# Lab/pitbull/chow mix dog



## leisann (Apr 3, 2008)

Has anyone have this breed of dog? We got our dog yesterday from the animal shelter and we chose her becasue of her calm demeanor. She seems to be a little jumpy so we think she has been mistreated. My husband does not like the idea that she has pit bull and chow in her. He says that even though she is very sweet right now something might make her snap. She just seems like a great dog, she has not even barked one time. Also, she has shown no sign of aggresiveness with our cats. My 13 year old and I have fallen in love with this dog and we are hoping to make my husband feel good about our decision!!!!!!!! My husband was a little upset with us for not including him in our decision making. My son and I went to the shelter to look at puppies and came home with another dog that has a history!!!!


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## jesirose (Mar 27, 2008)

I think your husband has a right to be upset, something like that should be a family decision.

If you guys train her right, there's no reason for her to "snap".


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## CrazyDog (Oct 16, 2007)

Why do people think that Pit bulls and Pit bull mixes are going to "Snap" one day? Dogs just don't "Snap".......it all depends on the owners, training, past history, etc....NOT THE BREED(S). IMO I believe it's just misinformation and lack of knowledge on the breeds in question. In my experience ALL the Pit bulls and Pit bull mixes I've owned and met are wonderful dogs. Some may not be dog friendly but they sure are very people friendly dogs. Pit bulls were NEVER bred the attack people they were bred to fight other dogs. Bad people train them to be aggressive towards people......this behavior is just not the nature of the breed. I've never met an aggressive Pit bull not to say there isn't any at all, but ANY dog can be aggressive not just Pit Bulls and Chows. I don't know much about Chows but what I've heard about them is the same as PB's. Sorry I don't mean to get so huffy about this topic but I hear this question ALL the time. It just makes me so mad that PB have such a bad rap.....trust me they aren't as bad as everyone makes them out to be!

BTW, most mix breed dogs are mixes of mixes of mixes. Shelter employees guess what breed(s) are mixed into each dog. They go by what the dog looks like....and a majority of the time they are wrong on there breed guesses....so your dog may not even have Pit Bull, Chow or Lab in her at all. If this is the dog for you, and it sound like everything is going good so far, I wouldn't even worry about what breed mix she is and enjoy your new friend for what she is, A DOG!

Again, sorry I am not trying to be rude. I just have a strong passion for the Pit Bull breed. They really are a great breed of dog to have as a pet....even the Pit mixes. Tell your hubby not to worry so much. As for the jumpiness of your dog, it's probably just because she is still trying to get used to you, your family, new house etc. Just give it some time and soon enough you'll have a great companion.

Congratulations and good luck with your new dog!


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## talltail (Jan 25, 2008)

Your husband should have definitely, been included in the decision making. This dog is for all three of you. However, in the future, the whole family needs decide on the perfect dog together. 

Pit bulls are the sweetest dogs! However, I've had problems with chow chows before. They can be a bit more temperamental. However, labs and pit bulls are great and hopefully the usual chow temperament won't show up. But the dog won't 'snap.' I've never heard of a dog 'snapping' unless the owner is doing something wrong.


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

I've never heard of a legitimate shelter that would send home a dog without a background check and without knowing for certain that all family members are on board with the adoption.

And unless the dog was an owner surrender, they probably have no idea what combination of breeds they sent home with you. If it WAS an owner surrender, they should have told you exactly why the dog was surrendered. 

I'm seeing multiple red flags - the LEAST of which is the possibility that the dog has some pit genes.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

RonE said:


> I've never heard of a legitimate shelter that would send home a dog without a background check and without knowing for certain that all family members are on board with the adoption.
> 
> And unless the dog was an owner surrender, they probably have no idea what combination of breeds they sent home with you. If it WAS an owner surrender, they should have told you exactly why the dog was surrendered.
> 
> I'm seeing multiple red flags - the LEAST of which is the possibility that the dog has some pit genes.


Is it me or do you also have experience with mixed breed guesses that absolutely look nothing like the breeds mentioned. except they have 4 legs/head/tail. The people tell me the Vet told them so.


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

wvasko said:


> Is it me or do you also have experience with mixed breed guesses that absolutely look nothing like the breeds mentioned. except they have 4 legs/head/tail. The people tell me the Vet told them so.


