the hands of the guy who had sold it in the first place. They were very upset at having to put it to sleep but it was for the best.

A V A

thats sad to hear:( thats very sad , thats one thing id never buy form and thats a puppy farm !! i just love the look of them and the history of them , their just like a big bear , and a lion

andreac

I dont think these dogs would suit a novice dog owner or a first time dog owner. They can be temperamental ive heard and they need a lot of grooming so you would need to really research this breed before getting one.

suziwalsh

Chow chows are very aloof and as andrea said not for a first time....or even second time owner. They are not affectionate and you can only pet them on their terms....ie. if they approach you looking to be rubbed which in my experience is not very often. You would be better opting for a samoyed who have a similar coat but an excellent temperament. If a dog is quite rare....they usually are for a reason. They are also difficult to train and have huge health problems. A costly dog to own.

doggiewalker00

(I know absolutely nothing about them)
BUT They look so adoreable.
like a bear!

anniehoo

Hi AVA, id agree with some of the others above. A ChowChow is really not a dog for a first time owner. Like alot of breeds they can have the usual inherited and breed-disposed diseases, eg. entropian (a very painful condition where the eyelashes grow inwards) and myotonia (muscle stiffness and weakness). They are a stubborn breed, not very affectionate and require alot of grooming. They are cute to look at...but not a breed id ever recommend for an inexperienced dog owner im afraid.

If you're set on getting one,research,research and research. Visit breeders and owners who have them. Get a feel for its temperament and ask lots of questions.

shanagarry

I didn't own them myself, but close family friends had them and I practically grew up with them. They were lovely dogs, but definitely needed a strong and firm owner.

The two they had were absolute chalk and cheese. One was very aloof/timid. The owners could handle him alright, but I don't think I ever got to rub him without him running off in all the years I knew him. He would walk on a lead, but that was about the extent of training with him! The other one then was very affectionate and loved attention. He could be quite boisterous though if you weren't very firm with him, so definitely not for the inexperienced owner. He was also very protective of the lady, to the point of being a small bit aggressive. But he was super intelligent and willing to learn. I loved the second dog, he had such character and definitely was a teddy bear.

As said above, grooming them is very time consuming.

I guess with all breeds, although you get some fairly standard breed characteristics, each dog is different too. The people who had the chows actually got samoyeds next and they have their third now, all males again. Two of them were very affable and easy going, but one was bad tempered and not very trustworthy at all.

morganafay

I've heard from someone that Samoyed can be snappy, but any ones I've met have been lovely. My neighbour had a samoyed and she was one of the nicest dogs I've ever met, and beautiful. She was so good natured, always had a pile of kittens sitting on top of her, and was brilliant with my dogs, and with kids.

kylith

I know a lady with two, and both of them should be dead according to vets. They have back problems, neck problems, gut problems, skin problems and thyroid problems. They're aloof (even after 8 years one of them will only accept petting on her own terms), stubborn, willful and difficult to train. They cost her about ST£8,000 a year in vets bills each.

She loves them with all her heart, but listening to her has put me right off them as a breed.

If you do decide to get one go for a longer muzzled specimen as the short faced ones have breathing problems. Also go to a proper breeder, and make sure all the checks have been done on the parents.

In short, hope for the best, but prepare for a lot of vet bills.

A V A

jeysus. . wasnt expecting any of that cheers for getting back to me

they really do sound like a problem dog!!sounds very stubborn,reminds me of my ex. . .pet her on her terms hehehe

but iv had 2 beacons before and they were show dogs aswell and both girls (little bitches) they were lazy and lady like,had to constantly groom them and train them it was a pain.i would mind trying a chow chow but a dogs for life not just for a month or so

andreac

A V A wrote: »

jeysus. . wasnt expecting any of that cheers for getting back to me

they really do sound like a problem dog!!sounds very stubborn,reminds me of my ex. . .pet her on her terms hehehe

but iv had 2 beacons before and they were show dogs aswell and both girls (little bitches) they were lazy and lady like,had to constantly groom them and train them it was a pain.i would mind trying a chow chow but a dogs for life not just for a month or so

Sorry but whats a Beacon?? Never heard of them. Trust me Chow Chows are in a league of their own, they are not like other dogs at all. I show my dog and i rarely see any Chow Chows at the shows so they are obv a tough breed to own so please dont rush out to get one.

A V A

the small white fluffy dogs. . i dont know how to spell it . . . beacon friese . . .i wont be rushing out to buy one any time. im looking properly into the background health of the parents of any breed im thinking of getting

oceanfish2008

We had Chow Chows at home from the time I was about 4 until 21 and in that time we would have had 3 over the years and my sister had two in her house. Generally speaking they are more aloof than other dogs but they also vary in personality too, i.e some are more affectionate than others. Personally I never liked dogs that jump up and lick every person they see and I guess that is from having Chows all my life. Generally they are a one person dog and will choose one person in the house to 'own' - that could be a 4yr old child or a 80yr old granny! its whoever THEY choose. I've loved every Chow we had and was lucky to have been 'owned' by one. The plus side is they don't need much walking but do need to be groomed once a week if I remember rightly - that might take an hour.

