>>First, at this point, she's an attention whore. She's always coming over multiple times for pats, etc.
-Dogs like attention from people or other dogs. They are social creatures. You haven't had your pup very long, my guess is she is just trying to figure out hte routine. Also, Chows can be a bit pushy, so although it's nice your dog is seeking attention, don't give it to her all the time. She does have to learn to entertain herself a bit. I make my dogs obey a command like "sit" or "down" before i give them attention. That way I control the interaction and they think they are clever. Win/win situation.
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>>Second, she seems very restless. She's up and down, she sits one place, gets up, moves, lays down, gets up and moves again (and on and on...) Also, she acts likes she's bored; sometimes whining.
-Again, this pup doesn't know you or the routine very well yet. Dogs whine when they are uncertain. When I got my older dog at 18 month, he did this a bit. I ignored the behavior for the most part when it was happening, but made it a point to increase the time out on walks and enrolled him obedience classes. You really need to physically and mentally wear out this kind of dog. That way they learn to just go take a rest when you are busy.
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>>The thing is, she doesn't play. She uses chew sticks, but has no use for squeaky toys, balls, doesn't play catch, etc. I put her on her run during the day and she just wants to follow me around if I'm out there.
-This will come with time, practice, and patience. Chewing is a dog's way of relieveing stress so encourage chewing on appropriate items. Both my dogs play with toys, but the dog that i got when he was older, didn't at first. It was an evolution and something I never knew he's learn. I actually used a clicker and worked with him and stuffed toys a bit so he'd figure out they even belonged in his mouth. He still isn't rewarded by the squeek of a toy like my other dog, but he has learned how to play with a toy and throw it in the air and catch it himself. Still can't teach him to fetch though although I haven't tried in a while.
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>>She's very good with strangers and dogs. I've only had her for a little over a week, so I can't expect miracles, but what am I missing? Is she too young to be outside alone for a couple of hours or do I just need to let her adjust?
-Yes she's far too young to be alone outside for hours and entertain herself. Quite honetly there are few dogs in this world who are capable of doing that without getting into trouble. Again, if your dog is physically and mentally worn out, then being alone in the back yard may be fine because your dog will sleep. If not, the kinds of "entertainment" an understimulated dog does for hours alone are the behaviors most people don' twant to encourage- digging, climbing fences, chewing pieces of the house, barking, the list goes on and on. Trust me I know, my neighbors do this with their 2 labs on a daily basis.
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>>Also, she's "mouthy". She likes to chew, not bite on my fingers and wrist. She has her adult teeth, but is this a bad -Again, this is partially age related because the back teeth are not mature yet and molars need to be set in the jaw and also a way to relieve stress, boredom, and for something to do. Go on a two mile walk with her. Let her sniff the world she's going to live in. That's a dog's version of "the evening news" and very very mentally helpful when getting a dog used to their new home. My bet, you'll have a very tired and relaxed pup after that.
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Chelle and the rest of the crew including, but not limited to Kita and Taiko (the shiba inu wrestle maniacs), Adi (reserved and dignified tabby cat), and all 28 reptiles
