Chow Chow

The Chow Chow is a spitz-type dog from northern China. It is sturdy and square in profile, with a very dense coat that stands out around the neck like a mane, and a tongue that is purple or blue-black.

History

The Chow Chow is one of the basal breeds, older than the modern breeds that took shape in the 19th century. One genetic study concluded that it arose from other native dogs in central China about 8,300 years ago.

A Chinese legend tells of large war dogs from Central Asia that looked like black-tongued lions, and one Chinese ruler was said to own 5,000 Chows. The dogs were also used to pull sleds across swampy ground, something Marco Polo remarked on.

The English name has no connection to the breed’s modern Chinese name, which means roughly “loose lion dog”. Where “Chow Chow” comes from is uncertain; some explanations point to Pidgin English.

The American Kennel Club registers about 10,000 Chow Chows a year and the Canadian Kennel Club about 350.

Appearance

The Chow Chow has a broad skull and small, triangular, upright ears with rounded tips. The eyes are deep-set and almond-shaped. The double coat is either rough or smooth and is thickest around the neck, forming a ruff. The thickly furred tail lies curled over the back. The hind legs are very straight, which gives the dog a stilted gait.

It stands 43 to 56 cm (17 to 22 in) tall. Males weigh 18 to 41 kg (40 to 90 lb) and females 16 to 39 kg (35 to 85 lb).

The tongue is purple or blue-black, and the color extends to the lips. The Chow Chow is the only breed with this bluish color in its lips and mouth, though the Shar Pei also has a blue-black tongue.

The AKC’s standard colors are black, blue, red, cream and cinnamon. Patchy or multicolored coats fall outside the standard, and not every color is accepted in every country. The nose should be black, although a blue dog may have a blue or slate nose.

Temperament

Some insurance companies in the United States treat Chow Chows as high-risk dogs, which can raise the cost of homeowners’ insurance. A study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association attributed 8 of 238 dog-bite deaths between 1979 and 1998 to the breed.

Care and health

A study in the United Kingdom found a life expectancy of 12.1 years, a little below the 12.7-year average for purebred dogs.

Joint problems are common. A North American study of elbow scans found elbow dysplasia in 48.6 percent of Chow Chows over the age of two, the highest rate of any breed. Hip dysplasia and cranial cruciate ligament deficiency are also more frequent than in dogs overall.

Other conditions the breed is prone to include glaucoma, atopic dermatitis, alopecia X, pemphigus foliaceus, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, stomach cancer, oral melanoma, diabetes mellitus, autoimmune disease and, in females, pyometra.

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