Breeds 101: Meet the Chow Chow

The Chow Chow is today’s featured breed in the “Breeds 101” series. The ancient Chow Chow breed is known for their distinct stern look and stiff-legged gait that has been seen for centuries.

One of the oldest breeds, records of Chow Chows date back to 206 B.C. in China’s Han Dynasty but evidence suggests they may pre-date even these records. With their extensive history, Chows have had a diverse variety of jobs throughout the years. They have sat beside royalty, been used as a food source, stood as guards, used as haulers, and hunted alongside their owners.

According to the American Kennel Club breed standard, the Chow Chow, an “all-purpose dog of China was used for hunting, herding, pulling and protection of the home. While primarily a companion today, his working origin must always be remembered when assessing true Chow type. A powerful, sturdy, squarely built, upstanding dog of Arctic type, medium in size with strong muscular development and heavy bone. The body is compact, short coupled, broad and deep, the tail set high and carried closely to the back, the whole supported by four straight, strong, sound legs…Essential to true Chow type are his unique blue-black tongue, scowling expression and stilted gait.”

The standard colors seen on Chow Chows are: black, blue, cinnamon, red, and cream. Since they are always a solid coat color, there are no standard markings. Though one distinct characteristic of the Chow Chow is their blue-black tongue.

The Chow Chow is one of the oldest breeds, known for their bright yet aloof nature, they have served in a variety of jobs throughout their existence.

On the most popular dog breed list put out by the American Kennel Club, Chows rank 84th out of 195 breeds. Owners of these non-sporting group members talk very highly of their dogs and praise them for their adaptability to different lifestyles and their self-cleanliness.

Average heights for Chow Chows is 17-20 inches and average weights are 45-70 pounds. The typical lifespan for a Chow is 8-12 years.

Both a rough-coat and smooth-coat variety of Chow exist, though both have a profuse double coat that requires regular brushing and care. Biweekly brushing helps to eliminate matting that can occur in the hair, it is particularly important while the Chows have their puppy coat which can mat easier than their adult coat. A well kept Chow Chow will have little to no odor either.

The distinctive lion’s-mane ruff that is around the head and shoulders should be brushed carefully as over brushing can thin out the hair too much which isn’t good for the coat.

Owners should avoid exercising their Chows during periods of high heat and humidity as these weather conditions are not kind on Chow Chows. If left out in the high temperatures, heat prostration can occur which can be deadly.

Daily walks can help give the Chow the ability to thrive in either an apartment or home environment. If they are living with a yard, it is important to make sure they have a fenced yard. Playtime can also help stimulate the mind and use up energy, in addition to being bonding time.

The official breed club health statement recommends the following tests for the Chow Chow: ophthalmologist evaluation, hip evaluation, elbow evaluation, thyroid evaluation, and patella evaluation. Throughout the dog’s lifetime owners should watch for entropion, which is when the eyelashes turn in toward the eye causing irritation and excessive tearing.

Being owned by many varieties of royalty over the years including, an emperor of the Tang Dynasty and Queen Victoria, Chows have made quite the name for themselves. Some more recent famous owners include: President Calvin Coolidge, Elvis Presley and his girlfriend, and Martha Stewart who often features the dogs on her shows. Many Chow Chows have also risen to fame from Instagram accounts featuring their lives.