This guy, my late, great lab, was listed as a chocolate lab. I guess he was dark chocolate.


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## tcasby (Apr 30, 2007)

RonE said:


> I've never heard of a legitimate shelter that would send home a dog without a background check and without knowing for certain that all family members are on board with the adoption.


Absolutely true for the Richmond and suburban shelters. For the rural county pounds, not so much.


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## sheltiemom (Mar 13, 2007)

Well I once went to a shelter and picked out a dog as a surprise for my now ex husbands birthday (that's not why we're divorced, hehe).  I at least knew he wanted a dog, but when I got the dog home, he thought he was the ugliest dog ever. I guess Domino grew on him, because he still has him and he's 9 now. I don't recommend this, but shelters _will_ do it.

I agree with everyone who has said that the shelter's breed guesses mean nothing really. Sometimes I guess breed is obvious, but usually not. I personally think pits are nice family dogs. Train your dog and include your husband next time.


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## Inga (Jun 16, 2007)

My local shelter does NO background checks and cares nothing of whether or not a person knows what breed they are trying to adopt or if it is returned when the people cannot handle them. The recently adopted an Akita mix puppy out to a 60 something lady telling her it would be a small dog. It was much bigger then my Rottweiler puppy at that age. If you have the money you can take a dog home. They strive for "SAME DAY SERVICE." Not all Humane Societies are HUMANE anymore. This is why I feel compelled to drive an hour away to volunteer at a shelter I have more respect for. 
Now that you have the dog I hope that you will get him in some obedience classes and don't worry about the breed. Worry instead about doing the best job possible of training and socializing. Hopefully you will have a loving companion for the next 14 or so years.


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

> My local shelter does NO background checks


That's a shame. When we got Esther from that same shelter, we had to bring the whole family in to meet her. They talked to my vet and had me pre-pay the spaying, bring in the receipt and leave a deposit to assure I'd get the spaying done. (I wanted her spayed by my vet, not theirs.) We signed papers on Saturday and were finally able to bring her home the following Thursday. A year later, they called to see how it was going. Fortunately, by that time, Esther had settled down a bit to maybe a category 3 hurricane.

I've recommended that shelter since then, but not since I've heard about the unfortunate changes.

Sorry, we're getting a bit off-topic here and it's my fault.

To the OP, I agree you should have included ALL family members in that important decision, but there is nothing about that mix that would concern me. Even if you believe that pits and/or chows are unstable (I don't) you can mix a lab with a wolverine and have a nice dog. (Modest exaggeration.)


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

RonE said:


> This guy, my late, great lab, was listed as a chocolate lab. I guess he was dark chocolate.


Maybe he was color blind, but it's a Lab. he didn't say it was a Lab/Bassett mix, or a Dalmatian/Chow mix. I literally have had answers like that. I don't challenge what they say the dog is, If their happy I'm not gonna rain on their parade.

To be fair we have a rural no-kill shelter that has a very tough time (money wise) and I'm sure they are not near as strict. They play the odds and hope they are moving dogs out to a better place. In larger cities etc they may have more income. If they hold any kind of a please help the shelter program maybe 100 people show up. We had extreme flooding this year and more abandoned dogs and people losing homes even vehicles etc. This is not a perfect world.


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## ChowPitWolfLabGirl (May 16, 2011)

The only thing wrong here is choosing the dog without your husband. 
I own a chow/wolf/pit/lab mix. I know the breeds because I knew the parents and the parents parents. Chows are great dogs and so are pits and labs. Wolves are wild so should remain that way however the occasional wolf dog is made. There is no such thing as a bad breed. There is such thing as someone not training their dog right and treating them badly that make their individual dog mean. Calling one dog breed bad is like calling a race of people bad. Everyone is an individual. There is no copies and no specifics on any of them but maybe their looks. So as long as you give your dog love and train it so that it knows who is boss and does not try to thump you with the "im top dog" bullshit..for example, going the bathroom inside, chewing things, disobeying....As long as you do what you are supposed to do then the dog will be itself. Sweet and loving. Stop listening to the people who say there is bad things about a specific breed. They are retarded and dont know anything.


