A Chow Lab Mix - My Bad Experience
Here’s a story of a friend of mine who got him self a chow lab mix.
I have always wanted to get a chow but could not afford one. I foolishly ignored the fact how fussy the breed can be, and sought one out anyway. I did not manage to find one, but instead I came accross a lab chow mix at the local SPCA. I immediately took home the lab chow mix and named him Buddy. What happened after that was more my fault than his, but still I will never get a lab chow mix again.
The Story Of Buddy And Me – A Lab Chow Mix Gone Wrong
It all started when he was he a puppy and things just never got better. I know that puppies chew and bite, and that lab chow mixes can sometimes do this more then other breeds so I thought I was aware what I was in for. Little did I know how much he would end up biting and chewing or else I would have never got him. Most of my furniture was ruined within a couple months and it seemed like I always had band aids on my hands. This was only the beginning however.
In addition to chewing up my furniture and biting me, Buddy was becoming more and more mean to those around me. It became harder and harder to invite friends over and I felt like I was under siege from this little lab chow mix. Maybe it was my fault because I did not discipline him properly, but I truly had thought that I could handle it. It became harder and harder as Buddy became more and more demanding and then more and more hostile to people I had over.
The worst of it came when I decided to have a dinner party one evening just before Buddy turned one. I invited all my friends and at first everything was fine. As more people started to come by I noticed Buddy becoming more and more agitated. I decided it would be best if I took away from the situation and placed him into my bedroom. Looking back this whole thing was a mistake and at this point I wished I had got a golden retriever lab mix or anything more manageable. Well, one of my friends later that night decided to put his coat in my bedroom not knowing that Buddy was in there. When he when in, Buddy lunged at and bit him.
My friend thankfully was not seriously injured, but I had enough. I decided at the point to surrender Buddy, and to this day I do not blame him. All I can say is think long and hard before you get a lab chow mix because you want to be sure that you can handle it.
I believe I’m not the only one who have this experience. I want to know if you have similar experience, or maybe the opposite. Please leave me your comment here.
And by the way, if you have attitude problem with your lab, you should consider to use this dog training home course. It works like magic!
It is difficult to know what you are getting into, especially with these hybrid breeds.
People can get a pretty good idea on how a dog might behave in some of the older purebreds, but the hybrids seem to be new uncharted territory.
I’m not saying hybrids / mutts are new, I’m just saying literature on them isn’t as established.
Sorry you had such a bad experience!
I have a lab/chow puppy and I love her to death but I have no idea what the heck to do with the jumping and the hyperness.
I’m at a loss and she’s only 3 months old! I don’t want to take her back to the shelter. I guess in a way its nice to hear about similar experiences…
If anyone can offer any suggestions, that would be great.
Thanks!
I’ve just acquired a chow/lab mix. We named him ‘Rocky’. Rocky is quite the opposite from your experieinces. He’s quite and rarely barks. He’s very easy going and doesn’t bite. He’s only 3 years old which is considered an adult. He’s a good dog. He’s very excitable when I come home from work. He stays outside and my wife can’t bear to see a dog in my house while we’re both at work. That would be a disaster. I’m convinced that he does not bite. At least not yet. The only time he’s stubborn is when I take him out for walks. When I let him lose from the ‘tie-out’ and use the leash to hold on to him, he flies and just jets out running.
That’s the only time he is tempermental. Other than that, he’s easy going and loves my company. It’s a lot to take care for a dog if you work but he’s shown that he’s a very loyal buddy of mine.
I love ‘em.
