How To Socilize Your Chow Chow
This list is from "the book of the Chow Chow" by Dr. Samuel Draper and Joan McDonald Brearley. I felt it was a very good list and should be shared with other Chow Chow lovers. It is based on Chow Chows that will be show dogs, but you can apply these guidelines to your Chow or any animal.
Rules for the Socialization of the Chow Chow
- Accept the idea that the Chow Chow must be "socialized" from the
time he is a puppy. This philosophy is the most important of all
to insure success of your Chow Chow.
- Socialization is the process by which the Chow puppy is taught
to meet and like human beings, other digs, and situations with
steadiness and even, hopefully, enthusiasm.
- Pick up the Chow puppy as often as possible from the time he is
a few days old.
- Once you have picked up the puppy, pet him, and talk to him quietly.
At first the puppy may cry or whine but as he becomes accustomed
to your hands and voice, he will like the experience.
- Continue to pick up and hold the puppy. By this time his eyes
will be open and he will adjust through his vision to the feeling
of being held.
- Pick up the puppy and hand him to strangers who come in to visit.
By now, he will enjoy being held and petted by anybody.
- If you know any children, ask them to visit you in order to hold
and play with the puppy. Make sure that they are gentle with him.
- Encourage your puppy to be openly friendly by romping with him,
chasing him in fun, picking him up, and hugging him.
- By the time your puppy is eight weeks old, start taking him in
the car with you. Whenever you meet anyone, let the stranger hold
the puppy.
- From the start of the socialization of your Chow when he is a
puppy, begin to open his mouth a few times a day. Treat the process
as a game, talking to him while you are opening the jaw, and after,
praising him for the success. Chow Chows do not like to have their
mouths opened, but if you will start the mouth-opening early in
his life, he will learn to accept is and hopefully like it. The
dog show judge will appreciate your efforts.
- In addition to opening your Chow's mouth as part of his socialization,
if your Chow is a male, start to touch his testicles rather often
to get him accustomed to this idea rather early. If you practice
this frequently and consistently, you will have no problem when
the judge examines him in this area.
- Whenever you go to visit your friends, take your puppy with you.
By now your puppy may be three months old, and he will be a very
steady, friendly puppy who loves people . . . if you follow the
above rules. Be sure you take you puppy to as many "new" environments
as you can. He may be completely at ease when strangers come into
his own home where he is secure. But make sure that he can be
taken in the the supermarket, the post office, perhaps to a school
or park without any discomfort, fear or insecurity. Your puppy's
tail should stay up at all times no matter what "foreign" of unfamiliar
environment he may be taken.
- By the time your puppy is between ten and twelve weeks old, he
should be introduced to other puppies and older dogs. (Even before
this age, the puppy may become aggressive towards his brothers
and sisters, actually attacking them, biting, ect. If this happens,
your common sense would indicate that you must separate the offending
puppy or puppies.)
- It is time to take your puppy to his first puppy match. (if he
is a show dog) He should be able to accept the experience of seeing
all the other puppies and all the people with complete confidence
and happiness. He has been preparing and training for this moment
all of his life. If you have done you work well, he will be happy
and at ease. You will be very proud of him and you can share in
that pride.
- Continue to "socialize" your puppy in every way possible. When
you are taking him for a walk, let any person you meet who in
interested touch your Chow Chow, pet him, and generally to over
him. Presumably you have exposed him early in his life to children
so that he not only likes adults but children too.
- If for some reason you are not able to continue to socialize your
Chow, and he could not see anyone but you (and / or your family)
for some length of time, he may regress. You may find that when
a stranger comes into your home, your young dog may drop his tail
and run into another room, hiding from the social contact. Be
patient with your dog and blame yourself, not him. He was socialized,
but them he has not been permitted to continue to put into practice
what he had already learned earlier. If this happens, be should
begin the "socialization" process over again, and because he had
a good social beginning, he should snap out of this temporary
lapse once he is able to see people and be exposed to strangers
again. Remember he has been taught to like people and dogs, and
the friendly pattern will reestablish itself quickly.
- Should you have a Chow that seems bent on becoming attached to
you and your family, a Chow tat does not socialize easily because
he feels he wants only to be loved by you, perhaps the following
idea might be of help. If you Chow starts to become so attached
to you when he's between two and tree months of age, try to find
a friend, a dog person, of course, preferably another Chow breeder,
to whom you can give your Chow temporarily. The new "temporary"
owner will continue to socialize the puppy in the manner described
above. The puppy will very son transfer his affection to the new
owner and his family, thus breaking the original attachment that
might well lead to later problems. This process has proved effective
in many cases. Finally, the puppy will learn to love everyone,
not just one owner or family. Use as many temporary owners as
you need until the puppy can be returned to his "original" owner
without becoming overly attached.
- A "socialized" Chow is a happy, stable, well-ajusted dog. Because he is not only reliable with people and other dogs but also happy with them, you, likewise, can be relaxed and content when your Chow is confronted by a stranger, a dog he doesn't know, or a situation which is new to him. Because you have been wise in your insistence on his socialization, you have made him a happier dog and yourself a happier owner.
