What is it with Chows and people not liking them.

[Misfit6669]

I agree, I could never trust a chow but I'm not sure why. I have meet good Pits, really great Rots and even a couple of poodles that I liked. That is the one dog I would never get. Never had a bad experence with one but never felt comfortable around one either.
Brian

[2fishy]

I am confused by the Chow reference also. I have known people that had Chows and they were all very good dogs, but I live in a smaller town so maybe they have a bad reputation in the environment in which they were raised. Pitbulls on the other hand have actually been banned in a couple counties in our state. If you had them previously to the band you were grandfathered in, but it prohibits people from new ownership of this breed of dog.

[crzy4reefs]

chows, are one type of dog, that really needs allot of disciplining and are not a dog for everyone, they will if given the chance be dominate over you.


i have meet very nice chows, but the owners were responsible with them.

[dc]

Wally's half lab and half chow. A great dog. Not aggressive at all. My parents chow was friendly as all get out, unless you went near her food. Her name was Worthless. Dan's sister's was protective of the farm animals, no one but them could go near any of them.

[Sk8r]

Chows tend to bond to one person, and if that person is not able to control him, that's trouble. I've seen a chow in the company of children rush to attack and kill another child's pet. It was not a pretty sight. Personally I think no child ought to be out and about with that particular dog, as they can't exert strong control. The chow-brain was probably saying "threat to my people" when it attacked, but who knows: it may not have been that complicated. It may have been just, "smaller than me---attack."

[crzy4reefs]

they were bred as fighting dogs and have that strong urge, hence why they need a dominate person to control them. They are not a dog for everyone.

[Nina51]

i once asked my vet what breed of dog he would rather not see come through his door. he said the worst patient he ever had was a chow. this dog had to be sedated AND muzzled for treatment.

but oh man, are they cuuuuute puppies or what!!?!!

[2fishy]

What I think is the strangest and most deceptive dog is the Bassett Hound. The Bassett Hound that we had and I know of a couple other dogs from the same litter all were nippy dogs. I don't know if it was a tendancy of the breed, because it was the only one that I have ever owned, or if it is the norm, but it was the most aggressive dog that I have ever owned towards other dogs and to children. She wasn't aggressive like the dogs we are talking about, but more aggressive then I was accustomed to and I didn't leave her alone with the kids when they were in the are pulling stage. But she would fight with the other dogs if given the chance.

[2fishy]

Originally posted by Nina51
i once asked my vet what breed of dog he would rather not see come through his door. he said the worst patient he ever had was a chow. this dog had to be sedated AND muzzled for treatment.

but oh man, are they cuuuuute puppies or what!!?!!

Those and St Bernard puppies!!!! I wish you could keep them puppies a long time!

[jgoodrich71]

The one main experience I have had with a Chow was a guy I worked with had one. I went over to his house one day, he chow just grolwed and snarled the whole time I was there. The owner just laughed, thought it was funny. I didn't and ended up leaving because of it.

[Misfit6669]

I just don't get it. I think I have been around 5 chows in my life and I wouldn't turn my back on any of them. Maybe it was just the first dog I didn't trust and the rest of them could sense it. I do not know. I do feel that dogs usually are the way they are because of the owners. And Pits have gotten a bad rap cause a lot of idiot owners get the dog for just that reason. I also think more people are bit by poodles than any other dog or least that used to be true. Anyway, stating to ramble.

[Misfit6669]

Here is a little article I found on CBS. It's from 2002. When Brandi and I were thinking about getting a dog, we were leaning towards the Rhodesian Ridgebacks. She wants a larger, protective dog, I would be ok with a Rot but the Ridgebacks seem like a good dog also.


(CBS) Many people have misconceptions about which kinds of dogs are actually inclined to bite or attack, as well as what you should do if that does happen. But Early Show Contributor Debbye Turner, who is also a veterinarian, has some advice.

Most of us don't really think about getting bitten or attacked by dogs in our daily lives, but it can happen a lot more often, and quicker, than you'd ever think. Part of the problem is that we are led to believe that there are certain types of dogs that are extremely aggressive and vicious (like pit bulls) when, in fact, some of the breeds that are more likely to bite are those you'd never think about, like poodles or terriers.

About 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs each year. One million of those need medical attention. About 750,000 children are bitten by dogs each year; in most cases, these bites are from "familiar dogs" -- not strays. Approximately 12 people die each year from dog bites

All dogs can be provoked to bite. There is really no such thing as a "bad breed." Most (if not all) dogs can be properly trained and socialized to be gentle and tolerant. Your dog should be trained to obey basic commands: sit, stay, come, and down. This alone could prevent many dog-biting incidents.

Potentially aggressive breeds:

Llasa Apso: can be cranky with kids
Toy poodles: bite out of self defense
Dachsunds: not very patient
Rhodesian Ridgebacks: very dominant breed
Miniature Pinschers: "big dog" mindset in little body
Pekinese: intolerant
Chihuahuas: prefer adults, not tolerant of kids
Chow Chow: one-person dogs, bite without warning
Giant Schnauzers: very dominant breed, will even challenge adults
Old English Sheep Dog: very protective of owner
Cocker Spaniel: very protective of owner
Rottweilers: very protective

Typically gentle breeds that have "bad boy" reputations:

German Shepherd: great with kids
Bulldog: gentle, playful
Rottweilers: can be gentle, affectionate
Great Danes: gentle, affectionate
Boxers: good with kids
Mastiffs-very docile


"Pit bull" is a bit of a misnomer. There really is no such breed. Generally, "pit bulls" are a cross between a "bulldog" breed and a terrier. They are also known as American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, and Staffordshire Bull Terriers.