Sorry to hear about your bad experience. I had a Black Lab/Chow mix & she was the best dog I ever had. She was very laid back & easy going. She could get protective of us if we were at home. When my parents had her out in the country for a few years, the guy who delivered the natural gas/propane (whichever they had) said he could tell when someone was home or not because of how Kay acted. She was friendly to him if no one was home but very protective if mom was home. She never acted like she would bite or attack but she would growl & stand there watching his every move. When she moved to the city with me, I had someone come out to assess my home for a home equity loan & she broke free from me & chased him but never attacked him. She just stood guard. I don’t think she would ever have bitten or attacked unless we were in danger. She was very intelligent…took no time to housebreak her. She liked kids until the brat next door started teasing her & throwing rocks at her. She wasn’t too keen on kids after that & I can’t blame her. She lived to be just over 10 years old. We had to put her to sleep due to kidney failure & it broke my heart. I hope you have since found a dog that works for you. Don’t let the one experience taint you on Lab/Chow mixes though. They’re not all bad.
We have a Chocolate Lab/Chow Mix and our experience has been wonderful! We got Rylie when she was 12 wks old and have had her for over a year now. I can’t express how much joy she has brought into our lives. Sure, she does still occasionally like to chew things, but by being told a firm “No Rylie”, she stops immediately. We have found that by giving her some old socks to play with and not leaving other things laying out within her reach she is perfectly content. She is probably the most gentle, loving dog we have ever had. She loves to play with our children and doesn’t ever offer to bite or hurt anyone. In fact, she tends to shy away if we have company over and goes off into the hallway and lays quietly until they leave. She can get very excited when playing with the kids, but it is only if they get her excited. Otherwise she is very laid back and well behaved. Rylie is also the only dog I have ever been able to house train so easily in just a few short days. She is perfectly house broken and it almost seemed like it happened overnight! We love our Rylie and consider her a very important part of our family. While I am sure your experience was not a happy one, I don’t think it is fair to assume this will be the case with all Lab/Chow mix dogs. Thankfully, it wasn’t the case for us because Rylie is quite possibly the best dog we have ever had.
We have a black lab/chow named Allie. She is so funny. Loves to play and cuddle. She is almost 2 years old now. She loves strangers, actually. Everyone that comes over she throws her rope at to play with. Sometimes I think she bothers them a little bit too much to play.. She never used to bark until we moved into an apartment building with other dogs. Now I think she looks forward to listening for the neighbor’s door to close and barking at the other dogs when they’re outside. Other than that, she plays fetch, tug of war, chases her tail, has spaz attacks.. I don’t think she knows how big she actually is, she thinks she is a lap dog. Oh, and the cats have learned to live with her finally. Couldn’t imagine life with out her..
my meail is jeremy.clark@vandals.uidaho.edu.
i just got a lab chow mix. what was your secret to house TRAIN IT IN A FEW DAYS?
EMAIL ME
We have a lab/chow mix puppy and so far she has been a great dog. Like any other large breed dog with a lot of energy, you need to be prepared to take control at all times. I’ve had several large dogs that have been trained from puppies, and they have got to know who is boss in the house right from the start. If you’re not willing to take charge right away, you’ve already lost the battle.
I have to say, our lab/chow has been very easy to housebreak, but I am a firm believer in crate training for any dog, in terms of both housebreaking and obedience. For the owner at the top, a dog who has obedience and aggression issues should never have been left to roam free in any room of the house if there were guests over. This breed has to be trained at a very young age to respect its owner, or a lot of problems can arise.
By nature, chows can be extremely aloof and over-protective of their home and owner - this is where agression can rear it’s ugly head. If you’re fortunate enough to have the lab part of the dog be the dominate side, then you will have an easier time, but you can never know for sure and must be prepared for a full-chow personality no matter what the mix. The best thing to do is to socialize the dog early on with both people and other dogs. And if you still have agression issues later on, then be responsible enough to keep the dog protected from exposure to other dogs and from visitors. Daily exercise is also key, as alot of hyper and bad behavior in dogs stems from boredom. If they have all of that unspent energy, they are going to act out - think of them like a small child. How many of us have kids who were bouncing off the walls after being cooped up all day?
