I need some guidance on what to do with my chow

My friend who is very good with homeopathy says this in regard to using BACH flower essences:
 
homeopathy would be better because you can get to the route cause of the aggression, i.e., fear, jealousy, anger.

willowchow:
 
I've called west texas rescue and they do not accept 1) none pure chow breed 2) any aggressive dog.
They suggested me to contact non profit rescuers but I have no luck in finding one that is willing to work with aggressive dogs.
 
Do you know any other sources?
 
I'm currently put back my plan to move in with my fiance to help Boo. But I can't move back the plan until 4 years later.  My fiance is firm in his decision not taking in Boo. I can't convince him:-(
I'm stuck and don't know what to do. I do not want to put him down. It breaks my heart just to think about it.
Anyone has any other alternatives?

I'll go to the chow board later and post on there and see if anyone knows of anything in Texas.  I'll come back later.

Hey Mickeyboo,

It's a heartbreaking decision, I am sending you major strength vibes and hoping that you do what is best for everyone involved, including you, your fiancee and Boo. Good luck!

My fiance is firm in his decision not taking in Boo. I can't convince him:-(

Is your fiance refusing to take Boo, period, or just refusing because of the situation with the apartment he wants to live in? Would he be willing to take Boo if you had a house with a yard?

If so, it possible to find an affordable house rental with a yard halfway between your place and his? This would cut his commute to half what it would be from your house, and allow you to keep Boo in a similar situation to what he is in now, giving you time to work through some of these problems. Since living together also means paying one rent instead of two, it may give you some extra money to hire a behaviorist.

You could also call a few behaviorists who specialize in aggression issues, explain the problem and see if one of them would let you pay them off over time. This way you don't have to come up with a ton of money up front. Some will do this if they feel you are sincerely in need of help, and willing to put in the work to make it happen.

I understand that this is a difficult situation, but it sounds like you were not considering euthanizing Boo prior to the decision to move in with your BF. So from that, I would assume that you felt you were doing okay where you were, the problem is that this will no longer work in the place the BF wants to live. That's why you might want to look at compromise locations where you both might have to give a little so you can both end up happy.

I know there are situations where euthanizing a dog may well be the only option, but even apart from the loss of life for the dog, it can also cause a lot of pain, stress and guilt for you -- and that can poison your relationship with the BF long term, which is not a great way to start a marriage.

If you decide to euthanize the dog, just be sure you are going to be able to live with it. And be sure that this is what you feel is best, not what your BF or anyone else is pushing you to do. You don't want to end up six months later hating your BF because you feel like he forced this decision by insisting on living someplace where Boo couldn't come.

A good thing to ask yourself is, if I euthanized Boo and a month later, the BF ditched me, would I still feel like euthanzing the dog was the right decision? If the answer is no, you may want to rethink whether it's the best idea.

Jan

I think that was a great post Jan!
 
I posted on the chow board about Boo.  I'll let you know if I get any responses.

Great posts Willowchow and Jan. If anybody knows Chows, I know it's Willowchow!
 
I like the question you posed for Boo and euthanization, Jan. It's true whether you have a stressed dog or an ill one.
 
 

Realistically?

I think you should spend a few days doing all the stuff that Boo loves, and humanely euthanize him at your vet in a place he knows and has been to. It's sad, it sucks, but realistically, there's just not much hope for finding any other home for an aggressive, elderly dog with health problems, and it sounds like this move pretty much is not something you're willing to reconsider.

People who work with aggressive dogs charge so much 1, becuase it's THE Most demanding type of dog training (IMO- and I'm including SD work, because you're trying to break an established bad pattern, which is almost always MUCH harder than teaching good habits to begin with) and frankly, they take more chances of getting bit than pretty much any other trainer. The good ones have LOTS and LOTS of education (which costs money)- the bad ones are just cashing in on the high prices and frankly, can seriously hurt your dog.

If he were my dog and I was very serious about this boyfriend (and if you're moving in with him, I expect you are)? I'd probably euthanize him. I can really understand your boyfriend's position, too- *I* wouldn't want a roommate with a dog that bites!

Good luck whatever you decide.

((A good thing to ask yourself is, if I euthanized Boo and a month later, the BF ditched me, would I still feel like euthanzing the dog was the right decision? If the answer is no, you may want to rethink whether it's the best idea)).
 
They are all good questions, but this is really good.  

You can view the responses to my thread on the chow forum--I did PM the last woman who offered rescue information but haven't heard back yet.
 
[linkhttp://www.chowchow.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2402]http://www.chowchow.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2402[/link]

Lori, I appreciated that response that asks that the OP detail the aggression. That's something none of us have heard yet, and, as was stated so nicely before, internet folk cannot always be the definitive answer on this sort of thing.
 
