The Chow is an intelligent dog, but they do have a stubborn streak in them which means without the right sort of handling and training, these dogs can be hard to train. However, in the right hands and given the right sort of direction, the Chow is relatively easy when it comes to teaching them the rules and how to behave. The thing to bear in mind, is that Chows need to know why they are doing something and will not do anything they think is not necessary.
Because the breed is known to be extremely clean, Chows are easy to housetrain, but again without the right sort of handling and enough early socialisation, these dogs can become unmanageable which is why they are not the best choice for first time owners.