I'm not sure how I found this site, looking for info on eye infections, which I notice my Charlie has. But I started reading the posts and realized what a good dog I have.
I traded a car for him in 1992. He was 3 months old. When the girl who bred him told her boyfriend about the trade, he walked on the dog and busted his leg, or so we thought. So she thew in a dryer. Anyway I picked him up and off to the vet he goes. Well it was way worse than had been described by the owner on the phone, but I was already in love. I'd just moved to the town I was at and the vet trusted me to pay the bills, which I did. Anyway, picked Charlie up a day or so later. Turned out just about every bone in his leg had been broken and here I get this black ball of fur back that's bald on one end with a steel rod sticking out of his hip.
Off my husband and I go for family Christmas stuff. We took this dog everywhere when he was little. He was exposed to large numbers of people from day one. I even took him to a hotel with me where I played in pool tournaments once a year. (Holiday Inns). This dog was well socialized.
I will never forget the time a friend of my husbands came to visit. I didn't particularly care for this person and really didn't know why. But when the guy came to visit, Charlie walked over to the cold air return vent and peed. Well that pretty much told me all I needed to know.
This dog has only bit once, didn't break the skin, but it was warranted. I was home alone and a male came to visit. This being same stupid male that instead of just coming in the door and pulling it shut behind stuck his foot in in a kicking motion and cought the dog in the mouth. Anway same guy comes through door at a later date and was excited about something and was jumping up and down and turning in circles acting like an idiot creating commotion. This was exciting Charlie and I yelled numerous times for him to stop, really yelling, because I didn't like how excited it was making the dog and the other two dogs (both part chow). Well he bit the guy in the butt. He finally did quit jumping. I figure I'm yelling stop, Dog did what it's stupposed to do and besides I doubt he'd forgotten this was same guy that being an idiot kicked him in the mouth.
We acquired a part lab/chow, my husband's (ex) idea of a real dog and then took a dog the owners were going to kill rather than be bothered taking it to the pound to hold for osmeone that wanted it. After we'd had it for the weekend, they didn't come get it and when I called and asked when they were coming, they'd changed their minds. What the heck, we're tied down with two, another can't be any worse (sick joke). This one was part chow/part belgium sheepdog. So one looks like a shrunken lab, the other a belgium sheep dog and one real chow, all black.
The Belgium/Chow is a project. They were going to kill her cause she peed, in the car. She doesn't and didn't pee in the car. She got so stressed that she drooled and it pooled inbetween her legs and looked like she peed. And to top it off she could only go about 1/2 hour in a car without geysering. Well drugs solved that. Anywy other than the one deserved bite, charlies been a pretty good dog. I trust him more than Maggie and Kayra (the lab) you beat with a baseball bat and she wouldn't bite. I'm not sure she even knows she's a dog and dogs bite. She's just real mild mannered.
Charlie, being a chow, I just don't give him a chance knowing how animal control and insurance companies can be. When children have been over, I don't leave them alone in the room with him. When people want to pet him on the street I make them stoop down and let him come to them. I don't let people just walk up and start petting him. When strangers come to the door I don't tell him to stop (quiet/it's okay). I only say that to friends and yes he'll bark most of the time they come, not always but most and stop when they hold their hands out. On the other hand I've come out of the shower to find people I know in my house, that weren't there when I went in and found notes from people that stopped and used the bathroom. So he knows the difference between friend and foe. The best was when my parents came to visit from out of state and I told them where to call me from so I could leave work and let them in. My mother called me at work and when I asked where they were, she said at my house. In my house, yes. Where are the dogs. Well one's right here, ones on the back of the couch and one ran upstiars. So I'm not real sure I have guard dogs even though I do believe if someone ever laid a finger on me they'd be there. Apparently they will let you in if they think you're okay.
They will alert you to things happening. Once when they wouldn't shut up I looked out the window and the neighbors car was being broke into. Once when I was to tired to see what they were barking about, the hood ornaments were stolen off my car. I came home to a notice on the door once cause the neighbor had called the police because the dogs were barking. I was to call the police. They wanted to know if everything was okay in my house because the neighbor had called because my dogs were barking. The reason they'd called is because my dogs don't normally bark unless something is wrong and they wanted me to make sure everythign was okay and they would come out if I wanted.
Well now Charlies so old, getting blind and deaf, there was a period when I would walk in and he'd be pretty ferocious til I said Charlie, it's me. Now I come home and walking doesn't do anything, so I watch, is he breathing, yep, okay, touch him gently so as not to startle him and he'll get up eventually. He's getting old though. Get's worn out real quick. Has had a few health problems lately. A few years ago, they said he had prostate problems and wanted to operate. I thought, well dogs this old, get cut and a year later their dead. Well we're on about year three now I think.
He had to have his head shaved this winter cause he had hot spots. Looked pretty goofy, but it all grew back. Now today I noticed he has something coming out his eye, obviously an eye infection. So he needs to go to the vet.
When we got him we weren't sure if he had eye problems, he didn't get the eyelid surgery. He would have been a good dog to breed based on his disposition I think. He wasn't neutered when he was little cause my husband wouldn't allow it. I wish I would have because it might have helped as far as his supposed prostate problems. (I got a problem witht he vet that diagnosed this--he missed tapeworms and apparently that's what the crud on his butt was -so I'm not sure he has or had prostate problems since he's still kicking around three summers later).
Anyway, off to the vet hopefully tomorrow for his eye. But hey, if anyone got to the end of this, what's the longest a chow has lived that you know of. Charlie will be 13 this September. thanks. wendalia.
