A Gentle Defense of Chows
Here's the text of what I consider a polite email I sent to the author of a fine book, The New Encyclopedia of Dogs.
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Dear Dr. Fogle,
Stranded in a tiny remote village in northeast ****, USA, where I retired for financial reasons, I don't get much tv. I could afford a satellite dish, but then I couldn't afford to care for my dogs who are far more important. However, I have no doubt I'd love your tv show as well as I do the cancelled dog encyclopedia I bought at a library sale today. The information and photography are wonders to behold.
However, please forgive me that I must take slight issue with your description of the ChowChow on page 181, where you write that he seldom pays attention to anyone but himself.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. I've lived with these dogs, really the best in the world, for much of my life so although not a professional, I do have room to offer correction on that one matter. I'll admit that they tend to be what might be called 'energy efficient', but they still watch everything that goes on around them with great care.
My last two, littermate sisters Joy and Freedom, lived the first eight years of their lives on an isolated horse farm in Arizona where they excelled in hunting, both individually and together. They killed snakes and any vermin. One would start to dig at the entrance to a prairie dog burrow while the other waited at the exit, ready to pounce. When I finally retired and moved to this flyspeck town in *****, I put up a fence around the entire property so they could be outdoors as much as they wanted, when they wanted - which was most of the time. They tried their best to catch a squirrel, though I don't think they ever quite managed.
Most of all, they quietly kept close watch on neighborhood comings and goings. Okay, they did fake sleep a lot, but if anyone slowed down in front of the house or so much as touched the front gate, Joy and Freedom leapt into action and raced over to 'greet' them with a warning stare, followed by bared teeth if the first hint failed.
Last June 15 I finally had to have them put down when they were well into their 16th year, and it nearly killed me. But I never even bothered to lock my doors or windows at night, knowing they were in the house with me and nothing could stir outside their knowledge. Best of all, the alpha, Freedom, would give me her nightly report (or something) as soon as I announced bedtime. She'd stand next to me and bark sociably at least 5 minutes without fail. Since I stick to landline phones, I even had to keep them well out of her reach; otherwise she'd knock the receiver off and bark sociably at it, probably trying to rouse the person who was supposed to be on the other end of the line. She never did grasp dialing, I'll admit.
Just because Chows are quiet and observant, decorous though lavish with their affection, does not mean "they seldom pay attention to anything but themselves." That sentence, dear Doctor, is unworthy of you."
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Hope I didn't sound like a crank. But I couldn't let that misinformation go unchallenged.
= new reply since forum marked as read
OK they did fake sleep a lot.
I love chows! I didn't realize anyone thought of them as self-absorbed.
I think it's a good letter and I'm curious to see if you get a response.
I've heard them described as aloof... I'd be a bit more inclined to described them as a bit cat-like.
I've had two full blood chows and a couple of mixes... and my two full blood chows were quite a bit different. The one I have now is very friendly and curious and likes to sit on my feet and sleeps with his head on the pillow next to me. And he's always delighted when my neighbor comes over for a visit. Magilla has a way off half barking or grumbling... when he wants my attention. It's pretty funny actually.
So yes. I think your letter was quite justified!! Here's my Magilla Gorilla.
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