In regards to successful housebreaking, it is going to require that the dog never be left unattended during that training time. If you are home with it, you need to keep the puppy by your side at all times, to be able to catch it if it starts to mess in the house. The second the dog starts to squat or lift it’s leg, you need to administer a firm “no”, and immediately take the dog outside. In addition, you need to let the puppy out once every hour so it gets used to using the yard as it’s place to potty, and always praise her/him when she does go outside. This is where people living in an aprtment or house without a yard can really struggle with housebreaking. If you don’t have the convenience of a fenced in yard, it can require a lot of commitment to leash and walk the dog constantly during the first few weeks of training.
If you aren’t home, the dog needs to be crated in an adequately sized cage at all times. You want the puppy to have enough room to move around, but not too much. Dogs do not like to pee where they sleep, and hence will avoid going in the cage. If the cage is too big, however, they will be able to find a corner away from where they are laying and will start messing while they’re in there. And as tempting as it is to have your cute little cuddly puppy share a bed with you at night, this is absolutely the worst thing you can do while housebreaking or obedience training. The dog needs to learn at the start that it has its place in the “pack”, and that the leader of the pack sleeps alone. Once you start letting the dog sleep with you, you’re bringing it to your level, and the dog needs to learn that your place as lord and master is never to be questioned. In addition, puppies are by nature afraid of heights - they don’t have the ability to judge distances and feel confident they can make a drop without injury. If your puppy wakes up in the middle of the night and has to pee, chances are it’s going to see your mattress as the logical solution as to where to relieve itself. Puppies are not discerning as to where they go in the beginning, and unless you enjoy sleeping with wet smelly sheets, leave him in the cage.
One last word in regards to the dog’s crate: although his first choice will always be to find security by your side, a puppy needs the security of a “den” to feel safe in his new home and make a healthy adjustment. The crate provides this for them, and even thought they will cry when put in it at first, they need that security of an enclosed space. Provide them with blankets and few toys so they are comfortable, but if you are housebreaking do not crate them with food and water. in addition, the placement of the crate at night is critical. Don’t crate your puppy for bed in a room where there will still be people moving around and constant noise. Choose a room that is dark and quiet, and once she’s in there, don’t go back in until you’re ready to let her out. I’ve also found that placing a blanket over the cage helps to calm the dog and lets it know that this is time for sleeping, and that any outside stimulus will be removed.
With any dog, do your research before you settle on a breed. Know what you’re getting into and be prepared before bringing puppy home. Too many people see a new dog as a novelty, but raising a healthy happy dog is hard work and major responsibility, so be prepared to honor the commitment you have made to your new family member and all the work that goes along with it.
sounds to me like you shouldn’t be a dog owner. it only takes a little bit of effort every day to train a dog. i have a lab chow mix and he is a great dog. if you take a dog to a dog park as a puppy, its an easy way to get them acquainted with other dogs and people which is a good thing to do. If your dog is chewing on stuff, get him some toys and balls and when you see him chewing on stuff he isn’t supposed to, discipline him and give him one of his toys so that he figures out what he can and can’t chew on. A golden retriever/lab mix is not going to be a more managable dog if you decide to apply the same training regiment that you did with your lab/chow mix. maybe you should think about how much effort you are willing to put into being a dog owner, and if you aren’t willing to put in at least an hour a day, then you should seriously reconsider owning a dog. a dog is only as good as its owner trains him to be. I know plenty of people with pitbulls who are excellent with people and other dogs. it’s all how they are trained and how much attention and interaction with others they recieve. you have to put forth the effort to have a good dog, you can’t just get a dog and expect it to behave the way you want it to if you don’t show him how to behave. good luck to you, i think you are going to need it by the sound of your story and lack of effort
I have a lab/chow mix and I love her to death! We got Nala when she was about 4 months old from a shelter in Long Island. She was always very kind, although she did nip a lot in the beginning…but hey she was a puppy…eventually she got over the nipping and now shes the sweetest dog I could ask for! She is now almost 8 years old. She is very protective of me I must say. When Nala was about 6 we got a cat my boyfriend had found. She enjoyed the kitten until he began to come by me all the time. That is the only time she really gets mean. She is just very jealous when I give my affection to anyone else. And did I mention…I’m pretty sure she thinks my boyfriend is HER boyfriend because she follows him everywhere when he comes over and tries to lay her 90 Lb. body completely on top of my boyfriend =P shes so cute though!! Im sorry to hear your experience was so bad but maybe you should have had Buddy around more people before you decided to throw a large gathering. =/
I own a lab chow mix, his name is Tater. He is wonderful, he has never bitten a person or another dog. From the time he was a puppy,Iv had him around people and other dogs(he is 4 now and was neutered). It is important for them to be social. I also made it a point to train him to sit, stay, come and a few others and that his toys are all he chews on. The only time he gets to be a problem is when he is around childern because he wants to lick the boogers off their nose and sniff the dirty dipers(he isnt quite sure what thats all about).
