Chow chow | Facts & Information

Colors: reddish, Cinnamon (light brown-dark brown–, black, blue

Origin

The Chow Chow is a medium-sized dog with a very old lineage. Originally from China, the Chow Chow is easily recognizable due to its fluffy appearance, purple tongue and slightly wrinkled face.

Very devoted to his family, the Chow Chow is not extremely friendly to strangers. The Chow Chow is one of the oldest recognized breeds of dogs in the world.

Dogs of this breed are believed to be native to Mongolia, Siberia or northern China. Based on extensive research, the Chow Chow is believed to have existed since the Han Dynasty, around 150 i.Hr.

The translation of the word "chow" is also controversial. There are currently two theories. The first theory associates the name of this breed with the shipping industry. Ships travelling from the Far East to Europe had to declare what they were carrying. Most ships carried various items and to facilitate the work of the shippers, the term "chow-chow" or "bric-a-bric" was used to denote the entire cargo. When these dogs became part of the cargo carried by ships, the name was maintained. The other theory is not as agreed. Some believe that the name" chow " is a Cantonese/american slang for food and refers to the unfortunate use of this breed in gastronomy.

Others dispute that this breed was used in this way and believe that there was a confusion between the Chow Chow and a breed of dogs similar in appearance to it, which was in reality used as a food source.

Although the Chow Chow is native to northern China, most of the dogs were discovered in the Canton (City and port) region of southern China, where it was referred to as the "black-mouthed dog" because of its characteristic blue-black tongue. The breed was so popular that a single kennel housed up to 5000 specimens at the same time.The Chow-Chow was first brought to England in the late nineteenth century and became popular immediately after Queen Victoria showed interest in this breed. After finally arriving in the United States in the early 1900s, the Chow-Chow was quickly accepted into the American Kennel Club in 1903 as a member of the Non-sporting group.

Chow Chow Food

One of the theories currently supported by many chow chow breeders shows that this breed was bred in their home countries for guard, attack or hunting, but that, if needed, the puppies were even eaten by the Chinese during frequent periods of famine. And over time, Chow Chow turned into a dish of the inhabitants of those strange areas. Incidentally, the word" chow "means, in the mandarin dialect," food"," dish", which says something about the name given to the breed"Chow Chow".

Many hundreds or even thousands of years ago, through the steppes of Mongolia, through the Snows of Siberia or through the mountains of China, dogs were almost not even fed meat. The dogs ate mostly cereals and vegetables, the bones left over from the human meal, to which was sometimes (probably rarely) some fish meat and some small animals that he managed to hunt himself. An indicator that shows the development of the Chow Chow as an omnivorous dog (mostly vegetarian, but also sometimes carnivorous) is the structure of the teeth compared to strictly carnivorous dog breeds. The teeth of Chow Chows are flatter than the incisors of carnivorous breeds.

Like bears, which are omnivorous, Chow Chow are born with 44 teeth, unlike dogs, which have 42 teeth. Before reaching adulthood, the Chow Chow loses its two bear teeth. Food with a low percentage of protein is usually the best choice for Chow Chow. A good dish should contain rice and lamb, rice and chicken, vegetables and chicken, vegetables and fish. In the Eastern countries, the Chow Chow was a breed of dog that was fed mainly on the rice left over from the people's table.

Attention!

It turns out that corn is a rather unsuitable food for some Chow Chow, as it can generate severe allergies, continuous lacrimation of the eyes, wet dermatitis (so-called hot spots), plus intestinal problems. Corn is not a food these dogs have been fed for thousands of years, just like rice, so theoretically the Chow Chow is not adapted to eating corn. It turns out that many Chow Chow need high fat food, that is, a food that also contains fat, for a large part of their life, to compensate for perhaps the low percentage of protein.

Not all dogs have the same food needs. It should be noted that there are, however, chow chow breeders who feed their animals only raw meat (so-called barf diet), and their dogs live long and well.

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Appearance Chow Chow

The Chow-Chow is a medium-sized dog with medium length hair, with a robust constitution, short and stocky. The dog has a large head with a wide and flat skull, short muzzle and facial folds that give it the appearance of a permanently frowning animal. The ears are round and small, being borne raised vertically. The tail is twisted and carried high over the back.

The most characteristic feature of the dog is the blue-black tongue, which is a rarity among dog breeds.The Chow-Chow has a double coat consisting of a thick outer hair and a soft and woolly down. The most common colors are red (rusty), black or light tan. Height at the Withers is 46-56 cm, and body weight is 20-32 kg.

Chow Chow Behavior

Chow-Chow puppies if they are well educated and properly socialized, they become excellent companions and family animals, but their strange personality requires understanding from the owner. He is frequently described as having a cat-like personality, being an independent puppy who does not like the expansive display of affection.

Chow-Chow dogs are worthy and tend to be stubborn. This cold and sober behavior has its roots in the days that this breed took to China and Mongolia, where they were also used for their meat and fur, due to the scarce resources in those areas. Therefore, Chow-Chow puppies were not considered pets and did not have the privilege of having a master, as attachment would have made it difficult to kill them.

This somehow explains their nature of driving themselves and that they are quite difficult to train despite their great intelligence. Over time, they have become especially useful as Temple watchdogs, approaching the master of the temple and aggressively repelling unfamiliar people and animals. Over the years, breeders have managed to bring to light the positive traits of these dogs, turning them into the ideal choice for those who want a family dog and want to get involved in the education of this breed with an iron will, but refined and sophisticated.

Dogs of the Chow-Chow breed can be extremely cautious with strangers, do not easily bind friends, being rather indifferent to everyone except those they love. Although generally very quiet, a dog that you rarely hear barking, it is still very territorial, a characteristic that turns it into a reliable guard dog, who will defend his family and home with great courage.

Loyalty and affection for all members of the family is undeniable, but the Chow Chow dog belongs to one person, usually it will choose one individual to whom it will give its absolute devotion. Intelligent, with an iron will, full of self-confidence, the chow-Chow puppy needs a master who will demonstrate firmly, but also kindly who is in constant control of the situation.

Chow-Chow dogs do not like the company of other dogs except those in the same household and will rarely tolerate unfamiliar dogs of the same sex.

Dressage Chow Chow

The Chow Chow is known for its strong personality and Iron Will and does not appreciate excessive attention. The Chow Chow is aloof, withdrawn and sedentary, with a reputation as an aggressive dog not always rightly attributed. Unfortunately, a small number of improperly bred and adequately unsocialized specimens have altered the breed's reputation.

It is a dog that is quite difficult to train, even one of the most difficult breeds to train. Training should only be done by an experienced, calm, authoritative and balanced person.

Training must be firm, consistent, echilibrat.Nu it is a very energetic dog, has a low level of activity, but still likes walks. It cannot stand the sun and must be protected in summer.

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Features Chow Chow

Due to its dense double coat, periodic care is necessary to prevent tangling and matting of the hair. The dog should be supervised when he is around strangers or young children with whom he is not familiar.

Chow Chow Diseases

Gastric torsion (dilation) is a sudden life-threatening condition associated with filling the stomach with air and torsion.

Hip dysplasia is a malformation of the coxofemoral joint that results in pain, lameness and consequent arthritis.

Diabetes is a disease of the pancreas associated with insufficient insulin production. Glaucoma is a serious and painful condition that causes increased intraocular pressure. It can lead to blindness if not treated in time.

Chow Chow is prone to entropion (twisting towards the inside of the eye of the eyelids), hypothyroidism and elbow dysplasia.The average lifespan of Chow Chow is 9-15 years.