Ever since I (Stine) can remember, dogs have been a big part of my life.
Growing up in a home full of dogs has of course had a big influence on my upbringing. Many hours have been spent on dog shows at home and abroad, in the puppy box with countless numbers of puppies and on nice walks in the nature.
Me and the dogs
Our dogs are part of the family and they are perhaps at (all) times a little spoiled.
For me, respect and good relationships is important in my work with the dogs. Good experiences strengthens confidence and build a strong dog. Therefore, I use a great amount of time socializing and environmental training my dogs. Train rides, workplace visits, meeting with other animals, city walks and a run in woods are some of the things I exposed my dogs to.
I also spend a lot of time on dog training teams. Puppy motivation, basic obedience, rally and clicker training is among the things the dogs and I participate in. And then there's all the dog shows that occupy a large part of our weekends.
I also actively participate in Danish Chow Chow Club. I’ve been working in the board from 2012 to 2015, where I took over the job as webmaster for the clubs homepage and facebook page (dcck.dk - facebook/DanskChowChowKlub)
Why a Chow Chow?
My husband and I bought a house in 2009 which made the perfect starting point for our first dog. My husband wished for a larger dog than the Border Terrier and his thoughts was towards a Chow Chow as his parents owned one during his late teens. However, I was not entirely convinced. A stubborn breed, reserved and ranked lowest at the list of intelligence dogs. – And probably not agile enough to fulfill my ambition on agility training.
I had to be convinced! We visited some exhibitions to have a look at the Chow Chow. I spoke with experienced Chow people and we of course also visited some breeders.
We ended up being "approved” for puppy from Piuk Chow and in October 2010 we could pick up our first Chow Chow, Mandela.
Today I would not be able to live without the calm and independence a Chow Chow demonstrate. My initial assumptions have been proved wrong. Yes, it’s a stubborn dog with a strong personality and own opinions. One must be equipped (and patient) to handle this. And yes, sometimes the Chow Chow deselect you and your guests, but greets all with a wagging tail. And yes, it’s not a dog that return the ball the second time you throw it, but it can easily learn a lot of tricks if you train and practice.
