Bringing In A Second Chow

QFirst, I would like to tell you that this is an excellent website. It is very informative and easy to get around. Thanks for making it so great. Second, my husband and I have a wonderful 3-year-old blue female, Sasha. We have been thinking about getting another one but are unsure what to get (adult-puppy, blue-some other colors, male-female, etc).

What questions do we need to ask ourselves to figure out what is best for us and for Sasha? If we got a puppy, would we train and socialize a male differently? I know that we have to check out the puppy’s parents, but how much can Sasha help (or hurt) the socialization process? By the way, Sasha is spade, and we don’t have an interest in breeding (it is best left to professionals). Are the books or do you have advice on bringing a new adult male into the picture? How do we know if Sasha will be able to accept one long-term? If we were interested in being on a list to adopt a chow from you, what would the steps be?

Also, I have had some people tell me that the different color of Chow also has different temperaments. For example, Sasha is social with people after having them in the house for about 10 minutes. Some people have attributed it to her being a blue chow instead of a red chow. I have not been around enough non-red chows to know if this is true. Could you comment on that?

AThank you very much, I have been working on it to make it a very good source for the betterment of the Chow Chow breed.

Bringing in a male should be fine. A puppy can be easier as you can train them to live together, you would apply these socialization tips, but doing everything together with Sasha and the new dog, that way they always experience it together. If you adopt an older dog then ask if they have a history of being around other Chow Chows, both male or female. Sasha might take a little while to get used to having a new dog or she might love him right a way, either way, you will know with in the first 15 minutes or less if they will get along. It is a good idea to ask for a trial period when adopting the new dog to try things out.

Coat color? This is a first! The color of their coats makes no difference. It’s all in how they were raised.

For more information and help be sure to check the Training Discussion forums where you can seek input from the community.

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