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| Advice Exchange |
| Moving, Environment or Family Changes |
| Suggested topics in this subject: |
- How can I help my new dog be comfortable in his new home?
- How will a dog react to a new baby?
Feel free to respond to other topics besides these, and please suggest additional topics. |
| Advice from visitors: |
| Send Advice | Dear Roscoe,
We adopted an older dog from a family that was moving overseas. Rosie had some trouble making the adjustment to her new home and especially to a new veterinarian. To help Rosie get over her fear we would drive to the shopping center near the vet's office, park the car and then take a walk (her favorite activity) to the vet. Once in the lobby, they would give Rosie a treat and then we would walk back to the car the long way. After doing this a few times, Rosie never gave me any problems about going to the vet.
I hope this helps other new dog owners,
Terry Jones
Orlando, FL |
| Send Advice | I have a large chow/lab mix and am expecting a new baby any day now. He is not friendly with strangers and can be protective of my husband and I around people that he is familiar with sometimes. When it's just us here he is a very loving and sweet dog, and very sensitive to my feelings. If I am upset or angry, he can tell and follows me around closely, pawing at me when he gets the chance.
I don't for see any problems since she won't really pose a physical threat to him in any way but I want to make sure I do this right. I don't want him resenting her or feeling a need to be aggressive towards her. What is the best way for me to introduce him to my newborn?
Thoughts?
K. Gerringer
Dear K,
I have had only one experience with an older Chow and it was not pleasant.
I searched the internet for information about Chows and several sites list the same characteristics: suspicious, territorial, fierce and strong-willed, and some mentioned that they may not tolerate children. This site has a pretty good description of the breed: http://www.canismajor.com/dog/chowchow.html. How the dog has been trained seems to greatly influence their behavior.
As for posing a threat, every dog with a close-bonded relationship to a human views an interruption of their attention as a threat and may become aggressive toward the source of the interruption.
I think you need to proceed carefully and I would recommend consulting with a professional dog trainer who has experience with Chows. If you cannot locate one or afford it then you might be able to get advice by searching the internet for people who own or train Chows and asking them for help.
I wish I had more information. I posted your letter in the advice section of my web site and I will forward any replies or related comments that are received.
Congratulations on your baby and I hope all goes well,
Roscoe |
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