I have a black lab and chow mix he has a purple tongue. He does not bite anyone but can be intimidating to strangers. He is very fussy with his food and like to try to get away to run around the neighborhood. He is very strong too, he almost drags me when I walk him and he is not that big of a dog. One thing I don’t like is he try to catch cats, I have caught eating one before that is a reason I can’t have cats around but I love him and would not want to pick him over a cat.
WE have a lab x chow .We got him at 5.5 weeks old. He is now 7.5. He still chews things(shoes,plastic containers, $250.00 collector Barbie dolls
but I believe that who ever leaves them out for him to get at is in the wrong as we all know very well that he is a chewer. He has NEVER bitten anyone,threatened to bite anyone . If anything this 95 lb little dumpling will kill you with love and kisses. It is crazy how much he loves us all including his 200lb great dane younger brother and 20lb fat white cat brother. A kinder more loving dog we have never had and believe that he would make an excellent therapy dog but he does have idiopathic epilepsy so he can’t be used as a therapy dog. The seizures just come out of nowhere. We let him get away with quite a bit but when he does step out of line (very very rarely) we correct him immediately . He gets praise everytime he does something correct and is overloved if that is possible (they all do) I believe that a dog is a product of its environment.He(she ) reacts to how it is treated. I Am sorry to hear that you had problems. I hope he found a new home. xx
I have a chow/lab mix I think. Smokie is 8 months old and I got him when he was 8 weeks old. Smokie is getting to big for my apartment and my mother wants me to give him to her because she has a big house. She has two other dogs and 3 children live there. How do I make the adjustment easy for him without traumatizing him? I plan on staying with him for a few days when I take him to her and he has been around my mom but I don’t want him to be too upset. This is a hard decision because I love him but he will have more room and will still remain a house dog and I feel it is best for him. If anyone can give me some hints I would appreciate it. I think it may be harder on me than Smokie.
I have a lab chow mix and he’s is not mean at all. You just have to make your dog understand its ok when friends come over and make your dog meet people at a young age. Hopefully it works.
i have a lab/chow mix named chloe.. she is really just an extremely fluffy lab with her tail curling over her back.as a chows does. shes extremely adorable and very excited dog pretty much all the time when im around. i got her when she was 3 months old and now shes going on 3 1/2 years.. now im unsure if the hyperness goes away completely because she is very hyper sometimes and others she is just fine with sitting beside me(she would rather sit in my lap as she did when she was a puppy but condsidering the dog isnt much smaller than me that doesnt work well)i would recommend this type of dog, but you would absolutely need to check into the breeds of the dog to make sure you can accommodate their lifestyle needs.. chloe is usually only hyper when i first get home and after that i can walk pretty much all around and she doesnt usually move unless i make a lot of noise while moving then shes interested.. shes is lovely with children although rabbits,squirrels,cats not so much.. but when told to leave it along she abides.. great dog esp if you have the time to train them right when they are young
^^^^^^also a very very loving dog.. never met a sweeter dog in my life.. she sometimes thinks she is human and will take her paws and cross them over my arm as to hug me and she will do that and squeeze her arm/paws as if shes hugging me.. too cute and smiles while doing it.. the best kind of dog if you need a mood boost.. and i have never been a dog person i was always into cats but they can just tear everything up.. but a great dog all in all^^^