Hi All!!

I adopted a 2 yearold chow chow about 2 months ago. I think she is a pure breed but I am not sure. How can you tell? Are most chows aggressive because Nellie is not and people are always surprised at how calm and friendly she is espicially with other dogs. She is very skiddish when she hears loud noises the 4th was very difficult. With humans she is pretty easy going also but she picks certain people (really only men) to bark at and she can be relentless, an owner at the dog park, my dad and a friend of my roommmates.

I have been doing alot of reading but find very different information. Any experts out there....

Thanks for your help!!!

I'm not an expert by a long shot, but I have had 3 wonderful Chows over the years. They really get a bad rap for no good reason. They are like any dog, if you treat them right, they will be great pets. There is no sure way to tell if it's a pure breed dog without seeing it's pedigree, as far as I know. Most Chows will be aggressive if they are trained to be that way, or breed to be that way. People can do terrible things do dogs as I'm sure you know. All three of my Chows, 1 female and 2 males, we're way more receptive to women than men. They were also my dogs, so they may have been that way since I am a woman. They tend to be more dominant in personality than some dogs, so you have to may sure they understand you are the leader, not the other way around. They also tend to be very protective of their own turf. My last Chow killed any animal that got into his dog pen. My current Chow loves everyone and everything, except birds, he likes to bark and chase them away. Since your dog is a rescue, he may have had a bad experience with men, and maybe that is why he barks more at them. He also may think he is protecting you, they are outstanding guard dogs. If you have concerns about his temperment in any way I would speak to a trainer as soon as possible, so you can help him adjust properly. Chows are just different than other other dogs, at least in my experience. Mine have been wonderful members of our family. Do you know why he was sent to a shelter? And bless you for saving a chow from a shelter! Most people won't do it because of the stigma they have.

The shelter told me the people who dropped Nellie off could not afford her anymore. Honestly what I think it was is they tried to breed her and she did not breed right (either not enough puppies or could not get pregnant) because she was not spayed until she got to the shelter and she is 2 yearsold. Her coat was a mess her middle was shaved but her paws and underneath where matted and really long. I found a really great groomer who is very calm and loves Nellie (she was surprised at how sweet she was)and did an amazing job cleaning her up and shaping her mane.

We did start dog training last week. It is funny I don't think I picked her she picked me. I kept walking past her cage at the shelter and she would scratch and whine but she did not do that to anyone else. I love her so much and am so lucky to have her in my life.

Thank you for your help!!