Most "pit bulls" are not aggressive by nature. They tend to be gentle, playful and loving. However, there are those that have been bred and trained to be aggressive. Even then, they are more aggressive toward other animals, not people.

Often, aggressive "pit bulls" have been abused and/or neglected. These are VERY dangerous.

[Jeffrey Porter]

someone i know has a sheppard cross, that follows and sometimes bites anyone that comes to the house. and barks at people when it's out in the car. the only people it never bothers are the people who live and work at that house plus me for some reason. i guess he just likes/trusts me.

[Sk8r]

I'd add collie as a 'good with kids' dog if you have all out doors to run in. They're a herder, and a little single-minded.

[BrianD]

Boxers have a "bad boy" reputation?

I need to tell Buster.

[zenguitar]

My family had a Chow and German Shepard mix. She was the most beautiful dog I have ever known. She was also the most calm and loving dog I have also known. Her name was Sandy and to me she will always be the greatest dog there ever has been.

My parents currently have a rottweiler and he too is super loving and fun. But for some reason he thinks he is a lap dog, hehehe.

[dc]

Originally posted by BrianD
Boxers have a "bad boy" reputation?

I need to tell Buster.

He'll laugh!

[dc]

Originally posted by zenguitar
My family had a Chow and German Shepard mix. She was the most beautiful dog I have ever known. She was also the most calm and loving dog I have also known. Her name was Sandy and to me she will always be the greatest dog there ever has been.

My parents currently have a rottweiler and he too is super loving and fun. But for some reason he thinks he is a lap dog, hehehe.

I think the aggressive breeds are all individual just like people. Worthless was very well mannered, trained, and socialized. The cat she killed used to sleep on top of her head. One time in her food and she killed it without hesitation. Wally has never even been remotely aggressive. When my poms were alive they used to follow him around and bite at his feet. Never phased him, they ate out of the same dish everything.

[Bubbled-tip]

A chow tends to bite first with no warning. I have been followed around by one knowing it wanted to bite me. Sure enough it bit me. Not a sound came out of this dog. I have never experienced anything like it. FWIW alot of dogs don't like me, an aggressive dog will walk past a crowd and have a problem with me. I think it is a dominance thing. I believe that between a person and a dog one of you is subserviant. If you let the dog be in charge then he will be.
A friendly breed is less likely to need to know who the boss is. I get along great with these dogs. The dogs that don't like me are dominant types. I generally avoid them as it wouldn't end up good for either of us. I would own one with no problem, be around one with his owner is OK too as long as the owner is also the master. The problem for me is an abused or undisciplined dog with an idiot owner, that dog will come after me every time...
I guess I am just lucky.

When it comes down to it dogs are like our tanks... Not every one will act the same or even act like it is supposed to.

[hubris007]

Ok, here's what a chow sounds like when it's happy....







Here's what a chow sounds like when it feels threatened...









Here's what a chow sounds like as it's biting you....













I've come across a number of supersweet chows. I wouldn't trust them further than i can throw them. Little bastages are just too darn stoic. Not all veterinarians feel that way, but the rest of us tend to ignore that .01% of the population.

[Sk8r]

Most dogs give off a warning while they're conflicted and thinking about what to do. I don't think there's any interrupt on a chow's action: if the 'bite' switch gets thrown there's no internal angst about it. Just as a side thought, I think it's as far from the ancestral wolf pack as the pomeranian---that kind of uninhibited reaction wouldn't play well in a pack, imho. Can you imagine 10 chows trying to cooperate?

[llpoolej]

Most pits are good dogs. Most will give you ample warning if they ARE going to bite. Chows are just a weird breed. I have been around some sweet ones, but, sweet isn't the rule

[Muttling]

My experiences with chows reflect what people have already said about them being a bit odd. I adore dogs and have trained as well as competed Shutzhund which includes bite work. Thus, I would venture to say that I have some experience with agressive dogs and am generally comfortable with them.

All but 1 of the chows I have met were odd personality wise, almost to the point of psychotic. They're not particularly aggressive as compared to many of the working breeds like GSDs and they're certainly not as aggressive as a Belgian Malenois, but their aggressiveness seems to differ from one day to the next. Sometimes from one moment to the next. When they're in one of their moods, they don't tend to show a lot of patience with their aggression.

[Nina51]

Originally posted by Jeffrey Porter
someone i know has a sheppard cross, that follows and sometimes bites anyone that comes to the house. and barks at people when it's out in the car. the only people it never bothers are the people who live and work at that house plus me for some reason. i guess he just likes/trusts me.

who wouldn't?

[Misfit6669]

So it sounds like my mistrust for them is well justified.
Thanks everybody
Brian