My sister has had 3 purebred Chows. Her first, a red one, was beyond perfect in his disposition. I mean it. He was never EVER an issue. You'd think he was a *Lab* by the way he acted.
 
Her last two have been a little unpredictable. You really have to figure out the Chow and then give all the details of the stories so that everyone can discern whether it's aggression that deserves euthanization or something else.

People who work with aggressive dogs charge so much...

I have to say, I have not found a definitive correlation between price and a trainer's ability. Because it's a relatively new field, trainer prices are often all over the map, at least out here, and often reflect all kinds of things from the size of a business to the overhead (or lack thereof) to the trainer's financial situation. I know people who've laid out several grand and gotten nothing for it, and people who laid out a few hundred dollars and saved their dogs' lives.

One thing I HAVE found is that good trainers are generally more interested in the dog than the money. Sure, everyone wants to get paid, and deserves to get paid for their services. But in my experience, those whose top priority is money are not nearly as talented or successful as those whose top priority is the dog's welfare.

I've also found that when a dog owner is deeply committed to helping the dog and working through the issues, trainers are generally far more willing to work with them financially. Being a dog trainer isn't like working on an assembly line in a factory. Most people don't do it just for the money. They do it because they love dogs, they want to help foster positive and successful dog/handler relationships, and they want to make a difference for the four legged population. So it's not surprising that many of the good ones are flexible if you're serious about fixing the problem, and some occasionally offer discounts or long term payment options or even do pro bono work when they feel it's going to save a dog's life. That's why if someone is deeply committed to saving their dog, I always encourage them to pursue every option and not assume finances are the make or break factor. I've seen trainers at shelters do pro bono work for people in need, and I've seen successful training businesses do the occasional freebee to save a dog if they feel the person is deeply committed to making it work.

Years ago, when I started out, I had a difficult dog and no money...aqnd I mean, NO money, zero dollars in the bank account, nada (thanks to the movers hijacking my furniture and refusing to return it until I paid them three times as much as they'd told me it would cost originally, and the closing on my house costing 5K more than my lawyer said it would). I met several trainers at this point in time and most wanted to talk money before anything else. They didn't even seem interested in my dog or her problems -- just the money. Even if I HAD money, this would have told me they weren't what I was looking for.

When I found my trainer, I was honest about my financial situation. He did an eval on the dog, we talked about what it would entail to work through her problems, and once he realized how serious I was about keeping this dog and making it work, he agreed to let me pay it off over as much time as I needed. When he said, "Let's worry about the dog first, and we'll worry about money later," I knew he was the right trainer. Not because of the cost, but because it was clear to me that he was serious about saving dogs, and that saving my dog was going to be a priority for him. I knew I needed someone that committed to make it work.

I've done the same for several dog/handler teams in the ensuing years, and most good trainers I know have done the same. Not because you want to give away your talents on a regular basis, but because there are times when helping someone in need trumps making money. And most successful trainers do well enough that they can afford to occasionally do one just because it's a chance to make a difference.

Just another perspective...

Really, I think people mistakenly take their dog (especially the chow) to a trainer when what they need is a behaviorist.  Willow can sit, stay, down, etc. like a show dog.  However, instinct takes over in certain situations, situations that need to be managed more than trained away.  What saved her wasn't me "training" her but me learning about leadership, alpha and when I did train her I taught her with positive only methods. The training did help me to be able to get her to work for things.  But, I see so many people take their dogs to "training" and still have behavior issues.  I thought this was a good point to bring up.  People don't understand that they need to understand their place in the "pack" and what is expected of them and what's not. 
 
A lot of people here will say all that leadership stuff is a bunch of BS.  Well, for most dogs it probably just comes naturally and they don't need it to be pointed out for them like I've  had to do with Willow.  But, when dealing with a headstrong, dominant, chow, you need to make the line very clear, crystal clear.  And some will say, she's not trying to take over at every turn. . .a lot of the time, she is.  I have to constantly reinforce NILIF or she will attempt to disobey and get growly when she's asked to do something.  She's fine until I loosen up, then she realizes she can try to move up.   I promise I'm not imagining this. 
 
 I also picked and choosed what issues I wanted to deal with.  For example, I didn't deal with the food aggression at all and I mostly keep people from bothering her.  She won't come at someone unless they try to touch her.  She'll stand and let me talk to someone all day long.  She's a don't bother me, I won't bother you kind of girl. 
 
Anyway, the point of all that was the OP needs to speak with a behaviorist more than a trainer.  I'll bet Boo already knows what a trainer would be showing him.

Mickeyboo---I PM'd you some rescue information. 

Nutro does have BHT or used to have, a bad ingrident

 
Nutro does not have BHT. They use vit E for a preservative.