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## lisak_87 (Mar 23, 2011)

Wow, shelters around here won't even let you adopt a rabbit without everyone meeting and agreeing. And they ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT allow it to be a gift. Period. End of sentence.


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## a7dk (Mar 30, 2011)

I have a lab/pit mix and he's a wonderful sweet dog! He has shown no signs of aggression toward people or other animals. He's a chaser, but just because he likes to play. 

I agree with other posters; it should have been a family decision, but since you have the dog you have, focus on training him and not what breed he may (or may not) be.

Also, just as an aside, it's true that shelters/rescues are just guessing most of the time about breeds. When we adopted Hobbes the rescue told us he was a lab/Border Collie mix, and the vet records indicated Pit bull mix. We can see the lab and the pit bull but I have no idea where Border Collie came from!


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## BrittanieJo (Sep 23, 2010)

I have a lab/pitt and she's a wonderful dog. Any experience I have had with chows has also been good. They are very smart that's for sure so I think they tend to be annoyed by human antics easier than other dogs lol. I think you've got a good mix there with proper training. You obviously know that it was not wise to make this choice w/o the hubs, but now that it's done get him involved in training and interacting with the dog. The more training, work and socializing the dog has the better.


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## lovemydoggie (Jun 9, 2011)

I too have a lab/pitbull/chow mix! Let me tell you he can be ( and most of the time is) the sweetest dog ever! We sort of adopted him.... he was roaming around our neighborhood and nobody claimed him as theirs so we kept him. Sometimes he unleashes that pitbull gene at certain people such as the UPS guys the septic guy and one cable guy. He's nipped quite a few men but has never barked at women or children. We think he can actually sense that somethings strange about this person... We have also noticed that he is very VERY protective of the children! He is always worried about them and follows them when they go out for a bike ride or something.... Ok getting a bit off topic.... But in brief NO they don't "snap"! They will most likely stay how they are... YES she may be aggressive at certain times. Say, for instance, she knows or feels that something is wrong or someone in her family is in danger! Most dogs like ours are very loyal to their family!


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## pugmom (Sep 10, 2008)

lovemydoggie said:


> I too have a lab/pitbull/chow mix! Let me tell you he can be ( and most of the time is) the sweetest dog ever! We sort of adopted him.... he was roaming around our neighborhood and nobody claimed him as theirs so we kept him. Sometimes he unleashes that pitbull gene at certain people such as the UPS guys the septic guy and one cable guy. He's nipped quite a few men but has never barked at women or children. We think he can actually sense that somethings strange about this person... We have also noticed that he is very VERY protective of the children! He is always worried about them and follows them when they go out for a bike ride or something.... Ok getting a bit off topic.... But in brief NO they don't "snap"! They will most likely stay how they are... YES she may be aggressive at certain times. Say, for instance, she knows or feels that something is wrong or someone in her family is in danger! Most dogs like ours are very loyal to their family!


excuse me? ...the Pit Bull gene? .....I didn't know Pit bulls had a gene that made them bite? *facepalm*


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## abi88 (Jul 2, 2008)

pugmom said:


> excuse me? ...the Pit Bull gene? .....I didn't know Pit bulls had a gene that made them bite? *facepalm*


HAHAH, I was going to ask the same thing! 

That must be was Brody(the Pug/x) has since he hates the mail carrier!


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## lovemydoggie (Jun 9, 2011)

Sorry I meant it as the aggressive side of him. Pitbulls are normally agressive. Not all, but most! Sorry again for being confusing!!


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

lovemydoggie said:


> Sorry I meant it as the aggressive side of him. Pitbulls are normally agressive. Not all, but most! Sorry again for being confusing!!


"Normally aggressive?" I think you're confused, not confusing.


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## ellieblueberry (Jun 10, 2011)

Man am I glad I read this post! I just inherited a lab/pitbull mix and she is an absolute sweetheart! I was telling my dad about her today and he flipped and said he wasn't coming to my house again because of the "pitbull genes" in her. I was pretty mad and I am glad that this is a combo that others enjoy as well. Proof I can show my dad. (;


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## pugmom (Sep 10, 2008)

lovemydoggie said:


> Sorry I meant it as the aggressive side of him. Pitbulls are normally agressive. Not all, but most! Sorry again for being confusing!!


Pit bulls (two words) are not normally agressive....to people ....who have you been getting your breed info from?


