Chabrador Dog Breed

The Chabrador comes from two nearly completely disparate parent breeds: the Labrador Retriever and the Chow Chow. The Lab is a Sporting Group dog with a friendly personality, amicability among other dogs and is the number one most-popular dog in the United States for several consecutive years. The Chow, on the other hand, can be very aggressive, independent and dangerously uncontrollable. What both dogs have in common historically, however, lends to a high-maintenance hybrid that clearly may not be for people who can't or won't take the time to be the "alpha-dog" as well as properly train, socialize and exercise a Chabrador.

PROS

• Great Watchdog
• Extremely loyal
• Excellent guard dog
• Moderately easy to train
• Great for very active people
• Believed to have very few health concerns
• Loves to be home with you as much as possible

CONS

• Not good with kids
• Not good with small pets
• Can be aloof of strangers
• May require a lot of training
• Not good for small apartments
• May prefer to be an indoor dog
• Hunting instinct is very strong
• Might be reluctant to human touch
• Health concerns not yet well-known
• May need very careful socialization
• Definitely not for first-time families
• Needs a fair to large amount of grooming
• If a rescue, may have aggression and trust issues
• If Chow influence is strong, may be easily agitated
• Not much known about this very new and unusual hybrid
• Could be prohibited from apartment / condominium buildings
• Must be monitored constantly for signs of possible aggression
• May be illegal to own, possess and / or breed in some countries
• Can be fiercely jealous around other dogs if not properly socialized

Since the Chabrador is a new hybrid that has one parent breed — the Chow Chow — on dangerous dog lists in several countries worldwide as well as many of the states in the USA, understanding this mixed breed can be tricky. (The Chabrador's other breed parent is the Labrador Retriever.) Regarding behavior, Labs are practically the opposite of Chows, and knowing this may help to keep the potential aggression under control in your Chow / Lab mix. Keep in mind that this may not be a good dog for first-time families nor for those homes with young children.

This possible aggression as well as the typical aloofness and detachment can easily become a problem as your cute little Chabrador quickly grows in size. It is essential that you exploit the significant intelligence of your Chabrador with very early obedience training, constant socialization and non-stop monitoring for any signs of potential behavioral problems. Understanding that the Chow can be fiercely territorial, difficult to train and dangerously independent is a must. Although your Chabrador may not be as hard to evaluate and raise as her Chow parent, keep in mind the Chow reacts rather aggressively toward people whose emotions indicate fear, unease or distrust-- your Chabrador might inherit this behavior.

Labs and Chows are extremely active dogs who were originally bred to hunt in severe weather and conditions. (Chows are very big dogs that were known in particular to hunt wolves.) As such, their crossbred offspring, Chabradors, are also large dogs that are remarkably active and strong; their exercise needs cannot be ignored lest they possibly resort to destructive behavior.

The one clear characteristic of the Chabrador's temperament is that it is unpredictable--the Chow and the Lab have nearly opposite behavior patterns. While dogs of this breed can be loving, affectionate, pleasant animals, if their Chow instincts take over they can turn suspicious and even aggressive with little or no warning. Chabrador owners say their dogs behave best if they are raised with families, kids, and other pets from puppyhood--and even then, they will need supervision. For these reasons, Chabradors are recommended only for experienced owners who are willing to deal with the dog's erratic (and possibly dangerous) demeanor.

• As to training, a Chabrador will absolutely require a teacher who is able to exhibit total control over the dog. Since a Chow is often aggressive towards those who are fearful or timid, its Chabrador offspring might inherit that tendency, making any "weak" training attempts completely unsuccessful. Experts highly recommend beginning any training as early in the dog's life as possible, using definite, firm (but not violent), "alpha-dog" training techniques. This discipline, the experts say, should remain constant and consistent throughout the dog's life.

• Possibly the best quality of this mixed breed's temperament is that it is a fantastic watch- and guard dog. Chabradors are suspicious of strangers, and are instinctively loyal, so they will almost certainly confront a potential threat--and due to their large size and aggressive tendencies, odds are the threat will be neutralized. Potential Chabrador owners should keep in mind, though, that a dog of this breed may perceive a threat when none exists, and they should be prepared to control their dogs in such a case.

There is not much known about the Chabrador due to it being a very recent hybrid. Although both purebred parents have known ailments such as joint dysplasia (hip) and eye problems, it's unknown if these health concerns tend to be passed on to Chow Chow / Labrador Retriever mix puppies. Since so little is known about this hybrid dog's health and possible problems, you really should research very deeply the health aspects of both the Chow and the Lab so you understand the potential concerns of your Chabrador.

If you keep your Chow / Lab mix healthy, happy and exercised just right, you should expect him to live to be about 9 to 12 years old!