Chow Chow

Overview

The Chow Chow is one of the most distinctive and ancient dog breeds in the world. Northern China and Mongolia developed it over at least two thousand years. It served as a hunting dog, guardian, cart-puller, and, historically, a source of fur, and in some regions, of food. The modern Chow is a heavy-boned, thickly coated northern working spitz. It has a squared body, a lion-like ruff, and two features found in no other breed: a blue-black tongue and remarkably straight hind legs that produce a stilted gait.

In personality, the Chow is dignified, reserved, and deeply loyal to its family. This is not a demonstrative or gregarious breed. Chows pick their people carefully and treat everyone else with polite distance. Life with a Chow is life with a large cat who happens to be a dog. The breed suits owners who value companionship without constant demands for attention.

History & origin

Northern Chinese ceramic and bronze artifacts show Chow-like dogs from at least the Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE). Chinese emperors kept kennels of thousands of hunting Chows. The breed served many roles across northern China and Mongolia. Guardian of temples and homes. Hunter of larger game like bear and wolf. Stock herder. And, sadly, a source of pelts and in some historical periods of food. One Chinese name for the breed reflects that.

British and American traders brought Chow Chows to the West in the 1700s and 1800s as exotic curiosities from Chinese trading ports. Queen Victoria's affection for the breed in the late 1800s boosted its popularity in Britain. The AKC recognized the Chow Chow in 1903. The breed became a fashionable American companion in the 1920s and 1930s, and again in the 1980s. Each wave was followed by a drop as owners discovered the specific temperament and grooming needs.

The FCI recognizes the Chow under standard number 205. Modern populations exist in China, Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, with somewhat different type preferences by region. Genetics place the Chow among the oldest identifiable dog lineages. Chows keep ancestral traits including the tongue pigmentation and the unusual straight hind leg that gives them their gait.

Appearance

The AKC standard describes males 19 to 22 inches at the withers and females 18 to 20 inches. Weight runs 45 to 70 pounds. Proportions are square, with a level topline, a broad deep chest, and a clearly stiff-legged look behind. The head is the most distinctive feature. Broad and massive, with a flat skull, a definite stop, a short broad muzzle, small triangular ears carried erect, and small dark eyes set at a slant. That combination makes the classic scowling expression.

The tongue is uniformly blue-black, a trait unique to the breed and a few close relatives. A pink or spotted tongue is a disqualification. The rear legs are almost straight and lack the pronounced angulation of most breeds, which produces the stilted gait. The rough coat forms a lion-like ruff around the head and neck, especially in males. The smooth coat is short but still dense and heavy. The tail sits high and rests close to the back.

Temperament

Dignified, reserved, and deeply loyal to family. Chows tend to be undemonstrative. They often prefer to watch the household from a comfortable spot rather than join every activity. They bond intensely with a few people and treat strangers with polite indifference or, if not socialized well, with suspicion. Aggression isn't typical of well-bred, well-socialized Chows. The breed can be genuinely reactive when poorly raised.

The Chow's cat-like independence is a defining feature. They groom themselves carefully, pick their own resting places, and don't work for approval alone. Prey drive varies but is often moderate. Same-sex dog aggression is well documented, especially among intact adults. Multi-dog homes with Chows require careful management.

Living with one

Chows adapt reasonably well to apartments and houses if their exercise and social needs are met. Indoors, they are calm, self-possessed housemates who spend much of the day resting in a favored spot. A house with a fenced yard is a bonus. The breed handles urban and suburban life gracefully.

Cold tolerance is excellent thanks to the double coat. Chows are comfortable in cool and cold weather. Heat tolerance is poor. In hot climates, exercise during cooler hours in summer, provide shade and cool water, and treat air conditioning as a welfare measure. The heavy coat is a real limitation in hot humid regions.

Puppies must grow slowly and carefully. Skip forced running on pavement, jumps from height, and repeated impact exercise until growth plates close at fourteen to eighteen months. Adults thrive on forty-five minutes to an hour of moderate daily activity, usually a walk plus some indoor engagement. Chows are not high-energy dogs. They don't need the exercise volume of many working breeds. Seniors slow noticeably. Many Chows show significant mobility decline in the last few years.

Adults with a routine handle alone time well. True separation anxiety is uncommon. Boredom is the real risk. A bored Chow can be destructive in a methodical way. Multi-Chow homes can get complicated due to same-sex dog issues. Thoughtful pairing matters.

Chows are quiet by working-breed standards. Nuisance barking is rare. They alert once, deeply, to real trespassers. This is not a chatty breed. Neighbors see Chows as large, quiet, and watchful.

