Breed Information: Chow Chow

RE: Breed Information: Chow Chow Post By Jackie (Guest Post) (04/29/2006) I raised 2 chows one died suddenly when my daughter was about 2, the other lived until she was about 7, my son was 5 & my youngest son 2. We had our chows around LOTS of people when they were pups & they were great with my kids - & other kids who came over. Just to be safe I would put them up to ease the minds of other kids' parents. Plus I taught my kids not to walk up to strange dogs because you just never know how they may react. Any dog can inflict injury....I know a lot more mean LITTLE dogs than big ones! Chows (& Rotties) tend to get a bad rap. You just need to train your dogs to not be aggressive when they are little. We have a 2 yr old Golden mix & a 1 year old Rotty (both sweet great dogs!). We would like another Chow one day, but here we don't see many in the paper anymore. Jackie in Tennessee RE: Breed Information: Chow Chow Post by kidsNclutter (208) | (03/29/2006) Contact In reading about the Chow's temperament & the post by nana6x it would appear that this cuddly looking breed is not really suitable for households with children. Some animals are just naturally more suitable for adults only households. You just can't be too safe when it comes to the interaction of child & dog. It was wise of the man with the pet Chow to keep the dog separated from the children for the duration of their visit. All too often people view & value their pets the same as children. They don't want to hear or think that their dog might have aggressive tendencies, even if only in certain situations. Many times children (the real human variety) end up getting hurt, severely & permanently even if "only" emotionally. This results in the dog being labeled vicious & often forcibly put down. Both of these tragedies can be avoided or lessened by the careful supervision & separation if necessary of children & dogs. This applies to any other animal as well. To truly love pet animals you must be a responsible owner & have the realization that these beautiful creatures can have some tendencies toward aggression. They can also be the best of companions & friends. A responsible owner would never allow their pet to be placed in a situation where such an incident might occur, or ignore the warning signs that are present. RE: Breed Information: Chow Chow Post by nana6x (41) | (03/29/2006) Profile | Contact Your descripiton of temperament of a chow chow was right on the mark. My ex-husband had a one and it was loyal only to him and his wife. When my children went to visit he had to put the dog in the backyard for the entire visit. He was vicious. And I know that he was never abused. It was just his way. And I don't mean to imply that they are all like that. That was my only experience with a chow chow. I believe obedience training at an early age is a must with this breed. Especially if you have young children.