characteristics of a pitt bull and chow chow mixed breed are they good house pets.?

Question

I just got a puppy which is a mixed breed between a pitt bull and a chow chow. I have kids and I am a little concern about her behavior when she gets older. I've heard a lot about pitt bulls and how dangerous they can be, but my kids love their new pet and she is so cute she is only 6 weeks old and is already big for her age. I need to find out the characteristic and behavior of this mixed breed and how dangerous can get in the future. I don't know much about dogs and haven't been able to find the information I need. thank you for you information and comments I really appreciate it.

Answer 1

Your puppy will be a fine dog, IF you are careful to teach your kids a real respect for her..not teasing, or pulling her tail, or being around her food until she is well trained about food aggression. Then, it is up to you to GET HER SOCIALIZED. Yep. I did mean to shout it lol..As soon as she has all her shots and is well wormed, get her out on a leash, to meet as many people and other dogs as you can..Take her to festivals,, and street faires, etc..Obedience classes would be wonderful for her..and a great activity for your family..
This dog can't be left to train itself, but if you are willing to invest in its training (with time and effort, not expense) this has the makings of a wonderful family dog..DON'T leave small children unsupervised with ANY dog...
email me if you would like help with early potty training, as they do learn quite fast at this age..
this is a very good chow chow info site> http://www.chowwelfare.com/cciw/adoptfaq.htm

Answer 2

First concern.. no breeder should sell a puppy under 8 weeks old. At six weeks old a puppy should be finishing weaning still and needs its mother and littermates for socializing. Because your puppy is missing that you need to be concerned. Many states have strict laws against a breeder getting rid of a puppy that young, it's too dangerous for the puppy and the new owner.

Second concern.. if it were me there is no way I would bring a dog like that into my home with children. I think you are setting yourself up for a big problem in the future. Now, pitbulls don't actually lock their jaws, that is a misnomer. But it doesn't matter. Most homeowners insurances won't cover the home if they have an aggressive breed, and you have two combined into one.
There have been so many 'good' dogs of those breeds that have permanently scared children when they bit for the first time, and the owner couldn't imagine how it happened. Well, some breeds are lap dogs, some are herding dogs, some are guard dogs. I would recommend you return the puppy to the breeder and get your money back, or part of it at least. The puppy was sold too young and you can find out if there are laws in your state protecting you.
Then, sit down and explain to your children that you really love dogs but you made a mistake when you saw that cute puppy face and you were concerned for their safety in the future because the puppy wouldn't be the best for them or the family.
Next, offer to take them to the library to find books on breeds, attend a dog show and talk to breeders/owners after they show their dogs and get lots of first hand info. Then, find a breeder of the choice you want that is nearby and is very devoted to what they do and do not sell puppies before 8 weeks of age and have a health guarantee.
Or, check out local shelters. They get mixed breeds that are much more family suited. They can usually tell at least one of the dominant breeds characteristics in a 'mutt'.

Good luck! And, follow your gut. If you are concerned it is for a good reason. Trust your instincts.

Answer 3

Chow Chow Characteristics

Answer 4

I have never cared for Chows. Although they are very beautiful dogs they are quick to react in an aggressive way. If you have small children you should probably find it a new home and get something that tolerates children.. lab or golden ret. As for pit bulls, they do have a bad name, and the ones bred for fighting deserve it. But the most gentle tolerant dog I've ever met was a Pit. He was huge and scary looking, but let children of all ages climb on him pull his ears ect. But another dog came into the yard when the kids were out and he attacked it and killed it. They had to put Butchie (the pit) down. If your children are a little older you could always wait and see. The pup should have a distinct temperament by 5 months or so.

Answer 5

From a strictly statistical standing, that's a difficult mix. The Chowchow, at a recent point, was responsible for the most recorded bites of any breed.

The PitBull has a lot of fear and loathing attatched to the name, of course they also have diehard fans. They can be sweet and good dogs, but are prone to problems because 1) They are Pittbulls, when people hear the name they EXPECT trouble, so neighbours/strangers will naturally be suspicious due to ignorance 2) Puppy milling. Inbreeding that may occur causes problems and taking a puppy early from its mother may instill aggression.

It's not a mix for the casual dog owner, in my opinion.

Answer 6

Socialization and training are the key! Enroll in a puppy class right away! You can start socialization there because it will be a clean environment until your pup finishes shots.

