The Chow Chow is one of the world’s oldest living breed of dogs. History has it that it originated in Northern China and Mongolia and then slowly moved south.
Apart from being hunting dogs, they were used by the Chinese nobility as guard dogs also. Their fur found use as coat trimming and their meat was also widely consumed as a delicacy in China.
The Chinese gave it several names: Hei shi-tou or the black-tongue dog; Lang Gou or the wolf dog; Xiang Gou or bear dog and Guangdong Gou or Canton dog.
The name Chow Chow evolved when in the late 18th century, British merchants included some of these bearlike dogs in their cargo. Such miscellaneous goods were called “chow chow” in Chinese. That’s how the name came to be and stuck.
Since the late Nineteenth century, Chow Chows were regularly imported into Britain and even found place in Queen Victoria’s kennels. The American Kennel Club gave official recognition to the Chow Chow in 1903 and became a hot favorite among many American celebrities thereafter.
Characteristics
Aloof and independent by nature, Chow Chows measure 17 – 20” at the shoulder, weighing on an average 40– 70 pounds. They need to be controlled and well socialized from their early puppyhood because they tend to be one-master dogs and are wary of strangers.
Their perpetual frown may suggest a fiery temper, but if trained well, the Chow is quite submissive. He is also known to be fiercely loyal and doesn’t like being fussed over or hugged too frequently. He’s also a safe companion to older children who treat dogs well.
Chow Chows are also extremely alert guard dogs and tend to be highly protective and territorial. Its most unique feature is its blue-black tongue. The other notable features are its straight rear legs that give him a choppy, stiff or even stilted gait.
They take training easily but simply won’t accept physical abuse. A gentle verbal rebuke is all that is required to correct errant behavior. Despite that perpetual scowl, the Chow is never shy or aggressive. They have peripheral vision and it’s always advisable to approach them from the front.
Care
Chows live comfortably in condos or apartments but daily exercise for 15-20 minutes is a must. However, long exposure to the sun or cold is best avoided because they are not well suited to hot temperatures. The coat needs brushing twice or thrice weekly to maintain its gloss, to spread out the skin oils evenly and to prevent matting. Best kept in areas with fencing that’ll protect it from strangers and traffic.
They are easily house trainable and crate training is advised strongly by some but not by others. Many people believe crate training is pointless and cruel and that appears to be the case. This also prevents them from chewing up things when left alone without supervision. Also, don’t keep him locked up in the crate for too longs as he’ll start fretting over it because nothing wants to be locked up like that.
How would you like to be locked up like that?
Feeding
For the average adult Chow Chow, two to three cups of a high-protein dog food is recommended daily. This may be given as 2 meals. Plenty of fresh water must be available always as they tend to be thirsty. It’s best to monitor his food intake as he tends to put on weight fast.