Health wise as many of the posters above have said they can have huge health problems due to being bred for show, thyroid, hip dysplacia, breathing etc. Its 15 yrs since I have had a Chow (and I still miss having one) so it looks like their problems have got worse instead of better. Its a shame because the ones we had never had any significant issues nor cost us much in vets bills but as I say that was 15 yrs ago.

My suggestion would be to try and get in touch with an independent expert. Maybe someone in the kennel club or a vet and ask for their opinions. Even go as far as England.

If due to poor breeding practice they are no longer suitable as a pet than that is shameful and very sad because they once were a lovely dog.

andreac

A V A wrote: »

the small white fluffy dogs. . i dont know how to spell it . . . beacon friese . . .i wont be rushing out to buy one any time. im looking properly into the background health of the parents of any breed im thinking of getting

You mean a Bichon Frise? Chow chows are very very different from these dogs so as i said do a lot of researc before buying one as they are not for very many people.

Jendrus0

i had chow for a years and it true there are some problem with them.
I would love to have it again because of their good temperamental ...

mickmcl09

I done alot of research on this breed and while I have years of dog ownership experience, I felt it was nowhere near enough in terms of owning one, so much discipline required. I also felt that while their loyalty is unquestionable, it's for one person and their aloofness means they really only have eyes for one person, I wanted a more sociable dog.

I picked Samoyeds instead, they have a similar look, but a much more sociable playful type. While a little difficult, they're still alot easier to train and require alot less experience.

I know a person with a CC and they say they're fairly similar to a samoyed, they just don't bark as much as a Sammie. She's had no health or discipline issues.

If you're dead set on getting one, it's not just health issues to beware of. When I was thinking of getting one, I found a good few bogus ads for selling
CCs so be careful.

chris139ryan

there was a chow chow up the road from me for about 10years when i was younger and i have to say he was the friendliest dog i have ever met, so welcoming and without a doubt one of the most beautiful dogs iv ever seen.

Jendrus0

I am looking for one still.

chris139ryan wrote: »

i have to say he was the friendliest dog i have ever met, so welcoming and without a doubt one of the most beautiful dogs iv ever seen.

kylith

The UK is going to be your best bet. Do your research carefully because, as I've said upthread, even 'good' lines are riddled with disease. My friend has two, and they have skin problems, allergies, thyroid problems, EPI, and who knows what else. They cost her thousands a year, and are uninsurable because of these preexisting conditions. Much as she loves them she'd never have another one, and one of hers comes from show lines.

DBB

kylith wrote: »

The UK is going to be your best bet. Do your research carefully because, as I've said upthread, even 'good' lines are riddled with disease. My friend has two, and they have skin problems, allergies, thyroid problems, EPI, and who knows what else. They cost her thousands a year, and are uninsurable because of these preexisting conditions. Much as she loves them she'd never have another one, and one of hers comes from show lines.

I also know a lovely lady who currently owns two, and has had many over the years. She has always been extremely careful who she bought her Chows from, and STILL her vet bills are astonomical every year, and she has no end of worry and emotional upheaval due to their health problems. The latest is a youngster with congenital cruciate ligament disease, has just had corrective surgery on one knee which cost a couple of thousand, and will have to get the other one done when the first one has recovered. The older one is blind and has been since birth. The one before that died at a young age. All of these dogs were sourced from the "top" breeders in Ireland and the UK.

Jendrus0

I know all these health issues of this breed. thank you for advice

Flashfang

I've owned and breed chows for nearly all my life.

Hi AVA, id agree with some of the others above. A ChowChow is really not a dog for a first time owner. Like alot of breeds they can have the usual inherited and breed-disposed diseases, eg. entropian (a very painful condition where the eyelashes grow inwards) and myotonia (muscle stiffness and weakness). They are a stubborn breed, not very affectionate and require alot of grooming. They are cute to look at...but not a breed id ever recommend for an inexperienced dog owner im afraid.

The quote from that person is total rubbish [mod edit]. I can only presume they are one of the vets that suggested my dad should put his first chow down "because its tongue was black". The conditions they are talking about are very rare and can happen to most breeds. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_dysplasia_(canine) is one of the few conditions that occasionally causes problems with older dogs but are usually more common in more active chows. They are perfect dogs for first time owners. they are unbelievably loyal. You need to get them when they are about 8-10 weeks old though to create that bond. The temperament of chows has changed a lot in the last 10 years and the more aggressive side of the breed has been nearly all but removed. If you have any more direct questions feel free to ask.

Flashfang, please mind your language.
Also, I have placed the post you quoted into a quote box, as it made little sense otherwise.
Do not reply to this edit on-thread.
Thanks,
DBB