Chow chow

How to Care for a Chow Chow

Max. D Gray
By Max. D Gray. Updated: January 16, 2017
How to Care for a Chow Chow

Do you share your life with a furry and adorable chow chow? Well, prepare yourself to enjoy a wonderful life by its side, giving your pet the best care possible. The chow chow is an elegant, sophisticated and very peculiar dog that needs special attention, especially with regards to its spectacular fluffy and soft mantle. OneHowTo shows you how to care for a chow chow.

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Steps to follow:
1

The chow chow is a very polite and docile dog and it is recommended that it socialises from an early age. This is so that it forms good relationships with other animals and household members. From the time it is a puppy, you must have a firm attitude to give it good training, so that your authority is firm.

They usually have very dominant tendencies, so you have to be firm and consistent in their training. It is essential to train your dog with patience, firmness and understanding. If not, your chow chow will be an alpha male and will become a territorial, stubborn and disobedient dog. It will fight to remain the leader of the pack and will be very distrustful and aggressive with other dogs.

2

Chow chows usually have certain health problems associated with the breed. As a result of the abnormality of its eyelids, it is likely to suffer eye irritation known as entropion that can be treated with surgery. This dog can also suffer from hip and elbow dysplasia, cancer, cataracts, distichiasis, gastric torsion, elongated palate, patellar luxation, skin irritation and ear infections. These are some of the diseases that a chow chow may suffer from, of which you should take into account to give your dog the best care.

How to Care for a Chow Chow - Step 2
3

To look after your chow chow if you live in an apartment, you will have to take it out for a walk about 3 times a day for exercise. If you have a garden, let it out so that it can move around as it likes. This dog is very sensitive to high temperatures in summer, so, if you live in an area where it is very hot, your pet will suffer considerably. So at this time of year, make sure your dog is in a cool environment, away from the sun, with plenty of fresh water. Also, your dog may need a haircut to better withstand the temperatures.

4

Regarding food, you should feed your chow chow with an adequate intake of protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins. The diet should be balanced and each nutrient must be present in their diet without deficiencies or excesses. Good nutrition is essential for its health and to keep their coat in perfect condition.

Make sure your dog is not fat. Check for fat deposits on their shoulder area to see if your dog has gained weight. Control its weight, and if it has increased, cut out extra treats and reduce portions. Its diet should be low calorie but with the optimal values of protein, minerals and vitamins. Its food must contain enough fibre and you can also combine it with wet food.

How to Care for a Chow Chow - Step 4
5

Although the chow chow is not a very active dog, in fact it can even be very lazy, you'll have to take it out and motivate it to exercise and stay in shape. Do not neglect this routine, even when you see that your furry friend is not eager to be active, and look for ways to play with it. It is always recommended that the area you take your dog for a walk is safe so that you can let it off the leash, as it can cause defects on the shoulders.

6

One of the most important aspects of care is its coat. The chow chow breed can suffer from painful skin problems due to its incredibly thick fur which makes it very vulnerable to issues with its coat. You'll have to always keep their coat groomed with regular brushing and, when it molts, pay close attention to the inner layers that shed.

You'll have to brush its coat with a soft brush to remove the peeling skin and prevent future deep knots and matting. If it has knots, try to untangle them by hand before using a brush, otherwise it will hurt your pet. Start at the the back of the neck and work your way down slowly. Throughout the process, you should know how to calm your dog. You should stop if you notice you dog becoming nervous. To undo the knots easily, you could apply corn starch powder to lubricate the skin where there are more tangles if it is impossible to remove them. Then cut the knots with plenty of caution.

After removing all knots, you should give your dog a bath to remove all the skin and hair that's been cut. Then, use a conditioning shampoo to keep the skin soft before rinsing well to remove all traces. Failing to rinse properly is one of the causes for knotted, matted fur.

OneHowTo shows you some tips so you know how to brush your dog's hair.

How to Care for a Chow Chow - Step 6

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How to Care for a Chow Chow