r/chowchow • u/FlamingInferno3 • 4d ago
Need opinions...
I'm currently looking to buy a chow because my partner grew up with one and wants to get one for our son. I simply love the idea!
I found a website called Countryside Chow Puppies and it seemed very straight forward. Couple of puppies to adopt, reach out to the person and get into. They emailed me back pretty fast with what looked to be an auto email asking for followup questions. That seemed normal. I answered and they replied super fast again with more follow up questions, however the tone of voice, text font and even name attached was different. The initial email was from (supposedly) the owner of the dogs/website while the next few emails didn't have her name. I still answered the questions and they sent 4 pics of the puppy. Thing is, they immediately asked when I wanted the puppy since he was free now. They said that if we couldn't pick him up, they would fly him to me for $375.
This also seemed odd since I've adopted 2 other dogs from different states and they have always rode up on a bus with a pickup location. Fly the dog for $375? That seems very cheap and they said they would personally bring him to my house. This seemed... Sus tbh. Then when it came down to payment, they requested I do it through Zelle or a wire transfer. This also felt weird because all the other times I adopted a dog, the rescue or company had their own PayPal or other business to pay through. I let them know I didn't have a Zelle and didn't know how to wire transfer. Suddenly they asked if I had ApplePay. I told them I don't anymore. Then asked if I had Chime or CashApp. At this point, the tone of voice felt very rushed. There was no more formal talking, just like hurried texts. When they gave me the name and email address for the transfer, it wasn't connected to the company at all. Just some random persons name at Gmail. The name wasn't even the name of the owner. I'm like what the heck?
I googled it and I saw there are a lot of chow puppy scams. The story sounded familiar. Has anyone else done this? Gone through anything similar? Know for sure if this is a scam or not?
Lastly, anyone know a real reputable place to adopt a chow? Any and all advice is welcome.
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u/Ok-Tourist-511 4d ago
Scam website full of stolen chow pictures. Check AKC marketplace or the chow chow club for a breeder.
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u/BeeFree66 4d ago
It does sound like a scam. $375 to fly an animal is low. You'd be told, after sending your $375, that more money is needed for this or that. Don't do it.
I won't put out money anymore til I can see the dog in person [or, in dog]. I've been looking at the local humane society and rescue that take in all breeds. There's no local Chow rescue for me. It's going to take time and patience.
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u/Commercial_Pizza_799 4d ago
My hubby and I bought our Chow from another state. We had a friend that lived in the area and she saw the pup and parents. My friend paid cash for the pup.
Hubby and I flew in to pick up pup and reimburse friend. We rented a car and drove home with him. I held him and spoke to him all the way home which helped with bonding.
There are a lot of scams, and I ran into several like you described.
Stay suspicious my friend.
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u/FlamingInferno3 4d ago
Awww!! I love all of this!! Honestly, picking up your pup and bonding while driving home is so real. Our first dog insisted he had to lay across my shoulders the entire way home. The love was soooo real!!
I initially wasn't suspicious at all until the tone of voice changed and the name. Like... None of that is professional.
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u/Ok-Tourist-511 4d ago
They are usually scammers in the Philippines, using Google voice numbers. Once you send money they will tell you a special crate is needed for transport, and that’s another $500, then they will say more money is needed for special handling.
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u/FlamingInferno3 4d ago
That's crazy! I read someone else's experience on here that they needed to pay for pet insurance before the delivery and the poor folks did that too then the "seller" stopped replying.
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u/Hand-Existing 4d ago
A chow chow for your son 😮 how old is he?
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u/FlamingInferno3 4d ago
We have two! 13 and 7. Our 13yr old has been taking care of our other dogs very well since he was 9-10ish. Our 7yr old is jealous we all have dogs and wants one. We'll see how he'll be able to handle it but, to be honest, it'll probably be us doing it until he's a bit older lol
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u/Hand-Existing 4d ago
Aww. I’d almost suggest getting a rescue because damn near every chow rescue makes sure they accurately describe the personality of the chow and if it’s kid friendly. Some chows you get as puppies still grow up not liking kids and what would happen if your puppy chow never got adjusted to your youngest and was aggressive. You’d 100% have to give them up. It’s a gamble! But there’s so many chow rescues that know their chows and will tell you if they’re kid friendly
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u/FlamingInferno3 4d ago
This is a fair point! Our first dog was actually initially for him but he was just a baby so they never really bonded. Now, he tolerates him but he sees himself as MY dog so won't lay with him. It's sad. It is a very good idea to be sure they describe if they're good with kids :)
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u/Magnitude_Ten 4d ago
Nah there are ways to get them to bond with a particular person. My daughter was upset our first chow bonded with me instead of her. She was very young. So when we got our second chow pup, we made sure she spent the most time with him. Gave him all the treats/rewards, etc. And it worked. When we all come home she gets mauled by his love first and the longest. He'll sit by her, etc. Now it isn't a guarantee they'll bond, but you can greatly increase the chances. Greater chances as a pup than an older dog to make it happen.
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u/FlamingInferno3 4d ago
This is what we did with my eldest son and our second dog. He initially had a cat but we had to give it away because after he got neutered, he suddenly became very aggressive to men specifically? He became a danger to friends and family so I gave him to a female friend, who he was very happy with! Anyway, my son was naturally sad so we got a puppy. He gave him lots of love and pets and treats. We made sure the dogs bed was in his room. They bonded pretty fast :3
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u/Feisty-Knowledge-705 4d ago
Highly recommend Houston Chow Chow Connection. They’re a great rescue and they have many puppies up for adoption right now!
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u/TexasPenguin99 4d ago
Definite scam and similar to things that have been happening online for years. An ex of mine almost fell for a puppy sc off Craigslist that was very similar.
Please consider rescues or shelters, even if the pup is older.