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Chow Chow

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This article is about the breed of dog. For the food, see Chow-chow.
Chow Chow
A red Chow Chow puppy
Other namesChow, Chowdren
OriginInner Asia
Traits
Height Males 19–22 in (48–56 cm)
Females 18–20 in (46–51 cm)
Weight Males 55 to 70 pounds(25 to 32 kilograms)
Females 45 to 60 pounds (20 to 27 kilograms)
Coat Thick and coarse
Color Red (light gold to deep red-brown)
Cinnamon (light tan to brown)
Black
Cream
Litter size 3-6
Dog (domestic dog)

Chow Chow is a breed of dog that was developed in China,[1] where it is referred to as Songshi Quan (Pinyin: sōngshī quǎn 鬆獅犬), which literally means "puffy-lion dog".

Appearance

The distinctive chow features
A close-up of the Chow's characteristic blue-black tongue

The Chow Chow is a sturdily built dog, square in profile, with a broad skull and small, triangular, erect ears that are rounded at the tips. The breed is known for a very dense double coat that is either smooth or rough. The fur is particularly thick in the neck area, giving a distinctive ruff or mane appearance. The coat may be one of five colors, including red, black, blue, cinnamon/fawn, and cream.

The eyes should be deep set and almond in shape. Chows are distinguished by their unusual blue-black/purple tongue and very straight hind legs, resulting in a rather stilted gait. The bluish color extends to the chow's lips; the Chow is the only dog breed with this distinctive bluish color in its lips and oral cavity (other dogs have black or a piebald pattern skin in their mouths). One other distinctive feature is the curly tail. It has thick hair and lies curled on its back. The nose should be black (except the blue which can have a solid blue or slate colored nose). Any other tone is disqualification for showing in the United States under AKC breed standard.[2] However, FCI countries do allow for a self-colored nose in the cream.[3]

The blue-black/purple tongue gene appears to be dominant, as almost all mixed breed dogs that come from a Chow retain the tongue color.[citation needed] This is not to say, however, that every mixed breed dog with spots of purple on the tongue is descended from Chows, as purple spots on the tongue can be found on a multitude of pure breed dogs.[4]

Temperament

A modern adult Chow Chow with smooth facial features.

The Chow Chow is most commonly kept as a pet. Chows can be fiercely protective of their people and property and may not be an appropriate dog for a first-time dog owner. However American Kennel Club standards consider aggressive or timid Chows to be unacceptable.[2] The Chow Chow is considered to be suspicious of strangers and protective of family.[5] However, others characterize the Chow Chow as having a personality similar to that of a cat.[6][7]

Owning a Chow Chow can raise the cost of homeowners insurance as some companies regard them as "high risk dogs."[8] In a study done by Vet Med Today, from 1979 to 1998, out of a total of 238 fatalities related to dog bites, Chow Chows were responsible for eight.[9]

Chows are not excessively active, meaning they can be housed in an apartment. However, those apartment-based animals must be exercised daily to prevent the highly intelligent breed that is the Chow from growing restless and bored. Upon realizing that exercise is a daily occurrence, the Chow will tend to be demanding with its owner in anticipation of activities such as walking.

Health

Chows of different coat colors.

The Chow Chow can suffer from entropion,[10][11] glaucoma,[12][13] juvenile cataracts,[14] lymphoma,[15] hip dysplasia,[16] diabetes mellitus,[17] canine pemphigus,[18] and gastric cancer.[19] Chows are a high risk breed for autoimmune disease [20] and are at a predisposition for skin melanoma.[21]

Due to the Chow Chow's thick coat, fleas can become a problem.[22]

History

A Chow Chow in 1915.

Recent DNA analysis confirms that the Chow Chow is one of the oldest breeds of dog.[23] Research indicates it is one of the first primitive breeds to evolve from the wolf, and is thought by many to have originated in the arid steppes of northern China/Mongolia, although other theorists conjecture that its origin is in Siberian regions of Asia. A Chinese bas-relief from 150 BCE shows a hunting dog and a dog very friendly toward children similar in appearance to the Chow. Later, Chow Chows were bred as general-purpose working dogs for hunting, herding and protection of the home. The black tongued Chow was also bred for human consumption.[24] Some scholars claim the Chow was the original ancestor of the Samoyed, Norwegian Elkhound, Pomeranian and Keeshond.[25]

In the United States, the Chow Chow was a highly popular pet among the rich and famous during the Roaring Twenties. President Calvin Coolidge and his wife owned a black Chow named Timmy.[26][26][27][27] Chow Chows were also popular in the 1930s and 1980s.

