My wife and I recently picked up another chow from a rescue in Michigan. We have Bruno, our male, 3 yr, dominant/aggressive chow and Strummer, 2 yr, very easy going miniature American Eskimo. Halo, the new chow is about 4 and very jumpy. We got her in May and she is fitting in very nicely.

Here's an observation my wife made. The only dog we've ever had problems with as the AKC, pure bred chow (Bruno) from a breeder. Now granted, I believe we had a part in creating the monster but, all of the other dogs we've owned have been someone elses rejects. Most of them were neglected and needed much cleaning up when we got them. When Bruno acts up we isolate him and not allow him access to anyone else to show him his behavior will not be tolerated.

So the observation is....Rescue dogs seem to make better pets. Is it possibly because with their previous owner they have been banished from the pack (so to speek) and all they really want is someone to love and care for them so that when they do find a good home they are greatful and show it by behaving well? Just a thought.

seperating your dog isnt fixing the problem. its making it worse. you have to fix the problem when it occures. taking him away and isolating him tells him he is getting punished because of the other dogs, not his behavior, in his mind the other dogs mean ,i get islolated , i have to do somthing about these dogs. when he acts like that, correct him for his behavior, be the leader. teach him that behavior is not going to be tolerated. and yes i think rescue dogs can make better pets cause you are showing them love and care they probably didnt have before

No, but it could be that your chow has a screw loose. A lot of people believe that the rescue gives them better attention, etc, but I think it's more that the person becomes more observant and notices the little behaviors, because they are LOOKING for the dog to be greatful. Truth is, dogs don't have that ability. YOu have a very submissive, nervy rescue dog, and a really dominant aggressive dog. These are two very different personalities, and you could have gotten a really submissive pup instead of the one that you have, and it would be acting similar to the rescue that you have now.
Now, as for your issues at home, I'd separate that dog PERMANENTLY until you get it's behavior under control. Leash or crate at all times, and NO interaction with the other dogs. Dog aggression will never fix itself.

ANd Michael, that is advice that will get someone bit. Seriously. Isolating WILL fix the problem, and for good. Some dogs just never get along, and it is up to us to keep them ALL safe - isolating if necessary. Dogs do not think about things the way that a human would, and that is how you are rationalizing this.

It's wonderful to think that rescues are appreciative of you 'saving them' . But that's not the case. Cameron is right, they do not have that ability. It adds up to the fact that not all dogs that go into rescues come out alive. When you get a dog from a breeder, it is not selected out for temperament. In shelters, (many, not all shelters) dominant, black, aggressive dogs are euthanized while the calm submissive dogs who pass their food/noise tests are adopted out.

you are wrong again, the problem is that People think that dogs think like them, people have to think like dogs. proper training will solve the problem , isolating your dog wont

Michael, not all dogs can be trained past aggression issues. In some instances, it is easier to remove the dog from the source of aggression.

Isolation works, not as a punishment or correction, but as a preventative measure.

That is not to say that I don't believe in corrections- I just don't think that's 100% always the answer.

It's a case by case situation. Michael is correct. With PROPER training a dog WILL overcome aggression. The problem is, that is not always available. A professional who truly understands dog behavior, and can correct the dog at precisely the right time will change aggression. However that's easier said than done.

Eric, Temple Grandin, who wrote Animals in Translation (fantastic book btw) Talks about selective breeding. She explains how unintentional breeding traits are passed down like aggression, because often the more aggressive animals are the ones that breed. It makes sense that muts (usually shelter dogs) have a better temperament because they have a mixture of backgrounds, less inbreeding, etc. I love my shelter dog, and all my future dogs will be rescues.

I doubt things are just that absolute with any living creature.

To all the people who are jumping in about Eric's training of his dominant chow:
If you will search the archives, or look at Eric's posts, you will find a detailed history of the work Eric did with his dog. His Bruno is now a functioning member of his family thanks to Eric's correct re-training and work with this dog.
Had to say that, Eric, sorry for butting in.
That said, I don't think that rescues are grateful to their new owners, but, if they have a decent knowledgable new owner, the rescue will learn new behaviors if they had previous bad behaviors that got them sent away to start with. Not all rescues are in the shelter due to their own bad behavior, and the shelters/pounds do cull the dogs that they deem "unadoptable" for one reason or another.
And it's perfectly possible to get a dog from a reputable breeder that is not exactly all there in the brains department. It happens. And chows are notorious for being hard to train.
So, no, I don't think rescues are grateful, per se, but they sure are happy to be somewhere safe and warm, with good food and their own people to keep them safe. (I work with rescue, and have two rescued dogs of my own right now)

Not all aggression can be trained out, I'm sorry but no. Most can, but there are some dogs that will NEVER overcome it due to past training, exposures (like pit fighting) or genetics.
Now, I do a LOT with rehabbing pitbulls used to fight other dogs, and I am a huge advocate that many can be re-trained. But not ALL of them can be. At that point, maintenance is a must, thus isolating for safety reasons.