Hello...

I recently adopted Chester, an amazingly sweet and good-natured Chow Mix (he also looks a lot like a retriever). Everyone keeps telling me to be careful, because chows are supposed to be fairly aggressive / protective / violent. But Chester is the exact opposite of all of that! Seriously, he's just a hunk o' burnin' love and all he wants is to be petted. Still, people insist that he could "snap" at any time and that I should be extremely careful.

I thought I'd ask the breeders for their take on this rather troubling situation...


Thanks!

Well, you need to learn about your dog's breeds and find out what they were bred to do. A group training class will help a lot, and yes it is a common stereotype that chows are mean but not all are. There are nice ones out there you just need to socialize and train. good luck!

[lil mutt]

congrats with your new pet... dont forget to post new pictures of your pet...

Originally Posted by thebettypie

Hello...

I recently adopted Chester, an amazingly sweet and good-natured Chow Mix (he also looks a lot like a retriever). Everyone keeps telling me to be careful, because chows are supposed to be fairly aggressive / protective / violent. But Chester is the exact opposite of all of that! Seriously, he's just a hunk o' burnin' love and all he wants is to be petted. Still, people insist that he could "snap" at any time and that I should be extremely careful.

I thought I'd ask the breeders for their take on this rather troubling situation...


Thanks!

Can chows be aggressive? Yes. Any dog can, for that matter. But, it is more likely for chows than say a whippet because of what they are bred for. Chows were bred for protection. They tend to be one person dogs and get very very attached to their "person". I was recently going to adopt a female chow mix from a friend of my mother but the dog was having none of it--she had her "person" thank you very much and I wasn't it. If I had no other animals in the house I could have worked with the dog but I do so I couldn't.

You will need to establish yourself as the alpha dog or Pack Leader so the dog respects you. You will want to socialize the dog around other dogs, humans, and especially children. Obedience training is very important. I encourage folks to work toward the Canine Good Citizen Certification. Any dog--purebred or mutt--can earn this certification.