Owning one costs moderate to high. Food for a heavy medium dog, professional grooming during shedding season, and specialist vet care add up. Plan on eight to twelve years of it.

Training & exercise

Chows are smart, thoughtful, and deeply independent. They don't train like a typical working breed. They'll do what you ask when they understand it, respect you, and see the point. They won't perform for a stranger. They won't tolerate drilling. Short, calm sessions with clear rewards produce a dog who behaves reliably. Harsh corrections backfire and can trigger genuine defensive behavior.

Early socialization is absolutely essential. Between eight and sixteen weeks, expose Chow puppies calmly to friendly strangers of every description, well-mannered dogs of both sexes, cats and household animals, vet and grooming handling, and household chaos. Under-socialized Chows commonly develop stranger reactivity and same-sex dog aggression. In a hundred-pound dog, that can be genuinely dangerous.

The most common training mistakes are trying to bully the dog into cooperation and under-socializing during the critical window. A well-socialized Chow is calm, discriminating, and stable. A poorly socialized one can be difficult and even dangerous. Consistency and clear rules across the household matter enormously.

The breed doesn't compete widely in advanced sports. Some earn rally, obedience, and therapy dog titles. This is not a breed for agility or working-dog sports. The Chow's traditional roles as guardian and companion fit modern life. Expectations of eager sports performance are misplaced.

Grooming & care

The rough coat needs steady ongoing work. Brush thoroughly two or three times a week with a pin brush and undercoat rake to keep it mostly mat-free. Switch to daily during the two annual coat blows in spring and fall. The undercoat sheds in dramatic quantities. Bathe every four to six weeks. Always follow with a thorough dry using a high-velocity dryer. The smooth coat is easier but still needs weekly brushing and periodic baths.

Trim nails regularly. Check and gently clean the deep facial folds around the eyes. Inspect ears weekly. Never shave a Chow except for medical reasons. The double coat protects against cold and sun. Shaved coats often regrow patchy or off in texture.

Health & lifespan

Chows usually live eight to twelve years. Reaching thirteen or fourteen isn't rare in well-bred lines. The breed carries a moderate load of hereditary disease. Orthopedic, ophthalmologic, and skin conditions lead. There's also a specific sensitivity to some anesthetic drugs that vet teams should know about.

Watch for hip and elbow dysplasia at rates well above average. Entropion and ectropion are common eyelid abnormalities and often need surgical correction. Also glaucoma, cataracts, distichiasis, and progressive retinal atrophy. Add hypothyroidism, autoimmune skin disorders like pemphigus foliaceus, skin fold dermatitis, gastric dilatation-volvulus (bloat), and diabetes.

Good breeders screen through OFA for hips and elbows. Expect annual eye exams registered with OFA or CAER, a thyroid panel appropriate for the breed, and a cardiac exam. The Chow Chow Club of America publishes a matching CHIC list.

Older Chows develop arthritis, especially in shoulders and hips given the unusual conformation. Hypothyroidism and endocrine disease climb with age. Cataracts and other eye disease appear. Cancer becomes a concern in the last third of life. Cognitive decline can happen but usually later than in many small breeds. End-of-life calls in Chows often turn on mobility.

Pet insurance is a reasonable choice, especially a policy that covers hereditary conditions.

With kids & pets

Best with older, respectful children in their own family. Chows aren't enthusiastic playmates for small children and can be intolerant of rough handling. Well-raised Chows accept household children calmly. They aren't the exuberant family dog some breeds are.

First-time owner note

Not a typical first-owner breed. The independent temperament, the socialization demands, the grooming, and the training philosophy raise the bar. A Chow suits owners who understand they're choosing a dignified, independent northern breed rather than a demonstrative companion dog.

Fun facts

• The Chow Chow and its close relative the Chinese Shar-Pei are the only two breeds with a blue-black tongue, a trait developed through pigment cell distribution that is unique to a handful of northern Asian breeds.
• Sigmund Freud's Chow named Jofi attended many of his psychoanalytic sessions in the 1930s, and Freud believed the dog helped calm his patients.
• Queen Victoria imported and popularized Chow Chows in Britain during the 1860s, giving the breed its first solid western foothold.
• The Chow's straight hind leg conformation produces a distinctive stilted gait that is called for in the standard and that differs from the angulated rear of most breeds.

Famous & in culture

• Jofi, Sigmund Freud's Chow Chow of the 1930s
• The Chow Chows of Queen Victoria, whose imports in the 1860s introduced the breed to British society
• Various Chows kept by American celebrities including Martha Stewart, contributing to periodic waves of popularity