.....I've never met a chow I've liked....and I've met a fair few that would be considered by most "good dogs"

I've found that overall they're a lot like grouchy cats, perfectly fine until you move the wrong way and the lash out at you (except unlike a even a large cat at 16lbs they're muuuuuch bigger and use teeth). They also don't really seem to like people.

A friend of mine ended up with a rescue one and that dog was happiest away from people in the outdoor (very well fenced and protected) dog yard he shared part time with my friends other dog. His chow was predominantly an outdoor dog (by choice, he had a doggy door and free access to the house). He was also very hard to read and insanely laid back. A guy tried to break into the house through the yard once and according to eye witnesses the chow watched the intruder get over the fence, then greeted the intruder, then the next second had him by the leg where he held him until the police got there...no warning at all (not that it was a bad thing in this case). Then supposedly he was fine about all of the police being there and played fetch while on the catch pole...there was no change in body language between any of these actions according to the eye witness who is a dog person.

The chows, or akita, or shibas and lets jump to china and say SharPei too are all very sensitive about their small, sometimes single person, pack. They like a handful of people and if you aren't one of them....you suck.
Those that I groom or board I let to get to know me before I try to do anything with them. I have to really KNOW them before I would touch them or have to groom them. Usually if you can give them time to just hang out with you they may or may not come around in a week or so. I have some I have boarded several times that will let me do basic grooming and even solicite affection from me. Others never really like anyone but their people.

Personally I see no reason in the world for them. Generally people say they are guard dogs...but anything the dogs do is on the dog's terms and I have not seen any that did anything I would interpret as obedience.

I don't think I've ever met an aggressive or combative shiba inu. Reserved, shy, neutral, friendly, and independent absolutely. Never aggressive though even when I'm doing something they aren't in love with (blow drying comes to mind.)

Really though if I had to pick a breed to win of just general nasty temperament and explosive/dangerous character the shar pei wins. I'm glad someone likes them, they'd be a short lived dog in my home.

Randy- Love the word Brittle! Describes Chows, and the other oriental breeds (akita, sharpei, shiba inu) wonderfully!

Chows are Martha Stewart's dog of choice, at least they were several years ago when I actually spent any time listening to her. I think she lost some in a fire at her boarding facility awhile back. They are beautiful dogs.

Martha Stewart's chows bit a delivery man at her Mount Desert Island vacation estate a few years back. She claimed the dogs were 'friendly'. The Mount Desert Island locals used to really dislike Martha Stewart's vacation visits for a variety of reasons- her nasty chow dogs being one of the major ones.

This was first hand from a local guide I was chatting with about famous visitors and the tourist season a couple months ago when we visited Acadia.

Any dog can bite but these dogs had a reputation on the island not only for being especially nasty, but for getting away with it because of who their owner was.

 Quote: Mariellena Simon

Chows are Martha Stewart's dog of choice, at least they were several years ago when I actually spent any time listening to her. I think she lost some in a fire at her boarding facility awhile back. They are beautiful dogs.

that totally explains why they're in her new Pet Products commercial. My friends and I were trying to figure out why, of all breeds, they used a chow in those XD makes sooo much sense now.


On the other Asian breeds. I actually really like most of the Shiba Inus I've met. Smart, stubborn as all hell, adorable, quite expressive, and they've all been very friendly once they warm up to you....don't seem as trainable though, especially with that massive stubborn streak. There's a girl my age in my complex who has one and she lets it off leash, it's more likely to come to me ignoring it than it is to her calling it. adorable little guy though, looks just like a little fox. When he's come over to say hi to Ryuk and I we've gotten comments about foxes and coyotes playing together. Akitas make me nervous though, I have trouble reading them...

Boy, I can second that study that said veterinarians listed chows as likely to bite them.
0 warning, CHOMP. REALLY hard to hit their veins, too. " Maybe he doesn't need a heartworm test this year ". Frankly, it's kind of hard to find their body under all that fur..... pretty sure I know one that had a vaccine IF, that's "in fur", as opposed to IM (intramuscular) or subq (subcutaneous).... no wonder he didn't react, hehe....

 Quote: randy allen

Ever met or been around any Chows?

I have, and currently I own two young adults. I have read Ed's well reasoned essay on why it is a bad idea to raise puppies together, but by the time I read it, it was unthinkable to give one away. I have taken his suggestions to heart and they are housed and trained separately.
So far the pups, although as different as night and day, show no signs of aggression and have been wonderful pets. I am of course concerned with some of the comments I have read.

Interesting topic. I don't have any experience with Chows. We just placed a foster Akita mix in his 'forever' home.

Initially, I did have a very difficult time reading our guy, and when we got him he was wild and dominant (but still young - around a year). When he's giving the evil eye to another critter - he's very intense. We had him for 11 weeks, and over time, I got alot better at reading his ways - and he mellowed so much that he became an amazingly cool dog. I'd keep him forever, but he's too much mutt for our fragile smaller creatures. Today, I'm still a sad boy, but I know it's what needed to be done (I'm turning into such a wimp in my old age).

Let's see if I can get the pics to show (couldn't but here are the links):

http://s99.photobucket.com/albums/l292/abelclan/Chico/?action=view&current=NewImage.gif&newest=1

http://s99.photobucket.com/albums/l292/abelclan/Chico/?action=view&current=chico3.jpg&newest=1