All Dog Breeds >>Temprament of Chow Chow
One of the oldest breeds in the world, the Chow Chow is a fiercely loyal dog who is reserved with his affection. While cuddly little powder puffs as puppies, they often end up developing difficult behaviors at 5-8 months old. They can be food aggressive, aggressively protective of their owners and territory, and they can exhibit irritable aggression. These traits were bred into them, and it is imperative that a Chow owner starts obedience training when the Chow is very young, so that the owner can control these behaviors. The Chow is independent, stubborn, and pushy and his owner will have to earn his respect early.
He is highly intelligent, so will learn from obedience training, but still may choose not to be obedient. They are not exactly eager to please. They make great watchdogs as they are naturally territorial. They are protective of their owners and their children and they only bark for a reason. They are reserved with strangers and families will need to make their visitors aware that Chows can be fierce if a stranger approaches "his" property. They do well with children if they are brought up with them, and if the children know how to behave around a Chow. They also have poor peripheral vision, so one must take care approaching them from behind or from the side. This could startle them and cause them to be defensive. Chows only need minimal to moderate amounts of exercise. They like to go for walks. They are not big on rain. They also don't like to play fetch. They need to be kept on a leash or in a fenced-in area as they have no road-sense, and they will chase and potentially kill sheep, squirrels, cats, and anything else they see as prey. They also don't do well with same-sex dogs and can be very aggressive with them. However, they are usually quiet, exceptionally fast at housetraining, not prone to digging, and seem to have no interest in destroying furniture.
(They are a little too high-brow for that.) They seem to have an innate dignity that they work to preserve. Some Chows breathe heavily and stress easily during heat, exercise and excitement. They will need access to water and protection from the sun and heat at all times. In short, these black-tongued, lion-like dogs make devoted companions, but don't mistake them for a lapdog. And be sure you are ready for a dog that wants to have his say.