Despite their bad reputation 'pitbulls' (this is not really a breed but a generic term conglomerating several breeds) are great people-dogs... think about it... even the ones from the true fighting lines were expected to never turn on their humans... any that did were shot... therefore human aggression was never a part of those breeds' standards. In fact, Staffordshire Bullterriers (one of the several breeds termed pitbull) were known as the nanny dog for their wonderful temperaments around children. The dog from the old time t.v. show Little Rascals was a pittie. Unfortunately with backyard breeders and young ignorant punks who want to breed aggressive dogs have bred and dumped thousands upon thousands of bad dogs and pitmixes out there.

Chow-chows on the other hand were originally bred to be 'aloof' with strangers which is just a round about way of saying they are hard to socialize and get comfortable with new people... that means you need to get that pup out there and SOCIALIZE up to your eye balls!

Since it sounds like you have adopted this pup, you have no idea what the temperaments of the parents are like... that means it's a crap shoot what the genetic tendency of your pup will be. That being said, you CAN nurture your pups behavior into the direction you want it to go. It's the age old nature vs. nurture question... in reality, both play a role.

The window of socialization period for a pup ends around 4-5 months old. Think of them as a blank slate up to this point. You want to fill your pup with tons of positive people and doggie socialization experiences and take her to as many different places as possible to experience sights and sounds... all with treats in tow so that she associates positives with all these experiences. After this window closes, anything she has not had experience with or anything she had negative experiences with, she will naturally be wary of... future aggression or shyness is all related to fear and stress and much more difficult to change. There is a fear period that usually happens around 7-9months. Like I said before, get her enrolled in an offleash puppy training class NOW!

More online resources:
www.openpaw.org

Answer 7

Sorry all of you Chowchow lovers, but anything with chow in it is bad news. I have never once met a chow that didn't growl or bite at me. I work with a vet clinic and i'm the one that holds them while they get checked and stuff, and i have yet to see one NOT snap, bite, or growl at me
For the pit bull, I've raised an American Pit Bull Terrier and these dogs can't be trusted alone. they need 100 percent supervision. I had mine trained to a T, socialized, obedience trained and she was still over protective of me and would growl at anyone that said a harsh word toward me. I defended these dogs for a long time, but people now a days just want them for their mean looks and don't care about the training and that makes them dangerous. Even though it is said that a cocker spaniel is more apt to bite you than a pit, a pit will do extremely more damage if it gets a bite.
I'm sorry, but this is the absolute worst dog you can get especially if you have children. I raised my pit with kids but i could NEVER trust her. Children bring out the mean side of a dog, they pull ears, tails, and hair and untrained and even trained dogs will get aggravated.
Chowchows are not a good dog for kids. Any dog can turn on you but i've seen more of these dogs put down for attacking their owner than any other dog. Sorry....

Answer 8

You do have a risky combination, but managed properly you should be fine. You also have a puppy that has left its litter too young. Puppies shouldn't go to new homes until they are 8 weeks. Those last two weeks may not seem important but they are very important to teach the puppy self-control within the litter environment. It is one of the first places the puppy learns limitations.

I would recommend that you seek out a good quality professional trainer and begin work with your puppy immediately. You can prevent a lot of trouble by nipping issues in the bud. Visit http://www.canineprofessionals.com for a trainer near you.

Answer 9

I suggest HUGE AMMOUNTS of socialization and obedience training.
Though this could be a really great dog, as you said you aren't familiar and therefore are unable to properly handle this mix.
If you cannot provide your dog with the proper upbringing that it needs to be a functional family pet, you should not have it.

This is NOT a mix for someone who just wants a puppy to lay at the end of their bed, take responsibility and you will have a great dog. I wish you the VERY best of luck.

Answer 10

pit bulls are one of the breeds known for locking jaws, I think chow chows are too. that is the real reason pitts are dangerous. they are feared and though of as aggressive because they are popular in the city to treat horribly and fight, of course this gives the dogs a bad rep, however, pittbulls can be fun loving and comlpetely safe animals if you raise them from a puppy and treat them right. they are not known for being snippy or anything. just make sure to teach him not to bite. however chows are know to be very nippy and grouchy, especially when they get older. this is not a good mix for a house with children. however, if everyone is attached don't give her up. just make sure you train her VERY well, and teach your give boundaries. if the dog is sleeping tell them to leave it alone. most dongs only snap when someone bothers them, so it will be important once it gets older to make sure they respect the dog.

*edit for bullypup*
I know they can't actually "lock jaws" but this is the common terms for dogs that have strong jaws and are harder to pry off when biting. for example if a german shepherd were to bite something, it would be much harder to pry them off then some other breeds. Siberian Huskies are "jaw lockers" as well. we had one and when she bit it was super hard to get her off, my aunt's dog (a mix of something I can't remember) was a whole lot easier to get off.