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## amynrichie (Sep 3, 2008)

The best dog I have EVER had was lab/chow/shar pei. I think she was more reserved like a chow, but was a wonderful dog. I think your husband has a right to be upset about not being involved, but the mix itself does not concern me.


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

amynrichie said:


> The best dog I have EVER had was lab/chow/shar pei. I think she was more reserved like a chow, but was a wonderful dog. I think your husband has a right to be upset about not being involved, but the mix itself does not concern me.


Just want to make sure that everyone understands that the OP posted exactly once three years ago and hadn't been back since.


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## amynrichie (Sep 3, 2008)

RonE said:


> Just want to make sure that everyone understands that the OP posted exactly once three years ago and hadn't been back since.



LOL! Good Catch! I hate it when I miss that!


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## lovemydoggie (Jun 9, 2011)

Looks like I have some _pit bull_ researching to do!


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## abi88 (Jul 2, 2008)

RonE said:


> Just want to make sure that everyone understands that the OP posted exactly once three years ago and hadn't been back since.


AHHAHA, you know I didnt catch that, HOWEVER I DID run back and make sure I wasnt the one who posted first in the past 3 years!HAHAHAHAHAHA



lovemydoggie said:


> Looks like I have some _pit bull_ researching to do!


AGREED!!


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## lovemydoggie (Jun 9, 2011)

My sister wants a pit bull. I can tell her now that she doesn't have to worry about them being aggressive! I admit that I was COMPLETELY wrong about pit bulls!! And I'm glad that I'm wrong!


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## Shaleedraco (Sep 30, 2011)

I have female dog that is Half lab, 1/4 Chow and a 1/4 pitbull. she is rather hyper now but that was only because I had to leave her with a family member while I went away to school and this family member did not work with her and pay her any attention. Right before I got her back I found out that my family member was abusing her. When I got her as a puppy she was very good, calm and loving. She is right at a year old now and she is just as loving as always. has never bitten or even growled at anyone. she barks sometimes. 
Over all she is a great dog. she will have puppies in end November to first December. The father is a Full Blood Yellow Lab.

I can understand him being upset about the not being included in the decision. If this dog was going to snap due to something then having been mistreated or abused would have done that.


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## Mr.mrs.smith (Nov 2, 2019)

leisann said:


> Has anyone have this breed of dog? We got our dog yesterday from the animal shelter and we chose her becasue of her calm demeanor. She seems to be a little jumpy so we think she has been mistreated. My husband does not like the idea that she has pit bull and chow in her. He says that even though she is very sweet right now something might make her snap. She just seems like a great dog, she has not even barked one time. Also, she has shown no sign of aggresiveness with our cats. My 13 year old and I have fallen in love with this dog and we are hoping to make my husband feel good about our decision!!!!!!!! My husband was a little upset with us for not including him in our decision making. My son and I went to the shelter to look at puppies and came home with another dog that has a history!!!!



Any updates to this... I'm wondering how your pup behave since I just got a puppy with the same mix.. lab/chow/pit? My husband is scared she might be aggressive as well when older.


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

Mr.mrs.smith said:


> Any updates to this... I'm wondering how your pup behave since I just got a puppy with the same mix.. lab/chow/pit? My husband is scared she might be aggressive as well when older.


There won't be any updates. The OP posted once 11 years ago and hasn't been back since.

Her dog probably killed her.


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## LeoRose (Aug 20, 2015)

I don't know about the OP's dog, but my American Pit Bull Terrier is just as sweet (and more scared of one of the cats) at five years as when I adopted her at one year.


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## Mr.mrs.smith (Nov 2, 2019)

RonE said:


> There won't be any updates. The OP posted once 11 years ago and hasn't been back since.
> 
> Her dog probably killed her.


?


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## bbyjayjayissofr (Jan 27, 2021)

my family got our lab pit chow mix a little over a year ago, she is so smart and sweet. She can be scary and aggressive towards strangers, but if we show her we are comfortable she relaxes. This dog will not even jump on you. you could try all day and she still wouldn't. Shes actually the smartest and sweetest pit mix we have (we have 3 + a Boston terrier)


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

12-year-old dead thread. Feel free to start a new one or at least post to one that's active.


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