Famous Chow Chow owners

Director Teja owns a chow called, "Action". Vanna Bonta[28][29] has a cream Chow named Sky in a line of her breed of choice, a blue Chow she had named Seraph, and a red Chow named Beowulf who was immortalized as a fictional dog in the book Flight. Sigmund Freud had a 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.[30] Martha Stewart had a Chow named Genghis Khan that died in a kennel fire.[31][32] Peri Gilpin had a chow chow named Charlie. Janet Jackson had a Chow named Buckwheat.[33][34] Drew Barrymore, Selena Gomez and Matthew McConaughey had chow-lab mixes. Manchester United winger Nani is also an owner of a Chow Chow named Panda.[35]

See also

References

  1. ^ Case, Linda P. (2005). The Dog: Its Behavior, Nutrition, and Health (2nd ed.), p. 23. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 0-8138-1254-2.
  2. ^ a b American Kennel Club (1). "AKC MEET THE BREEDS®: Chow Chow". American Kennel Club. American Kennel Club® (AKC). Retrieved 10 July 2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  3. ^ CHOWCHOW.at (9). "The FCI Breed Standard". CHOWCHOW.at. CHOWCHOW.at Alle Rechte vorbehalten. Retrieved 10 July 2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  4. ^ Kathy Welsh (2001–2010). "The Truth About Those Black Tongues". Chow Chow Information and Adoption Center. Wisconsin Chow Chow Rescue. Retrieved 10 July 2012. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ Petfinder (2012). "Adopt a Chow Chow". Petfinder. Discovery Communications, LLC. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  6. ^ The Chow Chow Club, Inc.'s Welfare Committee (1997). "CHOW CHOW TEMPERAMENT EVALUATION, HANDLING & PLACEMENT TIPS FOR ANIMAL SHELTERS". Chow Chow Information and Adoption Center. Wisconsin Chow Chow Rescue. Retrieved 10 July 2012. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 34 (help)
  7. ^ dogtime (Unknown). "Chow Chow". dogtime. DogTime Media Network. Retrieved 10 July 2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  8. ^ InsuranceAgents.com (Unknown). "Will Your Canine Affect Your Homeowners Insurance Policy?". InsuranceAgents.com. AgentInsider.com. Retrieved 10 July 2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  9. ^ J. Sacks, Jeffrey (15). "Vet Med Today: Special Report - "Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998"" (PDF). JAVMA. 217 (6). {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  10. ^ "Chow Welfare - Entropion".
  11. ^ "Vet Info - Entropion".
  12. ^ "Animal Eye Care".
  13. ^ "VetInfo - Breed Specific Problems".
  14. ^ "VetInfo - Juvenile Cataracts in Dogs".
  15. ^ "Vet Info - Dog Lymphoma Symptoms".
  16. ^ "Canine Hip Dysplasia".
  17. ^ "Diabetes Mellitus".
  18. ^ "Vet Info - Pemphigus".
  19. ^ "Positional Cloning of the Gene(s) for Gastric Cancer in the Chow Chow".
  20. ^ "Establishment of a Genetic Database for Disease Association Studies in the Major Histocompatibility complex for Purebred Dogs".
  21. ^ "Canine Skin Melanoma".
  22. ^ Atkinson, James (1988). Chow Chows. Haupaugge, NY: Barron's Educational Series, Inc. p. 76. ISBN 0-8120-3952-1.
  23. ^ Collie or Pug? Study Finds the Genetic Code. New York Times Online. May 21, 2004. Accessed December 25, 2006.
  24. ^ Schwabe, Calwin W.: Unmentionable Cuisine, page 168. University of Virginia Press, 1979
  25. ^ Chow Chow | American Kennel Club
  26. ^ a b Atkinson, James (1988). Chow chows, p. 5. Barron's Educational Series. ISBN 0-8120-3952-1.
  27. ^ a b Coolidge Pets
  28. ^ "Vanna Bonta is into Genes!".
  29. ^ "Vanna Bonta Gets Her Dog a Lion Fur-Do".
  30. ^ Coren, Stanley (1997). What Do Dogs Know?. Free Press. p. 128.
  31. ^ "Beginners Guide to the Chow Chow".
  32. ^ "Martha Blog - A Terrible Event".
  33. ^ "Beginners guide to the Chow Chow".
  34. ^ "Canine Aristocracy".
  35. ^ "Celebrity Owned Dogs".
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