TheChow Chow is aspitz-type ofdog breed originally fromNorthern China.[2] The Chow Chow is a sturdily built dog, square in profile, with a broad skull and small, triangular, erect ears with rounded tips. The breed is known for a very densedouble coat that is either smooth or rough.[1]: 4–5 The fur is particularly thick in the neck area, giving it a distinctiveruff or mane appearance. The coat may be shaded/self-red, black, blue, cinnamon/fawn, or cream.[1]: 4–5 [3]
The Chow Chow has been identified as abasal breed that predates the emergence of the modern breeds in the 19th century.[4] A research study has concluded that the Chow Chow dog breed originated from other indigenous dogs in central China about 8,300 years ago. The ancient breed evolved and manifests both morphological and physiological features, including its dark tongue, coat of fur, and stronger build.[5]
One Chinese legend mentions large war dogs from Central Asia that resembled black-tongued lions. One Chinese ruler was said to own 5,000 Chows. The Chinese also used Chows to pulldog sleds through swampy terrain, and this was remarked upon byMarco Polo.[1]: 11
The English nameChow Chow is unlinked to any Chinese name such as the modern 鬆獅犬/松狮犬 (sōng shī quǎn, lit. "loose lion dog") for the same breed, and hence of uncertain origin - possible and folk etymologies refer toPidgin English.[6]
The Chow Chow is a sturdily built dog, square in profile, with a broad skull and small, triangular, erect ears with rounded tips. The breed is known for a very densedouble coat that is either smooth or rough.[1]: 4–5 The fur is particularly thick in the neck area, giving it a distinctiveruff ormane appearance. The coat may be shaded/self-red, black, blue, cinnamon/fawn, or cream.[1]: 4–5 [3]Not all these color varieties are recognized as valid in all countries. Individuals with patchy or multicolored coats are considered to be outside the breed standard.Chow Chow eyes are typically deep set and almond shaped. The tongue is purple or blue-black; this color extends to the lips. The Chow 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.[1] The hind legs are very straight, resulting in a rather stilted gait.[1]: 4–5 : 4–5 Another distinctive feature is the curly tail.[1]: 4–5 It has thick hair and lies curled on its back. The nose should be black, but blue-coated Chow Chow can have a solid blue or slate-colored nose. According to the American Kennel Club breed standards, any other tone is not acceptable for contests.[7] FCI countries, however, do allow a self-colored nose in the cream.[8]
The blue-black/purple tongue gene appears to be dominant, as most mixed breed dogs that come from a Chow Chow retain that tongue color. However, the blue-black/purple tongue can also be found on theShar Pei. This is not to say that every mixed breed dog with spots of purple on the tongue is descended from Chow Chow, as purple spots on the tongue can be found on otherpurebred dogs.[9]
Owning a Chow Chow can raise the cost of homeowners' insurance in the US because some companies consider them high-risk dogs.[10] In a study in theJournal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Chow Chow were responsible for 8 out of 238 fatalities related to dog bites from 1979 to 1998.[11]
Chow Chows can come in a variety of coat colors. The American Kennel Club (AKC) has classified Chow Chow colors as either standard or non-standard (rare colors). The standard colors for Chow Chows are black, blue, red, cream, and cinnamon. However, colors such as fawn, white, and merle are not considered standard for this breed.[12][13]
Different canine clubs worldwide may acknowledge different coat colors or even use alternative names for the colors mentioned above.[13]
A UK study found the life expectancy of the Chow Chow to be 12.1 years, just higher than the 12 year average forcrossbreeds and lower than the 12.7 years average for purebreeds.[14]
A North American study looking at more than a million records of dogs found 6.44% of Chow Chow dogs to havehip dysplasia compared with 3.52% overall. The study also found 4.3% of Chow Chow dogs to havecranial cruciate ligament deficiency compared to 2.52% overall.[15]
Another North American study looking at more than 250,000 elbow scans found the Chow Chow to have the highest prevalence ofelbow dysplasia, with 48.6% of dogs over the age of 2 having elbow dysplasia.[16]
A North American study looking atglaucoma in dog breeds found the Chow Chow to have the third highest prevalence with 4.7% of Chow Chow dogs having glaucoma compared to 0.89% overall.[17]
In a Belgian study Chow Chow bitches made up 6.4% of cases ofpyometra despite the breed making up 1.6% of the population. Pyometra was found to be more extreme in the breed withanaemia andendotoxaemia reported.[23]
Sigmund Freud had a Chow Chow namedJo-Fi Ling 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.[28]
^American Kennel Club (January 1, 2006)."AKC MEET THE BREEDS: Chow Chow".American Kennel Club. American Kennel Club (AKC). RetrievedJuly 10, 2012.
^CHOWCHOW.at (June 9, 1999)."The FCI Breed Standard".CHOWCHOW.at. CHOWCHOW.at Alle Rechte vorbehalten. Archived fromthe original on August 11, 2012. RetrievedJuly 10, 2012.
^Kathy Welsh; Anna Wallace; Vicki DeGruy (2001–2010)."The Truth About Those Black Tongues".Chow Chow Information and Adoption Center. WisconsinChow Chow Rescue. Archived fromthe original on September 7, 2019. RetrievedJuly 10, 2012.
^Witsberger, Tige H.; Villamil, J. Armando; Schultz, Loren G.; Hahn, Allen W.; Cook, James L. (June 15, 2008). "Prevalence of and risk factors for hip dysplasia and cranial cruciate ligament deficiency in dogs".Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.232 (12). American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA):1818–1824.doi:10.2460/javma.232.12.1818.ISSN0003-1488.PMID18598150.
^Gelatt, Kirk N.; MacKay, Edward O. (2004). "Prevalence of the breed-related glaucomas in pure-bred dogs in North America".Veterinary Ophthalmology.7 (2):97–111.doi:10.1111/j.1463-5224.2004.04006.x.ISSN1463-5216.
^Mazrier, Hamutal; Vogelnest, Linda J.; Thomson, Peter C.; Taylor, Rosanne M.; Williamson, Peter (May 18, 2016). "Canine atopic dermatitis: breed risk in Australia and evidence for a susceptible clade".Veterinary Dermatology.27 (3). Wiley: 167–e42.doi:10.1111/vde.12317.ISSN0959-4493.PMID27188769.
^Kuhl, K. A.; Shofer, F. S.; Goldschmidt, M. H. (1994). "Comparative Histopathology of Pemphigus Foliaceus and Superficial Folliculitis in the Dog".Veterinary Pathology.31 (1). SAGE Publications:19–27.doi:10.1177/030098589403100103.ISSN0300-9858.PMID8140722.
^abGough, Alex; Thomas, Alison; O'Neill, Dan (April 23, 2018).Breed Predispositions to Disease in Dogs and Cats. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 71–72.ISBN978-1-119-22554-6.
^Ramos-Vara, J. A.; Beissenherz, M. E.; Miller, M. A.; Johnson, G. C.; Pace, L. W.; Fard, A.; Kottler, S. J. (2000). "Retrospective Study of 338 Canine Oral Melanomas with Clinical, Histologic, and Immunohistochemical Review of 129 Cases".Veterinary Pathology.37 (6). SAGE Publications:597–608.doi:10.1354/vp.37-6-597.ISSN0300-9858.PMID11105949.
