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Breed Characteristics
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Chow Chow
| Other Names | Chow, Chowdren, 鬆獅犬 |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Weight | Males: 55 - 70 lbs. (25 - 32 kg) Females: 45 - 60 lbs. (20 - 27 kg) |
| Height (at withers) | 18 - 22 in. (46 - 56 cm) |
| Coat | The profuse, dense, furry coat comes in two varieties, smooth and rough. |
| Colour | The most common colours are solid red, black, blue, cinnamon and cream, but it can also come in tan, gray, or a rare white. The coat sometimes has lighter or darker shades, but is never parti-coloured. |
| Litter Size | 3 - 6 puppies |
| Life Span | 9 - 15 years |
| Origin & History | The Chow is a unique breed of dog thought to be one of the oldest recognizable breeds. Research indicates it is one of the first primitive breeds to evolve from the wolf. DNA analysis confirms that this is one of the oldest breeds of dog that probably originated in the high steppe regions of Siberia or Mongolia, and much later used as temple guards in China, Mongolia and Tibet. A bas-relief from 150 BC (during the Han Dynasty) includes a hunting dog similar in appearance to the Chow. Pictures on Chinese pottery which looked like the Chow Chow date back as far back as 206 BC. Later Chow Chows were bred as a general-purpose working dog for herding, hunting, pulling, and guarding. From what records survive, some historians believe that the Chow was the dog described as accompanying the Mongolian armies as they invaded southward into China as well as west into Europe and southwest into the Middle East in the 13th century AD. Research indicates it is one of the first primitive breeds to evolve from the gray wolf, and is thought by many to have originated in the arid steppes of northern China and Mongolia, although other theorists conjecture that its origin is in Siberian regions of Asia. The black tongued Chow Chow was also bred for human consumption. Some scholars claim the Chow Chow was the original ancestor of the Samoyed, Norwegian Elkhound, Pomeranian, and Keeshond. Chinese legends mention large war dogs from central Asia that resembled black-tongued lions. One Chinese ruler was said to own 5,000 Chows. The Chinese also used Chows to pull dog sleds, and this was remarked upon by Marco Polo. A legend says that the original teddy bears were modeled after Queen Victoria's Chow Chow puppy. It is said that she carried the dog everywhere she went. Her friends disapproved, claiming that it did not befit a queen to be seen everywhere with a dog, so they paid a dressmaker to make a stuffed version of the animal for her. Today, the AKC registers approximately 10,000 Chow Chows a year. The Canadian Kennel Club registers approximately 350. |
| Personality | The Chow Chow is a well-mannered dog. Quite good with children. If they get to know cats and other household animals when they are young, they will get along with them when they are adults. Should be thoroughly socialized preferably when they are young. They need firm authority and training starting at puppyhood. Whether you are adopting a puppy or an adult dog, owners need to set the rules for the dog to follow and stick to. This is a very dominant breed that requires a dominant owner. The owner of this breed of dog should be a calm person who is naturally firm, confident and consistent. With such a handler, the Chow Chow can develop well. The problems arise when the dog lives with owners who do not understand how to be, and stay in, the alpha position. If you allow this dog to believe it is the boss of your house it will become stubborn, protective and sometimes downright unruly. Unless the dog senses the owners are very strong-minded, it will work hard at keeping its alpha position in your human pack. When this happens it does not consider itself as being mean, but instinctually is telling you in the way dogs communicate with one another that it gets to decide when and how things are done. It will be self-willed to the point of obstinacy and may be overprotective. When you have a Chow Chow that believes he is the ruler of humans, and strangers push themselves on this dog, he may become aggressive, telling the humans he would like to have his space. Space means a lot to a dog. It is respect in the dog world. Chow Chows that believe they are boss will often be a one-person dog, very loyal to their master, though he may act reserved, even with them. Alpha Chow Chows like to dominate other dogs. A Chow Chow that is not 100% convinced humans are the boss will be harder to obedience train. The Chow will feel IT needs to be deciding what and when to do things, not the human, as humans must listen to IT. These are NOT Chow Chow traits, they are instinctual behaviors, resulting from meek human authority over the dog. If you would like to own a dog, make sure you, and the rest of your family, know how to be alpha. All family members, and other humans around the dog, must be higher in the pecking order than the dog. Chow Chows can be quite a handful with passive owners, but take the very same dog and put him with an owner who has natural authority and he will be polite, patient and well rounded, making an excellent family companion. |
Care Requirements
| Health | They are prone to suffer eye irritation called entropion, caused by eyelid abnormality; this can be corrected with surgery. Also prone to hip dysplasia, stomach cancer, hot spots and ear infections. Because of their relatively short muzzles they often snore. |
| Grooming | Chow breed will heavily shed their fur in the seasons of spring and fall, which requires more grooming attention than other seasons. It is important that owners use the correct tool in order to avoid harming the skin and facilitate grooming. Three kinds of brushes that owners can use on their Chow Chow are a medium-coarse brush for the larger parts of the body, a slick brush for smaller areas, and a pin brush to maintain the longer strands of hair. Chow Chows are known to have either short and smooth coat, or a rougher and longer coat. Both create a thick woolly layer, as it gets closer to the skin. They should be brushed four times a week; however shedding seasons may require daily grooming. Also, a spray conditioner can help avoiding breakage and tearing to the thick coat of hair. Lastly, a monthly bath is required to avoid fleas and keep a clean coat of fur. |
| Feeding | Chow Chow dogs must eat twice a day. Due to the Chow Chow’s heavy build, it is important that this dog never be overweight which can lead to injuries of the hip. |
| Exercise | Chow Chows can be lazy, but need to be taken for a daily walk. Dogs that do not get to go on daily walks are more likely to display a wide array of behavior problems. |
| Other Considerations | The Chow Chow will do okay in an apartment if it is sufficiently exercised. It is relatively inactive indoors and a small yard is sufficient. Sensitive to heat, can live in or outdoors in cooler weather. Famous owners; Sigmund Freud had a Chow Chow named Jo-Fi who attended all of his therapy sessions because he felt that dogs had a special sense that allows them to judge a person's character accurately, and admitted he depended on Jo-Fi for an assessment of a patient's mental state. Martha Stewart owns several Chows, which are frequently seen on Stewart's shows, one of them named Genghis Khan. President Calvin Coolidge and his wife owned a black Chow named Timmy. Janet Jackson had a Chow Chow named Buckwheat. Italian footballer Mario Balotelli bought his girlfriend two Chow Chow puppies in the UK. Walt Disney famously gave his wife Lillian a Chow Chow puppy named Sunnee in a hatbox as a Christmas gift, later inspiring a similar scene in the Disney animated film Lady and the Tramp. |
