Chow Chow Looking For A New Home

[Falgall]

Hi BondiChowChow

I am glad I popped in here. You did not tell me about your boys tendancy to bite children and also you sent me a pic of him with another Chow Chow but said he was not at home with another Chow Chow. I am worried how the female will cope with her companion gone? I have sent possible matches to you without all the information so I am a bit worried. Plus you told me that the issues with dogs were your imagination and that the groomer and others had told you that he was not aggressive with other dogs?

So he is going overseas now? I can now assume he is safe and not refer people to you?

I am sorry but you have me very confused at present.

Karen

PS The one you have been emailing

[bondichowchow]

Hi Karen,

I will ring u about this. His behavior has been confusing us too and a previous trainer said he is protective with me. Somehow, our vet and a groomer mentioned he was fine in the presence of other dogs when in their facility.

I have been very specific with the potential matches and told them the male was not comfortable around children.

This is why it has been difficult to find a match. There were 2 good candidates and the last was particularly promising. They had no dogs and had to plans on having kids in the near future. But they got a puppy during the holidays.

We are still taking him to a dog behaviorist this feb-- the earliest appointment we can get to see if we can do a programme ad get some proper assessment and advise.

Sorry to confuse. I will ring to clarify. Thanks for your help.

[chowchowlover]

Hi Bondi

Sorry I couldnt help due to the cats, but dont feel disheartened or judged by the posts.

Sometimes the best thing for your dog can be the most devestating, So I understand if you feel helpless or confused.

And your pregnant- you dont have to reply every hour! (as someone in a previous post commented on)

[goldchow]

Hi ncarter, we know of several chows who were shaved, one by a locum vet searching for a tick and without the owners permission. He developed hypothyroidism literally overnight, diagnosed by a different vet and the cause put down to the shock of being shaved. As this boy was doing very well in the showring at the time the owner was not impressed as it effectively finished his show care. The coat never grows back properly, the more the chow is shaved the thicker his coat grows and can become impossible to keep on top of.

I have been told that Samoyeds can also be affected in this way.

A Chow is not meant to be shaved, kept clean and well groomed his coat acts as insulation against both the heat and the cold.

For those who can't cope with the grooming of the roughs there's always the smooths who many don't see as glamourous and aren't as laid back as the rough but they are nowhere near the work, much more energetic and cope with the Aussie climate much better.

Great to see you Falgall, we've missed you

[Falgall]

Hi Bondi

Sorry cant talk at work as I am a psych nurse and its hard to get the opportunity. I am working another double tomorrow but am free Thursday to talk - not too early as I need sleep

I have said the things that have been posted here. You know I have two cats and a 10 year old, Mia should not have been a problem. Did the last lady contact you that wanted a rescue Chow - she had no children or other pets. But she works and he is used to your girls company. Your girl may fret as she will be more alone once he is gone and then again when your routine changes after the birth.

We seem to rehash the same things and there is not a black and white answer. I wish I could come up with a solution. Has he been tested with cats?

Where did that guy get a pup?

Will email you with another couple of contacts - they are old but maybe worth a try? They are Chow savvy and may still want an older Chow.

Yes Goldchow I have missed you all more than you could know

This time next year you will be saying gosh Falgall go away

2010 the year of my return

[Clyde]

Hi ncarter, we know of several chows who were shaved, one by a locum vet searching for a tick and without the owners permission. He developed hypothyroidism literally overnight, diagnosed by a different vet and the cause put down to the shock of being shaved.

As a vet nurse I find this very difficult to believe (dog dying from shock of coat being shaved). I suspect there was an underlying cause here.

For what it's worth, I shave Chows and Samoyeds at owners requests. We do go through the cons first but being such a tick ravaged area owners opt for shavings. None of these dogs are emotionally damaged.

It is common place to shave a dog down at the vets in tick cases, locum or not they're doing their job by finding the source of a deadly toxin. If someone puts their dogs coat before their dogs life, then maybe they need to take a good hard look at themselves. I lost 3 clients to ticks this year, an improvement on over 12 last year

[goldchow]

I have no doubt at all that you shave many Chows & Samoyeds at the owners request. Even vets who know very little about the breed (and that would be most of them) will recommend that the chow be shaved or clipped 'so they can cope with the heat'

Just about every rescue chow that comes in here has been shaved and its a curse because the coat is near on impossible to keep groomed and has grown back so thick that there is no other option but to keep him clipped for his own comfort.

In 30 years I've known of three Chows who developed hypothyroidism after being shaved, all diagnosed by different vets, one of which is extremely famailliar with the breed and I'm not about to argue about a veterinary diagnosis, (and none of them died by the way)

Very few vets are aware that the Chow has a very finely tuned & highly developed nervous system, much more so than other breeds and sometimes what the chow regards as a traumatic event can tip him over the edge so to speak which you also are obviously not aware of. I can provide the names of two vets in Brisbane who I feel sure would be happy to verify this for you.

The Chow is a very ancient breed, domesticated in comparitively recent times and is still in many ways a very 'native' dog with quite a way to go before his system adjusts to what is still a completly alien environment, if it ever really does.

Of all the Chow breeders I know who live in tick infested areas, all are very aware of the dangers, all precautions are taken and none have ever had to have their dogs shaved if they have picked up the odd tick.

I had a chow arrive here from the Gold Coast; the symptoms were obvious as soon as he got out of the car. He went straight into the hydrobath with a tick rinse while his owner and I went over him with a fine tooth comb and found the offending tick. We didn't have to shave him.

The locum who shaved the chow referred to in the previous post was thoroughly taken to task by the Chows usual vet' who stated that a Chow should not have to be shaved to find a tick. My own vet in Brisbane also believes shaving a chow is unecessary, subjecting the chow to further trauma, and has successfully found ticks on chows without shaving them. Obviously if the coat is so thick and matted there is no other option but to shave, and which to me, would suggest a very lazy owner.

Edited January 20, 2010 by goldchow